Published On: September 27, 2012

GHabits are there to be broken. Instead of an MX1 veteran, we sent a young guy on the road for the introduction test of the 2013 Honda CRF450R in Faenza (Italy). As crazy as this may sound, this was definitely an interesting track! The 17-year-old Julien Van Stippen (Inters MX2) turned out to be a suitable guinea pig. Not only does Julien have excellent technique, thanks to him we could also see how easy the revolutionary CRF450R steers. Because if the new Honda MX1 is the bike for the scrub generation, we can certainly ask a young pilot, right? And last but not least, if an MX2 rider can immediately handle a 450, then that will certainly be the case for an experienced MX1 rider, we think…

First contact/seating position

“From the first laps I felt very comfortable at the wheel of the Honda. The engine is compact, short and above all feels very light. Whether you jump or take a corner this 450 feels more like a 250cc. You get used to the position and the steering very easily, so I didn’t need any time to adapt … ”

Frame/ Suspension

“The chassis is great! A few years ago I tested the CRF 250 and I found the same feeling of agility in the bends and in ruts. As for the suspension, it was difficult to draw conclusions and to make an objective judgement on the fork because the track was a bit too flat (unlike during the GP weekend! hahaha.) However, I noticed how incredibly sensitive the Kayabas are in terms of compression and rebound damping settings. When the engineer on site set the suspension (just) 4 clicks harder, I immediately felt the difference on the track. For a reasonable to good pilot, it is essential to set the bike a bit tighter because it tends to move a bit during descents and at high speeds. I also found that the footpegs were placed quite low, low enough. In conditions like those in Faenza this is not a problem, but I am afraid that in very deep ruts it could be annoying. »

Motor

“The engine is, as we say in French, very healthy. It has a very complete and linear character. The engineer on site let me try the 3 different power curves. The “standard” mode in which the engine is set when you buy it is neutral; there is sufficient power everywhere. Certainly user-friendly and efficient, but a little more fun wouldn’t hurt. During the second session of the day the conditions were really perfect, the ground had been loosened a bit and had just been watered. Then I tested the “power” mode. The engine then came out angrier and more aggressive, of course it is also physically more demanding, but it does give it more character. I really enjoyed it! After the lunch break the ground dried up quickly and it quickly became “concrete”. At that moment I chose the “torque” mode. The feeling is really nice, it took me a while to get used to it, because you actually have to ride one gear higher. The CRF450R behaved absolutely perfectly in those conditions. I could get on the gas quicker than in the two previous settings and the bike was also much easier to control when sliding out of the corners. That so-called torque curve was in my opinion the best choice for situations with little grip.