Motorcycle was born in Germany in 1885, has been more than a hundred years of history. During the period through the war and a number of economic depressions, the development of motorcycles has never stopped, from the beginning of the shockless all-wooden structure to today’s optical communication electronic control system, the motorcycle has long since become a combination of modern science and technology and art products.

The development of the motorcycle can not be said to have no competitive credit. 1907, the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race was held for the first time on the Isle of Man, the era of competitive motorcycle began. In the decades that followed, major races were held one after another, and while the competitions showcased the riders’ skills, they also gave major motorcycle brands the opportunity to publicize and advance their skills.

Today we’ll take a look at some of the world’s most famous motorcycle races and experience the unique charm of competition.

1.Moto GP

Grand Prix motorcycle racing, referred to as Moto GP, was founded in 1949 and was called WGP before 2002, but in 2002, the FIM changed the name of the top-level GP500 as well as the name of the entire race to Moto GP.

The race started with six stops, but was later expanded to 17 stops after 2005, with Moto3 (250cc), Moto2 (600cc), and MotoGP (1000cc) classes in each stop. The racing cars used in the race are all special models, the pursuit of speed and spectacle, the pace of the race is tight, the riders usually do not stop for refueling, overtaking can happen at any time.

2. WSBK

The World Superbike Championship, or SBK for short, began in the 1970s. It is a two-session race with a break in the middle for repairs and tuning of the bikes. The time of the two sessions is added up to determine the ranking and accumulate points, the highest points of the year is the overall champion, and the team with the highest points is the champion team of the year.

SBK is the top motorcycle race with Moto GP. The unique charm of SBK lies in the fact that the race bikes used in the race are all super sports bikes available on the market, which can be competed with a little bit of modification, so that even if ordinary fans don’t participate in the race, they can still go to the race track to feel the fun of driving.

3. The Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 hours

First held in 1978, the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 hours is one of the most important annual motorcycle races in Japan. Scheduled for the last Sunday of July every year, bikers from all over the world battle it out on the track for eight hours, which requires not only speed and riding skills, but also strong mental and physical strength.

The  Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 hours once surpassed the GP500 in the 1980s and 1990s, but in recent years it has been in a somewhat awkward position, firstly because of the severe traffic jams caused during the race, which forced the Japanese government to enact a law limiting the number of spectators at the race. Then the FIM passed a law requiring endurance cars to be the same as SBK cars, which also made the  Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 hours lose its uniqueness to a large extent.

4. Isle of Man Tourist Trophy

The Isle of Man TT Motorcycle Race is a small island located between England and Ireland. The first motorcycle race was held in 1907 and was known as the International Motorcycle Tourist Cup, since then it has been renamed Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, which is held on the island in June every year and belongs to the World Superbike Championship class of road motorcycle racing.

The course is a 60-kilometer highway around the outskirts of the Isle of Man with approximately 226 turns, making it the longest track in the world. The race is timed, with each rider completing a set number of laps (4 laps for the Superstock class and 6 laps for the Superbike class), and the winner being the one with the shortest time. The race is the most dangerous and spectacular motorcycle race in the world, with an average speed of over 200km/h and a maximum speed of over 330km/h.

5. Night of The Jumps

Night of The Jumps is the world’s premier extreme motorcycle championship sanctioned by the International Motorcycling Federation. The first competition was held in Germany in 2001 and attracted a large number of fanatics with its climactic style of competition.

World records are easily broken, such as the “Highest Height” and “Youngest Competitor to Perform a Backflip”. The nearly three-hour event also includes a number of other performances, such as backflips, motorized snowmobiles and scooters, making it a great spectator event.

6. Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally is known as Le Dakar in French, and each year the event is named after a sponsor or region. The race is divided into a motorcycle category, a small car category (including cars and SUVs), and a truck category. There is no restriction on whether a driver is a professional or not, and about 80% of the participants are amateurs.

The race is called a rally, but it is actually an endurance race away from the road. Participating vehicles are real off-road vehicles that need to cross sand dunes, mud, grass, rocks and deserts, traveling from a few kilometers to several hundred kilometers each day, a true “game of the brave”.

7. CSBK

China Superbike Championship (CSBK), started in 2007, is the most authoritative motorcycle race in China, aiming to show the latest technology and cultivate Chinese local outstanding riders.

There are four categories, namely 600cc, GP125ccA, GP125ccB and 140cc Open. Riders with outstanding performance in the races will be selected by China Motorcycle Association to participate in the Asian Road Championship, MotoGP and other international competitions.

8. Sidecar World Championship

Sidecar World Championship, started in 1980, is the top event for sidecar motorcycles. In the early days, a side-wheeled motorcycle was just a frame added to the side of an ordinary motorcycle, but now the shape is getting more and more streamlined and the center of gravity is getting lower and lower.

Participating riders are usually in groups of two, and the competition tests not only vehicle performance and driving skills, but also the coordination and tacit understanding between the two riders. When cornering, riders need to adjust their own posture to change the center of gravity of the vehicle, so as to maintain vehicle stability, which is also a major attraction of the side three-wheeled.

9. AMA Supercross Championship

The AMA Supercross Championship, sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), was established in 1954. It is a very American motorcycle series, with events running from January through mid-May and consisting of five forms of competition: one-mile cinder track racing, half-mile cinder track racing, short track racing, TT off-road obstacle course racing, and road racing.

The Supercross Championship was the nation’s premier motorcycle series from the early 1950s through the late 1970s until Supercross motorcycle events held in major league stadiums became more popular.

10. Macau Grand Prix

The Grand Prix is the oldest street car race in the world and the only street event in the world that can host both car and motorcycle races. The Grand Prix was first held in 1954 and has since become an annual event in the Macau motoring scene.

The race takes place on Macau’s Guia Circuit, a 6.2km-long track that mainly uses the existing downtown streets as a runway, featuring high-speed straights and sharp, roundabout curves, with the narrowest point being only 7 meters, and is widely recognized as one of the world’s toughest circuits to deal with.

There are many more exciting motorcycle races, so that’s all for today. We hope that there will be more and more quality races, because it is not only a competition of speed and power, but also a demonstration of technological progress and people’s inner love, as well as a powerful drive to promote the development of the industry.