UNRESTRICTED HONDA
CRF450L CONFIRMED FOR NZ
Honda’s latest dual sport machine, the
CRF450L, has been available in Europe and
North America since late last year, and now
it is finally confirmed to be heading to our
shores.
Unlike the CRF250L which is based around
the old CBR250 single-cylinder engine,
the CRF450L is based on the red-blooded
CRF450R motocrosser which has been
reworked to allow for traversing paved roads
on the way to more adventurous trails.
The first arrivals are expected at the
end of May or early June according to NZ
Distributors Blue Wing Honda, with a price of
$16,495 plus on-road costs
Built to take on the established European
players in the segment, the CRF450L has
received a multitude of developments on
the base CRF450R to make it a more street
worthy machine. Included in the upgrades to
the CRF450L which make it street legal are a
full suite of LED lighting, plus revisions to the
engine and gearbox, including the addition
of a 6th gear.
Suspension comes in the form of rebound
and compression adjustable 49mm Showa
forks, while out back is the traditional
Honda Pro-Link system featuring a Showa
single shock which is for adjustable preload,
rebound and high/low-speed compression
damping.
Blue Wing has noted that the first shipment
of bikes on the way from Japan (where
the CRF450L is made unlike the Thai built
250L) is the same specification as seen in
North America US-spec, which means Kiwis
will be receiving the higher power version
of the CRF450L which is reported to be
roughly 45hp, 20hp more than our friends
in continental Europe where the bike is
restricted to around 25hp.
KIWI RIDER 21