The name motocross came from the combination of motorbike and cross-country that the sport consists of. While motocross spawned FMX the obvious difference between them is that FMX puts more focus on the daredevil tricks and stunts done while the bike is airborne as oppose to motocross, which is focused on racing.

Motocross races are held on an enclosed, marked and fenced off-road circuit where the rough features of the natural terrain like hills, cambers, banks, mixed in with man-made jumps make the circuits challenging. Racers tend to increase their engine capacity size as they progress in their speed and experience and fitness.

The bikes are specifically designed for racing with quick powerful motors and disc brakes, and knobbly tyres so they can race on surfaces ranging from sand to hard clay.

The first noted motocross event was held way back in 1924, in Surrey, Northern England. Back then they were more or less motorcycle trial events known as scrambles, on account of all the dirt that the rider was destined to be wearing at the end of a ride.

Back then the bikes were less than ideal to ride with off-road bikes hardly differing at all from the ones on-road racing until the 1930s when more advanced suspension sprung onto the scene to save the day.

Today the realm of motocross circulates around two huge championship events;
The Grand Prix (or Motocross World Championships) and the AMA Motorcycle Championships. Motocross des Nations or Motocross of Nations is also a big deal, usually held at the end of the year once both National and World Championships have finished.

On the more technical side, the classes of each Championship are as follows. MX1 = 450cc, MX2 = 250cc, and MX3 = open.
In the AMA there are two classes: 250cc and 450cc. Each round has two rides of 30 minute-plus-two-laps.
In the Motocross of Nations there are three moto (races) with two classes competing per moto. The location of the event changes from year to year. So far the US, Belgium and Great Britain have had the greatest success.

If the missus (or sensitive new age guy) is in your ear about the danger factor this is a good comeback to remember to help you get back on your bike, stress-free. As a group of athletes, tested against elite groups from track , football, basketball and soccer, motocross athletes tested to a higher overall fitness level than any other group. This test was done in 1979, and retested in 2002.

Freestyle Motocross, or FMX as it’s more commonly known, is a variation of the more traditional motocross, which is off-road motorbike racing. The name motocross came from the combination of motorbike and cross-country that the sport consists of. The obvious difference between motocross and FMX is that FMX puts more focus on the daredevil tricks and stunts done while the bike is airborne as oppose to motocross, which is more, focused on the speed and race element.

The two main types of freestyle events are the Big Air and FMX. Big Air is also known as Best Trick and is usually performed on one or two ramps. The tricks are evaluated by a panel of judges who take into account style, difficulty, and course use. The score is then given out of 100. Only the rider’s best score of the three is compared and the top score brings home the bacon.

In FMX the riders are usually in an arena covering about two acres made up of multiple corners and ramps. Again, a panel of judges assesses each rider’s performance considering variation of jumps, technique, flair, and stunt difficulty and awards the rider a score out of 100. The time of the routines can range anywhere from 90 seconds to 14 minutes.

Freeriding is the original freestyle motocross and consists of similar tricks, but performed on public land using the earth’s natural features. This is not usually competitive.

Notable FMX games include: X-Games, Big-X, Moto-X Freestyle national Championship, Dew Action Sports Tour, Night of the Jumps, and Gravity Games.

Prolific international FMX Riders: Carey Hart, Travis Pastrana, Mike Metzger, Brian Deegan and Nate Adams.

If you love water, motorbike racing and the act of combining two good things to get one ultimate good thing, save time by putting the two passions together and get yourself into personal water craft racing. What’s the difference between a personal water craft and a Jet Ski? Not a lot really. A Jet Ski is a just a specific brand (Kawasaki) of personal water craft. Popular brands include Sea-Doo and Waverunner.
There are three main events in personal water craft racing.

Watercross
Watercross is pretty much motocross on water – a closed course race with water craft riders all pitted against one another. Riders start in a side-by-side gate like motocross. Speed and technique are crucial elements in the watercross races where ramp jumps and other obstacles are incorporated into the tightly buoyed circuit.

Freestyle
Freestyle is the most extreme of the events, designed to highlight the athletes’ acrobatic ability on their water craft. Competitors’ routines consist of a series of choreographed tricks usually performed to music and judged by a panel of judges.
Popular tricks include: aerial barrel roll, yellow submarine, kilowatt flop, and bull doggin’.

Endurance
Endurance events are the long distance races designed to test both the reliability of the water craft as well as the stamina of the athlete. Also known as offshore racing, racers compete head to head or in multiple laps through the designated course. Race lengths usually vary and can often allow for refuelling stops.