I will try one more time, since the level of ignorance about CRF bikes here is mindboggling - especially by Honda fans. This is the bike Honda should have imported and made road legal (it is 50 states legal in US so why not in RSA +KTM SA manages to get all their full power uncorked EXC bikes plateable in RSA, so why not Honda?)
https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2018/10/29/2019-honda-crf450x-review-19-fast-facts/And no, Honda didn't build L as some kind of special version - it is the other way around. They build the X engine (internally exactly the same) and then dumbed it down into L (much less so in US where it is within 2 - 3 hp from each other (X is about 45 - 48 hp (not kW through

), much more so for Euro / RSA (almost halved the power). And if you believe that leaning out the fuel mix in L in effect making it run much hotter will make it last longer, then I want what you are smoking. So they basically build pure bred horse in X (for hobby enduro/dual sport, not competition like R/RX) and then they tied up its front legs arguing that it will last longer as it will not run around too much. And told customers that it is actually better. If you buy that argument, well.....
Internals are exactly the same on X and L (6 speed gearbox compared to 5 speed on R/RX, lower compression, 3 piston rings compared to 2 on R/RX). And the service intervals as well.
So the right thing for Honda SA to do is to dump the Ls into sea (or sell them with deep discount - really deep) and then import Xes and make sure they are plateable (again if KTM can do it, I'm sure Honda can - if they care), price them 10 - 15k below 500 and they are sorted. The bike has ample power, is much lighter than L and cheaper to manufacture as they don't put crap on that people rip off first thing after purchase (like those Tankwa guys did with the 'reinforced plate holder' Honda boasted so much in the launch PR).
But wait - they don't have to do that, since they are selling tons of L's according the the salesman ...
