Dirt Bike History

Whats the different between Road Bikes and Dirt Bikes.

People enjoyed racing and riding off the road, but up through the 1940's they had to make do with big Indians and Harley-Davidson's that were built for street and highway use. These motorcycles were not designed to carry their riders through mud, water, and rough terrain. They were heavy and had short, soft suspension with little ground clearance, and tended to get hung up on every root or rock they came upon. By the 1950's, so-called. These motorcycles—brands such as Triumph, BSA, Matchless, Norton, and Ariel—were lighter and had better ground clearance than their American counterparts, but they were still heavy and designed primarily for use on the road. And they often had unreliable electrical systems that failed under wet and dirty riding conditions. As in America, off-road motorcycling in England and Europe during this era was conducted with modified street machines. 

When was the first Dirt Bike made?

The serial production dirt bike contributed to a lasting change in world-wide motorcycle design and manufacturing. It launched product specialization and niche marketing in the motorcycle industry, resulting in products as diverse as the large and luxurious Honda Gold Wing, and the lean and lithe Gas Gas trials bike. Today one can buy a bike designed precisely for a specific use, and quality is superb. However, product specialization has resulted in segmentation of the motorcycling community into ever narrower interests, perpetuating the idea of motorcyclists as a “minority community,” despite the great increase in motorcycle sales.