Machine: CRF450R

The Honda CRF450R is the works machine developed by Team HRC’s engineers and the technical might of Honda Racing Corporation and Honda’s R&D department in Japan. It’s a masterpiece of engineering efficiency and performance, and after winning the MXGP world championship on their 2019 bike, they then completely redesigned the entire machine and repeated the success as Tim Gajser won his fourth world title in 2020 on the brand new CRF450R, with a fifth championship following a couple of years later in 2022. This brand-new machine is continuation in design and performance and the work of thousands of man-hours in the pursuit of achieving yet another MXGP world title, with Gajser and Ruben Fernandez the trusted riders tasked with delivering those results.

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Development moved as fast as the bike’s pace on track in 2014 when HRC returned to MXGP as a factory effort, and five race victories ensued, four of those coming as the season drew to its close. With an intensive programme of further development over the winter, the 2015 bike proved to be a winner again, and finished second and third in the world. In 2016, HRC’s three-year plan was realised when Tim Gajser took his CRF450R to the World Championship title – Honda’s first in 16 years. At the end of the 2016 season, the all-new 2017 CRF450R was also debuted, first by Evgeny Bobryshev at the final two rounds of the season, and then also by Gajser at the SMX Riders’ Cup where he took the new bike’s first moto win.

In the 2017 MXGP season, Tim Gajser continued the new machine’s success with eight moto victories, including overall Grand Prix wins in Argentina, Mexico and Sweden, and he and teammate Evgeny Bobryshev scored nine podiums throughout the season.

Two years later, Gajser would rewrite the Honda record books again as he won seven MXGP overalls in a row, on his way to taking the 2019 title by a massive 202 points. It was a fantastic achievement and further proved the power and performance of the Honda CRF450R.

2020 was a tumultuous season that was hugely-affected by the global pandemic, but Gajser didn’t let it phase him and was on the top step of the podium more than any other rider (5). He also won more races (15), had the most podiums (14), led the most laps (226), had the most fastest-laps (11), had first gate pick due to being fastest in qualification more often than anyone (8) and collected the most amount of red plates (10) in what was another record-breaking season for someone who is now the most successful Honda rider in history. It is testament to both rider and machine that the #243 was able to perform so well, so quickly and on a multitude of terrains, and he almost repeated that success in 2021 in what was another excellent year of riding.

After missing out on the 2021 title by just 21 points, Gajser returned with a bang in 2022, winning six of the first seven rounds and never letting slip his grasp of the championship-leading red-plate. He continued his dominance by taking his fifth title (fourth in MXGP) two rounds early, with a whole host of statistics backing up his claim as the most successful rider in recent times.

2023 didn’t start off well for Gajser as he got injured in pre-season, but new teammate Ruben Fernandez stepped up to the plate and made an immediate impact, winning the opening round of the world motocross championships – the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina. The Spaniard then had multiple other podium visits before Gajser returned at the end of the year to win two of the last three rounds, putting his stamp of authority on the field, to serve them notice that he’ll be the rider to beat once again in 2024.

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Previously the lightest stock machine in its class, it carries these characteristics into motocross race trim following Honda’s ethos of mass centralisation, combining light weight and effortless manoeuvrability with useable power delivery. Its slim proportions feature finely tuned aerodynamics and a low centre of gravity for greater control in the air.
The factory versions of the machine are shod with Pirelli tyres and Showa suspension, and a number of custom performance parts such as billet titanium footpegs, titanium bolts to reduce weight, factory-spec cylinder head and camshaft, and custom US-Yoshimura exhausts.

The Honda CRF has remarkable motorsport lineage and is a force to be reckoned with across all off-road disciplines.

Bike

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