When looking to gain performance from your bike, you can choose from a multitude of areas to modify. Many wouldn't think that changing triple clamps would make that big a difference. Wrong! When the Honda CRF450R was first introduced in 2002, the bike needed some help in the handling department; offset triple clamps were a must. Two years later, Honda made changes to the linkage geometry, and the bike no longer has the push it used to have in stock trim. Now it truly comes down to personal preference.
We opted not to change the offset on our CRF450R simply because our test riders felt it wasn't needed for Outdoor-style tracks. Instead, we went with BRP's 24mm-offset triple clamp, which is the same as the stock unit. Just because we didn't change the offset doesn't mean the new triple clamp wouldn't alter the characteristics of the bike. We opted to run BRP's rubber-mounted clamp with its billet-aluminum Moto bar clamp.
On the track, the overall performance gains were significant. The BRP clamps transferred more input into the handlebar and a more-rigid feel. In rough braking bumps, absolutely no flexing was felt. Some may not like this rigidity, but if you prefer to know exactly what your CRF's front end is doing, these clamps really work. Along with great performance, the BRP triple clamps are some of the best-looking units we have come across. The machining is perfect, and for $498, it's an easy way to get that factory look. These clamps come only in machined gray and are available for most current models.