Motocross

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Motocross rider hitting the rough side of a corner

Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. Motocross is derived from the French, and traces its origins to British scrambling competitions. The name "motocross" is a portmanteau derived from the words "Motorcycle" and "Cross Country".

Contents

[edit] History

Motocross was first known as a British off-road event called scrambling, which was an evolution of Trials events popular in northern Britain. The first known scramble took place at Camberley, Surrey in 1924.[1] During the 1930s, the sport grew in popularity, especially in Britain where teams from BSA, Norton, Matchless, Rudge, and AJS competed in the events. Off-road bikes from that era differed little from those used on the street. The intense competition over rugged terrain led to technical improvements in motorcycles. Rigid frames gave way to suspensions by the early 1930s, and swinging fork rear suspension appeared by the early 1950s, several years before it was incorporated on the majority of production street bikes.[citation needed] The period after the Second World War was dominated by BSA which had become the largest motorcycle company in the world.[citation needed] BSA riders dominated international competitions throughout the 1940s.[citation needed]

A Maico 360 cc with air-cooled engine and twin shock absorbers on the rear suspension

In 1952 the FIM, motorcycling's international governing body, created an individual European Championship using a 500 cc engine displacement formula. In 1957, it was upgraded it to World Championship status. In 1962, a 250 cc world championship was created. It was in the smaller 250 cc category that companies with two-stroke motorcycles came into their own. Companies such as Husqvarna from Sweden, Bultaco from Spain, CZ from the former Czechoslovakia and Greeves from Britain, became popular due to their lightness and agility. By the 1960s, advancements in two-stroke engine technology meant that the heavier, four-stroke machines were relegated to niche competitions. Riders from Belgium and Sweden began to dominate the sport during this period.[citation needed]

By the late 1960s, Japanese motorcycle companies began challenging the European factories for supremacy in the motocross world. Suzuki claimed the first world championship for a Japanese factory when it won the 1970 250 cc crown.[2] Motocross also began to grow in popularity in the United States during this period, which fueled an explosive growth in the sport. The first stadium motocross event was held in 1972 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.[3] In 1975, a 125 cc world championship was introduced.[citation needed] European riders continued to dominate motocross throughout the 1970s but, by the 1980s, American riders had caught up and began winning international competitions.[4]

During the early 1980s, Japanese factories presided over a technology boom in motocross. The typical two-stroke air-cooled, twin-shock rear suspension machines gave way to machines that were water-cooled and fitted with monoshock rear suspension. By the 1990s, increasingly stringent environmental laws in California forced manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly four-stroke technology.[citation needed] At the turn of the century, all the major manufacturers have begun competing with four-stroke machines. European firms also experienced a resurgence with Husqvarna, Husaberg and KTM winning world championships with four-stroke machinery.

Recently, the sport has evolved with sub-disciplines such as stadium events known as Supercross and Arenacross held in indoor arenas. Freestyle Motocross (FMX) events where riders are judged on their jumping and aerial acrobatic skills have gained popularity, as well as Supermoto, where motocross machines race on both tarmac and off road. Vintage motocross events have also become popular with riders competing on bikes usually pre-dating the 1975 model year.[citation needed]

[edit] Major competitions

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The world is dominated by two main Motocross series; the FIM's Grand Prix, the World Championship series, and the AMA's American National Championship.

[edit] FIM Motocross World Championship

FIM Motocross World Championship
Main article: FIM Motocross World Championship

The Grand Prix (or Motocross World Championship) is predominantly held in Europe with some "flyaway" rounds, recently in Chile, South Africa and Japan, but over its history it has visited numerous countries including; Indonesia, Australia and countries on both American continents. There are three classes: MX1, MX2 and MX3 (analogous to "Motocross" and "Motocross Lites", and big bores respectively). Race duration is slightly longer at 35 minutes plus two laps, while the series is longer, generally incorporating over 16 rounds.

[edit] AMA Motocross Championship

The AMA Motocross Championship (the "outdoor series") season begins in early May and continues until mid-September, and consists of twelve rounds at twelve major tracks all over the continental United States. There are two classes; "Motocross" and "Motocross Lites" (formerly "250 cc" and "125 cc"). Each round has two motos of thirty minute-plus-two-laps, per class, held approximately two hours apart.

[edit] Motocross des Nations

Motocross des Nations
Main article: Motocross des Nations

The annual Motocross des Nations (now called Motocross of Nations) is usually held at the end of the year when National and World Championship series have ended. The format involves teams of three riders representing their nations. Each rider competes in a different class (MX1, MX2 and "Open"). There are three motos with two classes competing per moto. The location of the event changes from year to year. The United States, Belgium and Great Britain have had the greatest success.

[edit] Physical demands

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Motocross sometimes takes place in wet weather, leading to muddy scenes such as this and hence the term "Scrambling". Photo from New Zealand.

