If you’re a hard-core sport rider and want to have some serious fun, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more cost-effective way of getting your kicks than sliding around a go-kart track. And that’s what Husqvarna’s FS 450 is all about.

The FS 450 is a closed-course production (non-street legal), supermoto racer. Plop down $10,799, load it into the bed of your pickup, show up at the local go-kart track, and commence ripping. Aside from topping off its 1.85-gallon tank and checking pressures on the Bridgestone supermoto-specific rubber, it’s literally that easy to get a huge smile on your face.

For 2019, Husqvarna’s given it the “works” treatment with the full list of upgrades that the championship-winning Supercross platform saw. Everything from the headstock back has enjoyed a makeover, minus the knobby tires and puny front brake, of course…

The frame is more rigid and features an attractive navy blue powdercoating finish. It also includes mounting points for its accessory skid plate. It attaches to a two-piece composite subframe that’s 0.55-pound lighter.

The water-cooled 449cc engine gets an updated cylinder head design (1.1-pound lighter) that lowers the position of the camshaft. Valve timing has been tweaked to further boost the bottom-end performance—a great feature when you have Velcro traction on asphalt.

Inside the case, there’s a new Pankl-sourced five-speed transmission and a supermoto-specific Suter slipper clutch that’s actuated via a smooth-squeezing hydraulic clutch from Magura.

Husqvarna says the engine is good for 63 hp (at the crank), and it feels every bit that quick. For reference a good Supercross 450 engine puts out low 60s at the tire. Electric start means getting the engine lit is as easy as pushing a button. A lighter lithium-ion battery is also new for 2019.

Smooth off the bottom, the four-valve engine builds revs quickly with a healthy amount of midrange grunt for a 450cc single. A switch on the ProTaper handlebar allows the rider to choose from one of two engine maps. Mode 1 offers the hardest-hitting power, which we prefered, while Mode 2 is less aggressive. There’s also on/off-adjustable traction control and launch control to help you get moving from a start. We didn’t get to try the latter feature, but we hope to in a future installment.

The gear ratios complement the engine’s powerband to keep it moving forward in a hurry. There’s no speedometer, but we’d estimate a top speed of around 90 mph in top gear. Plus, its a slick shifter—an important feature when you’re constantly rowing through the gearbox at the track. On a side note, the chain adjustment slot has 5mm more adjustment range, say if you want to modify final drive gearing, or to account for chain stretch.

Aside from launches, the clutch lever doesn’t get much of a squeeze, as the slipper clutch allows you to downshift as many times as you’d like—always netting a smooth slide entering turns. The rear brake has just the right amount of feel to help engage entry slides, until you work up the speed to do it from sheer momentum.

Most air suspension typically gets a bad wrap on dirt, but on pavement it works well. The rebound circuit itself is sensitive. Adding a click or two translates into a noticeable difference in how the motorcycle responds when it hits a bump and how it goes back and rebounds through the stroke.

Physically, the motorcycle sits lower than the motocross version, after all, it trades the 21/19-inch wheel setup for a 16.5/17-inch rims from Alpina. It also has about an inch less suspension travel, front and rear. It uses slower (as compared to a dirt bike) valving that does a marvelous job of controlling suspension movement.

The air fork allows spring-rate modification (left leg) using the supplied pump and has tool-less adjusters atop the fork leg for compression and rebound damping. Both the fork and shock are sensitive to damping adjustment, with just a few clicks netting big differences in action.

Even at a quick pace, the front suspension is nearly chatter-free. It’d be worth experimenting with tire pressures, as the OE-fitted (and tubeless) Bridgestone race tires generally work better with extra heat. Make sure to invest in a quality set of tire warmers to help them arrive at operating temperature before you turn a wheel on the track.

A superbike-spec Brembo M50 Monoblock caliper pinches a 310mm wave rotor. A stout radial-mount, also from Brembo, pushes fluid through a stainless-steel line. The front brake has plenty of power but bites softly. It feels as if engineers used a less aggressive streetbike pad. A switch to a more sintered option would be one of the few changes we’d make.

Pound for pound, there isn’t a better bike for ripping around paved corners than this 227-pound (without fuel) FS 450. Sure, you can purchase a used dirt bike and install some 17s and a slipper clutch, but even after marking these modifications, you’re still not going to be even close to how well this machine performs out of the crate. If you want to get one, you’d better hurry to your local Husqvarna dealer as only around 150 motorcycles are being imported into the United States this year—approximately 50 more than this year.

Our national parks are a gift, one we’ve given to each other. One we’ve inherited and, with any luck, will pass down to the generations that follow us. There is something humbling about traveling through them, about seeing the things and places that our forebears held dear and understanding why. There isn’t a bad park in the system, but there are some that shine above the rest. Our favorites, the ones we hold above the others and share, are the parks we love to ride.

No brochure prepares you for your first time peering over the guardrail. Snowy mountain peaks fuel waterfalls that mist passing riders, flowing down the valley through conifer forests, ending in bright blue lakes carved out by glaciers. This is a place full of views that take your breath away.

