Want to Get Started with Dirt Biking? Check Out Our Guide

You must have watched videos on which people are often seen riding bikes up and down small-sized mountains that appear to be quite muddy and rugged. These are dirt bikes and are not like any ordinary bike that you will find at stores. It will not be wrong if you say that dirt biking is basically riding off-road. The ride will be really challenging, and you need to be a really good biker in order to manage all those potholes and rugged riding surfaces with ease. If you are interested in dirt biking, then you should always remember that dirt bikes are available in a wide range of formats.

Beginner’s Guide to Dirt Biking & Dirt Bikes

What Do You Mean by a Dirt Bike?

As mentioned above, dirt bikes from TheDirtBikeReview.com are available in several formats. Thus, it can be really confusing when you wish to start off with dirt biking due to the large array of options available at your disposal. When you talk about a dirt bike, it practically means a bike that is capable enough to handle any riding surface off the main sealed roads. Although this may mean any bike that you can ride on any dirt road, it mainly refers to 2 primary categories. First are those dirt bikes that can be used to ride on any street and second are those dirt bikes that are specially designed for off-road riding.

Categories of Dirt Biking

When it comes to dirt biking, there are several categories to it. Some of the primary categories have been discussed below for your knowledge.

• Motocross: These include high-performance bikes that are specially designed for racing around a specific circuit with different types of ruts, banked corners, and jumps. Dirt bikes meant for this category of dirt biking are made for short bursts of power to help them accelerate and also stop without wasting any time. Dirt bikes designed for motocross are normally lightweight and come with suitable suspension systems that can handle the jumps of any motocross tracks. It is because of the specially designed suspension system that these bikes appear to be quite tall. Thus, it is important for you to consider this factor when you opt for motocross dirt biking.
• Trials Bike: Unlike the motocross dirt bike, a trials bike is quite simple to distinguish just by looking at the bike. This is mainly because of the riding style that these bikes are designed for. It is important for you to note that the low center of gravity chassis design of a trials bike happens to be the main feature of such bikes. It basically has very little to no seat at all and it also has reduced travel in the suspension system. The tires that are used in these dirt bikes are also from a different range, which makes them capable enough to handle any obstacle found in the competition. Trials bikes are made to compete in specialized and low-speed obstacle courses, which may sometimes even be indoors. The basic idea of the competition event is to ensure that you make it around without your feet touching the ground.
• Trail Riding or Off-Road: If you compare a motocross dirt bike with a trail riding bike, you may initially get confused just by looking at the 2 bikes. This is simply because both the varieties of dirt bikes appear to be quite similar, especially to a first-timer. You may say that the differences are subtle. As an example, the gearing system for a trail bike is quite different than a motocross bike. It is important for a motocross bike to accelerate quickly, whereas, for a trail bike a better top-end gearing system is crucial. You will also find more safety features in a trail bike, such as radiator guards and hand protectors. Even the rear and front lights of a trail bike are the tell-tale signs of the bike.
• Enduro: These types of dirt bikes are quite similar to trail bikes. However, there are still some minor differences. Dirt bikes meant to endure dirt racing come with an excellent suspension quality that makes the bike highly capable of dealing with different types of terrains. Just like the name suggests, endure riding is all about endurance. Thus, the bikes are designed to easily withstand harsh riding conditions. The fuel tanks of these bikes are also larger in size to allow you to fill up a good amount of fuel in order to ride for long hours. These types of dirt bikes also come with superb braking systems since these bikes have to start and stop quite often.
• Dual Sports: The simplest way to determine a dual sports bike is from the fact that these can easily be ridden both off and on roads. Although these bikes are mostly designed to be used as an off-road bike, the ratio of on-road to off-road may vary depending upon the maker. The best part about these bikes is that these can easily be ridden anywhere of your choice, provided there is a trail nearby. Dual sports bike may prove to be useful if you wish to ride it all day and end the tour with a cold beer.

How Does Dirt Bike Work?

It is needless to say that a dirt bike works just like any other ordinary motorcycle. You will be able to start the engine by simply pushing the button or a key. The bike will come with a clutch that will be mounted on the right handlebar. This will let you engage different gears as per your riding speed. You select the gear, release the clutch slowly and away you go.

It is important for you to remember that the gearbox configuration may vary from one bike to another. However, most of the time there will be a first gear, which gets engaged when you press the foot lever on the right side of the bike. When it comes to the braking system, the front brake is engaged by a front level and the rear brake is engaged by a foot lever.

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