What Makes Dirt Bike Racing So Enticing?

In the past couple of decades dirt bike popularity has really grown. In fact dirt bike racing has exhilarated should we say. So what makes dirt bike racing so enticing?

Adrenalin, exhilaration, risk, competitiveness, the ride, the rush, its fast, it’s furious. Those are descriptive words commonly heard by racers. They say they can feel the blood pumping through their veins just before a race begins. And you have to admit as far as racing sports go It doesn’t get much more action packed then what dirt bike racing has to offer.

Dirt bike racing is popular with all ages from 4 to 84. Of course the youngest and oldest riders don’t often compete but they still enjoy the sport. The average age for competition riders is 16 to 25.

Dirt bike racing is one of the oldest forms of motorcycle competition in the US. There are 4 different event you can enter. The TT courses, half mile, mile, and oval short track. TT courses always have at least one jump. There’s also the dirt drag races which take dirt biking to a whole different level.

When it comes to bikes and racing there are actually several popular sports. Motocross is the most popular with amateurs and includes machines with anywhere from 50cc to 450cc. Motocross takes place on natural terrain and includes tight turns, hills, and jumps. Fun to watch and fun to participate in!

Arenacross is rather a new spin on Motocross which takes place indoors inside an arena where a course has been built that resembles the outside run but on a smaller scale.

There is also road racing which occurs on paved tracks all across the country. This type of racing is for sport bikes and these gems go real fast! It’s fast and exhilarating both for the spectator and the rider.

Enduros are recognized as the first step in competition. Generally when a rider gets the bug to race they start with Enduros. These course are usually quite challenging running across dirt roads and through wooded trails. Riders are marked each minute and the object is to maintain your average speed through the designated course. This is a very unique kind of race because it combines speed with the rider’s skill level for handling their bike.

Hare Scrambles take place on a long loop course through wooded areas and natural terrain that can be quite rugged. Events include either a specified length of time or number of laps that must be completed.

Hare and Hound races are very popular in the Southwest desert areas and that’s how they earned their nickname “desert races.” This course also takes in natural terrain and usually runs about 40 miles with the riders required to check in at checkpoints along the way.

Supermoto is the newest form of racing in the United States. This is a race for modified motocross bikes that have road tires. It mixes off road dirt riding with on road asphalt riding and includes obstacles and jumps. This rider needs to have top notch skills in a variety of areas.

Hill climbs are very popular because the rider basically challenges him or her self to conquer the hill. Each rider is timed and the best time wins.

Observed Trial races require a great deal of skill. Speed is of no importance here but skill navigating very difficult terrain is. And what makes it even trickier is you get penalty points if you put your foot down. The rider with the lowest point score wins.

Ice racing can be a lot of fun in the winter! Who says you can’t race during the winter? This is a perfect past time in Canada and is usually conducted on frozen lakes and ponds. The track resembles that used for dirt track races except its on ice. Off road tires are used but they are studded with plenty of sheet metal screws for traction. Even in the cold things get heated up with this race!

Bike racing of all kinds is certain to continue to grow in popularity as more and more people take up the challenge. Every year dirt bike racing entices hundreds more to come try their skill. Are you up for the challenge?


Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.