You can’t visit Glacier on a motorcycle without someone suggesting you ride the Going-to-the-Sun Road. They’re not wrong. Carved into the steep grade of rock and forest are 50 miles of sweeping curves and hairpin switchbacks with an occasional tunnel granting passage through the mountain.

A fleet of restored red buses from the 1930s transports tourists through the park, often slowing the pace down to a crawl. Think of them as a blessing in disguise. With only a few places along the road to stop and smell the wildflowers, the leisurely pace is ideal for taking in the ever-changing view.

Keep an eye out for mountain goats, and don’t forget to catch your breath. —Jenny Linquist

Despite all that territory, there are only a handful of paved roads that wind their way through the firs, aspen, and stone. Paradise Road and Stevens Canyon Road are two of the most brilliant—scrambling two lanes that flirt with rivers and mountain lakes as they work their way toward State Highway 123.

At 6,400 feet, the weather’s usually chilly, even in summer months, so layer up. It’s worth it. —Zach Bowman

The drive stretches 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park, winding its way atop the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap. Only in ­movement-mad America would a road be planned as the crowning feature of a park. Along the way there are around 70 overlooks, one every 1.5 miles, giving Dad ample opportunity to haul out the 35mm and pose the family atop a stone wall in relief against the Piedmont Valley below.

It’s easy to imagine America’s age of innocence, and easy to picture Stony Man Overlook crowded with happy families leering out the windows of shiny aquamarine Buicks with whitewall tires.

Old Rag. Bearfence. Sugarloaf. White Oak Canyon. Big Meadows. Shenandoah’s landmarks have captured the imaginations of generations. They’ll capture yours too. On the park’s various hiking trails, the rustle of tawny leaves seems to carry the whispers of miners, moonshiners, and miscreants who called it home well into the 20th century.

There are national parks that boast bigger mountains and more rugged vistas, but few possess Shenandoah’s adoptive embrace. It seems to grab time and keep it as its own. Every age belongs to it, and it in turn belongs to you. —Seth Richards

Badlands National Park preserves the bounty and severity that Lakotas knew well and later settlers would learn the hard way.

Just 7.5 miles south from the tourist hell of Wall Drug, the land embodies the hopes and failures of our Manifest Destiny. Every turn reveals a vista more spectacular than the last. Looking north from Prairie Wind Overlook, the plush grasslands predate humans of any kind. Looking south from Saddle Pass Trailhead, impassable canyons and hoodoos stretch to infinity. Might as well ride a Honda Cub, you’ll be stopping a lot.

Done drinking in the view? Head south on 377 to the Cowboy Corner Filling Station for the cheapest six-pack of Bud you’ve seen in some time. —Anders Carlson

The riding is relaxed, with narrow sweeping curves leading you through forests of Joshua trees—ancient plants that have weathered hundreds of years to reach their height. A tangle of campsites and hiking trails can be found just off the main road. A tangle of campsites and hiking trails can be found just off the main road. Some trails lead to giant granite boulders with a bird’s-eye view of the landscape from the top, others take you down haunting dusty roads to gold mines dug in the late 1800s. After the sun goes down, the elevation and desert air provide perfect conditions for stargazers to see the cosmic dust of the Milky Way.

Two hours of riding will get you from one end of the park to the other, but it’s best to fill your gas tank, load up on water, and plan for a long soak in the heat. The magic of Joshua Tree is only really revealed when you take the side roads and immerse yourself in the desert. —Jenny Linquist

Glassy smooth with staggering vistas of the Cascade Mountains, it’s hard to keep your chin off your tank. It’s a place so stunning that it’s hard to believe it’s real, that it’s not some fantasy whipped up by a movie studio a few states south.

Near Ruby Mountain, the road skirts alongside Ross Lake before joining the Skagit River on its way toward the Pacific. On a warm day, you’ll feel the temperature drop 10 degrees near the water, a blessing that will have you considering stripping off your kit for a quick dip. Take a break at Gorge Creek. The falls there turn magnificent with any rain, and the short hike down the overlook path is all the excuse we’ve ever needed to stretch our legs. —Zach Bowman

During peak visitor season between May 20 and September 13, Denali restricts visitors to riding just the first 15 miles of the 91-mile Denali Park Road. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve provides a true adventure in the form of a 13.2-million-acre expanse with only two roads in. Neither are paved.

Feeling more adventurous? Nebesna Road leads riders 42 miles farther away from fuel and repair services, and could have some rapid-flowing creeks to cross around mile 29. Check in with the Slana Ranger Station before you take your rig for a swim. —Robyn “RoKo” Kocienski

As you lean into curves on sun-dappled roads or ride past the raw volcanic earth, you can’t help but to think of the first humans that found this place, how lucky they were, and how they’d marvel at what we’ve made of it.

Engineers carved the 68-mile Beartooth Highway from Cooke City to Red Lodge in 1932, and it dips in and out of Montana as it scrambles over and around the stark mountains there. It remains one of America’s great rides, and a perfect gateway to Yellowstone.

