It’s been nearly eight years since the last time I visited Japan, and during that stretch, no motorcycle manufacturer had introduced a machine with enough significant changes or complete overhaul to justify going truly “all out” for a launch. That changed about a month ago when I boarded a United Airlines flight out of LAX bound for Narita International with an invite from Honda in hand. While the trip itself involved much more than simply riding a motorcycle, let’s be honest, that’s why most of you clicked on this feature. The headline here is simple: Honda has an all-new CRF450R on the horizon, and this thing genuinely earns the “all-new” label. We’re talking about a nearly completely redesigned engine, I honestly don’t even know what internal parts carry over from the 2026 model, maybe a bearing or two? Along with that comes a heavily overhauled chassis and suspension package, revised geometry, and an aggressive new look that will probably end up being a little polarizing depending on who you ask.

As mentioned above, the two 2027 models we had on hand were technically pre-production units. While they were well beyond the prototype and endurance-testing phases, they weren’t officially final production motorcycles yet. These bikes sit in that in-between stage where manufacturers transition from hand-built development machines into true production-line-ready units. Essentially, this was Honda’s first opportunity to evaluate the bike in something very close to final assembly form. By all accounts, these motorcycles should feel nearly identical to what consumers will eventually purchase, but Honda still wanted to cover its bases and asked us not to treat this as a full review. Instead, this was more of a first sampling—a chance to experience the major changes to this new-generation CRF450R before a more extensive test takes place at the end of July back in the United States on familiar soil.

Honestly, the fact that Honda flew a handful of us all the way to the Land of the Rising Sun roughly three months ahead of the official U.S. test told me everything I needed to know about how excited and confident they are in this motorcycle. Personally, the “pre-production” status of the bikes didn’t bother me at all. If anything, it helped me take a step back and avoid hyper-analyzing every single clicker setting and chassis reaction to the ninth degree. That actually turned out to be a blessing because the conditions were… well, not exactly in my wheelhouse.

We somehow made it almost an entire week in Japan without rain...until the night before our riding day. Thankfully, conditions ended up much better than expected, but enough of the setup story. Let’s skip past the BS and dive into the machine itself with the specifications, major changes, and my first impressions of what Honda has created. While at HSR Kumamoto, I had the opportunity to sample both the pre-production 2027 CRF450R and its more advanced sibling, the new HRC Works Edition. Yes, “HRC” is now officially part of the name, and Honda is clearly leaning heavily into its racing heritage with the branding, development philosophy, and overall presentation of its production models.

Honda’s staff was even brave, or maybe confident is the better word, enough to bring out a fresh 2026 CRF450R so we could ride the outgoing generation back-to-back against the new models.

2027 Honda CRF450R Breakdown and Test - Video

If you want to read about this bike, keep scrolling. If you like to listen, click play on this feature here.

Specifications

What's New

If you want the super detailed press debriefing on every change to the bike, click here: First Look | 2027 CRF450R

The short version? Almost everything. Honda claims the 2027 CRF450R is nearly 10 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, with over six pounds of that weight reduction coming directly from the completely redesigned engine. Along with the weight savings comes over 12% more peak horsepower and roughly 4% more torque.

The engine itself is now heavily based around a more compact “250-style” architecture. One of the biggest changes was relocating the electric starter to the left side of the engine, which reduced the complexity of the starting system and allowed Honda to eliminate some gears, rotating mass, and other internal components. The engine cases are now 17mm thinner, the transmission has been downsized, the clutch system is lighter, and the crankshaft, valve train, intake system, and combustion chamber have all been redesigned. The result is a broader, freer-revving engine that carries power much farther into the upper RPM range instead of signing off early like the previous generation.

Honda also completely revised the transmission ratios. Even though the bike now comes stock with a 51-tooth rear sprocket instead of a 49, the actual final gearing feels very similar because of the revised primary ratio and internal transmission changes.

First gear is now significantly longer, almost “works bike” style long, while third and fourth gears are slightly closer together. Fifth gear is taller, and overall, the transmission feels much more forgiving and versatile than before. It's amazing when a transmission is well-sorted how much more "power" it can make a bike feel like it has. Add in the bike actually having more power, as this '27 CRF has, then it's a potent combo.

