Engine: 449-cc single cylinder with liquid cooling, fuel injection and titanium valves / Transmission: wide-ratio six-speed manual / Top Speed: 91 mph / Weight: 289 pounds / Brakes: 10.2 inch front, 9.4 inch rear /Suspension: Showa inverted telescopic fork with adjustable rebound and compression (front), Showa Pro-Link mono shock, adjustable for preload, rebound and compression (rear) / Price: $10,399The first time I went to a World Rally Championship event in Spain, I saw some things I expected: turbocharged AWD hatchbacks blitzing back roads at 120 mph, banged-up cars limping into the pits at the end of stages, rabid fans watching the race from wherever they could find a spot, including up in trees. Christopher WilsonWhat I didn’t expect—when driving from one stage to another—was to glance to the side and see one of the race cars idling alongside in traffic, waiting its turn for a roundabout. Indeed, all the WRC cars were required to drive between stages on public roads, and they were all street-legal. Thus leading to the surreal sight of two guys wearing race suits and helmets sitting there in rush hour in their Skoda race car. I hadn’t noticed when they were going past sideways, but that thing had a license plate. The Honda CRF450L is like a two-wheeled version of those rally cars. It’s a cross-country race bike that’s been modified, barely, for street legality. The tires are slightly more pavement-friendly (though still plenty knobby), there are turn signals and a speedometer, and the exhaust system includes a catalytic converter. Dirt, BikeThe CRF450L is street-legal, but it really finds its groove when the pavement ends.Ezra DyerStreet ModsThe CRF450L carries a few modifications to make it street-legal, among them turn signals and mirrors. But the law doesn’t require a windshield, so there isn’t one.Ezra DyerBendy BlinkersThe turn signals are on flexible stalks, for when you need to squeeze past a tree out on the trail. Or, uh, if you dump it.Ezra DyerArmored UpThere’s 12.4 inches of ground clearance under the skid plate. This is a tall bike.Ezra DyerBest Fork ForwardThe fork also wears shields to protect it out on the trail. The forged side stand is a concession to civility—when you can ride to the trail, you’re not bringing an MX stand to prop up your bike.Ezra DyerRoost ReadyThe knobby IRC tires are actually toned down a bit from full-on off-road tires, so they won’t rattle your teeth out on the highway. It’s a fair compromise.Ezra DyerAll Ate Up With MotorThe 449-cc Unicam single uses a heavier crankshaft (relative to the 450 in the motocross bikes) to make it more tractable, and a wide-ratio six-speed includes a tall top gear that enables a 91-mph top speed.Ezra DyerJust The BasicsAn LCD screen tells you speed, fuel consumption, mileage and not much else.Ezra DyerOther than that, this is your rally car with a license plate. The 450L’s wet weight, with full fuel and fluids, is only 289 pounds, courtesy of trick components like a titanium fuel tank and lithium battery. The 450L also has a forged alloy sidestand, so you don’t have to dump it on the ground or lean it against a tree when you stop to take a break. That’s where the convenient features end because this bike is pretty hard core. Slotting in between the CRF250L and the ancient continent-crushing XR650L, the CRF450L combines agility with a healthy dollop of horsepower. On the road, the 449-cc Unicam single-cylinder doesn’t feel like it’s going to rip your arms off, but start threading through some trees on a narrow trail and it feels like it’s got all the power you need and then some. There’s no tach, so you shift when it starts to sound unhappy—for a single, it doesn’t seem to mind revs, whatever those revs may be. But the engine seems tuned for mid-range grunt, and the crankshaft is heavier than the one on the 450R motocross bike, trading some zing-zing throttle response for stall resistance out on the trail. Christopher WilsonThe Showa suspension offers about a foot of travel front and rear, and you’ve also got more than a foot of ground clearance under the skid plate. This is a suspension system designed for big hits on the trail and getting air, which means that it doesn’t even notice your everyday rough pavement. There is some vibration from the knobby IRC tires, but if your use skews toward pavement you could always go the supermoto route and swap on a set of pavement-oriented tires until you’re ready to ride the dirt.While the CRF250L offers a Rally version with a fairing, a windshield, and available antilock brakes, the CRF450L is strictly stripped down. You’re out there getting buffeted by the wind and a minimal LCD screen delivering only need-to-know information. This ain’t a Goldwing—it’s a 450-class dirt bike with a license plate.Ezra DyerSenior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.
