How to Make Your Own Dirt Bike Track in 6 Easy Steps

If you thought that making your own dirt bike track would be way too difficult, you may want to rethink your position. Making a dirt bike track is not as hard or time-consuming and does not require as much land as you might imagine. Even a little bit of property is enough to build a berm or two and a jump, more than enough to perfect your motocross cornering and jumping skills.

Practice Your Riding Skills on Your Own Dirt Bike Track

More people than you know build dirt bike tracks on their land. It allows them to hone and perfect their riding and jumping skills without being in the spotlight at busier public tracks. The most common type of track found on private land is motocross and it’s also the easiest style to build. It’s simply a matter of observing the lay of the land, noticing where the hills and elevations are, and incorporating the natural contours of the property into the design of the track. In fact, the more elevation changes, slopes, and hills you have on the property the better your dirt bike track will be.

A Dirt Bike Track Can Be Made With Very Little Land

If you have a lot of property you can make your track any size you want, but smaller areas may only allow you to create a couple of jumps or berms. However, it’s not necessary to have acres and acres of property; you can still build a small practice track on a half acre plot or less. Without having access to more land you’ll be limited to making an oval or horseshoe-shaped track, but it can still be fun and educational. Five acres is ideal and will allow you to design it just about any way imaginable.

Step #1 – Incorporate the natural contours of the land into your design

The first thing you need to do is get on your dirt bike and ride around the property. This will let you know where the natural flow of the track takes you. Let the land be your guide as to how the track should be laid out. Use some existing hills as jumps and the base of others as berms. Notice where the elevation changes are and how they can be used to your advantage.

Step #2 – Plan the dirt bike track in advance

As you’re riding around the property try to formulate in your mind a course that will incorporate the natural landscape into the design while thinking about a few other important things. Drainage is one of the most important considerations. Low lying areas can become small lakes or swamps during wet weather. It’s best if you can steer clear of these future mud holes when designing your dirt bike track because it will allow you to be able to ride more often and require less track maintenance. Additionally, all riding paths should be at a slight angle, just enough to allow the water to run off quickly, which will keep your track drier.

Step #3 – Get approval and necessary permits

Before beginning actual construction there are a few other things that need to be considered and getting an Okay from your neighbors should be number one on the list. Without having their approval there’s really no use in going any further. Some neighbors will not be quite as agreeable as others and you don’t want to spend your time and money on a project that can later be shut down by the local authorities. Once you get their approval you will need to get any permits that may be required as well as making sure you won’t be breaking any local laws.

Step #4 – Figure the overall cost of making your dirt bike track

Another consideration is the cost. If you have several acres at your disposal it may cost several thousand dollars to rent the Bobcat and pay for fuel and other equipment. Figure out the total cost before spending a dime and make sure it is within your budget. Once you have the necessary approval, permits, and money it’s time to rent the equipment and start making the track.

Step #5 – Incorporate safety into your design

When making a dirt bike track safety should be the number one consideration. Riding dirt bike motorcycles is not the safest sport in the world, so place your jumps in open areas and not around large rocks or trees. However, any rocks or trees that could possibly come into play should have old mattresses, hay bales, or rubber tires as barriers. These cushions can possibly prevent injury. It’s also a good idea to use these protective barriers around soft berms since these can be places where losing control is possible.

Step #6 – Build the dirt bike track and start having fun

The actual track building process can take anywhere from a day or two up to a week or more depending on the size of your property. Use the Bobcat to first layout the general course of the entire track, remembering to create slight slants in the road for drainage. After the entire course has been graded properly it’s time to start building individual jumps and berms. Use the Bobcat to grade hills to your skill level and don’t build jumps higher than you feel comfortable with. Within a few days you’ll be having the time of your life while increasing your riding skills at the same time.

How to Make Motocross Dirt Bike Tracks in 4 Simple Steps

Making dirt bike tracks is not as complicated as it sounds. Depending on how much property there is available you may end up with just a couple of jumps and a berm or two, but that’s all you need to perfect your motocross jumping and cornering skills. Plus, you’ll be having fun without hauling your bike somewhere else every time you want to go riding.

Not everyone has 10 acres of land and a Bobcat at their disposal so you just have to make due with what you’ve got. By following a few important steps you can build a better dirt bike track than you might imagine. As long as you have a little bit of property and a tractor you can build a track that will give you years of fun riding your dirt bike motorcycles. In fact, you may find that building dirt bike tracks is more fun than actually riding.

Step 1 – Ask Permission before Bull Dozing the Property

Before you start revving up your Bobcat you first need to get permission from several sources. Obviously, asking your parents for the go ahead is step number one, but there are other people that must give their approval too. You need to make sure you get whatever permits are required that will allow you to legally build and use your track.

Additionally, you must ask your neighbors for permission. I know it’s hard to believe, but some people don’t like noisy dirt bikes drowning out the sound of their TV set or extra dirt and dust settling on their outdoor furniture. Save yourself a lot of headaches by making sure you get an OK from your neighbors, otherwise you run the risk of making a dirt bike track that you cannot use. Spending time and money building a nice track, only to have the local authorities shut you down, will not improve relations with your neighbors.

Step 2 – Pick the Best Location

If your track is too close to neighbors you may have a noise and dust problem. If they all own dirt bike motorcycles you probably won’t have a problem, but the chances of that are extremely slim. If they seem a little bit nervous about having a track in their backyard maybe you can agree to use it only on certain days of the week.

You want to build in an area where the terrain will require less work to whip into shape. For example, if you can find a location where the natural terrain already possesses small hills you won’t have to spend as much time with the bull dozer creating your own jumps from scratch.

If you have a choice of picking a location with dry dusty dirt or good clay soil, do not choose a future dust bowl. In addition to noise, dust and dirt can be a big negative in your neighbor’s eyes. If at all possible, try to choose a location where an excessive amount of dirt will not end up in your neighbor’s yard.

Also, be aware that low lying areas of track can become small lakes during wet weather, so it’s to your best interest to plan your design properly. It will also help if you create the trails at an angle, allowing water to run off instead of puddle. With proper planning you can eliminate a lot of future maintenance.

Step 3 – Plan Your Course before Getting into the Bobcat

Ride your bike around the property before deciding the route that your track will take. This will give you a good idea as to the natural flow of the property and enable you to design a suitable track layout. Dirt bike tracks should be designed to take advantage of the unique terrain that already exists. The track should also be based on your skill level. For example, if you are a beginner it probably isn’t wise to build jumps that you can’t handle.

Above all else, dirt bike tracks should be made as safe as possible. Do not build jumps where big trees and rocks will make riding dangerous. If you can’t get away from the rocks and trees at least place some padded protection such as old mattresses or hay bales in front of potentially injurious objects. If you’re going to crash you want to be able to get up and ride again. Hospital trips are not as much fun as they’re cracked up to be.

Step 4 – Start Grading the Terrain

If you don’t have a heavy duty tractor in your garage a Bobcat is your next best choice. They can be rented, with or without an operator, at very reasonable prices. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your track will take shape once you start moving that dirt around.

Mold a few hills into jumps that suit your skill level and place berms at the base of other hills. It’s a good idea to create as many turns as possible so that you won’t be able to build up too much speed heading into the jumps.

Following these 4 steps can help you create a dirt bike track that you can be proud of and that will be safe for years to come. Do yourself a favor and spend as much time as necessary planning the design of the track. A well-designed plan will be safer, more fun, and require less work and maintenance.

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