The intake system was another major focus. Honda moved the intake angle farther rearward and increased downdraft efficiency to improve airflow into the engine. Air now enters much more directly from the rear of the bike rather than being routed awkwardly through multiple channels like previous CRF designs. One really cool detail Honda shared with us was that part of this development was inspired by an older HRC airbox design. Well, to be exact, they showed us an airflow model from an unnamed airbox, which a few of their media guys were questioning where it came from. This Pit Bits shooter remembered exactly where this came from, as it was a make-shift build of two different airboxes originally developed during Jet Lawrence’s 250 career years ago. That concept eventually evolved into what we now see on the production 2027 bike. Cool stuff.

Noise reduction was also a huge priority. The new CRF450R now meets upcoming AMA and FIM sound regulations right out of the box, thanks to a redesigned airbox and exhaust resonance system.

The chassis itself is over 70% new. Honda retained only a small portion of the previous frame design while redesigning nearly everything else, including the subframe, swingarm, linkage, engine mounts, and shock tower. The frame is now stiffer overall, something Honda openly admitted was intentional after learning the previous softer-generation chassis created unpredictability instead of comfort. The new bike is designed to be calmer, more precise, and more stable under load.

Suspension also received major revisions front and rear. The Showa fork now uses a spring tube-style damping design inspired by Showa’s works suspension systems, along with revised valving, increased spring rate, and improved high-speed damping control. Out back, the shock and linkage have been heavily updated to improve tracking, comfort, and rear-wheel precision.

One more thing, there’s also a new HRC Works Edition. It now receives a full titanium Yoshimura exhaust system, upgraded suspension settings, revised mapping, special wheel components, hand-finished cylinder head work, and all the premium touches we’ve come to expect from Honda’s top-tier production model.

First Impressions

To kick it off, yes, the nearly ten pound weight reduction is instantly noticeable taking the bike off the stand and even more so once on track. It immediately feels lighter during quick directional changes. Hondas have always felt relatively light while riding, but this new chassis takes that feeling another step further. The reduced weight becomes especially noticeable in transitions, rollers, and anywhere you’re physically moving the bike underneath you.

As for the new design of the bike, contact points are improved and while the physical look might not be everyone's cup of tea, it does make a noticeable impact on track. As we've heard from other OEMs and test riders, there's an argument that bikes have become too thin and too minimalistic to properly hang onto. Honda moving away from that approach and giving the rider something to grip onto and a little more consitent thickness throughout the CRF450R was an improvement in my eyes, or in this case between my legs.

Speaking of legs, Honda slightly revised the rider triangle by moving the footpegs 5mm farther rearward. On paper, that sounds minor, but on track it’s actually very noticeable. The new positioning changes how you weight the bike and shifts some of the rider bias rearward compared to previous Hondas. As someone who has always felt slightly too far forward on recent CRF450Rs, I immediately liked this change. It allows you to ride more off the rear of the motorcycle without feeling like you constantly need to pressure the front tire.

Even in muddy conditions, which I absolutely hate riding in, the bike immediately felt calmer and easier to manage than the outgoing generation.

Now most consumers eyes will be drawn to something else other than the new engine, or the new chassis, and other features when it comes to their "first impression". That will instead he highlighted by the new design and color choices that Honda has made. Yes, it's striking and polarizing. The move makes sense when you see Honda's street performance line that has gone in the direction of using the HRC tri-color of red, blue, and white. While also adding in a larger and more prominent "HONDA" across their lineup. Someone from Honda also mentioned to me with the influx of added red motorcycle brands in the space, they want to stand out a bit more.

Engine

The engine is unquestionably the biggest highlight of the 2027 CRF450R. Yes, it makes more power, but more importantly, it carries that power much farther into the RPM range while still remaining smooth and manageable. The old engine always felt somewhat restricted up top. This new motor feels freer, lighter, and much less bound up at high RPM.

