History of Dirt Bike Manufacturers
There was once a time when dirt bikes didn’t exist so how did these top dirt bike manufacturers come about and why? Well, it’s simple really, there came about a desire (or demand) for dirt bikes when people way back as early as the 1930′s began racing in hare scrambles and motocross events in Britain. A number of companies began producing these off road bikes for these racing fanatics, BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Company) being the most dominant and largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world around that era. Around the late 60′s and early 70′s Japanese companies such as Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki stepped onto the scene to challenge the european dirt bike producers and began winning major motocross and enduro events.
Fast forward to year 2011 and what you will find is a well balanced and diversified range of dirt bike manufacturers offering you a smorgasbord of specialized dirt bikes for almost any type of off road racing and recreation. I often hear people ask “Which dirt bike manufacturer or brand should I choose?” or “Which one is best?”. To be honest with you, these days the gap between the bike companies has gotten pretty thin. Because of the close eyes these companies keep on each others products, the dirt bikes available now often only have subtle differences that your average rider couldn’t pick up on. You will notice you are riding a different bike but when it comes to overall performance they are very similar and it’s not worth losing any sleep over which bike you should get. If in doubt, pick your favorite color! But for those of you that don’t accept that recommendation I’ll share a couple of things with you below.
KTM: KTM are a top European brand originating from Austria. They are well known for their top of the range enduro bikes and are constantly winning major world championships with them. They haven’t managed to catch up to the Japanese producers when it comes to motocross and supercross but that may be because their focus is not in that area. Their bikes cost a little more than the Jap bikes and are made of slightly better quality components. They also have a fantastic range of after market products to pimp your bike up with.
Husaberg: A Swedish born company, these guys produce a small range of big bore thumpers (four strokes) for enduro events. You don’t see so many of them in the Southern Hemisphere as you would in Europe. Another high quality dirt bike.
Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha & Suzuki: All of these major brands have been taking turns at dominating motocross and supercross events around the world for the last half century. At the moment these bikes are so similar you can close your eyes and point to any one of them to decide which one to buy. They don’t do too badly in enduro events either.
Gasgas: The lesser well known little Spanish company, Gasgas have only been around since 1984 but are producing a range of mostly trial and enduro bikes. Like KTM, they currently still focus on their two stroke range and are mostly found in Europe. They don’t carry the same amount
Tags: Dirt Bike Manufacturers
