MotoX

Supermoto

Supermoto (also called Supermotard due to its strong foothold in France) is a cross-over of motocross and road racing. Races are commonly held on road racing tracks with an off-road section in the infield; approximately 70% tarmac and 30% dirt. The motorcycles used are frequently custom-created combinations of off-road motorcycles and road-racing rims/tires. Riders also wear a combination of road race and offroad equipment, normally leathers and a motocross helmet and boots. Unlike normal motorcycle racing, the emphasis lies on slower (<100>

History

Supermoto has its origins in the 1970s where ABC’s Wide World of Sports was the highest-rated sports show in the United States. In 1979, ABC commissioned a made-for-TV event to be included in the series, named Superbikers, whose intention was to find the ultimate all-around motorcycle racer. Superbikers was then manifested as a yearly event run at southern California's Carlsbad Raceway. The show's tarmac-and-dirt courses were intended to draw on talent from the worlds of off-road, flat-track and road-racing. World and National Championship-winning motorcycling greats such as Kenny Roberts and Jeff Ward, whose respective sports at the time were road-racing and motocross, participated in the races. The Superbikers quickly became a huge Nielsen rating contender, running until 1985, at which point ABC was forced to cancel the show due to new management and budget cuts; its cancellation also initiated a long sabbatical of the sport in the USA. The European racers who participated in the sport at Carlsbad, however, brought it back to Europe with them, where it quickly gained popularity in countries such as France.

2003 signalled the resurrection of the sport in the United States with the birth of the AMA Supermoto championship.

Machines

Prior to the 1990s, supermotos, including the precursor motorcycles used in Superbikers, were converted open-class two-stroke motocross or enduro bikes. The motorcycles currently used for Supermotard racing are predominantly single-cylinder 4 stroke powered dirtbikes with 17" or 16.5" wheels. The smaller rims allow the use of up to 5.5" wide superbike road racing slicks and are often hand grooved on the rear tire to facilitate slightly better acceleration on the dirt stretches of a motard course. Suspension is lowered and slightly stiffened in comparison with a stock motocross bike, and braking power is improved with oversize rotors and calipers as well. Despite the lack of trees on supermoto courses, 'bark busters' (hand guards) are frequently added to supermoto bikes due the extreme cornering angles achieved by riders.

In 1991 Italian manufacturer Gilera released the 'Nordwest' model, the first factory produced supermoto. Other European manufactures quickly followed suit, among them KTM, Husqvarna, Husaberg AB and CCM Motorcycles; all manufacturers whose emphasis were off-road models at the time. Models were developed for both track and road use. It took another 10 years, until the mid 2000s for Japanese manufacturers, such as Yamaha (2004), Honda (2005) and Suzuki (2005) to start introducing supermoto models in the European market, emphasising more domesticated models for road use rather than outright racing. Dual-purpose motorcycles such as the Kawasaki KLR650 are good examples of this. In the spring of 2006, Italian bike manufacturer Ducati announced their entry in the class with the "Hypermotard" machine which has more in common with streetfighter-type motorcycles than realistically being considered a supermoto. KTM currently has available a 950 "V" twin that could be described as the ultimate road going supermoto. Aprilia also has two new (450 and 550) SXV v-twin supermotos for sale.

Due to the popularity and versatility of these motorcycles, some owners modify them for street usage. In order to do this, headlights, taillights, and street-legal tires among other occasional modifications are needed, while some, such as the Husqvarnas and newer KTMs, come street legal from the factory. These motorcycles make excellent city-goers as their upright seating position provides comfort and great visibility. Their narrow frames and light weight also make them incredibly maneuverable, as well as easier to ride in less than ideal road conditions that make most sportbikes have to slow down.

Freestyle Motocross

Freestyle Motocross (also known as FMX) is a recent variation on the sport of motocross. It concentrates not on speed or racing, but on the acrobatic ability of the rider in the air. Riders perform jumps and stunts ranging from 80-150 feet in length (24-45 meters). The two main types of freestyle events are Big Air and Freestyle Motocross.

Big Air (also known as Best Trick) is a best-of-three competition in which each contestant is allowed three attempts at the same jump. The best trick or variation of the three attempts gives the rider his score. The event is judged by a panel of ten judges scoring on a 100 point scale, judging for the style, level of trick difficulty, best use of the course. The rider with the highest single score wins the competition. The jump is usually over 100 feet (30 meters) in length). Big Air requires a rider who is capable of channeling all his intensity into a single maneuver.

Freestyle Motocross is the older of the two disciplines. Riders compete in a series of two routines of 90 seconds to fourteen minutes in length on a freestyle course. The course consists of multiple jumps of varying lengths and angles, and is usually one to two acres in area (.4 to .8 hectres). Like Big Air, a panel of judges assigns each contestant a score based on a 100 point scale. In order to please the judges, riders must have the ability to execute difficult tricks and employ a number of variations over different jumps. Notable Freestyle motocross events include Red Bull X-Fighters, the X-Games, Gravity Games, Big-X, Moto-X Freestyle National Championship, and Dew Action Sports Tour

Freeriding is the original freestyle motocross. It has no structure, and is traditionally done on public land. Riders look for natural jumps and drop-offs to execute their tricks on. Some freeriders prefer to jump using sand dunes. In many ways, freeriding requires more skill and mental ability. Notable freeriding locations include Ocotillo Wells and Glamis Dunes in California, Beaumont, Texas, and Cainville, Utah. You should be prepared to get dirty if you are trying this yourself.

