Motocross (motorcycle)

Motocross motorcycles

Motocross racing

A motocross motorcycle - also known as a cross machine or crosser - is, in contrast to an enduro, an off-road machine without road approval (sports equipment), but is subject to similar strict noise and emissions regulations as those of the road traffic regulations , but with higher performance than road-approved machines. Even with competitor machines, there are standards and requirements that are designed to protect the safety of drivers and protect the environment.

At the beginning of Motocross -Sports were motorcycles with four stroke - single cylinder engines mainly from England, especially for. B. AJS and BSA are used. In the 1970s, however, these were quickly replaced by the lighter two-stroke engines , mostly Japanese. The void left by the English motorcycle brands was filled, among other things. a. Italian small manufacturers, but also the Swabian Maico , the Czech ČZ , Husqvarna from Sweden and KTM from Austria.

This era of motocross sport lasted until the end of the 1990s, when the increased performance (over 60 hp), especially in the displacement class up to 500 cm³, was hardly manageable even for top drivers. This was taken to extremes by experimental developments of 750 cm³ single-cylinder (e.g. by Yamaha), which often had over 80 hp and peak accelerations of under 2.0 s to 100 km / h. This value was determined theoretically and cannot be applied in practice, as this performance would not be transferable to any surface and such an enormous force could no longer be sustained by any driver. These problems and changes to the FIM regulations led to a renaissance of the four-stroke engine, because it has a broader rev range and is therefore easier to drive.

Manufacturers also support the trend, as the marketing of two-stroke engines is becoming increasingly difficult due to strict emissions regulations. In the meantime, two-strokes have almost disappeared in outdoor motocross , while they are still more popular in supercross and FMX, especially in the USA.