Dirt bike racing is justifiably considered an extreme sport. The excitement of watching the riders traversing over rough and muddy terrain or performing death defying jumps can be overwhelming. It’s always an exhilerating sight when a dirt bike kicks up mounds of dirt when it accelerats or takes a sharp turn. Heck, even the crashes are spectacular.

Dirt Bike racing has turned out to be so popular that offshoots of this extreme sport have emerged.

One of these offshoots of dirt bike racing is called “freestyle motocross”. This is a comparatively new sport. The sport does not in fact focus on racing. Instead it focuses on the aerobatics that riders execute. There are a board of judges who score the riders according to the intricacy, style, level of trick difficulty, best use of the track and the reaction of the crowd.

Freestyle motocross stunts are breathtaking to behold, in particular the high jumps which frequently surpass 50 feet. Riders do back flips, one hand seat grabs and other aerobatics that are beyond a doubt spectacular.

Another development of dirt bike racing is the appearance of minibikes or Pit bikes. Pit bikes were originally designed for motocross riders to navigate the Pits, or the part that is assigned for parking. They were also designed for kids who are attracted to motocross. Adults began adding taller handle bars. They enhanced the bike’s suspension and other parts. From there, the rage grew and people began racing pit bikes.

Unlike typical dirt bikes, Pit bikes are smaller and cheaper. They have smaller tires, toughened frames and are powered by smallish 75 to 147 cc engines.

Another derivative of dirt bike racing is the supermoto. Supermoto began in the 1970’s as a side development for many road racers. Then in 1980, UK racing correspondent Gavin Trippe planned races which pitted top road motorcyclists and motocross racers against one another in specially designed tracks.

Although this extreme sport died in the US following 1985, it gained recognition in Europe. In 2003, supermoto was back again in the US. Supermoto races require off road bikes that are especially modified so they can run at elevated speeds on race tracks that consist of concrete and dirt. Some tracks in addition have jumps, beams and pits, just like a standard motocross event.

Sidecar racing is one more consequence. Sidecars are installed on standard dirt bikes. This means that there are two passengers for every bike. This extreme sport is physically challenging, particularly for the passenger who acts as a counterbalance.

All these dirt bike racing offshoots are as exhilarating as the parent sport. If you have the desire for a unique and challenging experience then you might want to consider dirt bike racing.