Honda CRF450RL already in Thailand, PH next?

Newest CRF450RL in Thailand, Philippines might be next

Back in 2019, Honda USA launched the “tamed” version of the CRF450R motocross bike – the CRF450L. For 2022, the CRF450 gets an additional “R”, with updated ECU mapping, new decals, and handguards/ brush guards as standard.

Closer to our home, our ASEAN neighbor, Thailand, has already gotten the updated 2022 CRF450RL. Which begs the question: is the Philippines next?

What we know

As mentioned above, the new RL is basically still the same as the 450L from 2019. It is still powered by a 450cc engine derived from the CRF450R motocross bike.

To comply with road regulations, the engine was toned down a bit. Compression is down to 12:1 from 13.5:1, cam timing is milder, the crank is heavier, it has a six-speed long-ratio gearbox instead of a five-speed, there's a larger radiator and a large silencer (exhaust pipe).

These modifications bring down the power of the road-legal 450 to only 39 Ps versus the 58.3 Ps of the 450R race bike. Nonetheless, the tradeoff is quite fair since Honda tuned the 450RL's engine for longevity and road-worthiness, not for racing. The engine will go up to 32,000 kilometers between major strip downs, with an air filter and oil filter change every 1,000 kilometers.

The CRF450RL is claimed to only weigh 132 kilograms wet. That means, the new 450 is 10 kilograms lighter than the current CRF300L we’re reviewing. Top speed is reported to be 145 kilometers per hour.

Are we getting this?

As of this writing, Honda’s Thailand website for big bikes says that the new CRF450RL is retailed at ThB339,000 (roughly PhP517,000, taxes and duties excluded).

Honda PH has not confirmed nor denied any news surrounding the CRF450RL’s arrival here, rest assured MotoPinas.com will be one of the first to break the news.