Dual-Sport Honda CRF450RL Is A Road-Legal Dirt Bike

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The CRF450RL comes with many of Honda’s best dirt bike features and is also street legal, so you can ride from trail to trail. (Photo courtesy of Honda.)

Honda has updated its CRF450 line for 2021, and one of the affected bikes was previously called the CRF450L; Honda renamed the road-legal dirt bike the CRF450RL. The manufacturer says the dual-sport bike broadens ride-planning possibilities because although it offers a many of the key features found on Honda’s CRF450R dirt bike, it also has a catalytic converter and a design that’s fully street legal in all 50 states. The 2021 model retains Honda’s proven 449 cc Unicam engine and wide six-speed transmission found in the 2020 model.

Performance & Specs

The CRF450RL’s liquid-cooled, four-stroke Unicam engine features a cylinder-head said to combine the features of Honda’s single- and double-overhead-cam designs. The end result is a configuration that saves weight (compared to a dual-overhead-camshaft motor) and lets the camshaft sit lower in the head for a more compact engine and a lower center of gravity. The six-speed transmission, meanwhile, gives riders a low gear for tight trails and a top gear ideal for highway riding. Other performance-based features include an 18-inch rear wheel and IRC GP tires well-suited for both on- and off-road riding, as well as a 260-millimeter front disc brake and a 240-mm brake rotor in the rear for plenty of stopping power.

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The 2021 Honda CRF450RL dual-sport motorcycle will be available in September 2020 with an MSRP of $10,399. (Photo courtesy of Honda.)

Off- & On-Road Comforts

Based on rider feedback, the CRF450RL now comes standard with handguards installed right from the factory. The fully integrated handguards attach to the control-lever pivots and are vented for increased comfort and protection. Honda says the twin-spar aluminum frame is both light and stiff for excellent handling, while the chassis geometry is built for responsiveness. The chassis is also wider than Honda’s standard MX frame to support the CRF450RL’s six-speed transmission.

Find Your Honda Bike

Honda says the CRF450RL will be available this September with an MSRP of $10,399. In the meantime, you’ll find a big selection of new and used Honda motorcycles for sale every day on MotorSportsUniverse.com, including CRF450L models.

Source: Honda