Photos by Casey Davis.

If you?re a person of culture and sophistication, you?ll agree that action movies of the ?80s and ?90s are the pinnacle of American cinema. Never mind distractions like plots or character development; these gems of the silver screen thrill us with explosions, high-flying hijinks and protagonists who dispatch bad guys while delivering cheeky one-liners.

Like the best action flicks, supermoto distills all the excitement of motorcycling into one no-holds-barred blockbuster. And after an all-day closed-course matinee on the race-ready 2021 KTM 450 SMR, I can say it packs one helluva punch!

The 2021 KTM 450 SMR.

Supermoto is a discipline that I have precious little experience with, but what?s not to love ? a lightweight motocross machine fitted with smaller, racing-slick-shod wheels, ready to tackle twisty kart tracks and dirt jump sections in equal measure. KTM showcased its new 450 SMR at Apex Racing Center in Perris, California, and now I?m hooked. 
After a seven-year hiatus, which is about how long it takes Hollywood to pump out two or three profit-making sequels, the KTM 450 SMR is back. Using the 450 SX-F motocross racer as its foundation, the SMR shares its 63-horsepower 450cc single-cylinder SOHC engine, lightweight steel frame and cast-aluminum swingarm. 

The 450cc thumper pumps out a rip-roaring 63 horsepower. It also features an updated connecting rod with a new upper copper-beryllium bushing, reducing internal fricti...