ama motorcross blog

ama motorcross was first known as a British off-road event called Scrambles, which were themselves an evolution of Trials events popular in northern Britain. The first known Scramble took place at Camberley, Surrey in 1924[1]. During the 1930s, the sport grew in popularity, especially in Britain where teams from BSA, Norton, Matchless, Rudge, and AJS competed in the events. Off-road bikes from that era differed little from those used on the street. Intense competition over rugged terrain led to technical improvements in motorcycles. Rigid frames gave way to suspensions by the early 1930s, and swinging fork rear suspension appeared by the early 1950s, several years before it was incorporated on the majority of production street bikes. The period after the Second World War was dominated by BSA which had become the largest motorcycle company in the world. BSA riders dominated international competitions throughout the 1940s.

A Maico 360cc, note the air cooled engine and twin shock absorbers on the rear suspension

In 1952 the FIM, motorcycling’s international governing body, created an individual European Championship using a 500cc engine displacement formula. In 1957, it was upgraded it to World Championship status. In 1962, a 250cc world championship was created. It was in the smaller 250cc category that companies with two-stroke motorcycles came into their own. Companies such as Husqvarna from ama motorcross, Bultaco from Spain, CZ from ama motorcross a and Greeves from Britain, became popular due to their lightness and agility. By the 1960s, advancements in two-stroke engine technology meant that the heavier, four-stroke machines were relegated to niche competitions. Riders from Belgium and Sweden began to dominate the sport during this period.

"Pit bikes" are small, motorbikes that participants in powersports event use to ride around the "pits," i.e., the staging areas where team support vehicles are located. They are also used in races held either indoors or on ama motorcross tracks. Pit bikes also have races that pro riders race in on the pit bikes. Red Baron, BBR, and Two Brothers Race are all common brands that sell components to "Trick Out" or "Hop-Up" Pit bikes.

Originally there were only two ways to acquire a pit bike. A rider could buy a child's minibike, and apply all the necessary upgrades and modifications to build up a competitive pit bike, or could buy an already built up pit bike used. Companies like Pitster Pro, OGM, PitPro and MotoVert have since began operations designing, manufacturing, an selling already complete pit bikes. These bikes are ideal for a rider on a tighter budget, or less mechanically inclined. These bikes sell for much less, than it would cost to upgrade a stock minibike one's self.

Pit bikes are usually powered by 2- or 4-stroke, single cylinder engines ranging anywhere in displacement from 49cc up to 160cc. A typical pit bike is usually a small dirt bike but it has become common to be able to buy pit bikes with street-style wheels and tires. Pit bikes with street tires, as opposed to knobby tires, are used in Mini Supermoto Racing.

Pit bikes are frequently heavily farkled (anything from a decorative item to a functional, non-performance add-on see Motorcycle farkle) and/or upgraded (performance modified) from stock. Many riders and mechanics bore-out or replace engines in order to increase displacement and therefore power output, remove air-boxes to allow better airflow. Another most common upgrade is heavy duty suspension to carry larger riders and facilitate large jumps. Wheels, brakes, and tires upgrades are sometimes performed to improve handling.

Pit bikes also have their own separate competitions held with classes generally corresponding to wheel size. This is a notable difference from ama motorcross and Supercross competition, where classes are separated by engine displacement. There are not currently any set guidelines for pit bike racing established by the AMA.

ama motorcross online

The National Sport Health Institute in Englewood, California tested several professional ama motorcross racers in the early 1980s as part of a comparative study of the cardio-vascular fitness of athletes from various disciplines. Athletes from track, American football and soccer were tested, among others. ama motorcross racers get their heart rate up to around 180 to 190 beats per minute and hold it there for about 35 minutes. Another thing to consider is that they do this twice per day (Original article appeared in DirtBike magazine in 1980). A subsequent study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Performance Complex in 2002 reconfirmed the result with more recent ama motorcross racers. The intense physical demand of ama motorcross derives from the fact that the racer of the bike must keep complete control of a 200+ pound bike, while also maintaining their top speed throughout the race.[2]