History of Motocross

THE HISTORY OF MOTOCROSS RACING BRIEF MOTOCROSS: FROM THE DIRT ROADS TO THE ARENAS Ever since Pierre Michaux first put a steam engine on a velocipede in the early 1860's, people have been obsessed with racing motorcycles. It all started with time trials in the United Kingdom and has now evolved into back flips, packed arenas and billions of dollars. Even with all the modern trappings of spectacle and merchandise; the core of motocross hasn't changed. It's still about the freedom and exhilaration of racing a motorcycle. MOTOCROSS: THE BEGINNINGS Rigid Frames bikes were replaced with ones that had suspension It was in the spring of 1906 that the Auto-Cycle Club held their first motorcycle time trial. While people enjoyed beating their times on a dirt road course what people really wanted to do was race. The time trials quickly became weekly "scrambles" to see who the fastest man on the track was. The first official scramble was held during the spring of 1924 just outside of Camberely in Great Britain. These races began to grow in popularity and the sport was official called motocross. This is the combination of the French word for motorcycle "motocyclette" and the portmanteau "cross country". The bikes used in these races were the exact same bikes people used on thestreet. Because these races were held on rugged terrain, new technological im protect the riders and increase the speed. re needed to (World War II forced motorcycles to become faster, more dependable and agile to withstand the rigor of war) Swinging Fork Rear Suspension was created in the 1950's POST WORLD WAR RACING AND TWO STROKE ENGINES In the aftermath of the Second World War, motorcycles used in the army were quickly sold to the common consumer and motorcycle racing began to make a comeback. In 1952 the a Europeanng's governing body) created the Champlonship Series using 500 cc engines and then in 1962 a 250 cc division was created. It was companies like Husqvarna and Greeves stroke engines is when motocross began to really pick up steam. kes were light nd cheaper to maintain than their 4 cylinder cousins which lead to faster and longer races. COORS TRA VWinston Japanese companies like Suzki started making bikes in the late 1960's and the first stadium motocross even was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1972. Motocross Today The one constant that connects past and modern motocross riders is racing. Thanks to corporate sponsorships and events like the X Games, Motocross is one of the fastest growing sports in the US. y there are three main types of motocross competitions: Super Cross, Freestyle and Super Moto LUCAS OIL MOTOCRSS MONSTER CUP GAMES 2012 TYPES OF RACES/COMPETITIONS Super Cross Freestyle Big Air 1. Takes place on artificial dirt tracks with steep jumps and articles for the racers to navigate as they compete. 2. Held in Sports Arenas 3.Have shorter straights and tighter turns 1. Perform two routines 2. 90 seconds to 15 minutes 3. Panel of judges evaluates each run 4. They are looking for the best tricks and the longest air 1. Each rider gets two jumps 2. They can reach heights as much as 75 feet 3. Dirt Covered Track 4. Panel of Judges evaluate the runs on: style, trick difficulty and originality. 5. cored out of 10o0 BEST FREESTYLE TRICKS Superman Heart Attack Cliffhanger Coffin and Lazy Boy Back Flip http://www.cannibalcycle.com/ http://www.motocrossgear.com/blog/niding-technique/choosing-the-right-line-the-science-of-comers/ http://assets.coolhunting.com/coolhunting/mt_asset_coche/2010/06/02/HowLawsMade-1jpg http://abduzeedo.com/files/originals/o04_10.jpg http://www.coolinfographics.com/storage/post-images/Jaws_Infographic.png?_SQUARESPACE_ CACHEVERSION=1365261036966 http://racefanstfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/need_for_speed.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3qOH7oVedgs/T2KbwTJCVml/AAAAAAAAAHOJRbjSWuxcw/s1600/ablitz_infographic_WF_v21_final%2BML%2Bfinal%2Bfinal.jpg http://www.pinterest.com/pin/243053711112279864/ http://www.pinterest.com/pin/340866265517128751/ http://www.pinterest.com/pin/103019910199154212/ http://www.polishnews.com/art_pics/Overall-Podium jpg http://www.pinterest.com/pin/556616835166212997/ CannibalCycle