2022 Honda CRF450R baseline Settings

Even though the Honda hasn’t changed much for 2022, Showa as well as Honda worked on creating more hold up from the suspension. This lead us to create another baseline setting for you 2022 owners. The ECU has also been updated, but there is still some lean pop on de-cel so we are currently working/looking into one type of stock ECU reflash to see if we can get it better. However, compared to the 2021, the ECU is much cleaner upon throttle delivery and has more connection to the rear wheel. We also took it a step further this year and matched up some traction control settings to map settings for you to try at your local track. There are two combinations below that we think can help you lower your lap times and make big red easier to ride. As always if you have questions about your new Honda, we will always try to help, so email us at kris@keeferinctesting.com if you have some thoughts/questions.  

Optional Suspension Setting: 

The stock suspension for 2022 is a firmer feel and to us that is a step in the right direction. However it still might be too soft for you if you’re anywhere over 180 pounds. Honda has a 5.0 N/m fork spring that is adequate for most, but even with the having more low speed compression damping for 2022, once broken in it might be a tad soft for riders north of 180. Out back the 54 N/m shock spring is a little soft, but the 2022 valving is much better on high speed compression so going to a stiffer spring was not warranted for my 170 pound frame. If you’re over 190 pounds then I would recommend going to a 56 N/mm spring with the correlating clicker adjustments. This will help the Honda from riding too low in the stroke under acceleration when you’re pushing 200 pounds. However, with the 54 N/mm spring and the 2022 valving the CRF450R has more rear wheel traction and added comfort on small chop so trying the clicker adjustments set to the 54 N/mm spring is worth a shot first. Remember, if you’re near 200 pounds and not into spending more money on a re-valve at this time, simply get some heavier springs and try this setting: 

 Fork: (170-200 pounds)

 Spring Rate: 51 N/mm

 Height: Flush

 Comp: 10 out

 Rebound: 12 out

Shock: (170-180 pounds)

 Spring Rate: 54 N/mm 

 L/S Comp: 11 clicks out

 H/S Comp: 2 1/2 clicks out

 Rebound: 9-10 clicks out

 Sag: 105mm

Shock: (180-200 pounds)

 Spring Rate: 56 N/mm 

 L/S Comp: 13 clicks out

 H/S Comp: 2 3/4 clicks out

 Rebound: 11 clicks out

 Sag: 105mm

Torque Specs:

I still prefer going to these torque specs on the 2022 Honda CRF450R. I spent a few more days experimenting with torque settings on the 2022 and have came up with the spec chart below. What these updated torque specs do for you is slightly improve the bump compliancy and front/rear wheel traction of the 2022 CRF450R. This isn’t a cure all, but you will feel a little extra comfort in your red ride. If you don’t see a torque spec on a portion of the bike that is not below, don’t freak out, just go with the stock recommended torque spec. I experimented with a lot of different parts of the chassis with torque specs and the bolts/nuts below make the mosts difference on the red machine.  It may not seem like much, but it’s the little things on this bike that can make the Honda chassis FUN for the average guy. Out of all of the machines that I have experimented with on torque settings, this bike reacts the most to it, so pay attention to your nuts/bolts on your Honda! Follow the torque spec sheet below and make sure to blue Loc-Tite the bolts/nuts on each to ensure you have no issues down the road.

Rear Axle Nut (Qty. 1): 

Stock: 128 Nm

Updated Spec: 120 Nm

Fork Top Clamp Pinch Bolts (Qty. 4):

Stock: 22 Nm

Updated Spec: 19 Nm

Fork Bottom Clamp Pinch Bolts (Qty. 4):

Stock: 20 Nm

Updated Spec: 16-17 Nm

Swingarm Pivot Nut (Qty. 1):

Stock: 88 Nm

Updated Spec: 81 Nm

Front Engine Hanger Plate Bolts (Qty. 4):

Stock: 26 Nm

Updated Spec: 24 Nm

Front Engine Hanger Plate Nut (Qty. 1):

Stock: 54 Nm

Updated Spec: 51 Nm

Cylinder Head Hanger Bolt (Qty.2):

Stock 54 Nm

Updated Spec: 51 Nm

Cylinder head Hanger Plate Bolts (Qty 4):

Stock: 32 Nm

Updated Spec: 29 Nm

Shock Absorber Upper Mounting Bolt (Qty. 1): 

Stock: 44 Nm

Updated Spec: 42 Nm

Traction Control/Map Switch: 

This is something I did not play with much the last couple years on the Honda CRF450R. Sometimes I get caught up with the chassis of this motorcycle so much that I forget to play with the other options Honda has to offer the rider. Below are a couple combinations of map/TC settings for you to try on certain types of tracks. 

