A Brief History of Motocross

Motocross is a sport consisting of racing in which groups of all terrain vehicles like motorcycles compete against others in a circuit that is enclosed. The circuit generally consists of terrain that includes mud, jumps, water, and dirt. Originally, the sport was called a scramble and it evolved from early trials. The origins of motocross can be traced all the way back to the nineteen hundreds in Britain.

Motocross was born out of the early motorcycle trials in Great Britain that determined whether or not specific riders qualified for specific events. With time, the trial’s strict regulations were thrown out in favor of exciting races where the quickest rider won and the scoring was not needed. The Great Britain racing fans actually preferred this exciting new way of racing and, over time, the fad slowly seeped into the rest of the continent where it was named motocross for the French terms for ‘motor cycle’ and ‘cross country’.

The trials became very popular throughout the early 30s and fans would commit to traveling far distances to view them. Back then, street cycles and bikes used for off road events were one in the same but as the new sport’s popularity intensified, so did the requirement to produce better, more stable motorcycles. The early cycles had thin tires and rigid frames that were eventually switched out for gripped tires and total suspension.

Motocross sports were introduced to the public in America in 66 when a famous Sweden rider competed against the top riders in the United States during a large California exhibition. The same rider from Sweden raced the Americans again the very next year and absolutely dominated them. Eventually, this helped lead to revolutions regarding the ways that cycle events were done in the United States. The manufacturers there, just like the ones in Europe, began to make big changes to the way they built their bikes as well.

Companies in Japan, by the sixties, had developed bikes that were lighter, stronger, and faster. In 1970, they claimed their first ever world championship when a motorcycle built by Suzuki won the crown that year. In America, the increasing production of motorcycles and popularity of the sport led to intense competitions between the countries. Not wanting to be left behind, the Europeans upped their productions as well. This helped create the sport’s explosive growth eventually.

Throughout its long and rich history, the sport of motocross has evolved into many different sub events such as ones held in indoor arenas. There is even a freestyle version which involves the riders doing various tricks and acrobatics during a big jump. Fans of the older all terrain vehicles can watch or compete in vintage games, where the bikes that are used are all from before 1975.

Finally, there is the increasingly popular supermoto which involves racers competing on a close circuit track that features both paved and unpaved terrain. Prior to racing, supermoto bikes are carefully fitted with special ridged tires that allow them to grip both types of road.

Bikes being used for supermoto events are fitted with special tires that help them grip all road types prior to their race.

Motocross is an interesting sport and you can always play motocross games online. These online motocross games are usually free to play.