If you're after a supermotard but don't have very much money then an already converted two-stroke motocross bike is probably the best way to go. The one thing to remember about the ex-motocross bikes, though, is that their engines are very high maintenance. Although the engine in 'motard guise won't be abused to the extent it would've been in its original environment, you'll still need to replace the piston rings regularly.

Okay, not to the same extent as our motocross cousins have to (a Honda CR500, for example, is supposed to have a new spark plug every 7.5 hours of racing, the cylinder head cleaned after the same amount of time ... which is convenient as the piston and rings should be changed at the same time, too), but if you want your bike to remain in absolute tip-top condition then you better be either very rich, sponsored or a pretty good mechanic. Oh, and if you're racing your two-stroke then you must use fully synthetic racing two-stroke oil (not the cheaper fully synthetic two-stroke oil for road bikes), the prices for which start at $12.00 a litre.

If you've got a little more money, or you're not the world's greatest mechanic, then you really want a four-stroke bike. In my personal opinion four-stroke 'motards are also a lot easier for a supermotard novice to ride and race - especially if that novice has little or no off-road experience.

If you fancy building your own bike then the Honda XR650 or the CRF is very possibly the most common four-stroke choice for 'motard conversion (there's certainly quite a lot of them raced in the US, and raced very competitively, too), although Yamaha's YZ426F & WR450F bikes are also rapidly gaining in popularity.

Then there's the exotica - The Husky NOX is simply gorgeous, as are VOR's pant-wettingly superb 450/500 SM and Supermotard R Competition machines. There's also Husaberg's FS 400e, FS 650e, FS 400c, FS 650c, Gas Gas' SM125, SM250 and FSE 400 and the slightly unusual looking Vertemati S 501 (kick-start) and SE 501. Learners aren't left out, either, although these bikes will all need restricting for UK learner use; Husqvarna's SM125, and Derbi's Supermotard 50cc.