Honda CRF450L
About as pure as globe-trotting gets – it’ll take you anywhere
Based on their flagship motocross bike, the CRF450R, the 450L has off-road pedigree, but that is not where its true calling lies. Designed as a trail bike rather than a full-on competition bike, it’s intended to be an off-roader for every occasion. It has a longer swingarm, a more relaxed steering head angle and an 18mm longer wheelbase, which give increased stability. Honda claim just 24.7bhp, but before you lose interest and dismiss it as a non-starter, peak torque is a respectable 23.6ftlb (7ftlb higher than the 250L) and the key to its realworld performance. The six-speed gearbox is good, too – giving the potential to sit comfortably at 70mph on the road – and the flexibility to go anywhere off-road.
Easy to live with, and more capable than the spec sheet suggests, it fits the bill as a weekly trail ride tool or a long-distance bulletproof goanywhere adventurer.