tmas morning, when my Dad rolled a brand new YZ50 out of the garage. I learned to ride a dirt bike that very day, and from that point on my passion for the sport would continue to grow. Since then, I have climbed the ladder of motocross bikes going from an ‘87 Yamaha50 to a ‘93 Kawasaki80 to a ’95 Kawasaki125 to my current bike which is a ’99 Honda250. Bikes are classified according to the number of cubic centimeters that make up the engine. For example, a fifty-cc motor is only fifty cubic centimeters in size. The sport has taught me many valuable lessons. I learned a great amount of balance and about a gas engine as well as many other skills. Motocross has kept me in good shape through the years and has always provided a challenge. Although many people argue that it is too dangerous, with the right mindset and patience, the sport is safe and lots of fun.The are many famous names in the sport of motocross. Some of the most current famous names are Travis Pastrana, Jeremy McGrath, and Stephane Roncada. Travis Pastrana is one of motocross’ newest and youngest riders. He is only sixteen years old and rides professionally for Team Suzuki. Pastrana is a very aggressive rider and a showman for his fans. In January of 2000 Pastrana was in a freestyle jumping competition in which he easily took first place. For his finally jump he got the crowd on their feet and then jumped his bike out of the arena into a lake, all for the fans. The highly illegal and remarkably dangerous stunt cost Pastrana 10,000 dollars in prize money (Gordon 1). Jeremy McGrath is a rider that brought motocross most of its attention. He is twenty-six years old and started racing in the American Motorcycle Association’s Supercross series in 1993. Since then he has won fifty-one races, almost twice as many wins as any other rider, and four straight national championships, from ’93 through ’96 (Mooney 1). McG...
