If you are a motorcycling enthusiast, you are likely to be a fan of one of the most popular forms of motorcycle racing, that is, motocross. Having evolved from the local sporting event ‘Scrambles’ in the early part of the twentieth century in Europe, motocross has attained the renown any event at an international level enjoys. What started off as simple all-terrain motorcycle racing on off-road circuits gradually evolved, in the years to come, into one of the most established sporting events in the history of mankind.
The first half of the twentieth century witnessed this transformation of the sport from a European adventure to a more global experience, as motocross began catching the attention and fancy of motorcycling fans in other countries as well. In fact, motocross went from being a mere speeding game to extremely serious stuff by the 1980s.
This era is highly significant in the history of motocross. This is so because it marks the turning point in the development of the sport, not only as far as technological advancements in the motorcycles used are concerned, but also in terms of the competitive spirit that had been generated worldwide.
The Japanese manufacturing giant Suzuki had comfortably established itself among the top motorcycle manufacturers by the 80s, creating a niche for itself in the motocross world largely dominated by European companies till then. Not only were Suzuki’s machines paving their way heavily into the Motocross World Championship, they were also seen in winning positions in all three categories of the championship. Water-cooled engines fitted with single-shock absorber rear suspension replaced the erstwhile two-stroke air-cooled, twin-shock absorber machines, representing a revolution in motorcycling technology.
The other significant transformation in motocross during the 80s was the foray of American motorcyclists in the sport of European origin. Danny LaPorte winning in the 250cc category and Brad Lackey in the 500cc category in the same year, that is 1982, brought about a phenomenal revolution in motocross. Rodney Smith, Mike Healy and Trampas Parker were some of the other motorcyclists to have made their mark in the motocross championship history, with Parker bringing the decade to a close with a victory in the 125cc category.
The Motocross des Nations, also known as the ‘Olympics of Motocross’ and held every year at different locations also got a taste of this revolution in the sphere of motorsports. Having been dominated by European victors since its inception in 1947, this event, throughout the 1980s hollister , saw American supremacy at the championship races. David Bailey was one of the prominent riders of this time and went on to win the championship for five consecutive years starting 1982. This decade also marked the emergence of various other types of motorcycle sports that have derived from motocross. Supermoto was one such sport that reached its peak in the former half of the 80s. The sport entails converting an off-road motorcycle into one to be raced on tracks of road and dirt. The tires of these motorcycles have special grooves that enable a sturdy grip on pavements and tarmac. An event called ‘The Superbikers’ hit the popularity chart between 1980 and 1985 on an annual basis, via a television show created by Gavin Trippe.
ATV National Motocross Championship is another event that broke through the racetracks in the United States in the 80s. It included hill climbing, wooded trails, dirt roads, creek and log crossing as part of the motocross adventure.
Enthusiasm, enhancement and enthrallment mark the 1980s in the history of motocross.
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