At any turn you might encounter the wildlife Yellowstone is famous for. Stopped cars are a good sign of bison traffic. And with gas, hotels, and eateries within the park borders, Yellowstone is a great choice for family or road-focused rides. —Katy Manch

Getting a new motorcycle is an exciting prospect, but once you fire it up for the first time you’re left with what many deem a great responsibility: breaking in that new engine.

What is engine break in? Fresh from-the-factory parts appear smooth, but they actually have microscopically rough surfaces that need to rub against their counterparts and bed in, and that happens during those first miles of use. Once the components are polished smooth and broken in, friction is reduced, sealing is improved, and you’re ensured good power, fuel economy, and reliability.

There are a lot of sliding and rotating parts within an engine, but what everyone gets riled up about when discussing engine break-in is the seal between the piston rings and cylinder walls. And rightfully so. Ring seal is the a key condition that’s going to affect performance and longevity, so it’s worth thinking about.

Related: Mineral Oil vs. Synthetic Oil. What’s The Difference?

What’s the best way to get a good seal on those piston rings? If you follow the break-in procedure outlined in your owner’s manual, it’ll recommend a 600, 1000, or even a 1500-mile process wherein you limit throttle and revs and constantly vary the engine speed. At the other end of the spectrum, there are people that say a gentle break-in is a waste of time and not an effective way seal the rings, and that a more condensed and aggressive break-in—some would say brutal—is the way to go.

To answer the question once and for all, we assembled two identical Honda CB300F motors with fresh top-end parts, broke them in differently, and then compared the results.

The first engine was installed and run in gently as per the manual, which meant painstakingly limiting and varying the throttle and slowly ratcheting up the revs over the course of 1,000 miles. Then we swapped out the babied motor for engine number two. While engine one didn’t kiss redline until that final 1,000th mile, this second engine was given a minute to warm up and then taken right to the limiter and ridden at or near WOT on the highways of SoCal for the entire 1,000 miles. Both engines were initially filled with Bel-Ray semi-synthetic oil, and we changed the fluid and filter at 600 miles as recommended.

After breaking the engines in using drastically different methods, we performed compression and leak-down tests—which is a standard way of checking top-end health—then disassembled, measured, and inspected the internal parts. And the results, well, they might surprise you.

Drumroll, anyone?

The truth is, there was no significant difference between the two engines. There was hardly even a discernible difference. The compression and leakdown numbers were stellar and identical on both motors, and all the measurements of the internal parts, including the piston diameter, cylinder diameter, piston-ring end gap, and valve clearances, were all within spec and inline with each other. Check them out for yourself below. The ring end gap was slightly wider on the engine that was broken in brutally, but that’s it. Similarly, there was no obvious difference in the color or debris content of the oil at that first 600-mile change.

Related: How Much Debris Should You See In Your Oil After Break-In?

So we’ve more of less shown that it doesn’t matter how you break in an engine, the results will be the same, right? Well, not exactly. The CB300F, even when operating at WOT, just isn’t working that hard because it’s in a mild state of tune. We certainly wouldn’t recommend going to WOT with a new CBR600RR that revs to 15,000 rpm. Each motor is different, with different cylinder materials and compression ratios and redlines, but the lesson here is that there doesn’t appear to be a night-and-day distinction between break-in methods, so don’t sweat it. Motorcycles are meant to be enjoyed, so just go ride it and enjoy it.

That being said, the long and drawn-out recommendations found in all owner’s manuals persist for two reasons. First, the methodology is a holdover from days of yore, when metallurgy, machining technology, and lubricants weren’t nearly as good as they are today.

Second, taking it easy with a new bike is just a good idea. After all, it’s not just your engine that needs to break in. You need to scrub in those new tires, bed in those new brakes, and overall get familiar with how your new bike is balanced, how it turns and handles, shifts and stops. Modern motorcycles are amazingly reliable, but failures still happen, and most major issues are likely to happen within the first few hundred miles. Wouldn’t it be better to have something break or come loose while trundling along at 25 mph instead of 75? There are lots of good reasons to give yourself and your bike a day or two of gentle riding to shake things out.

Engine Break-In Specs

Engine 1, “By The Book Break-In”

Installed at 1,828 miles, removed at 2,861 miles
Break-In Notes: Ridden gently. Didn’t exceed 50% throttle or 5,000 rpm for the first 600 miles, and didn’t exceed 75% throttle or 7,000 rpm until 1,000 miles. Didn’t experience WOT until 1,000 miles was accumulated. Ridden with constantly varying engine speed and load, no easy task on a slow bike in a busy, urban environment! Oil and filter changed at 600 miles.

Engine 2, “Brutal Break-In”

Installed at 2,861 miles, removed at 3,890 miles Break-In Notes: Went to WOT within moments of first starting up, and was ridden hard for 1,000 miles. Did everything we’re told not to—lots of throttle and high-speed droning at steady throttle. Oil and filter changed at 600 miles.