Motorcycle Grand Prix

Road racing

Main article: Road racing

Road racing is the racing of motorcycles on tarmac. Races can take place either on purpose-built racing circuits or on closed public roads.

[edit] Motorcycle Grand Prix

MotoGP racing

Main article: Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Grand Prix motorcycle racing refers to the premier category of motorcycle road racing. It is divided into three distinct classes:

Moto3 — Introduced in 2012, motorcycles in this class are 250 cc with four-stroke engines. Previously it featured 125 cc two-stroke motorcycles. This class is also restricted by rider age, with an upper limit of 25 for newly signed riders and wild card entries and an absolute upper limit of 28 for all riders.

Moto2 — Introduced by Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder of the competition, in 2010 as a 600 cc four-stroke class. Prior to that season, the intermediate class was 250 cc with two-stroke engines. Moto2 races in the 2010 season allowed both engine types; from 2011 on, only the four-stroke Moto2 machines were allowed.

MotoGP — 1000 cc four-stroke.

Grand prix motorcycles are prototype machines not based on any production motorcycle.

[edit] Superbike racing

Superbike racing

Main article: Superbike racing

Superbike racing is a category of motorcycle road racing that employs modified production motorcycles. Superbike racing motorcycles must have four stroke engines of between 800 cc and 1200 cc for twins, and between 750 cc and 1000 cc for four cylinder machines. The motorcycles must maintain the same profile as their roadgoing counterparts. The overall appearance, seen from the front, rear and sides, must correspond to that of the bike homologated for use on public roads.

[edit] Supersport racing

Supersport racing

See also: AMA Supersport Championship, British Supersport Championship, and Supersport World Championship

Supersport racing is another category of motorcycle road racing that employs modified production motorcycles. To be eligible for Supersport racing, a motorcycle must have a four-stroke engine of between 400 and 600 cc for four-cylinder machines, and between 600 and 750 cc for twins, and must satisfy the FIM homologation requirements. Supersport regulations are much tighter than Superbikes. Supersport machines must remain largely as standard, while engine tuning is possible but tightly regulated.

[edit] Endurance racing

Endurance racing

Main article: Endurance racing (motorsport)

Endurance racing is a category of motorcycle road racing which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of the riders. Teams of multiple riders attempt to cover a large distance in a single event. Riders are given the ability to change during the race. Endurance races can be run either to cover a set distance in laps as quickly as possible, or to cover as much distance as possible over a preset amount of time.

[edit] Sidecar racing

Sidecar racing

Main article: Superside

Sidecar racing is a category of sidecar motorcycle racing. Older sidecar road racers generally resembled solo motorcycles with a platform attached, modern racing sidecars are purpose built low and long vehicles. Sidecarcross resembles MX motorcycles with a high platform attached. In sidecar racing a rider and a passenger work together to make the machine perform.

Sidecar racing has many sub-categories including: – Sidecarcross (sidecar motocross) – Sidecar trials – F1/F2 road racing

[edit] True road racing

Road Racing on temporarily closed public roads

See also: Isle of Man TT and North West 200

True road racing is run on tracks built from closed public and/or park roads and sometimes extra pieces of purpose built track. In the past true road racing was very commonplace but today few races have survived and even fewer have been added. Only one truly international championship exists at present by the name of "International Road Racing Championship" (IRRC). Most races are held within Europe. Ireland is probably the country with the most true road racing circuits still in use. The Isle of Man probably has the most tracks per inhabitant or surface area. Other countries where true road races are held are the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain (though due to law only outside England or in parks), the Czech Republic, New Zealand and Macau

[edit] Motocross

Start of a Motocross race

Main article: Motocross

Motocross (or MX) is the direct equivalent of road racing, but off road, a number of bikes racing on a closed circuit. Motocross circuits are constructed on a variety of non-tarmac surfaces such as dirt, sand, mud, grass, etc., and tend to incorporate elevation

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