Manufacturers and state motor vehicle departments use two general categories of motorcycles. There are the street-legal or on-road machines you see cruising around town or along the highways. Dirt bikes or off-road bikes make up the second category of motorcycles. They are designed and equipped to take on and conquer the roughest terrain.
Both categories of motorcycles come equipped with two wheels, a seat, handlebars, brakes, and an engine, so it may be difficult to determine just from looking at it whether that machine sitting in the middle of your garage can be legally ridden on the street. Here are a few ways to determine what are dirt bikes as opposed to their road-ready counterparts: