Dirt Bike Vs Motorcycle: Are Dirt Bikes Different Than Road Bikes?

Table of Content

1. What is a Dirt Bike? 2. Dirt Bike Vs Motorcycle: Detailed Comparison

Motorcycling has highly evolved. The motorbikes our grandparents used to ride were quite different from the ones we ride now. Also, bikes were a necessity at that time, as they were one of the main modes of transportation. However, as of now, bikes have become a luxury and a mode of entertainment for outdoor activities.

There are many different types of motorbikes. Every motorbike category and style is different from each other. They are used for their unique purposes. Over time, off-roading became a thing. Riders love to explore hidden spots and barren places. It keeps them close to nature.

However, there arises a problem. Motorbikes designed for paved roads were not able to run on dirt tracks. Therefore, engineers had to redesign bikes and make certain changes to make motorbikes capable of overcoming off-road terrains.

Regardless of the reengineering, dirt bikes and motorcycles are the same thing. People are seen asking this question: “Is a dirt bike a motorcycle?” Dirt bikes are also motorbikes. They are just built differently for different purposes.

The comparison ‘ dirt bike vs motorcycle ’ has been going on forever. Most bike riders who are shifting towards off-roading and want to try something different are found to ask this question:

“Are Dirt Bikes Different Than Road Bikes/Motorcycles?”

As far as riding a bike is concerned, both dirt bikes and motorcycles are quite different from each other. The riding style, ergonomics, geometry, and technique of riding a dirt bike are different from riding a roadster or a bike designed for paved roads.

Continue reading this article to learn in detail about dirt bike versus motorcycle and how is riding a dirt bike different from riding a bike.

1. What is a Dirt Bike?

A dirt bike motorcycle is a type of bike specially designed for off-roading. It is lightweight, low-powered, and tall to ensure a good ground clearance for better off-roading.

A dirt bike has off-road knobby tires to ensure better grip and traction while maneuvering on dirt tracks and gravel.

A dirt bike motorcycle is also slim, with a narrow and long seat for riders to adjust their body positions during the ride.

A dirt bike is also designed to allow riders to control the bike with their legs and body. This ensures riders overcome the off-road challenges.