Track Type/Condition: Afternoon when track still has some traction available, but also has loose dirt on top with acceleration chop in ruts. 

Map 1/TC1

With the map switch set to 1 and TC on 1 this gave me more control of the machine under throttle when track was going away slightly. Most of the time these conditions happened around lunch time (if track was open at 9AM) when lines were formed and ruts were established. With the TC on 1 through choppy ruts it allowed for more rear wheel traction and a less harsh feeling from the rear of the machine. I honestly wouldn’t rule this setting out in the morning when lines weren’t established and you need to find some traction on freshly tilled/watered dirt. If you’re looking to keep the low end excitement but gain just a hair less of throttle response try the map 1/TC 1 combo.

Track Type/Condition: Late afternoon when track is beat up with blown out lines with all the good traction pushed off, or the dirt has dug down far enough to where it’s hard pack.

Map 1/TC3 

With the map switch still on map 1 and TC now on 3 this gives the rider a much more heavier low end chugging feel (almost like a long rod feeling) with less excitement on 2nd-3rd gear roll on. Some of you may ask why not just put it on map 2 with TC on 1-2, but to me that combo gas me less connection from my throttle hand to rear wheel. It almost made the bike feel much heavier than I like. With map 1/TC3 the Honda CRF450R gave me a good throttle to rear wheel feel without it feeling heavy in corners. I felt like I had more tire contact patch on lean, under loose/hard dirt and that gave me confidence to roll throttle on earlier exiting corners. 

On My Own Dime: 2022 Honda CRF450R

Rider: Chris “Checkerz” Riesenberg

Age: 35

Skill Level: Vet Int.

Weight: 300+

Bike: 2022 Honda CRF450R

Previous Bike: 2019 Honda CRF450R

 After over 8 years of absolutely zero riding, and basically 12 years since I could even be classified as a weekend warrior; Kris Keefer re-ignited the fire within all of us crazy moto guys.  An invite to the 2019 Keefer Tested 450 Shootout meant it was time to toss my leg over a bike again.  Two years later, I’m back at the track nearly every weekend tossing out air wheelies (mostly on purpose) and butt whips with my buddies and I even line up behind the gate every now and again.  Once upon a time I would show up and be the fast guy at the track, but these days I’ve been relegated to a mid-pack Vet Intermediate.  Enough about me, let’s dig into the real reason you clicked this… the 2022 Honda CRF450R.

Before we begin, I really have two benchmarks to compare the 2022 CRF450R to… my previous bike, the 2019 Honda CRF450R and my 2019 Keefer Shootout “winning” pick, the Yamaha YZ450F. My buddy owns one of these and we swap bikes often.  These are rapid reactions as I have only a couple of hours on the bike I purchased down at Storm Lake Honda right when they became available.

 BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT

I really enjoyed my 2019 Honda CRF450R, especially on stadium style and indoor tracks.  The more aggressive I was, the better the bike felt; but it was just simply rigid.  A really good suspension setting certainly helped, and I was shocked that the Works Chassis Lab intermediate mounts/hangers made a very noticeable difference… but it still was harsh.  

The 2022 Honda CRF450 has none of that rigidness and I can go noticeably longer before my arms are shot. It still delivers a very connected feeling to the terrain under you which is important to me as a rider who heavily relies on front end feel and steering.

THE SURPRISE

From reading the reviews, shootouts, and tests; I had a pretty good idea that the chassis rigidity was going to be much improved.  I basically was expecting a more comfortable version of my 2019 model.  What I found is what puts this bike in the running to potentially become the favorite bike I’ve ever owned.

