The admiration that dirt biking is currently attracting can be likened to the strides made by motocross in the period from the late 1960s to mid-1970s. The dirt bike manufacturing sector was a flourishing market segment then owing to an incessantly great demand,aided in no small measure by dealers that allow consumers to buy cheap dirt bikes. Arguably, the enthusiasm of modern day fans of dirt biking compares to the gusto of motocross enthusiasts of the last half century.
What is dirt biking?
Dirt biking is a kind of off-road motorcycle racing. It is basically riding on non-tarmacked paths. Dirt biking can be done on dusty trucks, muddy pathways, and even rocky routes.
For at least a generation, dirt bikers have cruised – there are those who say terrorized – the streets of various cities and their neighborhoods. Dirt bikers are a top complaint during community gatherings as residents usually protest the roar of their machines around the neighbored, on the highways and across the streets.
Braving restrictions
Indeed, some cities have banned dirt biking, citing the dangers involved. For example, Baltimore declared the activity illegal from 2000 when fed-up city dwellers and leadership took action following the deaths of two riders who lost their lives in a crash.
However, the outlawing of street riding and related measures such as the banning of the act of refilling dirt bikes at filling stations and a tip lines for residents to inform on riders have not dulled the pastime one bit.
New Yorkers will recall one afternoon in late March this year when the city’s streets were crowded by enthusiastic dirt bike riders who popped the wheelies on Upper East Side. It is kind of incredible that residents were terrified by the harmless riders who were simply having fun.
There are a number of dirt bike groups in New York that have continuously gained popularity. Proponents argue that riding is a positive activity that bikers undertake and it should be supported by authorities and interest groups because it helps keep young persons out of crime and related trouble.
Changing the dirt biking landscape
The increasing popularity of dirt biker groups, as well as a significant increase in the number of dirt biking events, organized every year point to the fact that there’s a growing interest in the activity. Event organizers have noted an increase in the number of riders who enroll for the racing events. More students including teens and young adults have taken up the sport.
Many dirt bikers train as they hope to become professional riders. There is also another category of riders who consider dirt bike racing an exhilarating sport which keeps them motivated to stay physically fit. Even more Importantly, all bikers share a common element; their enthusiasm towards the sport.
Enter women riders
If you think that dirt biking is a sport purely for men, nothing could be further from the truth. More and more women of all ages are enrolling for dirt bike training and growing to become even better riders than their male counterparts.
For example, 20-year old Wheelie Queen’ Keyria Doughty is a talented and admirable rider who has broken into the male-dominated riding culture. She may be just a girl, but she says she’s “out there to do everything the men do”.
