anybody build their own mx/sx track?

[motox_rider695]

alright well im lookin to build my own mx or sx track out behind my house. I have 10 acres to work with. There's a bunch of trees but i have a friend with a brush hog comin over to get rid of them. I do have a few problems

1. The soil is clay
2. about 1' down, its solid bedrock
3. soil is pretty rocky

now i was wondering if anyone had any experience building a track. As far as the soil goes i have a hook up that can do $5 a yard of dirt delivered. I was thinking about hiring a crew to come over and build one but prices starting at 6k i dont think itd be worth it. So any tips?

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by motox_rider695
alright well im lookin to build my own mx or sx track out behind my house. I have 10 acres to work with. There's a bunch of trees but i have a friend with a brush hog comin over to get rid of them. I do have a few problems

1. The soil is clay
2. about 1' down, its solid bedrock
3. soil is pretty rocky

now i was wondering if anyone had any experience building a track. As far as the soil goes i have a hook up that can do $5 a yard of dirt delivered. I was thinking about hiring a crew to come over and build one but prices starting at 6k i dont think itd be worth it. So any tips?

Man... you have the worst conditions... Do you have equipment to build it? Your only choice is to have the dirt hauled in.

[trailrider894]

I have built several SX tracks and am in the process of building my own.

[fastrnrik]

Yes, I've built several

A few things to consider....
1) bush hogging trees down don't make em go away. The stumps & roots will still be there and you will have to deal with them while you're grading (a mess), and later on they will start to grow back through your track. You need to strip the roots/topsoil down to clean material. You can use these strippings for jumps. Just put some clean material on the top.
2) a foot of clay and solid rock is not the best. I always like to try to generate fill on site, diggin a pond or something like that. This is how I did the track at my house. Since you can't do that, you'll have to buy dirt. An MX track takes a LOT of dirt. 5 bucks a yard don't sound bad, but figure most big dumptrucks haul between 15 to 20 yards. Thats 75 to 100 bucks per load. Mulyiply that by how many loads ya want. The last track I did for someone else took 300 loads. 300 loads at 100 bucks a load is 30G's, so it adds up very fast.
3) You don't have any equipment? If not then "hiring a crew" is pricey. Figure an excavator goes for around 150 per hr, a dozer around 100 per hr, a loader around 80 per hr, (around here anyway) and so on & so on. That expense will also add up very quickly. You'll be into several thousand for a crew to come out.
Also, you need to be sure whoever you hire knows how to actually build the track you want. The layout has to "flow" and the features (jumps, whoops,etc) have to be built correctly as far as faces of jumps, spacing, placing of features, etc, etc.
4) drainage is a major factor in tracks. Without it water will lay around, flood your track, and generally just make a mess. Drainage may or may not require pipe and installation, so figure that in too.
5) what ya gonna do once you get your track built? A track has to be maintained, groomed, graded, etc all the time. Mother nature will quickly ruin and take over an unmaintained track. Nothing worse than trying to rehab an old track after grass & weeds have taken it over. You will need a way to rip it/drag it and repair washouts in the jumps, etc, etc. Also, if you want to water your track you'll need a water wagon/truck & water source or irrigate the actual track itself.
6) finally, what about insurance? Who is riding on it? you & your buddies? Remember, 9 times out of 10, if a "buddy" crashes and gets F-ed up, he (or his parents or wife or whoever) are gonna look to you or to whoever owns that land to be responsible for the massive medical bills they've incurred because of YOUR track. At the very least you need to have an attorney make you up a release for every person who comes on that property, just like when you go to any other track. Releases aren't much good in court, but it's better than nothing.

Not trying to be negative or rain on your parade, but just give several different things to consider before you get going.
Good luck!

