FOUR FREEDOMS

On January 6, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave the State of the Union Address citing four essential freedoms. Each point was punctuated with “everywhere” or “anywhere in the world.” While these four have to do with basic human rights, as I gazed upon four of the most advanced, modern, high-performance dual-sports ever produced, set in front of snow-capped Utah mountains, two of FDR’s words rang particularly clear and true: anywhere and everywhere.

Dual-sports used to be about “most places” but were lower spec and less performance-oriented in comparison to manufacturers’ race bikes. Now dual-sports share much with top-of-the-line off-road models. Compromises are fewer, both mechanically and in capability. Any of the motorcycles in this shootout could be ridden to off-road races, raced, then ridden back home. Any race. And while it is true each might not be 100 percent the top choice as a race bike, they offer a combination of flexibility and performance unavailable in any other dirt bike.

To find the best for anywhere and everywhere, we tested four 450-class machines. Honda’s 2019 CRF450L is the impetus for this shootout. It is the first Japanese dual-sport to venture into this high-performance category, one created and ruled by European brands. KTM’s 500 EXC-F is a continual Cycle World Ten Best pick for its torquey engine and light handling. The FE 450 from Husqvarna shares much with the KTM, but has its own premium Swedish flavor—despite being prepared and cooked in Austria—with up-spec parts. Beta’s 430 RR-S has the smallest displacement, but more than makes up for it with its Italian looks and some features not offered by the competition.

In the spirit of these bikes, we could have chosen anywhere for this contest. But off-road mecca Moab, Utah, offers amazing testing environs worthy of these top-shelf dual-sports. Rugged