Dirt Bike Reviews And Comparisons

Looking for information on motocross and dirt bike reviews? Check out motorcycle tests and reviews from our dirt bike riding experts.

Dirt Rider is the one-stop resource for all things dirt bike. Our in-depth dirt bike reviews and thorough shootouts showcase two-stroke and four-stroke motocross, off-road, adventure, trials, and minibikes featuring all of the major manufacturers, including Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, and Yamaha, along with exotic motorcycle brands such as Beta, Christini, GasGas, Husaberg, Sherco, and more. We are also pleased to bring you reviews of the electric dirt bikes from Alta, KTM, Oset, Quantya, and Zero. We also feature reviews on the latest dirt bike gear so you stay up-to-date on the best products available.

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Off-Road Dirt Bikes

Off-road dirt bikes are designed to be ridden in cross-country conditions, such as single-track trails, and in more wide-open areas, such as the desert. Some can even be ridden on a motocross track in mostly stock trim. Popular off-road dirt bike manufacturers include Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha, GasGas, Beta, TM, and Alta.

Most of these motorcycles come stock with off-road specific components such as an 18-inch rear wheel, a skid plate, an O-ring chain, a kickstand, and some come with a wide-ratio transmission. They usually have softer suspension settings and larger fuel tanks than a motocross bike too.

These machines are designed to be raced in competitions such as Grand National Cross Country (GNCC), National Enduro, Big 6 Grand Prix, Hare & Hound, EnduroCross, and the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS).

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Motocross Bikes

Motocross bikes are designed to be raced on man-made tracks that are built in natural terrain. The obstacles commonly found on a motocross track include jumps, turns, ruts, and bumps. MX bikes have stiffer suspension settings to withstand the higher speeds, rough terrain, and larger impacts such as jump landings.

Motocross bikes are also raced in Supercross, which is similar to motocross, but is more of a pro-level discipline and the tracks are completely man-made. The races are held inside stadiums, so the tracks are shorter in length. In comparison to motocross, the jumps are steeper, the turns are sharper, and the obstacles are much closer together.

Nearly all MX bikes are powered by gas engines, but manufacturers like Alta produce electric motocross bikes including the Redshift MXR and Redshift MX.

Adventure Bikes

Adventure bikes, also called “ADV motorcycles,” are designed to be ridden on the dirt and street. ADV bikes are similar to a dual-sport bike, but they are larger overall, have bigger-displacement engines, higher-capacity fuel tanks, and are heavier. Some of them feature ABS, traction control, crashbars, and street-oriented tires in stock trim too. Some common adventure bike manufacturers include Honda, KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph, BMW, and Ducati.

Trials Bikes

A trials bike is designed to ride over obstacles at low speeds. These lightweight motorcycles are geared very low and have lots of torque. In trials competitions, competitors are judged by the amount of times they put their foot down, or “dab,” in a series of “sections.” The rider with the least number of dabs at the end of the competition is the winner. The main trials bike manufacturers are GasGas, Beta, Sherco, Scorpa, and Montesa.

Mini Bikes

Mini bikes are small-sized motorcycles designed for kids. They allow young riders to learn to ride and develop skills to help them transition to regular-sized dirt bikes when they grow enough to ride them, whether they be dirt bikes or street bikes. Mini bikes usually have anywhere between 50cc and 125cc displacement engines, smaller wheels, and have either an automatic or manual clutch. Popular mini bike manufacturers include Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Husqvarna, Suzuki, Yamaha. Also, some companies such as Torrot, Oset, and Beta produce electric mini dirt bikes.

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