Motorcycle sport

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Contents 1 Motorcycle sport 1.1 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing 1.2 History of the Motorcycle GP 1.3 MotoGP 1.4 Superbike 1.4.1 Table of all Superbike World Champions: 1.5 Supersport 1.5.1 Table of all Supersport World Champions: 1.6 Supermono 1.6.1 Rules and regulations 1.7 Dragster or Drag Bikes 1.8 Motocross (or MotoX, MX) 1.8.1 The difference between Supercross and Motocross 1.9 Enduro 1.10 Trials 1.11 Hillclimbing 1.12 Dakar Rally 1.13 Famous persona in motorcycle racing

[edit] Motorcycle sport

‘What motorcycle racing technically is about, is the driving of a motorcycle or motorcycle combination in a competition.’

This is the general definition of motorcycle races, established by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international sanctioning body in motorcycle sport. All international motorcycle championships are supervised and regulated by the FIM while European championships fall in the UEM’s area of competence, UEM stands for Union Européenne de Motocyclisme.

Classes and disciplines in motorcycle sport

• Road and circuit racing
  • Grand Prix motorcycle racing
  • European motorcycle Grand Prix
  • Superbike World Championship
  • World Supersport Championship (up to 600 cc)
  • Stocksport FIM Cup
  • Endurance racing
  • Races without World Championships
    • Closed public road races like the Isle of Man TT or the Macao Grand Prix
    • Mountain racing
    • Oldtimer Grand Prix
    • Supermono
  • Drag Racing/Sprints

• Off Road racing
  • Motocross
  • Enduro and Cross Country
  • Trial
  • Hillclimbing (without World Championship)

• Road and Off Road Races
  • Rallye Raid
  • Supermoto

• Track racing
  • Beach Racing
  • Grass Track
  • Speedway
  • Flattrack
  • Ice Speedway

• Special Forms
  • Motoball
  • Freestyle
  • Skijoring

[edit] Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing

Actually the term ‘Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing’ could mean all kinds of motorcycle championships but since the first World Championship for motorcycles marked this expression, ‘Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing’ is now seen as a class of its own where only certain motorcycles participate. This class now comprises 125 cc, 250 cc and MotoGP races, but when the first World Championship for motorcycles took place in 1949 the FIM had far more motorcycle classes participate. The main criteria for separating the classes were and are the engine size and the working mode. What characterizes this racing class is the fact that the motorcycles used are purpose-built racing machines and not customized road-going bikes like those in the World Superbike class.

[edit] History of the Motorcycle GP

As already mentioned before, the first World Championship for motorcycles took place in 1949 and in its first years the racing categories were 50 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc, 500 cc and 500 cc for sidecar races. The dominating motorcycle brands of the first years were usually either British or Italian and were equipped with a four-stroke engine.
Four-stroke engines were only chased from the world’s best positions in the 1970s. That was the time when two-stroke bikes, most of them from Japan, became really competitive; the first rider to win a World Championship on a two-stroke motorcycle was Giacomo Agostini from Italy. Agostini was the best motorcycle racer of this time and actually he is the most successful motorcycle racer ever; he won numerous races both in the 350 cc class as well as in the 500 cc class (all-in-all 15fold World Champion). He even managed to win another World Championship on a four-stroke motorcycle when they had actually already been eclipsed entirely by two-stroke bikes. Agostini scored this legendary victory on the Nürnburgring in Germany, on an MV Agusta.
During the 1980s many changes took place in Motorcycle World Championships, rules were adapted and the racing program was changed. The former starting mode where a bump-start was obligatory was replaced with the now most common starting mode where the bikes start from the spot with the engine already running. In 1984 the 50 cc class was replaced with the 80 cc class, the 350 cc was abolished entirely – a fact which made the World Champion of 1984, Toni Mang, eternal champion in this class. More classes were abolished in the 1990s with the result of only three classes remaining – the 125 cc class, the 250 cc class and the 500 cc class. Now for quite some years nothing changed in motorcycle World Championships, the rules remained exactly the same until 2001. Only because of the ever rising pressure, particularly on the part of Japanese motorcycle makers (especially Honda), applied to the FIM and its out-of-date rules concerning motorization, some rules were changed and the MotoGP class was created in 2002. Before that, only two-stroke engines were allowed in all three World Championship classes and motorcycle builders did not want to further invest in the development of long out-of-date engines, especially since all stronger road-going bikes were already being propelled by four-stroke engines for years. The 500 cc class was abolished in favour of the MotoGP class.