[motox_rider695]

Originally posted by fastrnrik
Yes, I've built several

A few things to consider....
1) bush hogging trees down don't make em go away. The stumps & roots will still be there and you will have to deal with them while you're grading (a mess), and later on they will start to grow back through your track. You need to strip the roots/topsoil down to clean material. You can use these strippings for jumps. Just put some clean material on the top.
2) a foot of clay and solid rock is not the best. I always like to try to generate fill on site, diggin a pond or something like that. This is how I did the track at my house. Since you can't do that, you'll have to buy dirt. An MX track takes a LOT of dirt. 5 bucks a yard don't sound bad, but figure most big dumptrucks haul between 15 to 20 yards. Thats 75 to 100 bucks per load. Mulyiply that by how many loads ya want. The last track I did for someone else took 300 loads. 300 loads at 100 bucks a load is 30G's, so it adds up very fast.
3) You don't have any equipment? If not then "hiring a crew" is pricey. Figure an excavator goes for around 150 per hr, a dozer around 100 per hr, a loader around 80 per hr, (around here anyway) and so on & so on. That expense will also add up very quickly. You'll be into several thousand for a crew to come out.
Also, you need to be sure whoever you hire knows how to actually build the track you want. The layout has to "flow" and the features (jumps, whoops,etc) have to be built correctly as far as faces of jumps, spacing, placing of features, etc, etc.
4) drainage is a major factor in tracks. Without it water will lay around, flood your track, and generally just make a mess. Drainage may or may not require pipe and installation, so figure that in too.
5) what ya gonna do once you get your track built? A track has to be maintained, groomed, graded, etc all the time. Mother nature will quickly ruin and take over an unmaintained track. Nothing worse than trying to rehab an old track after grass & weeds have taken it over. You will need a way to rip it/drag it and repair washouts in the jumps, etc, etc. Also, if you want to water your track you'll need a water wagon/truck & water source or irrigate the actual track itself.
6) finally, what about insurance? Who is riding on it? you & your buddies? Remember, 9 times out of 10, if a "buddy" crashes and gets F-ed up, he (or his parents or wife or whoever) are gonna look to you or to whoever owns that land to be responsible for the massive medical bills they've incurred because of YOUR track. At the very least you need to have an attorney make you up a release for every person who comes on that property, just like when you go to any other track. Releases aren't much good in court, but it's better than nothing.

Not trying to be negative or rain on your parade, but just give several different things to consider before you get going.
Good luck!

those are all really great thoughts... I'll try my best to help answer the questions you may have asked

1. The trees aren't thick, i mean like brush, really small and thick. I could use a rototiller to try and remove most of the roots and what not

2. I did try digging a pond, but it didn't work out all too well, got about 1.5 feet down and thats about it, there were so many rocks it wasn't really worth digging. As for the dirt goes i'm trying to find construction sites that are trying to get rid of dirt away for free along with buying about $400 worth of dirt at $5 a yard which would be 2000 yards? The whole track doesn't need to be covered in dirt, i would just use the soil for the jumps and landings. Mostly doubles to save as much possible dirt.

3. I myself do NOT have equipment. However my neighbor who i am good friends with has a big backhoe that's willing to let me use it for free. My father has a friend who rents out equipment who would also be willing to rent me a dozer for a weekend for $250 with unlimited hours. If i were to hire a crew it would be from www.motocrosstrackbuilders.com someone reputable who knows what they're doing.

4. I'm not too sure about drainage, haven't really given it enough thought

5. As far as grooming, i could use my neighbors equipment once a month or when needed to maintain the track. I have no idea about watering the track. Hopefully mother nature could help me out a little bit there.

6. I would be the only one riding the track, maybe a few friends but if they were to get hurt i dont think they'd file a lawsuit against me, at least i hope not.



dont be afraid if your saying something negative, as long as there's something i could learn from it. The purpose of building this track is so i can train every day or as much as possible. The closest track is at least an hour and it'd be convenient if i just had a track behind my house

[fastrnrik]

$400 worth of dirt at $5 per yard is 80 yards. About 4 or 5 truckloads. 2000 yards would be $10,000. Construction sites or road jobs are a good place to look. Sometimes they need to get rid of dirt. Even if it is not good material, its probably fine for a track, or at least for fill for jumps.

Tracks are a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. Plus, nothing like walking out your back door and going riding. LOL

Good luck with it. Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help.

