2007 Honda CRF450X Project Bike Photo Gallery

2007 Honda CRF450X Project Bike

Watson Performance Suspension was our first choice for dialing in the Honda’s sticks. It turned out to be a great choice.

The fork got the most work with a new set of lighter springs with slick coating, high-flow valve and reworked shim stacks.

The peg-to-handlebar relationship is comfortable for standing even for our taller riders.

Mason showed us that the 450X can carry a speedy pace through the tight stuff.

The bike’s layout is easy to move around in and every test rider felt immediately comfortable on the 450X. Honda knows how to make an ergonomically friendly machine.

As you might expect, the headlight is a handy accessory in the dark woods or late in a day of riding. We did have some problems with the battery draining quickly.

The stock suspension was actually pretty good on waterbars and jumps. It was more of the smaller debris such as rocks and roots that really gave the fork fits.

ISDE silver-medalist Mason Harrison helped out with our test of the stocker.

The Watson Suspension upgrades helped balance the machine a little better and ultimately gave the front end a more positive feel while turning.

Derived from the motocross version, the X model is light and wants to be ridden at a good pace, but the suspension hinders really aggressive riding.

The Honda turns fairly quickly, but the front end is nervous in stock form and makes it a little sketchy to push hard through rough terrain.

Smooth clutch action on the 450X makes it easy to control power delivery during tricky situations.

The Honda is a great trail bike in stock form, but we knew it could be even better with some reworked suspension.

We spent a lot of time looking for log crossings as part of our how-to video with Mason Harrison. It turns out the Honda is fairly adept at the obstacles.

With 41 ponies on tap, the CRF-X is capable of lofting the front wheel when needed, even if it’s a gear high. It’s no torque monster, but the Unicam mill does a good job in a lot of situations.

Watson's special slick-coat fork springs are designed to actually get less sticky as the coating wears. So far we can't argue.

Modified ports on the shock piston head give it better flow characteristics.

Watson massages the valve stacks for rebound and compression in the shock.

2007 CRF450X Project Bike

The new settings gave us the confidence to hit obstacles with more speed.

The stock suspension is a little spiky and doesn't handle as well as it could. Softer fork springs and a stiffer coil on the shock gave the CRF-X better balance and handling characteristics.

Hilde is starting to really enjoy spending time on the 2007 Honda CRF450X Project Bike.

Throttle response is much better in the lower and mid-range rpm - a real benefit in cornering.

A new exhaust pipe and jetting doesn't help handling any, but it does make for a better corner exit.

Cutting out the top of the airbox and the left side-panel vent drastically improve the amount of airflow. We had to find a way to get more fuel into the motor as well.

Riding the 450X in a pair of Pacific Northwest WORCS races has given us affirmation that we're moving in the right direction with the project.

The stock muffler meets emission regulations but it doesn't help the putter-putter-putter effect.

There was plenty of material to be removed from the top of our stock airbox.

Dubach Racing's stainless steel/aluminum SA System exhaust was just what the doctor ordered to spice up the look, sound and performance of our 450X.