Understand motorcycle racing you see on TV

All the sports channels these days broadcast some sort of motorcycle racing event. They are so many that, at some point, you do not understand what is what, which is which. So, here is a short list of some popular types of motorcycle racing there are out there:

1. Road racing. The best known, since they are best represented by MotoGP and Superbike and by pilots like Valentino Rossi, Mick Duhan or Max Biaggi. This type of races take place on a circuit or on closed roads. Other events include Isle of Man TT, Macau Grand Prix and more.

2. Drag Racing. Sometimes also called sprints, these races involves two bikers riding from a start line, on a short distance, to the finish line. Illegal road racing usually use the same style of racing. These kind of races (drag racing, that is) do not see too much TV time, though.

3. Motocross. This is exactly like road racing, just on harder terrain. Of course, if they use superbikes on circuits, you will see off-road bikes here. Another thing you will notice (besides the difference in the terrain, of course), is that you will see a lot of bikes "flying" around, because of the jumping style later years and advances in motorcycling suspension technology brought. TV sure loves this kind of races, since they are, along with road racing, the stars of TV motorcycling programs.

4. Enduro. Enduro racing tests the endurance of the pilot and the resistance of the bike on a set of different terrains and on a longer period of time than usual racing. Usually, it involves laps of 10+ miles, on a period of time of 3 to 4 hours, even more. Of course, one of the most important event, though a Rally, is the Dakar Rally.

5. Trials. Ever seen the guys jumping around on their bikes on barrels and boxes? That is indoor trials. Usually, it involves a biker, a time limit and a set of obstacles that the biker has to overpass without putting either of his legs down and, often, without stopping the forward motion. Quite a race of skills, it has a huge fun base and following, coming close to extreme sports.

So, here is a short recap of the most important motorcycle types of racing. When you read sports section, when you watch sports show, you will usually see one of these above. Motopins.com is a site where you can add all the news you read and can read all the news others have found.