2025 Honda CRF450R First Ride at RT62MX: Perfect Season Equal Perfect CRF?

First ride at RT62MX on my brand new 2025 Honda CRF450R I just picked up from my good friends at Honda Marysville Motorsports! I had the opportunity to ride the all new 2025 CRF450R last month during the media launch at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The track was dug deep and very soft with lots of ruts thanks to sporadic rain throughout the week. I was looking forward to picking up my own 25 CRF450R and riding it at my familiar places to see if the great chassis and suspension and engine impressions I had at the press launch were still here in hard pack choppy conditions.
Big standouts from these first couple of rides: Engine is very smooth and strong and the maps offer a noticeable different feel, especially when combined with one of the (3) levels of traction control. The Showa suspension was plush - especially the forks! This is the best CRF450R suspension off the showroom floor I have ridden to date. I never felt the more rigid chassis - in fact the front of the bike felt calmer and more absorbing compared to previous CRF450R's I have ridden yet still had the effortless corner entry feel CRF's are famous for. The "just feels right" Honda ergos are still there along with slightly stiff feeling Renthal Fat bars. The revised front brake is strong and easy to modulate. Looking forward to more rides on this 2025 CRF450R including back to back comparisons to my 24.5 KTM 450 Factory Edition and my 2025 KTM 350XCF.
Did the perfect season lead to the perfect CRF? I will being doing many more rides in different conditions and at different tracks. Stay tuned!
Here are mine and my son's first ride impressions from the press ride at Ironman Raceway in July (lots of details in the video description)...
• 2025 Honda CRF450R Fir...
Here is a comparison of the (3) EFI maps and (3) levels of traction control on the 2025 CRF450R...
• 2025 Honda CRF450R Fir...

[@Joe-pb3lx]

im just going to observe and listen......and enjoy !!!!!!!!

[@scootypuffjr.]

Needs gold anodized rims

[@mxengineer1]

Yes the gold rims from the 50th anniversary CRF450R would look pretty good!

[@andrewdudley3905]

U go through the bikes my man!! That Honda looks so sick. Whats in ur collection now, I know you still have the Kailub Russell KTM 350

[@mxengineer1]

Once I got a few hours on my 2025 KTM 350XCF I sold my 21 KR350 to a buddy of mine so it is still around and available for back to back rides!