2009 Honda CRF80F Preview

Introduction

Easy to be ridden, bulletproof built, and comfy, the 2009 Honda CRF80F will do everything to point out both its qualities and yours. Starting with the 80cc air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine that will provide you with that much needed bang if willing to stay strong on the trails and finishing with the smooth heavy-duty clutch and five-speed gearbox, there isn’t any better combination for those who are no strangers to riding, but hate it when it comes to the door sheath test.

But that’s no problem at all on the CRF80F as the bike features a seat height of 28.9 inches and a ground clearance of 8.6 inches. So this way you can flatfoot the ground and still not damage the bike. You will have troubles to do so as its frame is made of steel and it features durable skid plates.

What’s great about this kids bike is that it can also be ridden on the track and that’s where its going to unveil a more sport-orientated attitude, which is also a high point considering it is meant to teach, not to race.

History

1986 Honda XR80R

Together with the introduction of the XR100R in 1986, Honda also unveiled the XR80R and the bike satisfied the same riding needs for more than twenty years. From the very first year of production it would have featured the 80cc air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke and the gearbox was, as you can guess, a 5-speed unit. Weighing 141 lbs and having a seat positioned 28.5 inches from the ground you can definitely say that Honda has got the recipe right in what concerns this model from the very beginning.

Further improvements made it look nicer and more refined with every year that passed and together with the launch of the CRF series in 2002, the XR80R was as modern as you could get as it had where to inspire.

In 2004, the now evolved bike was named CRF80R and it was loaded with performance features such as the silky-smooth five-speed gearbox, heavy-duty clutch and Showa suspensions. There was no point in going for disc brakes as the ones already present on the bike (drum) were very efficient. This is also the case with the engine; it didn’t get major improvements through the years.

CRF-R inspired bodywork and graphics is all it got and that was enough to attract a high number of fans.

Competition

It has no competition. “What?” you will say. But it is true, there can be found no proper opponent for the Honda CRF80F and we can easily consider it as being in a class of its own.

Kawasaki’s smallest off-road trainer is the KLX110 so we’ll have to exclude this maker from the start.

Suzuki finds itself in the same situation even though it has an 85cc dirt bike in its off-road lineup. The problem is that the bike features a two-stroke engine and that’s a whole different story and you simply can’t compare the two.

Not to mention Yamaha. It offers the TT-R50E and then straight the TT-R110E. Isn’t that a little too steep learning curve? Share your opinion with us.

Exterior

2009 Honda CRF80F

Not only it is unique on the market, but it can also easily fool you in what concerns its engine displacement with a single glance. Because of its big-bike looks, you will tend to attribute a bigger engine to it, especially after seeing the TT-R110E. The name says everything.

But that’s the whole purpose. It wasn’t supposed to scare the kids away with a too powerful bang, neither with a too tall seat or a doubtful handling. So that is how it ended up looking like a CRF450R in miniature.

Aggressive and refined, the bike looks like moving even at a standstill and the decals have much contribution to that. There are also the 16-inch front and 14-inch rear wheels between which this bike is built.

Underneath the dent-proof fuel tank, the engine is compact and docile-looking, the only thing saying a few things about its performance being the arrow-like exhaust.

Color options are Red, Red, or Red and number plates are white.

Price

For a bike that has no competition, the Honda CRF80F is cheap. It has an MSRP of $2,099 so you really can’t ask for more. Only 400 bucks away from the CRF70F, this is a whole other story, a better one.

Conclusion

The 80cc CRF fills a very important gap in its lineup and without a doubt makes out of Honda a very consistent manufacturer as it kept producing it (under two different names, what’s fair) for twenty-two years and it still goes strong.

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