Now some interesting details on a few motorcycle racing disciplines:

[edit] MotoGP

As already mentioned before, the 500 cc class was replaced with the MotoGP class after 2001. Since then, 17 races have been taking place each season, of course MotoGP races and those of the weaker classes are held together. For the MotoGP class, which undoubtedly is the most famous and challenging class in road-racing, the FIM has established the following catalogue of rules:

• Technical regulations of 2007

The racing machines in MotoGP have to be motorized as follows: up to 800 cc cylinder capacity (used to be 990 until 2006) and a maximum of six cylinders, apart from that all bikes have to be purpose-built, which means they have to be created specifically for the MotoGP. Depending on the number of cylinders, the minimum weight of the racing bikes is regulated as follows:

• • 2 cylinders: 133.0 kg
  • 3 cylinders: 140.5 kg
  • 4 cylinders: 148.0 kg
  • 5 cylinders:155.5 kg
  • 6 cylinders: 163.0 kg

It is permitted to fasten extra weights to the motorcycle to reach the minimum weight.

Todays MotoGP four-stroke bikes can produce up to 260 bhp (season 2006) – that was before 2007 when the permitted cylinder capacity was lowered in order to limit their power. In 2004 Loris Capirossi raced his Ducati to record speed, during a test drive on the ‘Circuit de Catalunya’ he reached a maximum speed of 347.4 km/h (215.9 mph). This record lies only 15 km/h behind that of a Formula One car. In order to determine the MotoGP World Champion of a season a points system is used where the first 15 places are attributed a certain number of points, for more details, check the table below:

• Points system in MotoGP

Position	Points
1st place	25 points
2nd place	20 points
3rd place	16 points
4th place	13 points
5th place	11 points
6th place	10 points
7th place	9 points
8th place	8 points
9th place	7 points
10th place	6 points
11th place	5 points
12th place	4 points
13th place	3 points
14th place	2 points
15th place	1 point

In the constructors’ championship the best drivers’ points count for each make, in the teams’ championship both racers of a team and at the end of the season, the driver with the most points is made World Champion.

• MotoGP World Champions since 2002

Year	Driver
2002	Valentino Rossi
2003	Valentino Rossi
2004	Valentino Rossi
2005	Valentino Rossi
2006	Nicky Hayden

[edit] Superbike

Contrast to the MotoGP class, motorcycles starting in the Superbike class can be modified road-going race bikes, nowadays even street legal sport motorcycles which are part of the 1000 cc class are called superbikes.

[edit] Table of all Superbike World Champions:

The first Superbike World Championship took place in 1988 and although it was – again – the pressure applied by Japanese motorcycles makers that caused its birth, the most successful make is Ducati. On the 3rd of April 1988, the first superbike race took place at Donington Park (Great Britain) and already back then drivers and constructors were awarded separate titles. In the past there also was a European Superbike Championship which has already been abolished, though. The most important existing superbike championships are the AMA Superbike (USA) and the British Superbike (Great Britain). Concerning technical regulations one tried to compensate the advantages four-cylinder bikes had over two-cylinder bikes, by setting different rules for the two different engines. This means in detail, that four-cylinder engines were permitted capacities of only up to 750 cc and two cylinder engines up to 1000 cc. In 2004 this regulation was changed in favour of the four-cylinder racing machines, since then all motorcycles that start in the superbike class are permitted a maximum cylinder capacity of 1000 cc, right now big two-cylinder makers such as Ducati and KTM are trying to have the maximum cylinder capacities for two-cylinders elevated again.

