I just bought an off road bike and now I'm looking for places to ride. I'm aware of the privately held off road parks and MX tracks but I was wondering if anyone knows of open public lands in norhern illinois or southern Wisconsin where I can do some trail riding? Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan would work as well. I'm located near Chicago. While I'm at it, which of the private MX tracks are your favorites? I hear good things about the track in Ottawa. Are there any that I should just avoid? Thanks for your help.
I'm with ya on this one.. Just picked up one myself this year and have been lookin for the same. Buffalo Range in Ottowa is really cool, bit of a hike for myself but great range of tracks and trails. There is a "private" track by me in Wadsworth, not bad for only being 10min away....
I also just picked up an MX bike.
I'm trying to get a grip on where to ride.
The two tracks I have been to, are Fox Valley... Somewhere in IL
And OHV in Fond Du Lac, WI.
I have hear of Buffalo, but I don't know anything about it.
XIII
Michigan has about 1500 miles of public trails open to dirt bikes starting about mid way up and going all the way to the UP. They are well marked most are loops so you can park in a lot and ride a 10 to 100 mile loop back to your truck. You pay an annual fee to the DNR for a permit that you attatch to the bike and it is only something like $20 (been a couple years but it's something like that).
Quote from: HAWK on October 14, 2008, 02:43:53 PM
Michigan has about 1500 miles of public trails open to dirt bikes starting about mid way up and going all the way to the UP. They are well marked most are loops so you can park in a lot and ride a 10 to 100 mile loop back to your truck. You pay an annual fee to the DNR for a permit that you attatch to the bike and it is only something like $20 (been a couple years but it's something like that).
Still the same Paul.
From my experience the northern single track on the mainland was some of the most intense single track trails I've been on. I can't remeber the trail names but it was Sout East of the Mackinaw Bridge. Bear something or other I think...
While the basic run of the mill trails in Da U.P. were Great trails to lazy river ride and at times they'd offer some decent obstacles.
Some of my most favorite scenic runs are up in the Keweenaw Penninsula at and around Copper Harbor. Take Hwy 41 until it ends and let the trail riding begin! Make sure you stop by Lake Lac LaBelle for lunch before you head back into the mountains.
As for some southern riding one can check out Attica IN at a place called The Badlands Off Road Park. There you can ride the HUGE hill climbs, dunes, mild trails and whatnot with either a dirtbike, atv, rail, buggy, or 4x4 truck.
Great place to spend a weekend too.
http://jolietmx.com/
http://www.motoland.com/index.html
http://www.motobyron.com/
http://www.sunsetridgemx.com/
These are some of the local MX tracks around northern Illinois and Indiana... I have ridden all of these tracks many times - It was a few years ago - During my hayday of MX - But none the less they are all good tracks.... If you end up at Joliet MX - Tell the owner "Justin" that I said hi....
Actually myself and one of my flattrack buddies might be making a trip out to see what we still have on the 25th or 26th of this month - Let me know if your interested....
We will be hitting KI tracks in Ill. this sunday(located around Byron) very well groomed track and very fun for the expert and novice riders.
Quote from: thrdrcr on October 15, 2008, 07:23:48 AM
We will be hitting KI tracks in Ill. this sunday(located around Byron) very well groomed track and very fun for the expert and novice riders.
Would love to get out there - A groomed track isn't something that you hear in roadracing much :) Let us know how it goes - As I'll be in Daytona this weekend
For winter riding. Indoor moto track.....................(WIR) Waterman International Raceway, LLC
http://www.wirmx.com/
Great suggestions. Thanks and keep it coming as you think of other places to ride. I found this website which lists all the mx tracks by state... www.wheretomx.com
I also heard that MCCC runs events on the Michigan trails. The website I found is www.cycleconservationclub.org My dealer told me about someplace called Black River Falls, WI as well. Any info on that?
I'll be checking out either joliet or Buffalo in Ottawa this Sunday. Probably the badlands next weekend cuz everyone says great things about it.
Chitnuts, let me know where you're going at the end of the month and I'll try to meet you there.
thrdrcr, what are KI Tracks?
