Checkout This Dakar-prepped Honda CRF450RX Rally

• Limited to 50 units
• Makes around 58bhp
• Euro-market only

Honda Racing Corporation has showcased this awesome 2027 CRF450RX Rally as a Dakar race build. Production is limited to just 50 units for the Euro market only. It has been developed by HRC and assembled by RedMoto with the main focus on competition use. Honda says the motorcycle uses the learnings from international rally racing including the Dakar Rally and the World Rally Championship. This is genuinely a race-ready package rather than a mere modified enduro.

Front suspension uses a 49mm Showa fork with titanium-coated stanchions, while the rear shock gets an oversized 18mm titanium-coated piston rod. Engineers used dedicated hydraulic damping settings and specific spring rates to balance impact absorption with steering accuracy. The steering hardware has been developed by HRC and XTRIG with a special steering plate machined from solid billet.

Honda has also used special wheels developed by HAAN with CNC-machined hubs, Takasago Excel rims and spokes. The wheels themselves include integrated shock absorbers to help absorb demanding impacts of racing off-road. Its engine develops around 58bhp. With a paired six-speed gearbox getting dedicated ratios allows the rider to manage power across slow technical riding and faster open sections. There is a larger radiator to improve oil cooling to help maintain performance and reliability in extreme conditions. Claimed top speed is around 160kmph.

The aluminium twin-spar frame has been chosen for stability at high speeds and better control over broken terrain. Since it has to stay composed over sand, rocks, loose gravel and long high-speed sections, the frame has been designed accordingly.

For longer range, Rally gets three tanks with a combined capacity of 36 litres. There are two front tanks and one rear tank, with the rear unit alone holding 14 litres. This rear tank is mounted on rubber supports to reduce inertia and improve control. The fuel tanks are made from a mix of high-strength nylon and polyethylene. Honda says the rear tank also adds structural strength to the rear frame.

The motorcycle also gets a carbon-fibre navigation tower. This part sits far from the centre of mass, so its weight has a direct effect on handling. The road book angle can be adjusted manually while the tower subframe is separate from the main frame. This means the full navigation structure can be removed quickly during repairs or race maintenance.

Another technical addition is the carbon-fibre skid plate designed to protect the lower section of the motorcycle, including the frame, crankcase, exhaust manifold and the exposed underside of the front fuel tanks. CRF450RX Rally uses a titanium Akrapovic exhaust, the same type fitted to the official CRF Rally machines. However, the steel manifold and connecting pipe are made directly by HRC with the focus on flow management, engine response and durability.