Dirt Bikes – a Short History
Dirt bikes, the common name for off-road motorcycles, have evolved from a simple beginning long ago through quite a complex history. The first “motorcycles” were simply bicycles modified by attaching gasoline engines to them. People around the world were intrigued by this amazing mode of transportation, but early attempts proved unreliable. The development of paved roads was still in its infancy at the time, so these “motorcycles” were actually “dirt bikes” from the very beginning. There is no single person or company we can thank for inventing the dirt bike. The evolution of off-road motorcycling can really be credited to the many individual riders through the years who attempted to achieve a better experience by using better tires, suspension, and seats, stronger frames, and improving the control features of their bikes. While it is not identified as the very first dirt bike, Triumph Motorcycles did build a motorcycle in 1914 designed specifically for dirt riding.
These early motorcycles were raced through wooded trails or on mountainous roads in Europe for publicity purposes, which gave rise to the sport of motocross racing, and this most likely began in France. Rather than speed racing as we know it now, these early types of racing were geared more toward individual competitions against time. Motorcyle production, and thus the sport of racing, really took off when scrambles and cross country events were added for spectators’ excitement and entertainment. The word “motocross” evolved at this time from combining the words motorcycle and cross-country. To make it easier for spectators to watch the events, and for racers to be better monitored, these races were eventually moved to shorter, closed tracks. Through two world wars and the Great Depression, off-road motorcycle events took a back seat in most people’s minds, but interest in dirt racing always remained strong among some of the population.
Then, in 1946, after World War II, Soichiro Honda decided that he wanted to produce cheap individual transportation for people. Honda subsequently became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world, and the most familiar name in motorcycles in general and dirt bikes in particular. Other manufacturers joined the ranks through the decades and also became household names. The first motorcycles launched by the other companies were Suzuki in 1954, Yamaha in 1955, and Kawasaki in 1960. The concept of dirt bike racing now seemed long forgotten by the big four, and wouldn’t re-emerge for quite some time, but the seeds of this unique motorsport were now planted. One of the most popular motorsports around the world today is dirt bike racing.
Honda experimented with both two-stroke and four-stroke motors in many different motorcycle models throughout the years; then in 1972, the company produced a competitive two-stroke motocross motor. The Elsinore CR250 hit the U.S. market in 1973. Honda immediately leapt to the top of the motocross racing heap, with the CR250 becoming the fastest production off-road race bike in its class. Finally, in the 1970s, motorcycle manufacturers began to see, because of motocross racing, what they had hoped they’d see. The general public, in large numbers, began to embrace off-road motorcycling as a recreational activity, just like bicycling. A wide variety of dirt bikes, in many different sizes for many different ages and racing classes, were eventually produced by Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. Dirt bikes for children emerged on the market, and dual-use motorcycles were manufactured with both dirt-ready and street-legal tires and features. Dirt bike manufacturing became a specialized market with Maico, Gas Gas, and KTM entering the field.
Dirt bikes are now on a constant evolutionary trajectory, with manufacturers offering new ways to reduce weight and improve suspensions, engines, and overall performance. Millions of people throughout the world enjoy dirt bikes as weekend recreational vehicles. And motocross racing has increased in popularity because dirt bike racing has essentially become an art form. Manufacturers continue to create high quality dirt bikes with cutting edge features, in response to the younger generation’s interest in freestyle and stunt riding.
photo credit: Martin Pettitt