2026 Honda CRF450RX

Introduction

• Honda's big-bore competition off-road racer.
• Designed for NGPC/GNCC/WORCS.

The 2025 Honda CRF450RX marks a pretty significant evolutionary step for Honda’s closed-course off-road entry. By pairing the revised 2025 motocross platform with dedicated cross-country componentry, the newest RX aims to blend its traditional sharp agility with improved high-speed stability and rider comfort for the off-road arena. The bike is very largely based on the MX model with very few differences between the two. The RX features dedicated suspension settings, ECU settings, an 18-in. rear wheel, larger fuel tank, handguards, and an o-ring chain and kickstand.

Changes

• Large chassis and handling changes for the 2025-2026 generation bike.

There are no changes to the 2026 model but the 2025 model received significant changes from the 2023-2024 model. For 2025, Honda overhauled the platform with a heavy emphasis on structural balance. A redesigned aluminum twin-spar frame utilizes 70% new components to optimize rigidity balance, paired with updated upper and lower triple clamps and a redesigned front stem to reduce front-end fatigue. Updated Showa componentry features revised internals, new valving, and a stiffer linkage ratio designed to maintain stroke position without transfering excess harshness to the rider. A straighter intake tract and revised exhaust header pipe smooth out the low-to-mid power delivery for better rear-wheel traction. Of course, the RX features standard cross-country additions including a 2.1-gallon oversized fuel tank, an 18-inch rear wheel, Dunlop AT81 tires, handguards, a forged aluminum side stand, and model-specific ECU mapping.

Power

• This motor is fast but rideable.
• Light flywheel, quick revving engine.
• 5-speed transmission runs out of gear quicker than most.
• Changing maps on the fly is tough, but the maps make a difference.

The engine on the Honda RX has never been a complaint of ours, especially in faster western off-road conditions. The engine tuning on the CRF450RX focuses on controllable power delivery rather than sheer aggression. Low-RPM response is clean and linear and the abrupt off-idle snap that previously made technical sections challenging is much improved. Transitioning into the midrange, the engine pulls strongly with a predictable roll-on feel that aids traction on slick or degraded surfaces. The bike pulls well into the top end for one of the most complete motor packages in the class. It prompts rideability and is well liked by riders of all ages and skill levels. Just fast and aggressive enough to appease the young, energetic riders but mild enough that most riders can make use of the power without being intimidated.

Onboard handlebar controls allow the rider to toggle between three engine maps (Standard, Smooth, Aggressive) and three levels of Honda Selectable Torque Control. The Smooth map works well to meter power in loose, low-traction conditions, while the Aggressive setting restores quick-revving engine response for deep sand or fast, open terrain. It's been a complaint of ours since its introduction and it continues to be due to "safety" protocols within Honda, but we really wish we could change maps on the fly much easier and quicker. As it sits now, we don't like to think of it truly as an "on-the-fly" change like they claim.

Hydraulic clutch operation remains consistent across long rides with a light, predictable lever feel. It's not our favorite hydro clutch but it has improved from a few years ago and durability is as good as any. The transmission ratios on this bike are very tight and being a 5-speed MX transmission, its hard to gear this bike for off-road. You have to choose gearing up for higher speeds or gearing down for lower speeds but you can't have both. One bigger change we went with on the 450RX, and this is more of a west-coast off-road focused change, is we went up on both ends with gearing from 13/50 to 14/51-52. This lengthened out the power throughout the curve and greatly helped the top end and over rev. With the gearing, we could run each gear a little longer and not find the need to shift as frequently. Additionally, we would often run out of gear quickly on faster courses, so the taller gearing helped in that area. Finally, the gearing changed helped smoothen the chassis feel as well. Similar to what we’ve felt on a Yamaha, the combination of the smoother power and the increased sprocket sizes “deadened” the hit on harsh hits, and made the bike feel as if it skims across acceleration chop rather than through it.

Suspension

• One of the stiffer setups on the showroom floor.
• Very balanced settings from front to back.
• Showa components are high quality.

The Showa 49mm coil-spring fork and shock setup on the RX feature softer springing and valving compared to its MX sibling, tailored specifically for off-road terrain. Small-bump compliance is noticeably improved and one of the standout features of the suspension. It absorbs high-frequency trail chatter and square-edge hits without deflecting off line and feels controlled and race inspired. Under heavy braking or rapid load transfers, the front end holds up higher in its stroke than previous iterations, preventing harsh bottoming while maintaining balance. Through high-speed chop and whoop sections, the rear end remains planted and tracks straight, minimizing kick and rear-end side-to-side deflection.

