For dirt-bikers, it is 'the dustier, the better'.

These are not the sort of biker boys who spend hours polishing their bikes- chrome bits so they shine like Bruce
Willis- bald head.

Their powerful bikes, scramblers as they are called,have hardly any chrome on them. They are light and are
tough enough to withstand falls, get kick-started again and roar through yet more dirt.

Oh yes, these riders love to push their mean machines to the limit. They cut across dirt tracks, soar over humps
and kick up clouds of dust as they skid around corners.

On weekends and some weekdays, their noisy bikes can be seen and heard at Circuit@Tuas, the only legal motocross track in Singapore. Entry is $15 per hour or $50 for four hours.

Others flout the law and tackle out-of-the-way terrain in places such as Changi and Tanah Merah.

So popular is the sport that some enthusiasts such as Bryan Kuang, 29, do it professionally.

He has won several awards, including the Overall Champion title in the Super Motard Race here in 2006.

Motard racing is done with scramblers that have been fitted with road tyres.

The IT administrator says: "I've tried all sorts of bikes, but dirt-biking is the sport every youngster should try. It
costs less and is more technical because there are a lot of moves involved."

He explains: "Negotiating a corner on the road is easy because your wheels are on the ground and there is a lot of
traction and control, but not on the dirt track where there is dirt and sand and your bike is flying over humps."

While he uses bikes specially built for racing, you can buy second-hand dirt bikes that double as road bikes for as low as $1,500. Bigger and newer models cost more than $10,000.

Protective gear such as heavy-duty body suits and knee pads will set riders back by a few hundred dollars.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 1, 2008.