2022 Honda CRF450RL Preview

Honda intends to keep its CRF450RL dual sport in the lineup for 2022, offering customers a crack at the 2022 edition starting this May at $9,999. There are no major updates to the machine this time around, but that’s not such a bad thing considering Honda’s 2021 edition was a well-dialed machine overall.

Editor’s note: We’ve ridden Honda’s 450cc dual sport during the 2020 Honda CRF450L MC Commute Review and 2021 Honda CRF450RL MC Commute Review.

The fuel-injected 449cc Unicam single is perfectly capable of in-town rides and stretches on the freeway, topping out at about 90 mph in sixth gear. It’s even better suited for off-road rides, providing plenty of snap and power to make trail rides a blast.

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The mill sits comfortably inside a twin-spar aluminum frame, the same frame used on the CRF450X, Honda’s dedicated trail-buster. This design decision gives the dual sport some enhanced chops off-road. The Showa 49mm fork is rebound and compression damping adjustable and offers up to 12 inches of travel while the Pro-Link Showa setup out back is fully adjustable and offers 11.8 inches travel. There’s a double-piston caliper out front gripping a 260mm disc and a single-piston caliper squeezing a 240mm disc at the rear. In our experience, it’s a decent braking package for the multiple roles of the bike.

Some additional touches take the CRF450RL to a bit more refined place, including the LED headlight and taillight setup, the lightweight lithium-ion battery, titanium fuel tank, and bevy of sound-damping measures to ensure street legality. A set of factory hand guards will be fit on the 450RL standard as well. Though if you’re hoping for colorways, you’re in for a bit of a letdown as the bike will only be available in red.