Sling faces 2027 with one of the most ambitious updates in recent years for your family CRF. The Japanese brand profoundly renews its motocross and enduro range under the concept «“Kiwami”a development philosophy that pursues maximum lightness and the highest possible performance, with the new CRF450R, CRF450RX and the exclusive CRF450 HRC-WE as great protagonists.
As we are telling you, the main protagonist is the new CRF450Ra motorcycle that Sling described practically as a completely new model. The objective of the golden wing brand has been clear: to increase performance without compromising handling or increasing weight.
The result is figures that speak for themselves. The new mechanics offer 10% more power and 4% additional torque compared to the previous model, an evolution that promises stronger accelerations, better traction capacity and livelier behavior in any section of the circuit.
To achieve this, Sling has developed a deeply revised and more compact engine. The engine incorporates a larger diameter, a new piston with an optimized design and a completely redesigned crankshaft that adopts a shorter stroke and a higher compression ratio.
The cylinder head also evolves with intake valves and a newly designed titanium exhaust, while the well-known system UNICAM receives modifications aimed at improving gas flow and increasing combustion efficiency. In practice, this translates into an engine with greater capacity to increase revs and deliver power in a more immediate and usable way.
Sling Nor has it neglected the transmission. The CRF450R 2027 It debuts a more compact package and revised gear ratios that seek to improve rear wheel thrust over a wider range. One of the most striking sections comes in the clutch, which introduces a BTL system with a reverse torque limiter activated by a rubber shock absorber, a solution directly inspired by the HRC team’s experience in the MXGP World Championship and intended to offer a more refined and effective anti-slip operation.
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Added to this is a new starter motor, lighter and more compact, which contributes to reducing masses and optimizing the assembly. Electronics also take a step forward. He HRC Launch Control and the system Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) now incorporate configurations inherited from official competition motorcycles, allowing the engine response to be more precisely adapted to the terrain conditions.
The well-known Engine Mode Select Buttonwhich allows you to modify the character of the engine on the fly and adjust the power delivery according to the driving style or the needs of the circuit. But if the engine changes profoundly, the frame is not far behind.
Sling He claims that the new chassis is 70% different from the previous one. Sections, materials and manufacturing processes have been reviewed to increase structural rigidity without penalizing the final weight. This frame works together with a new, lighter aluminum swingarm and a redesigned subframe that, in addition to improving dynamic behavior, facilitates maintenance tasks and access to the air filter.
According to Slingthese modifications improve stability, increase driving precision and offer more predictable behavior even in particularly demanding conditions. The redesign also extends to the body. The new side covers and deflectors seek to favor the movement of the pilot and maintain a more uniform line of contact with the legs.
The rear covers, now completely symmetrical and with more compact shapes, improve grip during intense accelerations, especially when the suspension is working at its maximum. On the other hand, the hardener orientation is represented by the CRF450RXwhich shares many of these improvements and adopts for the first time the stylized titanium tank used in the motocross version.
At the top of the range appears the new CRF450 HRC-WEformerly known as Works Editiona limited edition developed for those looking for a motorcycle as close as possible to the official machines. This version incorporates exclusive elements such as hand-finished intake and exhaust ducts, filter Twin Air and an exhaust assembly Yoshimura with titanium collector, pieces designed to further increase performance and reinforce its racing character. The cycle part also receives specific suspension components and a differentiated decoration directly inspired by HRC.
The CRF250R and CRF250RXfor their part, receive more discreet changes. Sling has chosen to keep its technical base intact and focus mainly on aesthetic updating to unify the image of the entire family. The old CRF250RWE is also renamed CRF250 HRC-WEaligning the nomenclature with the new 450.
The whole range CRF 2027 shows off the characteristic finish Extreme Red accompanied by new inspiration graphics HRCwith greater prominence of the color blue and a logo Sling of larger dimensions that seeks to reinforce the brand’s racing identity both on and off the asphalt. So, the arrival of the new family CRF It is scheduled for September of this year, while prices for the Spanish market have not yet been announced. We will keep you informed.