Equipment

FMX riders typically use much of the same riding gear as MX racers. This includes a helmet, goggles, gloves, boots, jersey and MX pants. They may supplement this with additional gear like elbow and knee pads for added protection.

The bikes are motocross bikes modified specifically for FMX use. Along with standard suspension and motor tuning the bikes will also have many aftermarket parts to lower weight and improve performance. Riders will often shave down the seat foam to give a wider range of motion for their bodies and cut the rear fender so that it's not in the way when doing tricks. This can give the bikes a distinct look from standard racing bikes. Some riders even attach handles to their bikes in various places to aid with tricks, Travis Pastrana was one of the first to do this during the X-Games.

Tricks

Freestyle motocross employs many tricks of varying difficulty.

• The trick with the most variants is the “Backflip”, first attempted by Carey Hart in 2000.

• Backflip Can-Can
• Backflip Candy Bar
• Backflip Cliffhanger
• Backflip Cordova
• Backflip Heel Clicker
• Backflip Lazyboy
• Backflip Nac-Nac
• Backflip Nac-Nac to Heel Clicker
• Backflip No Footer
• Backflip No Footed Nac-Nac (Landed by European Rider)
• Backflip No Hander
• Backflip No Handed Lander
• Backflip One Footer
• Backflip One Hander
• Backflip One-Handed Nac-Nac
• Backflip Saran Wrap
• Backflip Superman
• Backflip Superman Indian Air (Also called Indian Air)
• Backflip Superman Seat Grab
• Backflip Superman Seat Grab Indian Air
• Backflip Whip
• Backflip Whip No-Footer
• Backflip Whip No-Footer to One-Hander Lander

• Perhaps the most difficult of all tricks is the “Body Varial,” also called the “Carolla” after its inventor Chuck Carothers.
• The 'Can-Can' is one of the simplest FMX tricks. It involves the rider taking one of his legs and sticking it out on the otherside of the bike in front of him.
• The 'Cliffhanger' consists of the rider placing his feet on top of or underneath the handlebars and than reaching up towards the sky as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff. Variations of this include the 'Jackhammer' and the 'Christ Air'
• The "Coffin/Dead Body" involves the rider sticking his legs between his arms and stretching back so he is laying flat above the bike, as if he were in a Coffin. The “Double Backflip” was completed by Travis Pastrana. This trick was pulled off for the first time ever in competition during the 2006 X Games.
• Double Grab
• Fender Grab
• Hart Attack
• The “Heel Clicker” is another elementary FMX trick. It consists of the rider clicking his heels together over the handlebars while in the air.
• Holy Grab
• Holy Man - (Superman no handed let go)
• The “Kiss-of-Death,” where the rider moves his body straight up and his motorcycle straight down, is one of the more difficult tricks.
• Ladder
• The “Lazy-Boy” was invented by Travis Pastrana. The trick has been pulled by many freestyle motocross riders, and is often used in competition. It involves the rider lying flat on his back with his legs under the handlebars and his arms out behind him. It resembles a man lying down on a couch or Lazy-Boy chair, hence the name.
• The 'McMetz' involves the rider lifting himself off the bike and taking his arms, placing them underneath the handlebars and than pulling them out by taking his hands of the bars. He than sits back down on the bike before landings. Variations include the 'Double McMetz' were the trick is performed twice in one jump.
• Another difficult trick is “The 360” A.K.A “Mulisha Twist,” a complete full spin first landed by Brian Deegan in the 2003 X Games Freestyle MotoX competition.
• The “Nac-Nac,” invented by supercross star Jeremy McGrath, is one of the original FMX tricks. It is executed by dismounting the motorcycle while in the air.
• CatWalk
• No Footer
• No Footed Can
• No Hander
• No Hander One Footer
• No Foot Nac-Nac
• Nothing
• Rock Solid
• Rodeo Air
• Ruler
• Sidewinder
• Stale Fish (Saran Wrap)
• Star Fish (Extended Bar Hop)
• Suicide Can
• Superman
• Superman Indian Air (Indian Air)
• Superman Seat Grab
• Surfer
• Topside No Footed Can - (known as the switchblade)
• Tsunami
• The Whip
• Turntable Superman Nut Grab
  

Types Of Landings

• No Hander Lander (First landed by Mike Jones)
• One Handed Lander
• Sterlizer (First landed by Clifford Adoptante also know as the Flyin Hawaiian)
• Side Saddle Lander (First landed by Brian Deegan)
• Standard lander ( standing up on pegs )
• Blind Jerry ( cover eyes with both hands )