[edit] Supersport

[edit] Table of all Supersport World Champions:

The World Supersport Championship could be described as a ‘subspecies’ of the Superbike World Championships the motorcycles starting in this class are also very close to road-going bikes, only they also use ordinary, cut tyres. This street-racing discipline was born in 1999 and its championships and those of the Superbike class have been held together ever since. What makes the Supersport class so popular with the spectators is the fact that there are open races as well. Before the World Supersport Championship came into being in 1999 drivers competed against each other under a different framework:

• Supersport series
  • 1990-1995: European Supersport Championships
  • 1996: Open Supersport Championship
  • 1997-1998: Supersport World Series
  • since 1999: World Supersport Championships

[edit] Supermono

Just like the Motorcycle GP class the Supermono class also exclusively uses prototypes, only in this case they are single-cylinder four-stroke engines without regulations or restrictions as far as construction and design are concerned – virtually every modification is permitted. This is the reason, why there are practically no Supermono-motorcycles made in serial production (exceptions: Ducati Supermono and MuZ), some of them are merely similar to road going machines. This racing class is supposed to provide an alternative for the other classes which solely feature mass produced bikes, apart from that motorcycle-makers’ consumer products are promoted.

[edit] Rules and regulations

The very few restrictions existing in this class are the following:

• Engines: single-cylinder four-stroke spark-ignited engines with up to 800 cc
• Weight: at least 95 kg.
• Chain guard
• A catch tank for engine-liquids

[edit] Dragster or Drag Bikes

Another interesting motorcycle sport class is this one: Dragster. Here it is all about speed. Dragster races are speed or acceleration races and the bikes built for it usually have a lot of cylinder capacity and supercharged engines which produce an immense power. Apart from that drag bikes have very wide drive wheels in order to be able to transform all their power into acceleration. The principle of drag racing is to have only two drivers at a time who compete against each other by accelerating down a straight, quarter or eighth mile long paved road. As far as design and construction are concerned there are no restrictions, the racing bikes only need to comply with certain security regulations and the drivers need a special license to be allowed to start. Inside this category there are again different classes with different rules such as the so-called ‘Harley Davidson Destroyer Cup’, the Super Twin Top Fuel Class or the Top Fuel Bike class.

[edit] Motocross (or MotoX, MX)

Indoor-Motocross races and their medial presence have made this motorcycle discipline ever more popular in recent years. Motocross racing is a form of all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. The motorcycles used are not street legal because they lack essential parts like indicators, a battery or a side stand. What they do have though is extensive suspension, to be able to tackle large jumps, an extra long saddle, so the driver can shift his weight as he pleases, and block tyres which have excellent grip on dirt. Due to the relatively high accident risk drivers are equipped with a lot of protective gear such as neck or knee braces. Motocross circuits are usually situated outside of any residential area and in winter Motocross races are often held indoors, indoor-motocross is usually called Supercross while traditional outdoor-Motocross simply remains Motocross.

[edit] The difference between Supercross and Motocross

• Supercross:

Without a doubt Supercross is the motorcycle sport discipline with the highest audience appeal (apart from mass events like MotoGP), because the audience is offered an extraordinary show. Usually Supercross competitions are held in large stadia or halls which are prepared and groomed, i.e. filled with clay or mud, especially for the occasion. Due to the limited space, in a stadium or hall, a concept has to be produced in order to create a track with the highest possible amount of jumps and thus make the race as spectacular as possible. For racers there is no room to catch their breath considering the tight array of jumps so the races usually only take 15 minutes per driver. In order to offer the audience a tight schedule anyway a lot of runs are shown (Qualification, Last sixteen and Quarter finals as well as the very final rounds) and there usually also is a supporting musical program.

