Hare scramble is a form of
off-road motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
that varies in distance and time, with the riders completing multiple laps around a marked course through
wooded
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
or other rugged natural
terrain
Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin word ...
.
Course
Hare scrambles are conducted on closed course tracks which can vary from or more. The terrain is wooded and fairly rugged in order to test the riders' skills and endurance. The majority of the course consists of a wooded, single and double width trail, with occasional pasture and sand crossings. An event may incorporate a short portion of a pre-existing
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
track. The natural terrain tests the riders' abilities to navigate through obstacles such as creek beds, logs, hills, mud, rocks and
ruts. Some trails are cut to or less so motorcycle handlebars will not fit between trees, requiring special skills to navigate. The winner of each class is typically determined by who completes the most laps within a predetermined period of time. The most common time period for a hare scramble competition is 1, 2 or 3 hours.
A
Grand National Cross Country
The Grand National Cross Country Series is an American motorcycle racing series. The off-road race series was founded by Dave Coombs in 1975 and is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). The competition is similar to motocro ...
(GNCC) is not a Hare Scramble; rather GNCC is wide open courses that are laid out to allow ATVs to run the same course as motorbikes. Conversely, Hare Scramble runs at a slower rate and is much tighter, requiring a different set of skills than GNCC.
Categorization
By riders' skills
The competitors are typically categorized by their relative skill levels and the
displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and Physics
* Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
of their motorcycle's engine. For example, many hare scrambles categorize rider ability in three categories, A, B, and C, A being the highest skill level. The C class is usually riders who are in their first couple of years of competition or who compete infrequently. There is usually a point system that regulates a rider's progress from the entry level class on up to the top class. A very high level of skill is needed to progress through the various skill categories. Many riders never progress out of the C category of competition, and very few riders have the skill and determination to progress to the A category. There is a meta category AA (double A) that denotes an A rider that competes in Professional events.
By engine size
The categories based on engine size frequently use the following thresholds of engine capacity: 0-50cc, 66-85cc, 85-100cc, 124cc-200cc, 201-250cc, and larger than 250cc. Accordingly, a beginning rider on a 200cc motorcycle would likely compete in the 200C class, which denotes both the capacity of his or her motorcycle and the relative skill level of the competitor.
By rider’s age
Once riders reach a certain age they are eligible to enter the “age classes” although they are not forced to: 30+ (30+), 35+ (Veteran), 40+ (Senior), 45+ (Super Senior), 50+ (Master), 55+ (Silver Master), 60+ (Golden Master). The age classes are then categorized by the skill categories as well, for example Vet B.
[http://www.floridatrailriders.org/uploads/rules/2018-2019-Rule-Book.pdf ]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hare scramble
Dirt biking
Motorcycle racing by type
Off-road racing