In the Fifties and Sixties American dirt track motorcycle racing fans' attention was focused on half-mile and mile oval flat track races and the occasional TT race looped inside the half-mile tracks to include a jump. There were a few "scramble" races on tracks but the surfaces were graded and smoothed so they were more-or-less flat track races with a few more left hand turns and a jump or two. Motocross, as we know it today was the sport of Europeans. All that changed in 1968 when motocross was "imported" into America, first as the "Inter-Am" series in 1968-'69, then as the 'Trans-Am" series in 1970. Classic race tracks ranged from the movie backlot at Westlake Village and the arid Carlsbad and Saddleback Park in California to Linnville, Ohio, and Unadilla, New York, and Pepperrell, Massachusetts. The best European riders - Roger Decoster, Jeff Smith, Joel Robert, Torsten Hallman, Bengt Aberg, Arne Kring, Vic Allan, Dave Bickers and others - competed against the brash new American like Gary Bailey, Dick Mann, Marty Tripes, Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Gary Jones, Rex Stanton, Barry Higgens, Preston Petty and more. This is the story of the beginning of what has become America's #1 dirt sport.

Larry Linkogle was a child-prodigy motocross racer who turned pro at age 15. A daredevil and rebel from the start, he quit the sport in spectacular fashion during a major national event and went home to create a new extreme sport -- Freestyle Motocross (FMX) -- marked by high-flying stunts and death-defying action. From there, the ride just got wilder. On a lark, he and a friend created The Metal Mulisha -- now a top brand in FMX -- and he was on a fast track to the good life. But after a near-fatal accident, "Link "made a series of decisions that almost finished him off for good -- getting involved in prescription drugs, drug and gun running, underground fistfighting, and other behavior that compromised his health, his relationships, and his career. After hitting rock bottom and experiencing a moment of clarity, Link began to turn things around, salvaging and strengthening the things that mattered most. Now an icon to millions of extreme sports fans, Link is well on the road to a happy ending.

This book covers the long history, from its origins through to the present day, of the historic Italian manufacturer Beta Motorcycles, active in the two-wheeled world for over 100 years, presenting previously unpublished material. A particularly versatile firm, Beta Motorcycles has proved capable of diversifying its products--building all kinds of motorcycles--and satisfying the mutating demands of its clientele. The Florentine marque built its own two- and four-stroke engines in-house, but has always been open to joint ventures with other European or Japanese firms. Founded as a bicycle manufacturer, Beta Motorcycles moved into the moped market in the 1960s, off-road motorcycles in the late 1970s, enduro models in the following decade and then scooters, for over 20 years, not to mentions the Trial sector in which it conquered eight World Championship titles. In more recent years the company has returned to the “classic” Motocross and Enduro categories and in 2016 collected a further two world titles, including the Constructors’ Championship. The book features a comprehensive catalog of every model and every engine produced by Beta Motorcycles over more than a century.

Lets readers explore the sport and bikes of motocross.

At nineteen, Ashley Fiolek is already the top female competitor in a tough men's sport: motocross, one of the most dangerous extreme sports in the world. Since going pro in late 2007, Fiolek has taken gold at the X Games, twice won the American Women's Motocross Championship, and become the first woman in American motocross history to be signed to a factory team—the highest echelon of industry backing. These remarkable achievements seem even more extraordinary because Fiolek was born profoundly deaf, a handicap that makes everyday life difficult . . . and competition on the track downright treacherous. But Fiolek has never let her disability stand in the way of her dreams, nor has she allowed her gender to limit her career. One of the sport's most talked-about stars, she's changing the way the industry views women. Kicking Up Dirt is the remarkable true story of Ashley Fiolek's ride to greatness—the inspiring tale of a courageous young woman's determination to succeed in the face of truly challenging obstacles.

Profiles of several motocross legends, including Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath.

Did you know that the top motocross best trick riders can fly off jumps without holding on to their bikes? At the X Games best trick competition, you might see stunts like no-handers, can cans, and no-footers. Some pro best trick riders can even pull off a double backflip!