The National Athletic Health Institute in Inglewood, California tested several professional motocross racers in September 1979 as part of a comparative study of the cardio-vascular, muscle endurance, and flexibility fitness of athletes from various disciplines. Athletes from track, American football, pro basketball and soccer were tested, among others. As a group, the motocross riders tested to a higher overall fitness level than any group tested.[citation needed] Motocross racers get their heart rate up to around 180 to 190 beats per minute and hold it there for about 35 minutes. These riders do this twice per day (original article appeared in Cycle magazine in early 1980[citation needed]). A subsequent study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Performance Complex in 2002 reconfirmed the result with more recent motocross racers. The intense physical demand of motocross derives from the fact that the racer of the bike must keep complete control of a 200 lb (91 kg) or heavier bike, while also maintaining their top speed throughout the race.[5]

[edit] Sports derived from Motocross

A number of other types of motorcycle sport have been derived from Motocross.

[edit] Freestyle

Main article: Freestyle Motocross
A Canadian rider performing a "superman seat-grab"

Freestyle Motocross (FMX), a relatively new variation of supercross, does not involve racing and instead concentrates on performing acrobatic stunts while jumping motocross bikes. The winner is chosen by a group of judges. The riders are scored on style, level of trick difficulty, best use of the course, and frequently crowd reactions as well. FMX was introduced to the X Games and mainstream audiences in 1999.

[edit] Supermoto

Main article: Supermoto
A Supermoto rider on the road

Supermoto involves taking a motocross bike meant to be raced off-road and converting it to be raced on tracks consisting of both dirt and pavement. The bikes are fitted with special road racing tires and are "grooved" to grip both the pavement and dirt. Some tracks for these race events have jumps, berms, and whoops just like true motocross tracks. For special events, the Supermoto track may incorporate metal ramps for jumps that can be disassembled and taken to other locations. Supermoto races may take place at modified go-kart tracks, road racing tracks, or even street racing tracks. There are also classes for kids such as the 85cc class.

Supermoto got its start in the late 1970s as a fun side project for many road racers. Its first exposure to a wide audience came on the American television program ABC's Wide World of Sports in 1979. UK racing journalist Gavin Trippe envisioned a racing event that would prove who the best motorcycle racer was and from 1980 to 1985, he organized a yearly event called "The Superbikers," which pitted the top road racers and motocross racers against one another on specially modified bikes raced on special tracks on the television show. After 1985, the sport died and received little exposure, but in Europe, the sport started gaining popularity, and in 2003 it was revived in the United States, when the name became "Supermoto".

[edit] ATV/Quad Motocross

Main article: All-terrain vehicle
Professional ATV racer Tim Farr at the 2006 Glen Helen MX national.

From 2002, ATV Motocross started to see a dramatic increase in participation across the United States. This was a direct result of the major ATV manufacturers getting involved in the sport. In the past, ATV racing floundered after Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha dropped ATV-racing support in the mid 1980s due to the bad publicity associated with the alleged dangers of operating these vehicles.[citation needed] Throughout the late 1980s and all during the 1990s, aftermarket companies kept the sport alive, but barely. Racers would build expensive, custom ATVs with parts from major aftermarket manufacturers. The engine that kept racing alive was the Honda TRX250R which was manufactured from 1986 to 1989. Accessory companies produced enough modified parts so that the only stock components of the 250R engine were the left and right engine cases. Suspension upgrades made it possible for ATVs to handle jumps and rough terrain that were previously impossible. In order to be competitive, it was necessary to spend upwards of $20,000 to race an ATV.

In the late 1990s, rules were changed to allow racers to use dirt bike engines in ATV frames. Soon hybrid machines began to dominate competitions. Major manufacturers started paying closer attention to the sport ATV market, and in 1999 Honda released the four-stroke TRX400EX. While it wasn't as powerful as the hybrids racing on the tracks, it showed that manufacturers had begun to take sport ATVs seriously. In 2003 Suzuki released the LT-Z400, which featured a liquid-cooled four-stroke powerplant. That same year, the ATVA instituted a Pro Production class at the motocross nationals in order to showcase "stock" ATVs. The traditional Pro class still allowed two-strokes and hybrids. Many professional racers raced both classes, but the premier class was still the Pro class.

Late in the 2003, Yamaha announced the YFZ450 for the 2004 model year. This ATV represented the first time a major manufacturer built a high-performance sport ATV suited for racing. While it wasn't as wide as many wanted for motocross (50 inches is considered the ATV MX racing standard) and didn't have long-travel suspension, it featured a four-stroke engine very similar to the motocross dirt bikes Yamaha was manufacturing at the time. The YFZ450 also came stock with fully adjustable front suspension, the first time this was available on a production ATV. After the Yamaha announcement, Honda announced it was going to bring the TRX450R to market in 2004. 2004 also marked the return of factory supported racing teams to national competition for the first time since 1986.

