Honda Dirt Bikes: Which Model Is The Fastest & How Much Does It Cost?
Honda Motors sells a variety of dirt bikes in the United States through its Powersports division. If we consider Honda’s dual-sport motorcycles among its dirt bike models, the crown for the fastest goes to the Honda XR650L with a top speed of 91 mph. However, the Honda CRF450RL, with its 90 mph top speed, nearly matches the XR650L and is a more capable dirt bike. The decision between them rests on your preferred adventure style and budget. As mentioned, the CRF450RL is a mere 1 mph slower, but more capable than the XR650L after leaving the paved road behind.
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However, the 2025 Honda CRF450RL carries a $10,099 MSRP, significantly higher than the street-biased 2025 XR650L –priced at $6,999. While we’re not here to compare Honda’s top-tier dual-sport motorcycles, it’s important to point out some differences that factor into which Honda dirt bike is the fastest. Since the CRF450RL and XR650L are so close in top speed, acceleration could be the deciding factor. Reliable acceleration tests aren’t available, though.
The XR650L has the larger displacement engine with its 644cc air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder delivering 34.1 horsepower and 31.4 lb-ft of torque as tested by Dirt Rider using a 2023 model. However, the 2023 CRF450RL, with its liquid-cooled 450cc single-cylinder, has more horsepower but less torque — 38.0 hp and 27.8 lb-ft — according to another Dirt Rider dyno test. While the CRF450RL is nearly 60 pounds lighter, the XR650L produces nearly as much torque from the first blip of the throttle at 6,400 rpm.
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What about Honda’s off-road dedicated dirt bikes?
In addition to dual-sport motorcycles that deliver functional characteristics for riding on dirt trails and paved roads, Honda has a nice lineup of CRF dirt bikes available in 2025 that are dedicated to riding off-road. The fastest of those will include any of the 450cc models. The CRF450R ($9,699) and CRF450R-S ($8,899) are intended for motocross, arenacross, and supercross racing, while trail-oriented dirt bikes include the Honda CRF450X and CRF450RX, both priced at $9,999 MSRP.
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The CRF450R is Honda’s premier motocross/supercross race bike. However, its specifications are similar to those of the CRF450R-S and CRF450RX, leaving the CRF450X as the odd bike out, but don’t ignore it because of that. These three dirt bikes feature 450cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke engines with a 13.5:1 compression ratio. They all use a close-ratio 5-speed transmission and weigh between 247 and 256 pounds ready to ride. Suspension travel ranges from 12.1 inches to 12.4 inches in the rear, provided by a Pro-Link Showa single shock, with 12.2-inch travel 49mm inverted Showa forks up front.
The Honda CRF450X uses the same bore and stroke in its liquid-cooled four-stroke, but Honda lists its displacement at 449cc. While it is considerably heavier — 275 pounds — due in part to its additional skid plates, its wide-ratio six-speed transmission will add to its top speed. The CRF450X also uses Showa suspension components, however, it only has 11.8 inches of rear travel and 12.0 inches in the front.
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