We motorcyclists are always searching for an excuse to ride, and here in America we are truly blessed with an amazing natural resource for riding destinations: 129 National Parks and Monuments that provide some spectacular scenery and numerous activities.

Nowadays, virtually all sportbike chassis have wheelbases close to 55 inches, while numbers for touring bikes and cruisers stand closer to 60 inches and more.

The 2010 model year launched off to an impressive start as members of the motorcycling press gathered at California's Perris Raceway to put the new Honda CRF250R through its initial paces.

When Honda engineers redesigned the CRF250R for 2010 they were driven by a single concept: Integration. Abandoning the engine and chassis from the previous generation CRF250 gave them freedom to create a whole new fuel-injected Unicam® engine that utilizes new space- and weight-saving technologies that better integrate the powerplant into an entirely new Twin-Spar aluminum frame for optimum weight savings and mass centralization.

Now it’s an anachronism; a leftover from the days when roadrace circuits came with crosswalks and curbs. But in the mid-’50s the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the world’s most important motorcycle race.