TRACTION CONTROL
As on last year’s bike there’s a three-position
power mode button, but for 2020 there’s an
additional button - a three-step torque control
button on the left-hand side of the ‘bar. Honda’s
name for this is Honda Selectable Torque
Control, which is, in effect, three-stage traction
control adjustment.
On the right-hand ‘bar side is the Launch Control
button, also with three positions. All these buttons
are interconnected, they talk to each other in
layman’s terms – meaning there are 27 possible
power delivery options when the gate drops.
As an example, the rider may want high torque,
high revs and fast response for a start with great
traction, or low response, high torque and lower
42 KIWI RIDER
peak revs for a slick start. Clearly there is a lot of
choice, so some careful testing will be required
to learn not only what feels best for you as a
rider, but what actually gives the best results on
the stopwatch.
Make no mistake, this Honda is fast. No one should
be ever be disappointed with 60hp from an out-
of-the-crate 450. As always, power delivery is
the most important aspect when talking about
any race engine, so it’s great to know that these
power/TC options work.
The Uni-Cam 450 engine has always been
tractable – it’s great at getting power to the
ground. I found the standard power mode with
two blue light flashes the most versatile for me,
but enjoyed altering the HSTC depending