Honda Unveils the New 2019 CRF450L

We were lucky enough to sneak into the unveiling of the new 2019 Honda CRF450L earlier this week. What? This ain't no chopper! Nope, it's not. We love all kinds of bikes around here and seem to have a fetish for Honda's venerable air-cooled XR's. Admittedly long in the tooth, we are still charmed by their rugged simplicity and legendary Honda reliability. Now with the introduction of the upcoming street-legal CRF450L, it may be time to get nudged into this century. At 289lbs it is 42lbs heavier than it's competition cousin, the CRF450R. I would imagine most of that extra weight is due to the bits that make it street legal, so you know most of that stuff would come off in the first weekend. We'll report back once we get a chance to put down some miles on a couple of these, but in the meantime here's the specs and some photos to drool over. CRF450L Key Features  • Lightweight, 2.0-gallon titanium fuel tank for long range • Riding time maximized by lightweight, compact LED lighting system, featuring headlight with high-intensity projection for illuminating broad area • Rear-view mirrors • Lightweight lithium-ion battery with increased capacity compared to CRF450R, to power electrical components • Lightweight, compact digital meter with black characters on a white liquid-crystal background is easily legible while riding Engine/Drivetrain • 449.7cc Unicam® engine specially tailored for trail-to-trail riding • Finger rocker arm contributes to compact layout while using dedicated design to attain off-road-specific power characteristics. DLC surface treatment reduces friction • Dedicated valve timing for smooth power delivery in technical riding • High crank inertia (up 12% over CRF450R) for tractable power delivery in technical terrain • 12.0:1 compression ratio • New piston with three-ring design • Wide-ratio six-speed transmission is ready for a wide variety of off-road terrain or road going • Special clutch design enables light lever pull. Primary damper mechanism with friction springs suppresses engine torque fluctuations, ensuring smooth running • Large-capacity radiators with high heat-exchange efficiency for strong performance in demanding off-road conditions • Electric fan and thermostat control engine temperature in brutal conditions • ECU with dedicated settings • Noise emissions minimized via covers on the left and right crank cases • Powerful AC generator for street-legal lighting • Air cleaner box • Dedicated single-muffler exhaust system provides great sound while meeting emissions requirements Chassis/Suspension • Aluminum twin-spar frame designed for nimble-yet-stable handling on trails • Subframe designed to ensure optimum rigidity balance appropriate for carrying tools • 49mm Showa fork with dedicated settings for trail-to-trail riding • Shock based on that of the CRF450R but with dedicated settings and link ratio for off-road riding • Front brake uses design from CRF450R, but with better fade resistance thanks to thicker discs and large-capacity reservoir • Endless sealed chain withstands the elements • Front and rear sprockets, produced in durable steel material, feature damper system for smooth, quiet running • Urethane injection in swingarm to reduce road noise • Fuel tank cap with a cut-off valve prevents fuel from flowing out of tank if the bike is on its side • LED turn signals with flexible mounts for durability • Easily accessible electronic component box on left side of the frame • Black 7/8” Renthal handlebar with red pad • Compact, lightweight handlebar switches • In-mold graphics are resistant to peeling caused by washing or abrasion • IRC GP-21F/GP-22R tires provide great balance of on- and off-road performance • Black rims for strong presence  (ed: lolz)