Ride Engineering
22mm-Offset Triple Clamp Set For 2009 Honda CRF450R
I'm usually the last guy to go and change triple clamps on a bike, especially one that alters the stock offset since I know how much development goes into setting up the bike the way it comes.
Stock bikes generally fit me and therefore I don't have issues with where the front wheel is. Plus, the design and development in stock triple clamp flex and rigidity is difficult to comprehend. So I was a little reluctant to throw these clamps on our '09 CRF450R until I rode another bike (slightly modified) with them installed. That other bike felt so settled-down compared to ours that I had to try them on our stock bike.
The Ride Engineering clamps did the exact same for our '09 CRF450R. So much so that when we put them on one bike while we were testing pipes, the Ride-equipped CRF was notably easier for me to ride, almost distracting me from the pipe testing when going back and forth between the two originally similar but now different CRFs. Those two measly millimeters deadened the steering just a little, allowed me to run a much more relaxed steering damper setting (five to seven clicks less) with all of the same precision in the way the front wheel turned. The steering felt lighter since I was less on the damper setting, and the bike seemed to have a more stable feeling overall. There were no detectable disadvantages. And since installation was simple (the lower bearing is already pressed onto the stem) there weren't too many reasons not to like this clamp.
Workmanship is top-notch with looks that rank right up there with the stuff you see on the factory bikes. Now that I've totally gotten used to it, I want to go back to the stock clamp to see if I'm ready for the more aggressive handling that the Honda delivers stock.
This clamp is a great tool for taking a step back, making the new CRF handle a little more like the older ones did. And for any rider coming from a CRF earlier than 2008, who has handling or suspension-related issues with the front end of the new 2009 CRF, this clamp might just help you feel a little more at ease with the '09's sharp handling manners.
At $459.90 it makes your bike look factory in red (or evil in black) but is not cheap. Yet, it is a bolt-on that is effective in accomplishing what a lot of riders may be looking for; I didn't know it until I tried it. -Jimmy Lewis
| HARD PARTS | 91.0 |
| Installation | 19/20 |
| Function | 47/50 |
| Durability | 9/10 |
| Design | 9/10 |
| Price | 7/10 |