What is this thing called supermoto?

Supermoto is not a "super special motto" for someone! It is still a fairly new genre of motorcycle racing that is extremely exciting to tens of thousands of people in the United States and many more in Europe.

Supermoto was created more than 20 years ago as part of the ABC-TV Superbikers series where it would pit the best motorcycle racers from roadracing, flat track and motocross on a course that included pavement and dirt sections. The racers competed on specially-prepared motocross machinery with slick tires and large front brakes. The winner would become a grand national champion beating his peers. After a few years, the races went away.

A decade later, Europeans brought it back as Supermotard or Supermoto in English. Supermoto is really super-intense moto-ing. It caught on quick in Europe where motorcycle racing draws massive crowds like NASCAR does in the United States. MotoGP, the roadracing world series, draws crowds over 100,000 people. Back to supermoto in Europe with manufacturer involvement that included producing "supermoto" bikes for purchase, it started catching on again in the United States with a number of folks and a few regional series.

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), which is the lead rider membership and race organization in the United States started the new AMA Supermoto Championships series in 2003 with extensive support from Red Bull. There was a ton of initial hype. Riders from all genres of racing tried it out and in the coming years it looked like the racers with a motocross background were excelling the most (and still are). Former AMA Motocross Champion Jeff Ward is a two-time AMA Supermoto Champion. The series drew world champions as well as American champions from other racing genres.

Besides the uniqueness of the bikes and the terrain (70/30 pavement/dirt split typically), supermoto is so versatile that venues can range from road racing circuits that integrate a dirt section with jumps, to parking lots, to city streets like past races in Reno, Nevada. The unique aspects bring a variety of fans.

The bikes have evolved and supermoto has created a whole new subset of the motorcycle industry.

Supermoto has infinite potential and is only scratching the surface. From crossing nearly every genre of motorcycle racing to its location versatility to its easy-to-understand racing style. ESPN has included it as an event in the last three Summer X Games and will include it in the new Moto-X World Championships, further recognizing that supermoto and motocross have a substantial audience.

Supermoto is definitely a super-good time. Check it out and you'll be hooked. Visit www.supermotoracer.com, www.supermotoonline.com, and www.amasupermoto.com.