2017 Honda CRF450 Supermoto
America might have invented supermoto racing, but
the sport’s largest support base easily comes now from that other side of the
Atlantic – more specifically, from France. So, it shouldn’t surprise us to
learn that Honda’s French importer Superboost makes a special supermoto version
of the Honda CRF450 for the French market.
For the 2017 model year, the Honda CRF450 Supermoto
follows that changes made to Big Red’s 450cc dirt bike, which notably includes
the return of fork springs (goodbye air forks), an electric starter, and
down-draft fuel injection.
Basically a kit that is added at the importer level,
the 2017 Honda CRF450 Supermoto lineup has three models, building off the
CRF450R (€ 11,299), CRF450RX (€ 10,999), and CRF450X dirt bike (€ 10,999), with
each getting their own taste of the supermoto treatment.
For American readers, don’t expect to see these
supermoto models at your local dealership, as this is strictly a project
undertaken by the Frenchies. Though, it would be nice to see American Honda
supporting the local supermoto scene, and offering some sort of motard kit for
its venerable CRF450. The Swedes and the Austrians shouldn’t have all the fun.
