What Is Supermoto?
The term Supermoto originates from a type of motorcycle racing which combines road racing, flat-track and motocross.
Off-road bikes equipped with road wheels, sports tyres and stiffer suspension are used for this style of riding.
This type of motorcycle quickly became popular for street riding and with its motocross DNA the rider could also partake in off-roading, jumps, stunts and general street hooligan shenanigans.
Supermoto bikes are robust, lightweight, fast cornering, precise handling machines and their adaptability offers the ultimate fun factor like no other motorcycle.
Supermoto Racing
The racing is held on tracks that are a combination of asphalt and dirt sections. The majority of tracks consist of around 60 – 75% asphalt with the remaining percentage being off-road.
These tracks tend to be smaller and more technical, featuring infield dirt sections constructed of packed clay, bermed corners and motocross styled jumps.
The riders combine the skills of street racing, dirt track and motocross, which makes for fantastic action packed racing.
On the asphalt you can expect to see riders sliding out the rear end of their bikes while leaning over at crazy angles before tearing up the dirt sections and attempting double or triple jumps.
Supermoto Riders
Supermoto racing appeals to both motocross and superbike riders that want to combine both skills. For obvious reasons motocross riders tend to adapt quicker to this style of riding.
Owning a street legal Supermoto will tick the boxes for those supersport riders who are getting fed up of aching backs, crazy top speeds and break neck acceleration but still yearn for that adrenaline fix.
Unlike a supersport, the Supermoto can be ridden in a variety of styles which offers the rider bucket loads of thrills at much lower speeds.
Are Supermotos Like Dual Sports?
Just like Supermotos, dual sports are road legal dirt bikes. However, dual sports have knobbly tyres, low top speeds, mediocre brakes and handle like a wheelie bin through fast corners on the road. These bikes are most definitely suited for off-roading.
Whereas the Supermoto is happiest on the road. Going fast through the twisties, pulling outrageous wheelies and occasionally veering off onto trails for some exploration and off-road frolics.
The Supermoto is the “Jack of all trades, master of none” motorcycle. It isn’t better on a dirt track than a motocross and it can’t go around a race track quicker than a supersport. It won’t be a relaxed cruiser and it’s far from ideal as just a commuter.
However it can do ALL of the above which makes for a motorcycle with very few boundaries.
Aprilia SXV550 By Aerostyle
The Supermoto Bike
Before the big named manufacturers produced their own Supermotos, motocross bikes, usually 450cc would be converted.
The motocross wheels were replaced by smaller 17″ road wheels with wider tyres. For racing, a 16.5″ front wheel was often used to provide quicker turning.
To ensure excellent braking the front disc would be replaced for a larger one. Also an upgraded front brake master cylinder + braided hose could be included for greater braking performance.
The front suspension would also be replaced for stiffer fully adjustable inverted forks because motocross suspension is generally not suitable for proper Supermoto riding.
The gearing ratio, carburettor jetting, compression ratio and camshaft could be changed to achieve higher top speeds.
If required the bike could have the necessary items added to make it street legal – lights, horn, indicators, speedometer, ignition and so on.
Quite a few manufacturers now produce specific Supermoto models which takes all the headaches out of converting one yourself.
Check out the clips below to see what’s involved in converting the awesome KTM 500 EXC. Be sure to click on the Conversion page for further information.
Supermoto Engine Size
Engine sizes range from 125cc up to 1100cc. Although a 450cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke is still considered ideal.
Some of the larger capacity bikes will not appeal to the Supermoto purist. 
"Aggressive Off-road Riding Style For The Street "
An Awesome Husaberg TE 300 Conversion
The Early Days
Supermoto emerged in the seventies and in 1979 the American Broadcasting Company in it’s Wide World of Sports era commissioned a series titled Superbikers. The intention was to find the best all-round motorcycle racer.
This event involved a track that incorporated both tarmac and dirt which enabled them to attract world championship riders from all areas of motorcycle racing, both on and off-road.
Although the Superbikers series has long gone you can still watch the elite Supermoto riders compete in various championships around the world.
Be sure to check out the BSSC British Supermoto Championship, American AMA Supermoto Championship and the S1GP World Championship.
Supermoto Summary
You can summarise Supermoto in just one word. FUN!
The agility and speed of these bikes makes riding them exhilarating and just a blast. This is more than evident when viewing clips online and hearing riders laughing and buzzing with enthusiasm.
If you want a hassle-free introduction to Supermoto then buying a purpose built model is the way to go.
That said, converting a road legal dual sport or enduro motorcycle isn’t that difficult and if it’s mainly street riding you’re after then this is a popular option.
For those who want the nearest thing to a race bike you will need to convert a motocross. However, this can prove costly and time consuming!
Whether you purchase a Supermoto or not I hope there’s something of interest on this website. Welcome to Supermoto. 
Contact
If you have a suggestion for the site or interested in working with us then it would be great to hear from you.
The easiest way to get in touch is by email: info[at]supermoto.co.uk
Thanks for stopping by – 
