In the early seventies a new concept was born - supermotards. By now there are not many cities that  motards haven't conquered. We see them on the streets, making wheelies or stoppies, making their way through the traffic in the rush-hour, and so on. Quite manic isn't it?

This sensation was started in the U.S. It began with races that were meant to attract talent from off-road as well as road-racing series. European riders soon took the boom to Europe, where it started to gain much attention. France is the country where the concept was born, as Motard is the French translation of the word Biker.

Supermoto is a toy for young and arrogant people, it is popular on the streets as well as on the track. Probably 80% of the everyday riders can perform stunts on their bikes. There are numerous enthusiasts who have built their machines out of enduros or even superbikes. There are also a lot of factory-built motards, most of the manufacturers have these bikes in their selection. In the early nineties major companies started to understand that there is some future in this section. In 1991 Gilera produced the first factory-made supermoto. Other European companies followed quickly and machines were produced for both - track and street use. It took over ten years for the Japanese manufacturers to get on to the European and U.S markets. Street motards basically have the same performance as racing ones, as they are usually just competition machines, that have lights attached. These bikes are incredibly maneuverable, their narrow frames and the light weight make it a perfect city bike. It also has its advantage on the narrow roads. It is a quite versatile set of wheels.

Races are held on a special supermoto track. It is usually configured with approximately 60-70% of tarmac and 30-40% of dirt. These courses are very short and curvy with a few jumps. Therefore the rider's skills are more important than the bike's performance. The top speeds are not high, about 150 km/h would be the maximum. Leathers are usually used with off-road boots and motocross helmet. Spectators never get bored, as there is always something happening. There are usually two kind of bikes on the track - factory produced motards and dirt bikes that are rebuilt. The most famous series are AMA Supermoto Championship in the U.S and UEM Supermoto European Championship. This year the European series features a new hypermoto class - these bikes are nothing else than just big bore supermotos.

Supermotos fit in with the busy urban lifestyle, but it can also be a very competitive sport. If you are young or young at heart, if you like adrenaline and excitement, then the kick that you will get with a motard is immense. Just have to warn you though - it is not a bike for peaceful cruisers. If you ride a supermotard , then you are perceived as a maniac, no matter what - whether you're making stoppies in front of the traffic lights or just cruising around the town quietly.