AMA Motocross

Off-road competition experienced a sudden increase in popularity in the 1960s. Lightweight motorcycles were developed to address the growth in enthusiasm for scrambles, enduro-riding and desert racing. In 1961, the AMA approved rules for a new form of racing called moto-cross, thus the first AMA Motocross was born. The difference between this new form and the postwar Europe form of scrambles was in the manner in which it was scored.

In the U.S., AMA Motocross and its American offshoot, AMA Supercross have grown into the third major form of professional motorcycle racing. The AMA Motocross Championship has set records for spectator attendance in recent years. At the same time the AMA Supercross Series has drawn the largest crowds of any type of American racing.

For 13 consecutive years dating from 1993 back to 1981, American motocross riders have won the world championship of team motocross, Motocross des Nations. These victories have allowed them to prove themselves on the world stage in the 1980s. In recent years the AMA Motocross and Supercross have attracted some of the top talent from around the world to come and compete in this country.

That international success was made possible by the efforts that the AMA made in the 1960s to try and develop a more effective working relationship with the Federation Internationale Motocycliste (FIM). In October of 1970, the AMA was accepted as the exclusive representative of the U.S. to the FIM. FIM is the body that internationally endorsed motorcycle competition. Thus AMA Motocross got its international stamp of approval.

That affiliation has enabled the U.S. to act as host for world-championship races and it has also allowed American racers to partake in world championships competitions. From the time of the International Six Days Trial held by the AMA in 1973, the U.S. has been the site of world-championships for road racing, observed trials, speedway racing and, of course AMA Motocross.

AMA Motocross competitions are held between the 125cc and the 250cc and between the 250cc and the 450cc. Despite needing twice the displacement to rival a two-stroke, they hold their own pretty well in these classes, so the four-stroke AMA Motocross bikes have been steadily gaining popularity. In 2005, the AMA changed the class names from 125cc to Pro Lite and from 250cc to Pro to accommodate for the fact that the cc’s obviously don’t match. Now we have the AMA Supercross Pro Lites being the name for the former 125cc Supercross series, and AMA Motocross Pro being the new name for the 250cc Motocross series.