Must Read: 12 Best Off-Road Motorcycle Riding Tips for Beginners

2. Dirt Bike Vs Motorcycle: Detailed Comparison

Dirt Bike Versus Motorcycle
Dirt Bike	Vs	Motorcycle
Dirt bikes are built and designed for off-roading. They are not suitable for riding on city streets and roads.	Purpose	Motorcycles are designed and built for paved roads. They are highly unsuitable for off-road riding. They can get damaged if you use road-biased motorbikes on unpaved terrains.
Dirt bike motorcycles come with knobby tires for off-roading. Such tires help dirt bikes to ensure better dirt grip and traction in different off-road conditions.	Tires	Motorcycles designed for road travel feature smooth tires. It is because they already have a greater area in contact with the ground/road. This allows for optimum traction on dry and plain surfaces. A smooth tire is also best for better handling and acceleration on roads. Sports bikes have smoother tires than other road bike types. These smooth tires are also known as slicks.
Dirt bikes usually feature single-cylinder small engines. They usually come equipped with 250 cc to 450 cc engines.	Engine Type / Engine Displacement Size	Motorcycles designed for paved roads have varying engine sizes and types. There are many different types, classes, and categories of road bikes, each targeted for a specific market. There are V-Twins, mostly associated with cruiser motorbikes. There are Boxer engines by BMW, V4, and inlines, especially parallel-twin engines. The engine size usually starts from 125 cc, 300 cc, and 500 cc as well. Motorbikes with these displacement sizes are best for beginners, and these bikes are known as beginner bikes. Then comes bigger motorcycles with bigger engines, including sports bikes, cruisers, touring bikes, and adventure bikes. The engines installed in these bikes, especially cruiser bikes and touring bikes, have a maximum capacity of around 2,500 cc.
Having smaller engines, dirt bikes do not produce great horsepower figures. Top-end power is not even a requirement in dirt bikes. As a dirt bike rider, you don’t have to attain top speeds. The purpose is to overcome off-road challenges. For that, riders require better torque to ensure they don’t get stuck while off-roading. For this purpose, dirt bikes’s engines produce enough grunt.	Power and Torque	Motorcycles usually produce much greater horsepower than dirt bikes. Even a beginner bike can produce more horsepower than a dirt bike. However, the power and torque figures can vary in motorcycles, depending on the engine and motorbike type.
Dirt bikes are quite lightweight, so they can be easily maneuvered on dirt tracks. Due to being lightweight, they are highly maneuverable and agile.	Weight	Standard bikes or on-road bikes are usually heavier than dirt bikes. They are designed heavier to ensure stable rides on highways and open roads. A lightweight motorcycle is considered highly unsafe for highway cruising as it will not maintain stability.
Dirt bikes have high ground clearance to ensure they can maneuver and overcome obstacles easily.	Ground Clearance	Motorcycles built for on-roading have decent or low ground clearance. This ensures a low center of gravity, making road bikes more stable.
Riding a dirt bike requires riders to have strong control over the clutch. The clutch is also used more frequently on dirt bikes compared to motorcycles. It is mainly because you need to brake and shift gears more often on dirt bikes than on motorcycles due to obstacles on dirt tracks. You cannot go smoothly on a dirt bike compared to riding on a straight and open road on a road-biased bike.	Clutch Use / Clutch Control	Though clutch control is important while riding a road bike, you don’t use it frequently while cruising on highways. However, if you are riding on a busy road with traffic, you will need to engage the clutch more often.
Dirt bikes require a sharp braking system. You will be required to stop the dirt bike immediately due to certain obstacles. There are a lot of uncertainties while off-roading. Also, a dirt track is more unpredictable than a road or a highway. Braking in dirt bikes is also used for sharp cornering. Dirt bike riders use the rear wheel brakes to turn tight corners by sliding the rear tire and using traction.	Braking	The braking system on modern road bikes is also very precise and reliable. The traction provided by the tarmac/road is adequate to stop the bike in a moment if the bike has good braking, including ABS. However, this may lead to motorcycle skidding on one side, resulting in a bike crash. This is mainly because road-biased bikes have smooth tires, and they skid easily when applying brakes. On the other hand, applying the front brake suddenly can cause the front wheel to lock and the rear wheel to lift up, resulting in a stoppie. Therefore, to avoid such scenarios, motorcycles are designed to make bikes come to a stop gradually and avoid skidding and other unfavorable situations. Emergency braking is much more dangerous in road motorbikes than in dirt bikes.
Suspensions installed in dirt bikes are softer than road-biased motorbikes. This is because off-road riders have to deal with extreme off-road challenges, obstacles, and bumps. The long-wheel travel suspension in dirt bikes makes it easy for riders to overcome off-road challenges. Such suspension settings in dirt bikes allow for better agility and control over the bike while off-roading.	Suspension	Suspensions installed in road-biased motorcycles are hard. They usually have short wheel travel. They are designed to ensure more stable riders on paved roads. If you hit a bump or an obstacle on the road while motorcycling, the suspensions installed on road bikes will not abruptly start squeezing and expanding. In fact, the springs installed contract and expand at a slow pace. So riders don’t feel uncomfortable hitting a bump or a pothole while riding.
The handlebars installed on a dirt bike are wide, decently tall, and upright. Being wider, these handlebars ensure better and swift control over the dirt bike. These handlebars also ensure better steering in difficult off-road situations. As an off-road rider, you will need to change the direction of the dirt bike immediately as you face obstacles.	Handlebars	Handlebars on most road-based bikes are not as wide as dirt bikes. The width of handlebars is shorter, especially in sports bikes. As you move towards a more sportier stance, the handlebars become narrower. This is major because you require a more streamlined riding experience. Also, besides steering a motorcycle, you take corners by leaning the bike and adjusting your body weight in the direction of the corner.
Turning corners while riding a dirt bike is also different from road-biased motorcycles. You will be required to place your foot down while turning a corner in certain off-roading situations. As in most riding situations, you will be required to l ean a dirt bike in the direction of the corner to take a turn. However, what makes it different is the rider’s position. While taking a turn on a dirt bike, you will have to adjust your body weight in the opposite direction of the turn to keep the bike stable. You will also be required to use the rear wheel traction and braking to turn sharp corners on dirt bikes while off-roading.	Turning Corners	Turning corners on a road-biased motorcycle is different. Apart from leaning on the bike, you also need to shift your body weight or hang off while riding a sports bike. You don’t touch the ground with your feet to take corners while on-roading. Counter-steering is also a very important concept for taking a turn on a motorcycle. To go right, riders will need to push the right side of the handlebars slightly while pulling the left-hand side of the handlebars gently. Similarly, to move the bike to the left while riding, gently push the left-hand side of the handlebars and gently pull the right side of the bars.
Riding a dirt bike is a more thrilling and adventurous experience. It feels like an accomplishment to successfully maneuver a dirt bike on a challenging off-road track. Riding a dirt bike or off-roading is among the best and a very popular outdoor activity, especially in the US.	Riding Experience	If you love to go fast at top speeds and ride aggressively, you are inclined more towards road riding. You feel fresh air touching your hair and body as you cruise down the highways and open roads. Riding on paved roads is a completely different experience that gives you the adrenaline rush.
Riding a dirt bike, you must frequently stand on pegs while facing obstacles and potholes. It heavily reduces the impact of obstacles or bumps. Your legs act as springs/suspension as you stand up on the pegs. You will likely lose control of your bike if you don’t stand on your pegs while overcoming off-road challenges.	Standing on the Pegs	Riding on-road motorcycles on paved roads doesn’t require you to stand on the pegs unless you experience some serious obstacle on the road.
Dirt Bikes: For long-distance off-roading. Enduro bikes: For short-distance off-roading. Motocross Motorcycles: Designed for specialized off-road racing competitions involving multiple obstacles and challenges.	Types of Motorcycles	Standard Bikes / Roadsters Cruiser Bikes Touring Bikes Sport Bikes Baggers Naked Bikes Cafe Racers Choppers Bobbers
Dirt bikes are quite inexpensive compared to road-biased motorbikes. Dirt bikes are cheaper because they are simple, low-powered, and basic. They don’t have to-end luxurious features like most premium road bikes.	Price	Motorcycles designed for road travel are comparatively much more expensive than dirt bikes. However, it mainly depends on the type of motorcycle, its engine size, and the technology.