User:Wadems/sandbox
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There are a variety of sports involving racing motorcycles. FIM is the international sanctioning body for many such events.
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[edit] Types of motorcycle racing
Because motorcycles vary greatly in design and purpose, there are several different types of motorcycle racing contests, including:
[edit] Circuit
Circuit racing where specially designed racing bikes or modified "production" bikes race each other on specially designed road circuits. MotoGP and Superbike are the top level racing and production classes. Some of the most popular categories of circuit racing include:
[edit] Classic
Classic Racing is where participants race heavily modified bikes from an earlier era - usually pre mid '70s bikes.
[edit] Drag
Motorcycle drag racing (also known as "Sprints") is where two participants line up at a dragstrip with a signaled starting line. Upon the starting signal, the riders accelerate down a 1/4 mile long, two lane, straight paved track where their elapsed time and terminal speed are recorded. The rider to reach the finish line first is the winner.
[edit] Endurance
Motorcycle endurance racing or rallying is based on a points system and doesn't focus on absolute completion time. Rallies cover many days and many thousands of miles, with bonus points being awarded for visits to remote destinations. The Iron Butt Association provides such rally coordination.
[edit] Enduro
Motorcycle enduro racing is over long, unmade tracks, often through isolated terrain (e.g. Dakar Rally and Six Day Endurance race).
[edit] Hill climb
Hill Climb is where a single rider climbs or trys to climb a dirt hill. The rider with the highest mark, or the quickest time to the top of the hill is the winner.
[edit] Land speed
Land Speed is where a single rider accelerates over a 1 to 3 mile long straight track (usually on dry lake beds) and is timed for top speed through a trap at the end of the run. The rider must exceed the previous top speed record for that class or type of bike for their name to be placed on the record books. See—[1] for an example.
[edit] Motocross
Motocross and its cousin Supercross are held on dirt courses, usually featuring large jumps in which motorcycles are launched over considerable distances.
[edit] Road
Road racing in its purest form is racing on public roads, such as the Isle of Man TT course, the Macau Grand Prix and some courses in Ireland. Due to the inherent dangers that these street venues often carry such as narrow lanes, curbs, and adjacent walls, most road racing is now carried out on purpose-built tracks.
[edit] Speedway
Motorcycle speedway and ice speedway are held on oval circuits where riders slide their machines around turns. Grasstrack or Track Racing is held on oval tracks usually 400m+ utilising a machine very similar to a speedway bike.
[edit] Supermoto
Supermoto is a crossover motorcycle racing between road racing and motocross. The motorcycles are mainly motocross types with road racing tires. The racetrack is also mixed between road and dirt courses, mostly handcrafted.
[edit] Trials
Motorcycle trials are where participants ride specially-designed motorcycles at very slow speeds over a variety of obstacles.
[edit] Rider safety
Motorcycle racing of almost any variety is inherently dangerous. At the professional level, all possible measures are taken to ensure the rider's safety. Basic attire for a rider usually consists of a crash helmet, eye protection (either built into the helmet as a visor or goggles), gloves, and boots. Depending on which disipline of racing is being referred to, riders may have to don additional protective gear like full-body suits made of cowhide or kangaroo (kangaroo has the same wear properties as cowhide at half the weight), body armor (can be sewn into full-body suits or worn externally), knee pucks, or toe plates.
Airfences, normally deployed at road and circuit races, are inflatable barriers that are used to line walls and other fixed objects that surround a racetrack. Because auto racing normally takes place on the same tracks that motorcycles race, there can be walls along parts of the circuit that, while offering protection against cars leaving the track, can be very dangerous to motorcyclists. The fences are made from reinforced, fire-retardant PVC fabrics with an internal frame made of high density, polyurethane, open cell foam with ambient air absorbing the impact. The barrier is equipped with exhaust holes to control the air pressure which allows absorption and dissipation of the energy while minimizing rebound.
