2020 Honda CRF450RWE [Model Overview]

The CRF450R’s Next-Gen twin spar aluminum frame positions the rear shock’s mounting point lower, opening up the airbox area and contributing to a lower center of gravity for more holeshots. The frame geometry also helps improve traction, feeling and steering precision.

For 2020, we designed a new battery box for the CRF450R that moves the battery 28mm lower. That helps lower the overall center of gravity, which is always a benefit for responsive handling.

Not a big change, but hey, with a bike this good we’re talking about chasing perfection. What you’ll experience is better front/rear balance.

The 49mm Showa fork features a conventional spring design that helps increase the CRF450R’s front-suspension precision, handling and feel. The spring rate provides better bottoming resistance and improved handling.

The CRF450R’s swingarm uses a special fabrication technique that lets us fine-tune the flex to work with the chassis and give you better rear traction and cornering precision.

The CRF450R’s dual exhaust system is light, compact, and positioned close and low in the frame to take weight off the rear end and bring more mass to the bike’s center for improved handling. It also allows for more air flow, and that equals added horsepower.

We’re talking about a special ECU program here: push the button to select the mode, hold the throttle open, release the clutch, and the CRF450R will do the rest, launching you into the first turn with a big advantage. It turns your bike into a holeshot-seeking machine!

Notice that new button on the handlebar by the clutch perch? New for 2020, the CRF450R and CRF450RWE get our Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). You can choose from one of three settings to perfectly dial your bike in depending on how much traction is available.

This simple handlebar-mounted button lets you dial in engine power delivery character with a push of your thumb. Choose between Standard, Smooth and Aggressive, depending on track conditions.

Brakes are for more than just stopping: they help you set up the bike in turns and jumps. This year we changed the pads on the 2020 CRF450R so they’ll last longer and give you even more stopping power—a real win/win to help you win.

The CRF450R’s large front-brake disc measures a whopping 260mm. You get great brake feel and a pattern that cuts down on weight. Front and rear brake-disc guards are part of the package too.

Grams and performance count, and the CRF450R uses a titanium fuel tank. Light and strong, it’s also thinner than our previous plastic unit, while maintaining the same capacity, freeing up more space and helping to centralize fuel mass.

Kickstarting? Maybe if you’re riding in the vintage class, but not here. By ditching the kickstarter entirely, our engineers can make the CRF450R lighter. Electric starters and lithium-ion batteries are so light now and so good that putting them on a bike like this is a win/win combination. And winning is what a CRF450R is all about.

Homologated for racing and available in limited numbers, the CRF450RWE Works Edition includes all the improvements of this year’s CRF450R plus a special hand-ported cylinder head, black DID DirtStar LT-X rims, an exclusive Yoshimura exhaust system including a titanium header, titanium nitride-coated lower fork legs and shock shaft, an RK gold chain, special ECU settings, black triple clamps, revalved suspension, a factory-spec gripper seat, and an HRC decal package.

Honda’s Unicam cylinder heads combine the best of single- and double-overhead-cam designs. The configuration contributes to a compact engine that saves weight over a comparable dual-overhead-camshaft motor and also permits a narrow included valve angle. This flattens the combustion chamber to facilitate ignition flame propagation, allowing a high compression ratio. Since less space is taken up in the cylinder head, the camshaft sits lower in the head for a more compact engine and a lower center of gravity.

Lightweight titanium intake valves cut down on reciprocating mass and permit the use of smaller valve springs, reducing overall engine height.

The CRF450R features a downdraft intake tract and FI body to help increase both power and fuel-metering precision. It’s part of the reason the CRF450R offers such explosive power and massive torque, especially out of the starting gate and in the critical first 100 feet of the race to the first turn.

The CRF450R’s fuel-injection system sprays twice per intake cycle. That helps increase fuel atomization without adding the weight or complexity of a second injector. The better fuel atomization means more power in the midrange and on overrev—you’ll feel it the first time you race.

Developed using Dunlop’s “block-on-block” design technology, the CRF450R’s MX3S tires give excellent feedback and are a perfect complement to the CRF450R’s frame and suspension.

The CRF450R uses our latest finger-follower rocker design. The Unicam cylinder head remains one of the most efficient in the MX world, giving you the design and performance of a double-overhead-cam layout but the compactness of a single-overhead-cam design.

The CRF450R features a refined squish area that helps boost compression to an impressive 13.5:1. That means improved combustion efficiency for more power.

With all the time you’ll be spending in victory circle, you need to look your best. The 2020 CRF450R has you covered. Our redesigned “in mold” graphics look great, and stay looking good. Plus, the CRF450RWE gets special red number plates this year.

A factory skid plate is light and offers the engine and lower-frame protection that a racer demands.

The aluminum Renthal Fatbar features a bend that’s even better than the legendary Honda “CR” bar. It’s the new standard of excellence—you’re gonna love it! In addition, the CRF450RWE gets special Renthal grips.

They may not help you go faster, but the black DID DirtStar rims sure look good.

The CRF450R features a flat seat/tank junction, including a titanium fuel tank. The superior ergonomics make it easier to move forward and back on the bike, increasing your control.