[diangelo#67]

6k is pretty cheap. if you dont have machinery,dirt,knowledge o dirt work for a track...........6k is reeeeaaaalllll cheap

not knowing how to angle the jumps you could kill people.
broken neck, back, arms, legs

sounds cheaper and cheaper

[K-Dub]

One other thing, if your friend gets hurt you dont think he will sue. And a good friend wouldnt, but and this is a big but- what about his health insurence carrier? I have run into this mutiple times. My insurence company calls me to see where the accident happened and if they can put the bill on someone else. So your friend might not sue but in turn his insurence carrier might.

[TWISTED]

Having a track without some kind of insurance is like playing russian roulette...........

[YFZ-FoFiddy-TC]

Originally posted by TWISTED
Having a track without some kind of insurance is like playing russian roulette...........

I'll put in a $20.

[trick450r]

Originally posted by motox_rider695
those are all really great thoughts... I'll try my best to help answer the questions you may have asked

1. The trees aren't thick, i mean like brush, really small and thick. I could use a rototiller to try and remove most of the roots and what not

2. I did try digging a pond, but it didn't work out all too well, got about 1.5 feet down and thats about it, there were so many rocks it wasn't really worth digging. As for the dirt goes i'm trying to find construction sites that are trying to get rid of dirt away for free along with buying about $400 worth of dirt at $5 a yard which would be 2000 yards? The whole track doesn't need to be covered in dirt, i would just use the soil for the jumps and landings. Mostly doubles to save as much possible dirt.

3. I myself do NOT have equipment. However my neighbor who i am good friends with has a big backhoe that's willing to let me use it for free. My father has a friend who rents out equipment who would also be willing to rent me a dozer for a weekend for $250 with unlimited hours. If i were to hire a crew it would be from www.motocrosstrackbuilders.com someone reputable who knows what they're doing.

4. I'm not too sure about drainage, haven't really given it enough thought

5. As far as grooming, i could use my neighbors equipment once a month or when needed to maintain the track. I have no idea about watering the track. Hopefully mother nature could help me out a little bit there.

6. I would be the only one riding the track, maybe a few friends but if they were to get hurt i dont think they'd file a lawsuit against me, at least i hope not.



dont be afraid if your saying something negative, as long as there's something i could learn from it. The purpose of building this track is so i can train every day or as much as possible. The closest track is at least an hour and it'd be convenient if i just had a track behind my house


I've heard of people losing lawsuits to ******* riding on their land without even having permission...in other words someone tresspasses on your property while your on vacation, breaks his back on your track, and you can be liable...Call a lawyer if you actually build a track.

[Lasher]

You also need to take in account the EPA/DEP.

To change the grade of the land you will need permits. I guy local to me had to "return the land to natural state" recently when caught.

Trying to get a permit for a track could be very difficult if not impossible, depending on the town.

But I remember hearing from a lawyer into MX that there are ways around the DEP regulations, and this is how a local track near me is still in business.

You apply for a permit to move dirt around your land. It just so happens that the dirt you move is in pile that you are jumping with your bike/quad. Of course the business that has this type of permit is not allowed to bring in any outside dirt to the track. If they do, bye bye permit.

Think about neighbors (and future ones) and town laws. Don't leave any door open for some one to shut you down.

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by Lasher
You also need to take in account the EPA/DEP.

To change the grade of the land you will need permits. I guy local to me had to "return the land to natural state" recently when caught.

Trying to get a permit for a track could be very difficult if not impossible, depending on the town.

But I remember hearing from a lawyer into MX that there are ways around the DEP regulations, and this is how a local track near me is still in business.

You apply for a permit to move dirt around your land. It just so happens that the dirt you move is in pile that you are jumping with your bike/quad. Of course the business that has this type of permit is not allowed to bring in any outside dirt to the track. If they do, bye bye permit.

Think about neighbors (and future ones) and town laws. Don't leave any door open for some one to shut you down.

How does this apply to someone like me who lives 15 miles from the nearest city and has no neighbors? I own 60+ acres and am building an SX track.