• Motocross:

As already mentioned before, this racing discipline is about racing an off road track which is usually about 1.5 to 4 km long. The outdoor tracks normally are not as challenging as those indoors because the man-made jumps and other features are further apart. What is so difficult about Motocross is, that weather and terrain conditions are rather difficult to predict so the drivers have to adapt themselves, their bikes and of course their riding style to the current weather or ground condition.

A Motocross race is usually structured as follows: Up to 40 drivers participate in a mass start, i.e. they line up next to each other along the starting line and start simultaneously upon a signal, sometimes qualification rounds are held beforehand so some drivers get better starting positions than others. Motocross races or ‘Motos’, as they are usually called, vary in duration; usually they are measured in time elapsed plus one or two rounds like for example 30 minutes plus two laps or, alternatively, there can be a fixed number of laps. Also races are usually made up of two runs whereat the second one counts more in case of a tie.

[edit] Enduro

Enduro is a form of Motorcycle sport held on courses that are predominantly off road, in principle Enduro races are not about speed but about endurance (hence the term ‘Enduro’) which means that the drivers’ and the bikes’ skills and toughness are put to the test.

• History

The first Enduro race was held in 1903, organized by the British Motorcycle Association, more precisely it was a 1000 mile off-road race. Already from 1909 onwards an off road race which took place in the Scottish Highlands was held annually and from 1912 onwards drivers could compete against each other during the British Six Days Trial. Back in those days the challenge these races posed was enormous; each day up to 270 km had to be covered, there were special time-trial stages where they were not only clocked but the presence of the drivers was checked as well. In addition to that the track was exclusively off road with one hill climbing part. The British Six Days Trial is the most famous event of this type and has thus marked the world of Enduro racing and pushed its development on. In the early years of Enduro racing the vehicles used were not modified but normal, street legal motorcycles. The introduction of ever more ‘Special Tests’ subsequently made certain modifications, similar to those made in Motocross, necessary and rendered Enduro bikes ever more adapted to off-road tracks. Unfortunately nowadays Enduro racing is not very widely spread on an international level; The races pose a massive threat to the environment and have thus been imposed numerous restrictions, especially in western Europe, which made them a lot less spectacular and therefore a lot less popular. Today Enduro races are very popular in Scandinavian countries and in the United States. Before the big crisis in the area of motorcycle making in 1960 nearly every motorcycle manufacturer produced an Enduro bike, after the crises only few manufacturers produced suitable vehicles. In addition to that bikes made by Simson, Jawa and MZ were not even buyable for the public but only for teams. Later on the brands Husqvarna, Maico, Puch, Zündapp and KTM were competitive in Europe for a long time; only during the 1990s did popular Japanese manufacturers start to invade into this market as well. There also are manufacturers which have successfully specialized on the sole production of Enduro bikes (e.g. GasGas and MotoTM).

• Types of Enduro races

Just like in any other motorcycle sport discipline there are different racing types in Enduro racing too: In classic time-keeping Enduros drivers have to arrive in certain pre-defined locations after a specific time along a prescribed route which can be between 50 and 80 km long and may have to be run more than once. Apart from the ranges which have to be covered at a certain speed (should the driver arrive too late or too early he/she is fined). Apart from that there are special tests which have to be covered as quickly as possible. A so-called hour-Enduro mainly challenges the endurance and not the riding skills of a rider; here a circuit has to be covered as many times as possible in two, six or even twelve hours.

