There are many forms of motorcycle racing and in most cases motorcycle transport is required to get the motorcycle to the racing venue. Many sponsored race teams ship motorcycles in their own specialized trailers. Privateer race teams provide their own motorcycle shipping or hire motorcycle shippers to ship a motorcycle.
One of the most popular form of motorcycle racing is closed course sport bike style racing. Sport bikes are light weight high performance motorcycles tuned specifically for road courses and high speeds. Race teams go to great lengths to keep weight down while still providing high strength to meet the demands of high speed road racing. The two most well known race courses in the United States for high speed sport bike racing are Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway in California and the Circuit of America track in Texas. Both of these tracks offer a variety of turns and straightaways along with a number of elevation changes. Each of these tracks has hosted the most prestigious form of sport bike racing there is, MotoGP. MotoGP is well known throughout the world as the pinnacle of the sport bike racing world. The most prolific sport bike racer of recent times is Italian Valentino Rossi. Valentino Rossi has an incredible knack for winning. Rossi has won numerous titles in MotoGP and is a national hero in Italy. He has ridden for numerous teams and has won many championships along the way.
Another popular form of motorcycle racing is motocross. Motocross racers use light weight high performance off road motorcycles. These dirt bikes have quick throttle response and long travel suspension. Tire selection is very important when racing on the dirt. Race teams usually have a large selection of tire designs, compounds and tread patterns to use for various track layouts and dirt consistencies. Motocross is known to be one of the most physically demanding Sports there is, second only to soccer. Conditioning for the athletes who ride motocross is key. Riders need to be both physically strong and mentally tough. A high degree of skill is required to reach the top of the motocross racing world. Some people think that the motorcycle does all the work but that is not the case. When you consider the average bike weighs over 200 pounds and the riders have to put those bikes in the right position to negotiate each obstacle on each lap it can be very taxing on the body and the mind.
Enduro racing has been around for many decades and continues to grow in popularity. Enduro race teams use bikes similar to motorcross teams but have some subtle but important differences. Enduro races take place over a much larger area and can cover varied terrain such as hills, sand, water crossings, forests, etc. Bike setup for enduro racing is very important and often times enduro racers need to have scheduled pit stops for fuel in order to complete the race.
Another motorcycle event growing in popularity is trails riding. Trails events are not so much a race as a test of rider skills. Trails events take place at off road venues where the trails riders negotiate obstacles and are judged on a point system. Trails bikes are extremely light weight with special tires to help negotiate large rocks, fallen trees, etc.