While the focus of many Supercross followers this year seems to be on who will win the Supercross championship of 2012, it is also important to take stock of the machines and the sophisticated technology that make the riders look good in the winner’s circle. While nothing can destroy the fact that these Supercross riders are very talented, but it is their workhorses, the dirt bikes, that take up most if not all of the punishment of the highly competitive race. Winning or losing the race could boil down to three major factors.
The first would be the tires. It is incredibly surprising that these pieces of rubber would be one of the keys to win a championship race. Many people did not see how the Bridgestone tires were basically winning all the major races a couple of years ago. It is not just about the tread that is being utilized, but it is also about the genius of the shape, casing, all the way down to how it was made and how well it functioned in conjunction with the suspension.
Suspension is the second factor that holds the key to winning the competition. It is not based so much on the components but is very much based on the talented technicians who do the research and development. Most riders use the same settings from previous seasons and just modify them based on feel. Some innovations like bypass systems and air suspension would become game changers if their full potential were realized.
One of the things that would not make any real significance is traction control. Many people with little technical knowledge made hay of this issue before. However, it is safe to say that riders can easily achieve superior traction control on their own without any sophisticated gadgetry.
The final factor that would determine whether a rider wins or loses the Supercross Race 2012 is the way he feels before he gets on his dirt bike. In essence, this is the physical appearance of the machine as well as the opinion of fans about how good or ridiculous looking the dirt bike is. This does not just refer to the color of the bike, but also the way the decals and stickers have been arranged before he gets on and races on that bike. This could make or break his confidence level and it may just mean the difference between winning and losing a championship racing competition.