[edit] Trials

For whom Enduros are not yet challenging enough, Trial has been invented. Technically Trials are not racing – because it is not about speed – but they are a sport nevertheless. In a Trial drivers have to traverse an observed section of the race track without placing a foot on the ground or seeking other support from fences or trees. The sections are closely observed by a judge, who takes down the drivers’ penalty points in a booklet the driver has to carry with him. Trial motorcycles are easily distinguishable from other bikes - first of all because they lack seating – apart from that they are extremely lightweight, have short suspension travel and a high ride height. In addition to that the steering angle is as big as possible and the engine has to react to the tiniest movement of the accelerator throttle in order to allow precise jumps. Just like Enduro, Trial also has its origin in Great Britain, and it was obviously created to put the drivers’ abilities to the ultimate test. A Trial obstacle course is at least 1.2 m wide and leads the drivers through woods and over rocks; they have to overcome high steps and mud holes as well as hairpin bends around trees. All this needs to be done without touching the ground, stopping, going backwards or dismounting. Considering how skilled the driver needs to be and what an enormous mastery of his vehicle he needs to show, Trial can well be considered the biggest possible challenge in motorcycle sports. Obviously the rules take this extremely high challenge into consideration, so it is allowed to walk through the obstacle course before the Trial and it is allowed to use a person as a (strictly verbal) guide who can advise the driver. Obviously this sport is a special challenge for the judges too, because they have to closely observe every one of the drivers’ movements and must not miss even the tiniest mistake. If only two or three drivers manage to overcome a special test without any penalty points, the commission or organisers feel they have accomplished their goal and created a sufficient degree of difficulty.

• Indoor Trial

Just like in Motocross there also is an indoor form of Trial – indoor Trial – this motorcycle sport discipline was created in Great Britain too and its aim was to attract a wider audience and make the sport more popular with the public. Indoor Trial competitions are structured as follows: three drivers form a team and share the track – which has been divided into six equal parts beforehand – amongst them so that each of them has to do two sections.

• Other Trial Variations

Nowadays there are Trial competitions for many kinds of sports, in Motocross and Mountainbiking races are structured similarly to the ‘real’ Trial. On the other side, an ability contest for all-wheel trucks is also called ‘Truck Trial’ and this does actually not have a lot to do with Motorcycle Trial Racing.

[edit] Hillclimbing

Another breakneck discipline in motorcycle sport is Hillclimbing. Here it is about tackling an extremely steep slope; it does not matter how much time the participant requires but what does matter is how far up he manages to go.

[edit] Dakar Rally

Originally this legendary motorsport event was called Paris Dakar Rally; it was created by the French racer Thierry Sabine and the first race started on the 26th of December in 1978, in Paris and ended on the 14th of January of the following year, in Dakar. More precisely this competition is an off road motorcycle and car race which is predominantly held on the African continent. When the founder of this ‘institution’ in motorsports died in a helicopter accident, his father took over the Rally and sold it to the ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) – a huge French sports company – a few years later.

• What the Rally is about

This desert rally is made up of stages and specials the drivers have to traverse, a stage can be up to 800 km long and the biggest part of the race usually takes place on desert ground. Originally the route led the drivers from Paris to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, – hence the former name of the rally. Mostly due to political reasons, route, city of origin and destination have varied over the years but Dakar was the destination city on all but four occasions. In 2007 the rally led the drivers from Lisbon to Dakar in 15 stages, these stages are not time but they have to be covered in a maximum time. For drivers and navigators ‘The Dakar’ is an extremely hard test because there only is one rest day in the middle of the rally and apart from that there is a new stage to be covered every day. The participants are mainly private (80 %) and since amateurs do usually not dispose of a whole team of mechanics and technicians they need to do the maintenance themselves and do hardly have any time to rest. Due to all these difficulties the failure rate lies at 50 % with cars and motorcycles alike.

• History of ‘The Dakar’

As already mentioned before the father of the rally was the French motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine, in 1977 he got lost in the Libyan desert and was so stunned by the beauty of the landscape and thrilled by the challenge that he decided to father a desert rally. Unfortunately the man with the unique motto: ‘If life gets boring, risk it!’, died in a tragic accident; after his death a hill in Arbre was named after him. Unfortunately Sabine should not remain the only person making headlines with his death, since the first rally in 1978 a total of 55 persons died in the course of the rally, maybe that is a reason why it became so famous. In 2006 one driver and two young spectators were killed and in 2007 two more motorcycle drivers died.

