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5 Best North Carolina Dirt Bike Trails To Ride Now (2023)

North Carolina is spoilt! Those living in Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Wilmington and Greensboro have a few great dirt bike riding tracks.

These are places where you can bring both registered adventure/dual-sport enduro motorcycles as well as unregistered MX bikes. If you’re just looking for some fun this weekend, then this list is for you.

Best Dirt Bike Tracks in North Carolina

We’ve done our research and talked to the locals! We looked inside of a few popular dirt bike groups on Facebook so you don’t need to do the hunting around.

After all, there is certainly a decent-sized community of riders around. These are those who really enjoy living life behind the handlebars instead of behind the cell phone screen.

Thus, if you’re new to riding dirt bikes, then you’ll find some friends pretty easily. Simply jump into one of those groups and you’ll be taking along for group rides pretty easily to some of the popular trails.

Which trails are those? Well, it’s all here.

These are the most popular dirt bike tracks in North Carolina:

1. Brown Mountain ATV Trails

Head over to the Pisgah National Forest and you’ll find some epic tracks which you can access for free. That said – you need to be registered and ATV riding is banned at Brown Mountain for the last 10 years. State Troopers do monitor these forest tracks often for illegal activity.

2. Wayehutta ATV Trail System

There are almost 30 miles of epic tracks in the Nantahala National Forest which is known as the Wayehutta ATV Trail System. Dirt bike riders can use these tracks too as can mountain bikers and hikers. Keep in mind that some hunters use these areas. It’s relatively easy to navigate here so families will enjoy this spot.

3. Badin Lake

Very popular with many offroad enthusiasts is the Badin Lake area. Bring your dirt bike and you’ll find miles and miles of riding trails which are open. This is in Uwharrie National Forest and it’s an epic place to go riding and camping too! Across the waterway is Morrow Mountain State Park which is worthy of an adventure too!

4. Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park

Yes, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee here but it’s absolutely worth it! Especially if you’ve got kids that ride dirt bikes because it’s a family-friendly place with one-way tracks and directional arrows. Together you can learn to develop skills that will last a lifetime.

The reviews for Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park are very high. Why? There’s just so many great tracks to ride down whether you like closed-circuit MX tracks or open enduro trails. In addition to riding, you can go camping here on site for just $5 per rider. Neat!

5. Outback ATV Park

We’ve left one of the best until last! Yep, the Outback ATV Park is a great spot to go riding for families. Bring your ATV, quad bike, side-by-side or dirt bike and have some serious fun. Some people even bring their adventure motorcycles to develop their offroad skills.

This place welcomes everyone and the motocross riders. This is why the reviews are equally as high as Brushy Mountain. They run events here and camping is very much open for much of th eyear, including most of winter.

Getting Started

There is no excuse now! Get out there with a bunch of friends and explore these really good places. You can also check out Busco Beach, the Carolina Backwoods, or the Black Swamp OHV Area. We’ve heard great things about these spots!

Don’t skimp on your safety gear. And given you’re going to need to throw the bike into the trailer, you’ll need to be driving a decent way. Pack the trailer and make a weekend out of it!

These are some epic places in North Carolina to ride your ADV dual-sport motorbike!

Have fun out there! If we have missed any great spots, then reach out to us here at the Frontaer team.

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🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

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5 Best Adventure Motorcycle Events and Expos (2023)

Adventure motorcycle events actually happen around the western world which are put on by individuals and companies alike.

These events and expos bring the entire 2-wheel community together to bask in the experience and freedom that the open road brings. While we prefer to keep to ourselves (hence why we ride motorcycles, right?) there are times when we really desire to connect with others to share the same enthusiasm and passion.

In this guide, we’re showing you some epic adventure motorcycling expos and events you should get to, even if you haven’t yet found the right motorcycle.

Let’s begin.

1. Touratech Rally

If you haven’t yet been to a Touratech Rally, then you should! They actually hold these at a few places around the world over several days of camping, cruising and conferences. While it may seem a little corporate, it isn’t as the team at Touratech simply want to share the love of riding without naming their products. As they sponsor these events, they keep the ticket prices low for all attendees and there is a lot of work that goes into planning and executing events like this.

2. Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meeting

Horizons Unlimited, the very forum that has been connecting adventure motorcycle riders for 3 decades now runs their own motorcycling meetups around North America and Canada. These are put on by actual members so don’t expect to see branding and sponsors which is refreshing to the soul. It’s very much a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with a grassroots feel to the whole event. Going to this event is like coming home.

3. AMA National Adventure Riding Series

AMA runs their own adventure motorcycling serious which is very popular with those who like to wear orange or red. This is because some years it’s sponsored by KTM and on other years it’s sponsored by Honda. You’ll find several events across North America which are fun and a little bit competitive at the same time! You’ll find them running these events once or twice a month, so don’t worry if you miss one! There is likely to be an event near you quite soon.

4. ADVRider Rally

While ADVRider doesn’t run their own rally (they are merely an epic forum of keen adventure riders), you’ll find plenty of regular rally information held in their international forums. Now the forum may look a little empty but just remember that events are removed after they have been completed yet at any given time, there are around 12 to 15 rallies coming up.

5. BMW GS Safari

Those in the BMW camp don’t get excluded! In fact, BMW runs their own event called the GS Safari down in Australia each year. This is generally in either New South Wales or Victoria where there is stunning scenery and excellent weather. This is both a social ride and off-road training event rolled into one package and is designed to help riders formulate new skills and new friendships too.

Trade Shows

If riding isn’t your thing and you simply want to check out some of the newest merch that’s on the planet, then there are some excellent trade shows and events worth checking out.

You’ll often for adventure motorcycling gear and vendors at:

  • AIMExpo – America’s Powersports Tradeshow
  • Touratech Travel Expo
  • Troy Bayliss Moto Expo
  • Australian Motorcycle Expo
  • EICMA – The Biggest Motorcycle Show in the world
  • Eurobike

Getting Started

Going on an organized event is a great way to meet other riders who share your same love for getting off the beaten track. Sometimes your luggage can be carted by the event organizers to the next destination so you can simply focus on riding.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)

Are Dirt Bikes Hard To Ride? (Genuine Question)

Have you been researching the nature of dirt bikes and whether they’re friendly to beginners? Well, we’ve got some good news for you.

It’s not hard to ride a dirt bike and it’s similar in many ways to riding a bicycle, except that you have power available at your handlebars. Someone who has never ridden a dirt bike before can pick up the skills in 2 to 3 rides including clutch control, acceleration, braking and effective cornering.

There are plenty of guides online that help people go from complete beginner to expert in no time, including children. There are even motorcycling schools that specifically teach people how to ride a dirt bike for the first time.

Dirt Bikes Are Easy

What you’ve essentially got is a bicycle with an engine below you. The steering and balancing work the same way but your top speed and the overall weight are a lot more, which adds some safety considerations and risks to the equation.

The additions are a clutch level which replaces one of the brakes (it’s now above the right foot) and the addition of a gear stick which is activated with the left foot. The right throttle is twisted which accelerates you forward pretty easily.

Some older dirt bikes might have a choke but these are becoming quite uncommon. These days, dirt bikes have become uber-modern and just about anyone can ride one, and if you’re riding on private property, you won’t even need a licence!

Essentially, it’s a myth that dirt bikes are hard to ride. Anyone who says so clearly hasn’t ridden a dirt bike in their life, or if they have, probably gave up in the first 3 minutes. The hardest part is clutch control and that’s pretty for most people to master after a few rides with some helpful friends.

Starting as a Beginner

If you’re worried about being out there and not knowing what to do, then our recommendation is to go along on a private tour. Simply get a few of your friends together and book a private tour on a relatively easy trail. Let the tour operator know that this is your first time riding a dirt bike and it’s really an orientation session for you.

Likewise, you might want to start looking at YouTube videoes. There are plenty of these around that help complete beginners like you understand the very nature of dirt bike control. You’ll soon realize that it isn’t as hard as you make it out to be in your mind.

