New Honda CRF450L Dual Sport

More than a decade ago, we began looking for a hardcore dual sport built around a Japanese manufacturer’s 450cc motocross weapon. Honda just introduced one … the 2019 Honda CRF450L. The “target price” is $10, 399, and it is expected to be available in September of this year in U.S. dealers.
No, this is not a namby-pamby, overweight dual sport. It has an Unicam single-cylinder 449cc engine not that far removed from Honda’s motocross bike, and it is extremely light weight for a street legal motorcycle of such displacement, i.e., a claimed 289 pounds with all fluids (including a full tank of gas). Have a look below at Honda’s description of this new model:
This is the bike so many have been waiting for. The one serious riders have dreamed about. A true street-legal dirtbike that offers the reliability, refinement and quality of a Honda, along with the light weight, handling, and power of our best off-road machines. Introducing the new 2019 CRF450L. Sure, you’ve seen dual-sport bikes before, but this is something much, much more: a true trail-to-trail machine. Developed in tandem with our all-new 2019 CRF450X, it features a powerful 449cc Unicam engine, twin-spar aluminum CRF chassis, six-speed transmission, and premium suspension. Electric start? Naturally. All-LED lighting package? Of course. Until now, you’ve always had to choose between performance and reliability. No longer—with the CRF450L, you get the best of both worlds. And “best” is a word you’re going to hear a lot when you’re talking about this bike.
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