minkyhead wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 12:27 am
dead dissapointed with the 450l ..its in no way a adventure bike for me
26 hp ? price ..tank range ...a puny 135w stator ..600 mile oil changes ..valves at 1800... blah blah
heres the irony ...i could take the 300 engine out of me 250l and put it in the 450l and have 20 percent more braaaap

wtf
is it a enduro bike ? well no even i can handle more than 26hp
adventure bike ? not in the way id describe one
it looks to be a very expensive trail bike ..with insufficiant stator to power heated grips ... ...im mega confused by what its supposed to be
Hi Minky - don't forget the 450L is only 26bhp in Europe due to homologation rules... the rest of the world get a 45+bhp version (while apparently Australia also get the full-power ECU in a box with the bike ;o)
I agree a 135w stator seems small, but it doesn't need more than that to charge the battery and run the LED lights - it's a street legal enduro bike, just like the KTM EXC etc.
As for the Rally version in this thread - apparently the tanks offer 5.2 US gallons (so around 20 litres - 10 each side), and you can bet they've also uprated the stator (if only to around 200w perhaps) so it can power any additional navigation equipment easily.
To me, this looks like a fully street-legal consumer version of their factory Rally bike - ie. something more affordable than a full-on KTM 450 RFR that the privateer could race if they wanted.
Plenty of people already use a CRF450X with add-on tanks and fairing to good effect, and this bike being based around the latest EFi 450L means it's already got very good suspension out of the box.
I wouldn't be surprised if Honda release this on the back of a half-way decent result in Dakar this coming January... it's a shorter event this year, all in the Peruvian dunes - where traditionally the HRC riders have done well - so who knows?!
Either way, I imagine they now want to try and get back at last some of the money they've spend over the past few years with their factory Rally bike programme!
Jenny x