In the summer of 2005, Suzuki announced it was going to produce the 2006 LT-R450. This sport ATV was the most competition-ready ATV ever produced. It featured a high performance four-stroke engine, and a chassis that could be competitive in stock form. The front end used a steel swingarm with high quality shock absorbers using 10 inches of travel and a width approaching 50 inches.

As of the 2009 model year there are seven major ATV manufacturers producing high performance 450-class which can be used for ATV motocross. Can-Am has the DS 450 X mx and xc , Honda the TRX450R, KTM the ad 450XC 450SX, Kawasaki the KFX450, Polaris the Outlaw 450 MXR, Suzuki the LT-R450 and Yamaha the YFZ450 and YFZ450R.

Of those seven, four have models that come stock with a width of 50 inches: the DS 450 X mx, KTM 450SX, LT-R450 and YFZ450R.

There is also a form of racing in some parts of the United States where ATV's will race in the winter months. They race on ice ovals on frozen lakes or rivers. Some ATV's will race with bare tires and some will race with studded tires.

[edit] Supercross

Supercross riders from the 2006 series in Anaheim

Supercross is a cycle racing sport involving racing specialized high performance off-road motorcycles on artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional Supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums. Many notable differences exist from regular motocross. Supercross tracks are generally much tighter and more technical[clarification needed] than motocross tracks. The supercross season takes place during the winter and spring months, partially due to more controllable indoor climates involved.

[edit] Sidecars

Main article: Sidecarcross
A Zabel engined sidecar outfit.

Sidecar racing, known as Sidecarcross has been around since the 1950s but has declined in popularity recently. This variant is common in Europe, with a few followers in USA, New Zealand and Australia.

Motocross sidecars are purpose built frames that resemble an ordinary motocross-cycle with a flat platform to stand on attached to either side and a handlebar at waist height to hold on to. The side of the "chair" (slang for the platform) usually follows the side of the road the nation in question drives upon, but not always. The passenger balances the bike by being a counterweight, especially in corners and on jumps. It is driven on ordinary crosstracks.

It is very physically demanding, especially for the passenger. This is reflected in most in the Swedish term for passenger - "burkslav", roughly translated as trunk/body/barrel-slave. This name comes from the early sidecars where the platform looked like a real road-sidecar and not today's platform.

The major frame builders today are VMC, BSU, AYR, EML and Woodenleg. Ordinary engines can be used, but size matters and two engines purpose built for sidecars exist, Zabel (Germany) and MTH (Austria) are most common. Four-strokes are getting more common, usually KTM (Austria).

[edit] Pit bikes and mini-motocross

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Two riders go into a corner at a mini-motocross event in West Virginia.

Pit bikes are small motorbikes that participants in powersports event use to ride around the pits, which are the staging areas where team support vehicles are located. They are also used in races held either indoors or on motocross tracks. Pit bikes also have races that pro riders race in on the pit bikes. Pit bikes are often customized.

Originally there were only two ways to acquire a pit bike. A rider could buy a child's minibike, and apply all the necessary upgrades and modifications to build up a competitive pit bike, or could buy an already built up pit bike used. Some vendors have since begun designing, manufacturing, and selling already complete pit bikes. There bikes are less expensive, or and don't require that the buyer be as mechanically inclined.

Pit bikes are powered by 4-stroke, horizontal, single cylinder engines ranging anywhere in displacement from 49 cc up to 160 cc. A typical pit bike is usually a small dirt bike but it has become common to be able to buy pit bikes with street-style wheels and tires. Pit bikes with street tires, as opposed to knobby tires, are used in Mini Supermoto Racing.

Pit bikes are frequently heavily customized with decorative add-ons, functional, non-performance accessories, and upgraded with performance-enhancing parts. Many riders and mechanics bore-out or replace engines in order to increase displacement and therefore power output, or remove air-boxes to allow better airflow. Heavy duty suspensions to carry larger riders and facilitate large jumps is another upgrade often done. Wheel, brake, and tire upgrades are sometimes performed to improve handling.

Pit bikes also have their own separate competitions held with classes generally corresponding to wheel size. This is a notable difference from Motocross and Supercross competition, where classes are separated by engine displacement.

[edit] Governing bodies

Motorcross is governed world-wide by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), with federations in many nations.

[edit] Manufacturers

A Yamaha fourstroke on display at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
10 times world champion, Stefan Everts.
See also: List of motorcycle manufacturers
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Current

The above are the major five manufactures in most markets, the manufactures below command a smaller market share (currently - 2007).

Manufacturers that have ceased production

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of Motocross
  2. ^ Joel Robert wins 1970 championship for Suzuki - AMA Hall of Fame
  3. ^ The First Supercross - Motorcyclist Online
  4. ^ 1981 Motocross des Nations team
  5. ^ Motocross Canada

[edit] External links

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