There are several different types of off-road motorcycles, also known as dirt bikes, designed and specialized for specific functions. For off road use they typically, when compared to road going motorcycles, have: Light weight, small engines, long suspension travel and high ground clearance, rugged construction with little bodywork and no fairing, large wheels with knobby tires, often clamped to the rim with rim-locks Off road motorcycles are often specialized for a variety of off road motorcycle sports, notably:
Motocross – A race over jumps – Thus these machines have small fuel capacities, extensive suspension travel, no road legal necessities (e.g. lights, indicators, instruments, etc), number plates for riding numbers, no passenger attachments, etc. Engines can be two or four stroke, typical capacities 125 cc to 500 cc (smaller for youth), as the weight and utility of the power of larger capacities is not needed). Big suspension enables big jumps and other stunts.
Enduro – A long distance competition, through forests, etc. Similar to motocross machines but with the bare minimum of equipment for road legality and additional fuel.
Rallies – long distance racing, typically through deserts for long distances. Road legal machine (like enduro) but with significantly more fuel. Capacities tend to be larger, around 450 cc to 660 cc (two or four stroke), an upper limit is often imposed for rider safety.
Trials – An extremely specialized form of competition focused on balancing skills and precision rather than speed. Thus low weight and quick power is the priority leading to small (125 cc to 300 cc) engines, often two strokes being used. These machines are also road legal.
Pit – Like go-carts, the first minibikes were made by enthusiasts from spare parts found in their garages. They were first popularly used as “pit bikes”, for drag racers to travel around in the pits during races in the late 1950s. They were very useful for this purpose, as they could maneuver very well in the tight pit roads, fit in about the same space as a small bicycle in a trailer or pickup, and they were faster than most previous forms of transportation. As racers brought them home and used them around their neighborhoods, many children liked the idea of having a “mini motorcycle” and started building their own. A market for minibikes developed and many cottage and major industries developed to meet the demand.
