The first off-road event was known as “Scrambles” and was held in the Surrey region of England, during 1924. This was the oldest competition on record and which gave rise to what we know today. like Motocross.

Over the years, the events evolved, thanks to the contributions of the competitors, especially the Europeans, who liked shorter circuits, with a greater number of laps. Little by little they added obstacles, such as jumps and water steps, which not only made them more challenging events for the competitors but also made them more attractive to the spectators.

In the 1930s, the popularity of the sport grew steadily, particularly in the UK, where competitions were held with teams from different regions and districts. They were held with such regularity that it became a weekend tradition.

The 2-Stroke Motorcycles that were used at the time, differed very little from those that you could use on the street, but due to the demands of the terrain in which they were carried out, all motorcycles were adapted. From swapping out rigid frames for damped frames to making the scissors more resistant, a host of alterations appeared, which would not be included in production motorcycles until years later.


Postwar era

After the Second World War, the championships were dominated by BSA motorcycles, a company that had already positioned itself as the largest in terms of production of these vehicles. During the year 1952, the FIM, which eventually became the governing organization of the Motocross championships, began to divide the events into categories based on engine displacement, up to 500cc four-stroke motorcycles. Always considering the already well-known, for their lightness and agility, 250cc two-stroke motorcycles, which today are still the most popular.


In the 1950s, European companies invested large amounts of money in the development of motorcycles that were recognized for their lightness and maneuverability, always with consideration of difficult terrain and the durability that they should have.


In the late 1960s, companies in Japan began to rival European companies, developing and manufacturing highly reliable and durable motorcycles for all enthusiasts of the sport of Motocross. In 1970, Suzuki won the first Motocross World Championship for the land of the rising sun, in the 250cc category.


In 1975 they won the 125cc championship, also with two-stroke engines, which achieved great growth in the sport during the time, due to two important factors:


The reduced costs of participating with such a small displacement motorcycle.

The increase in popularity of this sport in the United States.

Motocross from 1980 to today

It was in the eighties and nineties that motocross had its most important leap in technological development, especially thanks to Japanese companies, which have dedicated a large amount of resources to the development of more efficient engines, and accessories that not only they helped to be faster, but also more secure.

The motorcycles were integrated with a water cooling system and the use of antifreeze allowed them a greater number of hours of operation without the risk of unnecessary wear on the engine and all its components. The mono-shock suspension was also developed, which made the motorcycles more stable, light and maneuverable. These innovations were adopted almost immediately by all companies, for the development of their production motorcycles.


It was in 1994 that regulations changed the way motorcycles, especially 4-stroke motorcycles, were manufactured to be more environmentally friendly.


Today there are a large number of different disciplines that derive from Motocross, among which are:

Enduro

Trial

Arenacross

Supercross

Freestyle


If you want to know more about the origins of the various disciplines related to engines, click here í. 

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