If you’re reading this, chances are good you’re a huge fan of motocross or some other form of off-road bike racing, but how much do you know about how motocross came into existence and managed to grow into the international phenomenon that it is today? People have been pushing motorcycles to their limits since the day they were invented well over a hundred years ago. That makes the true originator of motocross impossible to accurately pin down. We can, however, track the official progress of motocross by looking back through the available records to form a solid background of how the sport officially started, and how it became one of the most exciting and high-energy sports on earth. Let’s launch into it!
The Birth of Motocross
Most sources point to the idea that motocross was not really invented, but rather evolved alongside other forms of off-road motorcycle racing from trials races held in England and Scotland in the early 1900s. At the time, these events were called “hare scrambles”, which is believed to have originated from the very posh phrase, “a rare old scramble”. This also explains why off-road bikes are often called “scramblers”.
British riders had been competing in official trials competitions hosted by the Auto-Cycle Club as early as 1909, but it wasn’t until 1924 when the first known “scramble” race, called the Scramble 100, took place in Surrey, England. The Scramble 100 is officially regarded as the world’s first official motocross event. On the 24th of March 2024, Witley & District Motorcycle Club hosted a race day to celebrate the centenary of the event – officially marking 100 years since the invention of motocross. Up until this point, riders were timed while completing a designated course to test new motorcycle designs and constructions.
1924 Scramble100 at Surrey Heath, UK
(image source: https://www.witleymcc.co.uk/scramble100)
The intense competition of the early scramble races led to technical improvements in off-road motorcycles. Rigid frames gave way to suspensions by the early 1930s and the swinging fork rear suspension design appeared in the early 1950s. During the 1940s European motorcycle manufacturers dominated the sport, led by the British Small Arms Company.
With the onset of World War II in the late 1930’s, motorcycle production was ramped up to support the war effort, and the flood of rugged, purpose-built bikes into the market fuelled the growth of competitive off-road racing in Europe. It was during the post-war years when off-road motorcycle racing truly exploded in popularity across Europe. However, since bikes were not initially designed for off-road racing, riders modified them to suit the sport’s unique challenges.
In 1948, the world’s first recorded supercross race took place at Buffalo Stadium outside of Paris. Well, it isn’t officially a ‘Supercross’ event, because the term was only coined much later, in 1972, but it was the first official motocross event hosted on a completely man-made track inside a stadium filled with cheering fans.
Four years later, in 1952, the FIM set up the first European Motocross Championship which was subsequently upgraded to World Championship status in 1957. Originally, the championship only had class designations for 500cc bikes, but in 1962 a smaller 250cc class was added to the World Championship roster.
While all this was happening in Europe, motocross hadn’t even been heard of over in the USA. American riders were still competing in trials events until Edison Dye saw an opportunity to introduce motocross to the US market and became the Western distributor of Husqvarna motorcycles. In 1966, Dye invited Torsten Hallman to compete against the top American TT riders in an exhibition event at Hopetown in California. US riders and spectators were blown away by the speed and technical ability of the Swedish champion and the event fuelled massive interest in motocross in the States in years to come.
Edison Dye Shows Off His Inventory
(image source: https://themotocrossvault.com/2020/01/30/motocross-history-the-defining-events-that-shaped-american-motocross/)
The Rise of Supercross in the USA
A few years later, stadium motocross was introduced to the USA in 1971 when a track was built on the infield of the Daytona Road course. One year later, in 1972, the first official Supercross race was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. When it was being promoted the original event was called the ‘Superbowl of Motocross’ which later became shortened to ‘Supercross’. From this, the official Supercross Series was born in 1974 and continues to this day as the most popular version of motocross racing for spectators, drawing competitors from around the world to try their luck at a massive cash prize.
Marty Tripes Wins the World’s First Supercross Race at the L.A. Coliseum in 1972
(image source: https://www.cyclenews.com/2018/02/article/first-supercross/)
The Death of The Two-Stroke
Facing tightening federal emissions regulations in the United States, the A.M.A. increased the allowable displacement capacity for four-stroke engines in 1997, in an effort to encourage manufacturers to develop environmentally friendlier four-stroke machines. Due to the low relative power output of four-stroke engines, compared to the then-dominating two stroke design, the AMA had increased the allowable displacement capacity for four-strokes. By 1994, the displacement limit of a four-stroke power motocross bike was up to 550 cc in the 250 class, to incentivize manufactures to further develop the design for use in motocross.
In 2006, the 250cc division was renamed to ‘MX Class’, with an engine formula allowing for 150–250 cc two-stroke or 250–450 cc four-stroke machines. The 125cc class was renamed the ‘MX Lites Class’, allowing 0–125 cc two-stroke or 150–250 cc four-stroke engines. In 2009, the MX class was renamed the 450MX Class and the MX Lites Class was renamed the 250MX Class, to reflect the fact that all the competing manufacturers had adopted four-stroke machinery.
Two-stroke bikes are a favourite among more casual riders because they are much easier and cheaper to maintain and haven’t completely fallen out of professional use either. Because of their popularity and distinctive exhaust sound, two-strokes have been making a comeback in many off-road racing sports in recent years. During the 2023 AMA Supercross season, four 125cc two-strokes joined the 250 Class and four 25cc two-strokes were entered into the 450 Class.
The Future of Motocross
Motocross keeps growing in popularity because of how exhilarating it is to do and to watch. Athletes constantly push the limits of the sport while engineers and race teams keep pushing the limits of the bikes. With a lot of focus being placed on electric vehicles, we will also likely see a lot more electric motocross bikes being entered into events in coming years. The jury is still out about how well these will be received because we all know that nothing can beat the thrill of a petrol engine growling down a speedway. What do you think the future holds for the sport and what is your opinion about the rise of electric bikes?
Motocross has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the European countryside. Today, it’s a global sport that continues to push the boundaries of speed, skill, and excitement. As motocross continues to evolve, we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Now that you know a bit about the history of the sport, it’s time to get involved. Find out where to ride around Cape Town or read more about the kit you’ll need to join the world of motocross and become a part of history. If you’re as pumped as we are, and ready to hit the track, head over to our collection of motocross gear to get kitted up in all the best bike gear SA has to offer.