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Honda Unveils Dakar Rally Model-the New CRF450 RALLY

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Grand Master

NoFiddyPilot

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Honda has released official photos of the new CRF450 RALLY designed specifically for rally racing. TEAM HRC (Honda’s motorcycle works team forrally races) will use the CRF450 RALLY at the upcoming “2014 Dakar Rally – Argentina, Bolivia, Chile” in January 2014.

TEAM HRC returned to the Dakar Rally in January 2013 for the first time in 24 years, with the former CRF450 RALLY based on Honda’s commercial CRF450X enduro racing model. The 2013 Dakar Rally generated valuable data in key areas such as engine output, aerodynamic performance, durability and maintenance requirements, which was used as the basis for further design modifications and enhancements. The resulting all-new CRF450 RALLY, as last year, retains the Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI*), the electronic fuel injection system that has shown proven performance in the severe and highly variable environmental conditions of the Dakar Rally. The new CRF450 RALLY will be used by TEAM HRC and will be released to other rally teams as a production rally machine during 2014.

TEAM HRC will participate in 2013 Morocco Rally starting October 13 with the CRF450 RALLY, using the same combination of five riders and five machines for the 2014 Dakar Rally. Testing in actual race conditions is expected to provide useful data for further refinements and enhancements.

 

2014-honda-crf450-rally.jpg

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Kawabuggy

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What is up with the pinned on exhaust? It looks like it started life on another bike and they just stuck it on this bike. Desert riding may be okay with that set up but what if you fall over on a rock, or tree, or anything and it crushes the exhaust? 

 

Are you supposed to look on either side of that headlight/computer/alien signaling beacon?

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jmcn R

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What is up with the pinned on exhaust? It looks like it started life on another bike and they just stuck it on this bike. Desert riding may be okay with that set up but what if you fall over on a rock, or tree, or anything and it crushes the exhaust? 

 

Are you supposed to look on either side of that headlight/computer/alien signaling beacon?

 

That plastic you see above the muffler isn't simply a number plate, its a solid reservoir like your average rally bike.They can't really stickl a pipe up in there.

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CooHead

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Just clicked on this thread after reading the one above it (about most off road bikes are orange).  The concensus in that thread was that Honda and the other Japanese brands dont have compentitive off road bikes because that segment is so small.  Dirtbikes in general is a small nitch.

 

So:  Honda spends R&D on the even smaller segment of our sport Dakar Rally?

 

I'd think there are more bikes used for single track than desert racing in the USA....by a butt-load.

 

How does Honda justify any R&D time or money on this, but very little (none) on a single-track 2-stroke?

 

How many people are considering a new RALLY bike versus a single-trak bike?  Makes no sense.  RALLY is even tinier than Enduro/HairScramble.

 

Coo

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jmcn R

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Just clicked on this thread after reading the one above it (about most off road bikes are orange).  The concensus in that thread was that Honda and the other Japanese brands dont have compentitive off road bikes because that segment is so small.  Dirtbikes in general is a small nitch.

 

So:  Honda spends R&D on the even smaller segment of our sport Dakar Rally?

 

I'd think there are more bikes used for single track than desert racing in the USA....by a butt-load.

 

How does Honda justify any R&D time or money on this, but very little (none) on a single-track 2-stroke?

 

How many people are considering a new RALLY bike versus a single-trak bike?  Makes no sense.  RALLY is even tinier than Enduro/HairScramble.

 

Coo

 

I think this is quite narrow in perspective.

 

The Japanese have clearly aimed to make "everybody"/One size fits all type of road machinery, and have also said why they moved away from 2T (although most internet experts claim to know better).

 

The problem is you are looking solely at the USA in your comparison (though it is a BIG market no doubt), when the Dakar and RAID type events are better publicity than U.S. scrambles or even Euro extreme enduro. Certainly a greater test of machine.

 

When you see scrambles and enduro with worldwide same day broadcast, then we talk.

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Grand Master

jetfuel

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Whats nice about honda getting back into this area of offroad is that maybe ... just maybe ... some day... when pigs almost fly , they may give us a watered down version

 

of this bike thats street legal to give KTM some competition in the adventure bike market..   but ... well... highly unlikely.... nice to dream though..

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jamracing

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Just clicked on this thread after reading the one above it (about most off road bikes are orange). The concensus in that thread was that Honda and the other Japanese brands dont have compentitive off road bikes because that segment is so small. Dirtbikes in general is a small nitch.

So: Honda spends R&D on the even smaller segment of our sport Dakar Rally?

I'd think there are more bikes used for single track than desert racing in the USA....by a butt-load.

How does Honda justify any R&D time or money on this, but very little (none) on a single-track 2-stroke?

How many people are considering a new RALLY bike versus a single-trak bike? Makes no sense. RALLY is even tinier than Enduro/HairScramble.

Coo

They build and race this for the same reason they spend millions on MotoGP and Superbike - R&D and publicity.

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Grand Master

highmarker

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When rally went 450cc a lot of my friends grumbled, but I see it as an opportunity to develop more bullet proof 450's.  With all the fuel and water and gadgets aboard these are heavy bikes being flogged wide open for days and thousands of miles. Would hope the trickle down makes into the bikes we buy and use, even if we don't race rally.

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Jem450R

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When rally went 450cc a lot of my friends grumbled, but I see it as an opportunity to develop more bullet proof 450's. With all the fuel and water and gadgets aboard these are heavy bikes being flogged wide open for days and thousands of miles. Would hope the trickle down makes into the bikes we buy and use, even if we don't race rally.

exactly what a better way to abuse a bike and make it last...

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Grand Master

1987CR250R

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It's interesting, I'll bet those Dakar bikes don't make a horsepower more than a stock unplugged 450X.  There are lots of things you can do to make an engine last longer at a high horsepower output mostly involving piston cooling and large oil sumps.  But increasing the horsepower output of the engine usually involves aggressive cams and that requires stiff valve springs which then shortens the life of the engine.  The Dakar 450's are all probably very conservatively tuned bikes with steel valves (well maybe not but count on conservative cams) and BIG oil sumps.

Edited by 1987CR250R
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