Building Motocross Tracks

Building a motocross track is no simple feat. There's a few things to keep in mind when building motocross tracks of any sort. My goal for this page is to get you to think carefully about the location you intend to design a motocross track on, before you jump in the bobcat and waste your precious time. A motocross track can be built using the lay of the land. First of all, when I talk about building motocross tracks I'm not talking about designing and constructing the latest circuit for the AMA series... Build a track that is suitable for your skill level. Good luck to you if you're seeking permission from your folks to rearrange their backyard. Think about 'the dust factor'. Once the track is completed, you can hone your motocross skills.

How to Build a Motocross Track

Executive summary about motocross tracks by Vincent Labbate

Things You'll Need:

1. Paper

2. Pencil

3. Small flags

4. Bulldozer

5. Tractor

6. Wooden ramps

7. Sturdy plastic rods

8. Rubber mallet

9. Flexible plastic barrier

10. Screwdriver

11. Plastic safety ties

12. White spray paint

Instructions:

1. Determining the Layout

a. Build a track away from public areas and private residences. Check the building codes at your town hall to ensure that the track is legally allowed to be built.

b. Inspect the land in which the motocross track will be built on. Two acres of land will result in a small track, while three acres will ensure a larger track.

c. Draw a rough draft of the track layout on paper, using a pencil, in correlation to the land. Design the track based on the skill level of the rider and budget. For example, a beginner may have a few small jumps, wider turns and longer straightaways as opposed to an experienced rider who may have several large jumps and tighter turns.

d. Mark the land with small flags spaced about 10 feet apart from each other in accordance to the drawing. Ride the track a few times before actually building the track. Determine if the layout needs to be changed if the rider is not comfortable with it. Keep the flags in the ground until the track is built.

2. Building the Track

a. Keep the motocross track as is for a natural track design.

b. Use heavy machinery to build the obstacles for a man-made motocross track. Run the tractor over the dirt pile to compress the dirt. These mounds of dirt will provide small jumps for riders. Place wooden ramps, which are normally used for bigger jumps, on the track in accordance to the track layout. Heavy machinery can be purchased for building a motocross track.

c. Create heightened dirt barriers for tight turns using the bulldozer. Create a dirt barrier around the turn about 2 feet high.

d. Create the track barriers.

e. Spray paint the starting line of the track using white spray paint.

f. Secure the track from trespassers by building a fence around the track with a locked gate. Create a track only suitable for your skill level.