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Honda CRF 450 Rally Team Monster Energy

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Make Model

Honda CRF450 Rally

Year

2021

Engine

Four stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve

Capacity

449.9 cc / 27.45 cu-in 

Bore x Stroke

97.0 x 60.8 mm

Cooling System

Liquid cooled

Exhaust

Termignoni exhaust system

Lubrication

Motul 300V

Induction

Fuel Injection

Starting

Electric

Max Power

Over 45 kW  /  60hp

Transmission 

6 Speed

Frame

Aluminium twin tube, sub-frame carbon fibre

Front Suspension

51mm Showa inverted forks

Front Wheel Travel

310  mm / 12.3 in

Rear Suspension

50mm Showa single tube

Rear Wheel Travel

315 mm / 12.4 in

Front Brakes

Single 300mm 2 pot

Rear Brakes

Single 240mm 1 pot

Fuel Capacity 

34,7 litres / 9.1 US gal

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Monster Energy Honda Team rider Ricky Brabec (#9) became the first American to win the Dakar Rally with his fully race-prepped CRF450 Rally racer, when he completed the 42nd edition of the world’s toughest rally raid event on 18 January 2020, eight years after the squad’s return.

The 2020 Dakar Rally also marked the first occasion that the event was held in Saudi Arabia with over more than 7,000 km (of which 75 percent was in the desert), in 13 days.

In doing so, he broke the incredible 18 year stranglehold KTM owned on this race.

28-year-old Brabec rode his first Dakar Rally in 2016 with Team HRC, making 2020 his fifth attempt.

Honda first competed in the third Paris-Dakar Rally in 1981. Its first victory came in 1986 on an NXR750, which was followed by three consecutive wins up to 1989. Honda left the Dakar the following year, and in 2013, decided to race once again, with its new CRF450 RALLY factory bike. Despite finishing runner-up in 2015 and 2018, victory had eluded Honda until in 2020, the 8th attempt.

Based on Honda’s 450cc production dual-sport, Brabec’s racer has been treated to an extensive number of top-shelf, race-grade modifications including:

- custom suspension developed by Brabec and Showa

- two tanks carrying a total of nine gallons of fuel

- a custom rubber MX-style Noguchi saddle

- trick GP-style switchgear

- full Dakar-style bodywork complete with navigation tower

- relocated oil-cooler

- LED lighting

- Termignoni exhaust system

- specially engineered gearbox, cases and internals

- extensive carbon fiber parts:

  •   subframe

  •   nav tower mounts

  •   heat shield

  •   bash guard

  •   fuel-cell

  •   kickstand