Supercross Racing and Kids: A Guide for Parents

Supercross Motorcycle racing is an exciting sport that kids love watching. Perhaps no age group loves Supercross racing more than young teens. While some are content to watch the races, some want to become racers themselves.

This may be a tough development for the parents of such a teen to deal with. Quite naturally, many parents are afraid to let their child take up racing that involves motocross bikes on obstacle-laden racetracks. But done correctly, Supercross Motorcycle racing can be a very enjoyable sport for a child, and can teach him or her a great deal about biker safety. There are courses specifically designed for young people who want to participate in motocross as well as traditional off-road motorcycle racing.

While motocross bikes are designed for speed, with solid suspension and power, and without weight-adding extra features, off-road bikes are made for trails that require technical handling skills. They are generally heavier than motocross bikes. While motocross bikes can be run on trail tracks, and vice versa, it is not generally recommended because the skill sets with motocross bikes are different from those with off-road bikes, and bikes of one kind do not perform well on a track meant for the other kind.

Even if a specialized class on off-road or motocross riding is not available where you live, there probably are general motorcycle safety classes for children ages 14 and up. Of course, you will need to outfit your child with all proper safety equipment, including helmet, knee, elbow, and wrist guards, sturdy boots or shoes, and well-fitting gloves.

But if the thought of motorized racing for your child is just not palatable, there is the option of Supercross BMX racing.

Supercross BMX racing is not some watered-down version of Supercross Motorcycle racing, but a sport in its own right. Though the tracks are shorter and the speeds aren't as fast, BMX racing is a serious, competitive sport, and it does have a certain degree of danger. Some people start out with BMX racing and eventually take up Supercross Motorcycle racing, but some stick with BMX racing through adulthood, so BMX is truly not a "kids sport."

The bicycles used in BMX racing can be obtained at specialty bike stores and at large retailers. Another plus for the parents of a child who takes up BMX racing is that these bikes cost much less than off-road and Supercross motorcycles.

But don't be fooled into thinking BMX racing is a tame sport. BMX riders need to be outfitted with nearly the same safety gear as motorcycle riders. It is imperative that BMX bikes be modified to have the proper padding on the top tube stem and handlebar crossbar. These bikes also need to have the kickstand, reflector brackets, and chain guard removed to help minimize injury to the rider in the event of a crash.

One advantage to pursuing BMX racing as opposed to motorcycle or off-road motorbike racing is that if there is not an official BMX track in your town, it is not that hard to build a smaller track in your own backyard. The surface should be made of dirt or sand, and should have jumps, curves, and obstacles.

Because BMX racing made its Olympic debut in 2008, it is likely to grow in popularity. To that end, Popular Mechanics has instructions on how to build a backyard BMX track that will cost about $300. Each hill or jump you add will take two or three hours of work. The Popular Mechanics feature can be found on the Internet at http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4277013.html?page=3. Parental supervision is definitely recommended for BMX practice whether on a commercial or a backyard track.

While there is a chance that as your child gets older, he or she may want to cross over to Supercross Motorcycle racing, the training and safety-consciousness learned from BMX racing in the backyard will make an excellent foundation on which to learn motorcycle skills.