There’s more low-end torque, improved throttle response, stronger midrange pull, and significantly better over-rev. Yet somehow, despite the added power, the engine actually feels easier to ride. That broader power character works extremely well with the revised transmission. Third and fourth gears are much more usable now, and the bike forgives mistakes better than the previous generation. If you enter a corner one gear too high or too low, the engine has enough flexibility to recover without punishing you.

Another major improvement is vibration reduction. At higher RPM, the engine feels noticeably smoother and less harsh than the outgoing CRF450R. If it wasn't for this, honestly, most of the engine improvements would've been for naught. Why create a ton more mid-to-top power if it would just make the bike bind up and, frankly, be unusable? Honda also introduced a slipper-style clutch function into the new bevel-spring clutch design. The effect is subtle but noticeable. When chopping the throttle or bouncing off the rev limiter, the bike eases into engine braking more smoothly instead of abruptly nosing over. It helps the chassis stay calmer and more predictable in technical sections and back-to-back corners. So many things about this machine are just "calmer".

Overall, with my small sampling, this is the most refined and enjoyable Honda 450 engine I’ve ridden.

Chassis and Handling

This is where the personality of the bike changes the most. The outgoing CRF450R was extremely front-end biased. It cornered incredibly well initially, but from mid-corner to exit, it often felt nervous and overly reactive to surface changes. And on top of that, high-speed stability wasn't always its forte.

The new chassis seems to sacrifice a small amount of that ultra-sharp initial corner-entry feeling in exchange for dramatically improved calmness and predictability throughout the rest of the turn.

Mid-corner and exit stability are significantly better. The bike rolls through turns more naturally and requires less rider correction. It honestly reminds me more of the calmness and planted feel you’d normally associate with an Austrian bike.

Where the new bike gains back some of that initial cornering sharpness is through the weight reduction. While the old bike maybe had slightly more front-end bite entering turns, the new bike is substantially easier to lean over and transition side to side. That balance between calmness and agility works really well.

Overall, the chassis reacts slower to rider inputs and terrain changes, but not in a lazy way. Instead, everything feels more controlled and composed.

Suspension

I know I said the engine is the biggest highlight of the new CRF, but the suspension might actually be the biggest improvement on the entire motorcycle (well, for me personally). The old CRF450R fork was comfortable initially but lacked hold-up and confidence once you started pushing harder. Under heavy braking or larger impacts, it would blow through the stroke too quickly and upset the chassis. The new fork completely changes that feeling.

There was a downhill roller section at HSR that developed a nasty G-out from the mud throughout the day. On the 2027 bike, I barely noticed it. The fork stayed up in the stroke, absorbed the load smoothly, and maintained chassis composure extremely well. Jumping back onto the 2026 model immediately highlighted the difference. The old fork would blow through the stroke and upset my positioning entering the next corner. To put it bluntly, I just wasn't a good enough rider to sort out getting tossed off balance like that, and the 2027 model helped me.

The new suspension simply maintains much better control everywhere.

The rear shock shows similar improvements. The bike tracks straighter, stays calmer under acceleration, and handles repeated impacts more consistently than the outgoing chassis.

One thing that stood out throughout the day was how controlled the entire motorcycle felt. Compression damping, rebound behavior, chassis pitch—it all slowed down in a very positive way. Even though the bike is faster and lighter, it almost feels like everything around you is happening in slow motion because the chassis remains so composed.

That calmer behavior gives you more confidence and more time to react as a rider.

Final Word

Again, this isn’t a full review yet. We still need to ride the finalized production bike in familiar U.S. conditions before making final conclusions. But based on this first impression, Honda made massive improvements to the CRF450R for 2027.

The engine is broader, stronger, and easier to ride. The chassis is calmer and more stable. The suspension finally has the hold-up and predictability riders have been asking for. And somehow, despite all these changes, the bike still maintains the lightweight Honda feel people love.

Honestly, I had more fun riding this bike in muddy conditions than I’ve had on a motocross bike in a long time, and I absolutely hate mud riding. Honda clearly put an incredible amount of effort into this redesign, and after spending time learning about the development process behind it, it’s obvious just how serious they were about improving every aspect of the motorcycle.

Now we wait until the full U.S. test later this summer to see whether those first impressions continue to hold true.