While it's improved and more versatile than before, it's still on the softer side and for faster and/or heavier riders, springs and/or valving does help. We experimented with fork height on the front, sag in the rear and clickers for both to find the balance we wanted. It's a very good starting point and something we certainly encourage you to ride and spend time with before shipping the suspension off to your favorite tuner.

In stock trim, or near stock trim, we settled on running the forks flush in the clamps for a more stable chassis that isn’t so aggressive on the front end. In the end, we felt the bike still turned very well but we gained a lot of stability, and in some cases, the bike even turned better as we’d struggle with over steer having the clamps in their stock position at +5mm. Additionally, we ran sag between 105-108mm depending on the rider. A nice change we did make is shortening the shock shaft a couple millimeters, or installing a longer link arm which gives the same effect. This got rid of the stink bug feel that the Honda brings with a taller feeling rear end in stock trim.

Chassis - Handling

• Ergonomics are widely accepted by all of our riders.
• Nimble chassis that offers precision and feel to the rider.
• Less sensitive in a better way and has broader performance across varied terrains.

Chassis behavior is where the 2025 updates make the largest impact. By "stiffening" frame rigidity in most areas, Honda reduced the rigid, unforgiving feedback of prior models while retaining the model's signature cornering prowess. With all these changes, the frame handles significantly better than before while also being far less sensitive to setup which shows the bike as a whole has improved.

The bike initiates turns easily, allowing the rider to carve tight singletrack or rail rutted turns with minimal steering effort. At higher speeds, straight-line tracking is calmer and more settled, instilling confidence across varied terrain. The 450RX platform feels incredibly light and nimble thanks to its chassis and lively engine character that work hand in hand. Very few bikes are as easy to maneuver with such little effort. In mountain singletrack, the bike feels 10-15 lbs lighter than most of the other bikes in its class. While its stability is increased from years past, it still suffers from some instability in stock trim, but that's to be expected for a bike this nimble. Some of our riders prefer it this way while others prefer more stability - that's up to the rider to decide.

Honda is known for ergonomics and the CRF450RX hasn't changed there. Controls feel like a Honda and just about anyone can jump on and immediately feel comfortable. The rider triangle is in spec and riders of all sizes feel it is one of the better cockpits out there. The most notable exception is the seat. It’s the one thing most of our testers disliked. It’s thin and once it breaks down a bit, the hard base becomes very apparent. Luckily a call to Guts Racing or Seat Concepts can solve with a new foam and cover that holds up much better and is a joy to ride with. The ergonomic layout feels slim through the midsection, making transitions from sitting to standing fluid despite the larger 2.1-gallon fuel tank. The rear of the bike feels bulky in comparison to the mid-section of the bike, and with the bulky feeling of the fuel tank, it gives the bike a weird rider feel with the different thicknesses from front to back.

We made a few seemingly minor changes not even intended to affect the chassis much but had a drastic effect on the track and trail. First, we swapped out the stiff Dunlop AT81F front tire for a Dunlop AT82F – a tire with a softer carcass and sidewall feel that not only improved traction for us, but also reduced harshness felt through the front end. Another change was switching from the stock Renthal Fatbar to a Pro Taper EVO handlebar. Like the tire, the different handlebar was less rigid and reduced feedback to the hands/wrists. We feel we could take this another step further and go to some Fasst Co Flexx Handlebars, but just the straight swap from Renthal to Pro Taper handlebars had a pronounced effect on the handling.

Conclusion

• Race inspired, aggressive bike that is rideable for the masses.
• More motocross than true off-road, but it has its place.
• Very capable with a lot of potential.

The 2025 Honda CRF450RX successfully refines its off-road formula by replacing hyper-reactive chassis characteristics with predictable, balanced handling. With linear power delivery, compliant suspension, and precise geometry, it serves as a highly competitive off-road racer capable of tackling high-speed desert, Grand Prix courses, and technical trails right off the showroom floor.

The precise chassis and quick handling will appeal to some and not as much to others. Overall, we feel it’s a solid option for a lot of riders and one that can be fine tuned to your liking. We’re going to continue to spend time on the bike and have plans for more racing and a few new parts to evaluate to see if we can address some of the concerns we’ve stated above. So as is often the case, we’ll keep learning more about the bike and of course, that will all be shared here.

The question is, did the refinements Honda implemented improve the CRF450RX? For the masses, we believe so. The engine is easier to ride, the chassis is easier to tune to the conditions/rider, and is overall a more rider friendly motorcycle.