"The Dirt Bike and American Off-road Motorcycle Culture in the 1970s"

The 1960s were a time of dramatic change in America’s stated values, mores, and interests; of experimentation and expanding boundaries. As the 1960s passed into 1970, the availability of vast off-road areas, a lust for personal freedom, and the appearance of light-weight, purpose-built off-road motorcycles set the stage for a nationwide boom in off-road motorcycling. The author explores dirt bike design, 3 important phases of the 1970s dirt bike boom, American off-road motorcycling culture, and the beginnings and influence of the cultural voice of the movement—the irreverent, style-influencing, and comedic “DIRT BIKE Magazine”. The author concludes by examining who these Americans were, why they were drawn to the movement, and how the formative conditions enabling the movement changed over the decade.