Quote from: d_dog on October 15, 2008, 01:39:24 PM
For winter riding. Indoor moto track.....................(WIR) Waterman International Raceway, LLC
http://www.wirmx.com/
Waterman is cool - Since there aren't many place to ride in the winter... Last time I was there the place had some issues - Support pillars between lanes on the track. Didn't bother me much - I was racing supercross at the time... But I do recall hitting a double on one lane of the track while purposely throwing my bike sideways in the air to use the backside of another double on the next lane of the track as a landing for a triple... They didn't like that much tho - after a few laps of doing that they pulled me off the track and said that "A" I was cutting the track - and "B" I was coming really close to one of the support pillars :) Good Times
Quote from: Fast4fun on October 15, 2008, 06:59:05 PM
I'll be checking out either joliet or Buffalo in Ottawa this Sunday. Probably the badlands next weekend cuz everyone says great things about it.
Chitnuts, let me know where you're going at the end of the month and I'll try to meet you there.
WIll do
Ki tracks is located in Oregon, Il
http://www.kitracksatv.com/directions.html
Um, lakes with ice.
Quote from: Super Dave on October 16, 2008, 09:14:20 AM
Um, lakes with ice.
Last January when I was in Wisconsin I didn't see any. :wtf:
Quote from: Burt Munro on October 16, 2008, 11:32:44 AM
Last January when I was in Wisconsin I didn't see any. :wtf:
Plant life was in your way.
Quote from: Super Dave on October 16, 2008, 11:43:18 AM
Plant life was in your way.
I just took another look and I'm with Burt on this one.
Does Ki tracks have any trail riding? I'm not about to try and air out my XR400 on a mx track. I'll let Chit Nuts do that.
Quote from: thrdrcr on October 15, 2008, 07:23:48 AM
We will be hitting KI tracks in Ill. this sunday(located around Byron) very well groomed track and very fun for the expert and novice riders.
Not really any trails but the track is very friendly to enduros as there are not too many big jumps and quite a few elevation chnges. we will be there on sunday am.
I went to Buffalo Range in Ottawa yesterday. What an incredible facility. I hooked up with a group of guys that took me through the single track, which is far more intense than MX in my opinion. There was an incredible variety of terrain to explore. Next time I go I'm going to take pictures b/c their websits just doesn't do justice to their facitly. I highly recommend it to everyone. It has two MX tracks, 90' vertical climbs, sand, single track, everything. I'll definitley go back this year.
So far Buffalo Range is the only "real" track I've been to and not being able to compare it to anything I still think its awesome!! LOL What did you think of the sand track??? I had a few misshaps doing only one lap! Funniest thing was when they were out wetting the track down and I was following Steve (SV88) we rode thru the spray and the second I got sprayed I fell.. Dunno WTF happened but I just fell over, covered in sand and water, laughing my ass off!
I don't think it's possible to do more than two laps at a time on the sand track. It wore my a@@ out. Not to mention that it's kind of scary going over the bumps in 4 inches of sand when you have to keep it WFO so as to not lose your momentum. My bike was all over the place. I do like the first half of that track though. That hill climb is awesome. Did you do any of the single tracks? They're the only way to get to the three caves. It's like riding on the moon, the terrain is so unusual. Lot's of hill climbs, and hence, practice turning your bike back down a hill when you fail. Every muscle in my body hurts today. I'll prob be back next weekend weather permitting.
Ok - So I talked to my buddy Ion - And it looks like we'll be riding somewhere this weekend... Kinda sounds like Byron - Basically because of distance - Maybe KI.... Really comes down to how we're feeling... I just got back from the Moto-St 8 hr and am spent..... Ion was out at his bosses Arena Cross track and cased a triple yesterday - Kinda beating the piss out of himself..... I'll keep it posted.....
Some of us are doing the Forest City Riders dual sport ride on Nov 2nd.
http://www.forestcityriders.com/Flyers/2008%20Flyers/FCR%20Fall%20Dual%20Sport%202008.JPG
Ok - So it was decided that we are gonna be riding at KI Track on Sunday... Looks like the plan is to be there no later then 10 or 10:30am... We spent the past two evenings getting our bikes ready... Thursday night we tore apart my buddies YZ450 flat track bike - and stole all of his suspension off of his old YZ250 that doesn't run and threw it on his 1/2 mile bike......Had the shock off about 4 times swapping springs cause the one on there was for someone weighing about 100lbs... Ended up with one of his flat track springs and a 2" spacer... Gonna be interesting cause it's a built motor - made to run about 110mph on an oval... His dad said it made about 63/64 hp....