Back in the 2019 Shootout, the Honda ranked 4thfor me.  I bought one because I have a great dealer relationship, and I’ve never ridden anything except Hondas since I was on CR80s back in the 90’s.  Number one for me was the Yamaha YZ450 because it had an amazingly smooth power delivery that made it easy to go fast and the suspension and chassis was connected yet comfortable.  Honda made huge strides with the chassis on the 2022, but the surprise was definitely the smooth, linear power delivery.

All last year I struggled with rutted turns on my 2019.  I would either turn out too soon or the front wheel would want to pop over the rut.  I could help this problem by running in the slower “vet” map, but then my big ass would have to work a lot harder to get the “oomf” out of corners to clear some of the bigger jumps.  I typically elected to run the standard map 1 and mostly thought my cornering issues were rider skill issues.

Alas, I hopped on the 2022 Honda CRF450R and immediately I was able to rail ruts like it was 2004 again and I was at the top of my game.  In fact, last night I drug a bar in a rut for maybe the first time in my life. It was amazing.  The 2022 Honda CRF450R goes where you want it to go, is nimble, and the power is predictable, smooth, and there is plenty of it.  I’m excited to ride it back to back with my buddy’s YZ450 to see which power delivery I prefer.  I’ll report back in a future update about that.

(NOTE:  This feedback is all standard map 1 without TC turned on.  I have enjoyed it so much I haven’t even had a chance to play around with the other settings… sorry Keefer, I’ll work on being a better tester!)

TO BE IMPROVED

Being a Honda rider my whole life, I haven’t spent a ton of time on a hydraulic clutch.   I’ve previously been pretty hard on clutches by feathering it instead of using throttle control.  The trend continued on my 2019 CRF450R because of trying to control the massive power hit in corners.  The times I’ve been on bikes with a hydraulic clutch, I was indifferent to having one or not. So far on the new Honda, I like the hydraulic clutch and I am tending to abuse it less.  Most of that I believe is due to the smooth power and the effectiveness of the clutch when you tap it.

So why is it under “to be improved?”  It isn’t the clutch action, but the lever.  From the showroom the lever came adjusted extremely far from the bar making it a reach even with my big hands.  It does have a good bit of adjustment to move the lever and I was able to move it in.  However, once adjusted in, the lever pulls to my fingers right at the engagement point. I had to compromise running it a bit further out to ensure I’m getting full engagement when pulling in the clutch. I’ve also always really loved the feel and shape of the Works Connection levers; however, they don’t make a clutch lever for the 2022 Honda CRF450R.

FINAL QUICK THOUGHTS

·       In my opinion, Honda continues to have the most comfortable rider triangle on the market.

·       The stock suspension is impressive.  I’m far from the ideal weight and normally avoid riding stock suspension at all costs.  Even hitting some fairly large jumps I’m not fully bottoming, and it has good comfort.  It definitely can use some work on the shock in the bumps for me, but that’s expected when you are over 100lbs heavier than the “ideal” weight for the setup.

·       All red is sexy.  It’s tough to beat the look of a Honda.  I take pride in creating unique looks for my bikes, but I found it super challenging to find a better look than stock.  We’ll see if I’m able to pull it off.

WHAT’S NEXT?

First off, I need to get suspension dialed in for me.  I’m way too heavy for stock suspension and it honestly makes me nervous riding with it. I’ll be swinging up to my local Race Tech Service Center, PDR Performance to get RT Springs and Gold Valves with personalized valving put in.

Beyond that, I don’t see a need for performance parts currently; so, I’ll be focused on “look good, ride good” elements.  I have plastic and graphics on order for a unique look and my Guts Racing seat cover just came in the mail.  No bike of mine is complete without bling from Works Connection, and we’ll add a handful of their protection goodies on there too.

Down the road, when it snows up here in Minnesota, I typically do a full overhaul on my bike. The goal is to put enough hours on my 2022 before then to justify doing just that over winter.  With the extra downtime I’ll likely send my forks out to SGB Racing to get some sweet looking coatings done, design a new plastic/graphics scheme, and will look into updating any weaknesses I find with the bike.