[Lasher]

Originally posted by trailrider894
How does this apply to someone like me who lives 15 miles from the nearest city and has no neighbors? I own 60+ acres and am building an SX track.


All depends on your town and/or state regulations. Check with the town, check with the state to see what would be required to "legally" build a track on your land.

Neighbors...
Sorry, but 60+ acres is not enough of a sound buffer. An exhaust (especially 4 strokes motors) carry for a long distance. Even if all your current neighbors are cool with you riding, all it takes is one to get bent out of shape or a new neighbor to move in.

All I am trying to say is this...research how to be legally covered in case some one complains.

[motochamp250]

never heard of permits to "change the grade of the land". might be a northern thing? we've built plenty of lakes and ponds and done all kinds of dirt work around here and I've never heard of anything like that. not saying your wrong, just that I've never heard of it. be interested to hear more.

hunter

[Lasher]

I am from CT and you would be shocked at the red tape that exists.

If you are going to change the existing grade on the land, you need a permit from the DEP. Has to do with water run off and what not.

But I am jealous of the "freedom" you have in other parts of the country compared with CT.

Do you know it is is illegal for me to ride my ATV, on my property without it being registered? Yep...true.

You mentioned pond....I have wet lands on my property and I asked a neighbor (who is on the town council) about turning it into a pond. He told me that if I make the "swamp" into a pond, then the town will now own that pond, not me!

[motochamp250]

wow thats crazy. idk if i could take much of that :eek2: come on down south we'll let you do w/e you want haha

it always intrigues me on how many laws and stipulations other states and towns have. some of them hard to comprehend....


hunter

[motox_rider695]

ok forget about the lawas and what not, i have a track behind my house right now, its back from when i had my kx60 i've never had no problems what so ever. Forget about lawsuits and all that bullsh*t.

Can anyone just point me in the right direction of making a track. Like if someone has built their own, post up pics of it

[fastrnrik]

Here's a link to a thread I posted when I built the track at my house. There's a slideshow of the track in there. My son races mini quads, and I built this track for him to practice on.
http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=423430

[josborn]

Probabaly your biggest concern is will it be worth it. And the answer 9 times out of 10 is NO.

First, Its nearly impossible to build a cool track without stealing dirt from around your jump areas. And if the rocks are a foot deep, i dont think you'll be able to do it. So that means your hauling in dirt. Pending your style of track, your probably looking at 300-400 (probably more, it always is) truck loads (road trucks) to build an ok outdoor style track, and to keep you above the rocks. This is a rough rough estimate, alot more to consider here.

I have owned and operated my place for nearly six years, and we just brought all of our lanes back to existing grade. In two days, with a 25 ton offroad truck, a 320 hoe, and little d4 we moved and shaped nearly 4000 yards, thats roughly 400 or so road tractor loads. So as you ride and prep, the track drops slowly, but in 6 years some areas were down 4 feet.


Second, maintenance. If you have no way to keep up with, then your pissing in the wind. Eventually, you get to a point where you dont want to ride it. It will be that bad. And if your not riding it, then why build it? Either too dusty, jumps are effed up, or water holes everywhere. You need a tractor and cultivator at a minimum. I would just rent the dozer every other month to fix your jumps. You can do the bobcat, but once you get your jumps rock hard, it will take longer than its worth to use a bobcat. Better off renting a little dozer and be done with it. A steal on a weekend rental with fuel is $500 delivered. Pie in the sky would be a water truck, but your talking few thousand for a jerry rigged one.

I have a built a couple tracks for other people that ride at my place. And why would I build tracks for paying customers? Because I know that they will be riding mine, once the weeds take over, they huff their engine because it too dusty, or the jump faces are screwed beyond belief, and they dont have the extra cash to fix them.

Unless your starting this as a business, i dont think its worth it, waste of money. If you ride twice a week all year at a public place, and I mean every week, your talking roughly $800 (thats conservative) for a whole year. Mulitply that by 5 years, thats four grand, you smoke through that in one summer trying to keep a track up. Let me know if you need anymore advice. I'm full of it.

Oh yeah check briarcliffmx.com kiddies.