Dirt Bikes Essay, Research Paper
DIRT BIKES
There are two basic types of motorcycles. One type is made for riding on smooth
surfaces like roads or paved race tracks. These motorcycles are called road bikes. They
are heavier, faster, and more powerful than off-road bikes. Off-road motorcycles, or dirt
bikes, are lighter than road bikes. Dirt bikes are built to handle rough terrain like dirt,
mud, and rocks.
Not all people use dirt bikes for sport. Some people need their dirt bikes for work.
Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ride Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki dirt
bikes instead of horses. (Motocross, 128) Forest rangers take dirt bikes out on patrol.
Some cowboys even herd cattle from the seats of their dirt bikes. Workers also
travel deep into the woods on dirt bikes to repair telephone equipment. (Chris Lace,10)
Most people ride dirt bikes for fun. They enjoy being out doors and
finding new places to ride. They can follow an old trail or blaze a new one.
Riders are basically free on their dirt bikes, just be sure that you know what
your doing and do not get lost. Also make sure the area you are riding
permits the use of dirt bikes. Due to the stupidity of some reckless riders
areas for riding are diminishing. (Chris Lace,45) This is true places to ride
are becoming less and less due to a few unmannered people.
Many people also use dirt bikes to experience the excitement of competition.
Different types of dirt-bike racing include motocross, supercross, trials, and enduro.
Motocross is held out-side. It usually has about twenty to forty participants. They race
on tracks about three quarters to one mile long. They usually lap around five to twenty
times give or take some laps, depending on the race. Supercross is held in an indoor
stadium on oval to circular tracks. Usually you need an sponsor to get into one of these
races. Trials are not even actual races, and requires a special trial bike. These bikes are
longer and lighter with lower geared engines than the typical dirt bike. Trial bikes are
specially designed for balance and stability. During a trials race you are tested on your
skill, stability, and balance. The coarse is an obstacle coarse with things like boulders,
logs, and streams that you will have to cross or maneuver on top of. The final kind of race
is enduro. They are very long races which test your skills in map reading and if need be
fixing your bike in the middle of nowhere with what you got. One famous race is the
Paris-Dakar Which is an astonishing 6,371 miles (10,250 kilometers).
All dirt bikes share some basic features-knobby tires, light weight frames,
long-travel suspension, and two- or four stroke engines placed high and out of the way.
(Kawasaki owners manual, Intro)
Knobbies , or knobby tires give the dirt bike good traction through mud, loose gavel, and
sand. Without knobby tires, you would not have much control on rough trails. In deep
sand
it would be very difficult to move forward with just regular tires. Although on a paved
road they will give you an rather bumpy ride. Another important part of all dirt bikes is
long-travel suspension. This includes the fork legs in the front and one or two shock
absorbers in the rear. Long-travel suspension softens the ride over the big jumps. All dirt
bikes have engines that are placed high in the chassis so they can clear obstacles suck as
large bumps, stumps, and rocks. The exhaust pipe also rides high so it will not catch on
boulders or fallen trees. (Jesse Young,16)
How a dirt bike works is when a spark plug ignites a mixture of air and gasoline in
the engine cylinder. The explosion moves a piston up and down inside the cylinder. This
is calls the power stroke. A rod and crankshaft convert the power stroke to a circular
motion. This motion reaches the rear wheel by way of a clutch, gearbox, and drive chain.
Some Dirt bikes have two-stroke engines. Others are four stroke. In a two-stroke
engine, there is a power stroke for every turn of the crankshaft. And the gasoline must be
mixed with two-stroke engine oil before being put in the dirt bike. In a four-stroke engine
there is an extra stroke that lets out the exhaust. Every other turn of the crankshaft is a
power stroke.
Every motorcycle, no matter how small, must have a way of cooling the
hot-running engines. Air-cooled engines use metal fins to dispel the engines heat.
Water-cooled engines are more common today. They pump water through the water
jacket
across the block and the head then it goes back through the radiator where it gets cooled
back down top be pumped through the cycle again.
Motocross bikes must be light, but they must also be though to handle the
challenging tracks. Riders often have to deal with steep hills, tall jumps, and even trees.
A motocross cycle is usually sued for racing. It has no head lights and no taillights, no turn
signals, no mirrors, no speedometer, and no kickstand.
All these bikes have small, two-stroke engines. Dirt bike engines are measured in
cubic centimeters (cc). Common sizes for dirt-bike engines are 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, and
500cc. They are all light but will give the motorcycle a lot of power.
(Kawasaki owners manual, Intro) The sixteen-inch wheels are held in place by telescopic
fork legs and a rear swing arm with one or two shock absorbers. The shock absorbers
dampen the jolts. They soften landings after riding off large jumps during a race.
Dual-purpose bikes have lights, turnsignals, and a speedometer. They are used on
public streets as well as on off-road trails. These bikes are best for the rider who
likes to ride on streets and on off-road trails but who does not want to buy two
motorcycles. For the serious dirt bike riders, dual-purpose bikes are too heavy.
The dual-purpose bike does not make a very good street bike either.
(Chris Lace,103)
When ever you ride a dirt bike you should be wearing the right equipment.
You should be wearing a helmet, goggles, jersey, pants, boots, gloves, and a chest
protector. A helmet should fit snugly, it should also be full faced and made of fiberglass.
The goggles should also fit snugly to keep dust and dirt out of your eyes. Goggles with
wide elastic straps and scratch resistant lenses are best. The jersey should be bright, so
others can see you. Pants of a good quality are made of nylon and leather and have inserts
for pads at the thighs and knees should be worn. Boots made of thick cow hide that cover
the entire shin protect you best. gloves made of nylon with leather palms protect your
hands
from rocks that may fly up. Chest protectors also help protect against any rocks that may
be kicked up.
When ever you go out riding whether it be for pleasure or for sport, on-or off-road
always use your head. Follow the basic rules of riding, never go alone, wear your gear,
have a spare part or two with you, bring your fuel, and don not do what you cannot do
with out practicing for a while. Do this and you should have a fun and enjoyable time.