• Winners

The probably most famous Dakar driver ever is the French Stéphane Peterhansel, he managed to win six times on a motorcycle plus three times in a car. His co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret is – apart from Peterhansel himself – the only driver who ever managed to win in both categories.

[edit] Famous persona in motorcycle racing

• Valentino Rossi

Without a doubt the Italian racer is the most famous motorcycle racer in the world right now, Rossi was born in Urbino on Feb 16 in 1979 and since his father was a motorcycle racer too, it seems that the talent runs in the blood. Up to now Rossi can look back on a very successful career, he holds World Championships titles in all Motorcycle Grand Prix classes: One in 125 cc, one in 250 cc, one in 500 cc and four in MotoGP which makes him the most successful driver after Giacomo Agostini. All in all he has won 87 Grand Prix – after the 2007 GP in Holland. Apart from his undeniable talent it is Rossis charm and personality that make him so popular with his fans. During his lap of honour after a race he had won, he rode around the circuit with a rubber doll on his bike – which is only one example for the funny and/or acrobatic tricks he likes to do. Only Rossis Italian colleague, Max Biaggi, who retreated from the MotoGP class in 2006, does decidedly not seem to be one of Rossis many fans. Already since the time when Rossi was racing in the 125 cc class and Biaggi in the 250 cc class, rivalries and disputes between the two racers were quite common. It was during the two seasons were they both raced in the same class that the two personalities collided more violently, particularly since they started for the rivalling teams of Honda and Yamaha. During the GP of Japan in 2001 Biaggi kept Rossi from overtaking him with a manoeuvre that was just not against the rules and when Rossi did overtake him during the following lap, Rossi expressed his depreciation with a well-known hand gesture. In the same year, but at the GP of Barcelona, Biaggi involuntarily pushed Rossis manager and friend, a fact that nearly triggered a fight between them.

• Giacomo Agostini

This Italian racer is known as the most successful motorcycle racer of all times, all in all he won 15 World Championships – seven on a 350 cc and eight on an 800 cc – 13 of which on an MV Agusta. He started his career as a teenager with a mountain race on a 175 cc Morini and at the end of his career (he retired after the 1977 season) he could look back on 122 won Grand Prix.

• Loris Capirossi

Capirossi is another Italian Motorcycle racer who became famous due to his triumphs in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing, until now he has raced to several top positions and has won two world championships on a 125 cc bike and one on a 250 cc bike. After a third place in a MotoGP race in 2006 he was even thought to be the possible World Champion of 2007s season but since the new restrictions concerning the cylinder capacity are causing him and his Ducati a lot of troubles he is only 8th overall (August 2007).

• Carl Fogarty

This British Superbike racer is the most successful of his class, he won four Superbike Championships and 59 races all in all. Fogarty, who was born on the 1st of July 1965, is famous for his driving style – what is most impressive is his extremely high cornering speed – together with his very competitive character. Due to a heavy injury Fogarty had to retire from (active) motorcycle racing in 2000 and has been trying to establish his own team ever since.

• Troy Bayliss

Another very successful motorcycle racer of our time is the Australian Troy Bayliss, he won two Superbike Championships, one British-Superbike and he also participated in a few MotoGP races but was not very successful. At the GP of Valencia Bayliss was asked to substitute Sete Gibernau, who was injured, and due to his surprising victory he and another Ducati driver who became 2nd reached the first double win for Ducati. After this triumph he returned to Superbike racing where he lost one finger in a heavy accident in 2007. Bayliss, who was born on an Australian farm on the 30th of March in 1969, cultivated his interest for motorcycle sports already as a child, especially since his father had given him his first mini motorbike at the tender age of six. At age ten he participated in his first Dirt-Track and Motocross competitions.

• Stéphane Peterhansel

This French racer, who was born on the 6th of August in 1965, can look back on some extraordinary successes during his career. He won the Dakar Rally six times on a motorcycle and three times in a car – apart from his co-driver he is the only one who ever manage to win on a motorcycle as well as by car.