Got my bike wrapped up - Needed to change the chain and sprockets - new grips and I thought I needed to rejet the carb.... Ended up tearing it off to find out that the jetting that I had in it for ice last winter was to lean - I kinda new I didn't go fat enough - Cause it was popping a bit on last time I rode it.... So I left it.... Who knows - It could rain out......
Who's in for Sunday?????
Chit,
I'll be there tomorrow. I should be there by 10.
Tim
Sounds like you guys like my backyard... born and raised here in Ottawa. If you were here in the late 60's and 70's the riding was endless.
Also did you check out the riding park in Wedron? It's just off Rt 23 north of Ottawa.
Also I belong to a club Variety Riders, they have a website. Clubgrounds just west of town. They have a few events open to the public.
Also St. Joe's in Farmington Missouri is a great place to go. Our club just went there.
Cool,
Missouri is a bit far for me right now. I'm just doing single days every weekend until it gets too frigin cold. Which hopefully won't be until January. Went to KI today and met with Chitnuts, fun track. Struggled with the mud for awhile until I learned to just power my way through it while sitting on the back. Had a lot of fun though.
I'm thinking of getting to Wedron soon. It's on my list of places within an hour and a half. Do you know anything about the tracks in Northern Indiana or Southern Michigan? Ideally, I would like to find someplace with trails as well as MX. I get the feeling I won't top Ottawa anytime soon. The trail riding was incredible.
Cool,
I forgot, how is the place in Marseilles? It looks to be 15 miles closer than Ottawa.
Yup - Today was interesting weather.... Never really got warm and went from clear to a few more sprinkles and then some really strong winds that took some loose timber of good size and moved it... Then a couple of flurries..... The mud from the night before kinda sucked a bit and it didn't help me since it's been over a year since I rode a dirtbike last....
I realized that I can still ride the bike like I used to - Jumps - Not a problem(Other then the wind which made a few of the jumps kinda sketchy) - I still had my same style and still approach the track and obstacles without any issues.... My problem was that I can only do about 2 hard laps in a row before my hands go numb - The same issue that I had after I broke my neck(Part of the reason I originally quit) And the same issue that bugs me from time to time RoadRacing....
The track itself is pretty cool for what it is - None of the jumps were big by any standard - And I think that if it hadn't rained the night before - And they had gotten to water and till the track - It would have been much better....
Depending on the weather and scheduling next weekend I may end up riding somewhere....
The place in Mars is geared towards the 4x4 group, not dirt bike friendly.....
Michigan has a awesome trail system. Trail maps available when you purchase a trail permit.
Have not rode any mx tracks, just the trails. 100 mile loops in a day :)
Camp Stumpy in the UP is known for the best off road riding. I would know!
You just have to watch out for the dirt chickens.
Quote from: StumpysWife on October 28, 2008, 10:14:54 AM
Camp Stumpy in the UP is known for the best off road riding. I would know!
You just have to watch out for the dirt chickens.
Only if its two up and after the bar.. LOL!!
Mark Stiles just told me that there is a motard race this weekend in Pekin,Il... He is gonna meet Doc Stein down there with some of the kids from the neighborhood and do some Mini Motarding... I forget the name of the series - But I know that they have everything from Mini's to Open class bikes... He wants me to go down with him - But I'm kinda leaning toward some MX - We're thinking about Joliet MX - On Sunday they have a rider appreciation - Groomed and Watered Stadium track(Tons of loamy sawdust) - And a groomed and watered MX track.....
I think Mark might have been talking about the races this weekend in Springfield, IL.........
http://www.brbpromotions.com/supermoto.htm (http://www.brbpromotions.com/supermoto.htm)
Ok So now Mark is gonna be going with us to ride Motocross this weekend on Sunday - We will be going back to Ki Track again..... Hopefully it will be a bit dryer and warmer...... I hear it's supposed to be in the high 50's - Low 60's..... Who's in????
Not me! I'll be doing the Forest City Riders dual sport ride.
A XR isn't really made for MX tracks anyway nor am I. :biggrin:
Ya'll have fun now.
I'm about 80% in right now. I'm going to Buffalo on Saturday. I'll have to guage how much the wife will be pissed off if I go for two days in a row.