You could also buy a cheap dirt bike and get an understanding about how they work. You can generally buy a good yet used one for about $2,500 which you can take on private property and simply ride around for a while when no one is looking. This is not just easy but fun and where you’ll get a hang of things.

Just remember to wear your protective gear when starting out because you will definitely have a crash at some stage. And you know what? Most crashes actually happen at low speeds. Once you’re up to speed, it becomes far easier to balance just like a bicycle, but your body position will be a little different.

21 Dirt Bike Riding Tips [#7 Is Awesome]

In Summary

While many people today who ride dirt bikes confidently started out as kids riding every weekend with their parents, don’t let that stop you from entering this sport. We welcome people all the time and there’s so much fun to be had!

Just get yourself some good protective gear and take it super easy. Find a quiet spot to get started and realize that it’s much like riding a bicycle, except you don’t have to pedal anymore.

There is more weight and width due to the engine and fuel tank, but the smile on the face is greater! Catch you out there.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)

Why Are Dirt Bikes So Loud? (Quite Frustrating)

Is it frustrating for you to hear a dirt bike whizzing past which is so loud and distracting in the woods? It certainly spoils the mood and ambience in nature, and we’re sure humans aren’t the only individuals annoyed.

Dirt bikes are loud due to having short mufflers which only have a small impact in reducing sound. Given that dirt bike engines have high revs and typically accelerate hard, it causes the loud and thick sound to emerge and echo for miles. Add in the fact that 2-strokes are even louder, it certainly leads to riders not being welcomed in some areas.

There is more to this though as there are variances between engine power and manufacturers.

Why Do Dirt Bikes Much So Much Sound?

Dirt bikes are loud even when idling and there are several reasons for that. Combined, they certainly make a sound that is heaven to the ears of the rider, but frustrating for those who don’t like dirt bikes.

Age

Typically it’s the older dirt bikes that make the most sound. Manufacturers today have produced dirt bikes that don’t make too much sound at high speeds which means that riders can go casually through tracks and trails without causing as much frustrating towards other users. In the other meaning of age is the age of the rider, as it’s mostly the younger crowd (under the age of 30) that loves to rev their dirt bikes hard.

2-Strokes

The biggest culprit of them all is 2-strokes. As the 2-stroke engines have internal combustion happening more frequently, they have an annoying rattling sound which is almost twice as loud as a 4-stroke. Luckily, we find fewer 2-strokes available for sale by dealerships today because 4-strokes have caught up performance-wise.

Mufflers

One of the best ways to make a dirt bike quieter is to install a better muffler. Unfortunately, it’s last on the list of desirables by riders as they prefer to increase their dirt bikes performance, not reduce the sound that it makes. In fact, some even install special mufflers so their dirt bike is even more annoyingly loud! So much so that it annoys other dirt bike riders. Argh!

Riding areas

For those riding around the mountains and valleys, sound tends to travel far as it can echo against the cliff faces. Compare this to open deserts where there is nowhere for the sound to travel or bounce off, and you’ve got yourself a haven for dirt bike riders. Essentially, where someone rides do have an impact as to the sounds and nuisances that they create. This is why you’ll find MX events held at entertainment centres very loud as the sound is bouncing off the stadium.

Throttle and Clutch Control

This is something that few people think about – throttle and clutch control. The smoother someone can get this, the quieter their dirt bike can be when switching up gears. This takes practice and in most instances, you actually wouldn’t even need to touch the clutch at all.

Performance Modifications

If someone has increased their power output through some performance modifications, then this is a key reason why their dirt bike becomes louder. This can annoy the neighbors when their revving up their dirt bike in the garage. If you’re concerned about noise, then we recommend that you leave things stock-standard.

Final Thoughts

It’s always best to leave your dirt bike stock. If you’re simply someone who doesn’t appreciate the sound of dirt bikes, well the sound is due to the rider and type of bike they choose. Not all dirt bikes are loud.

Fortunately, there are electric dirt bikes coming to the market which will solve these problems once and for all. As 2-wheel enthusiasts ourselves…we can’t wait!

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)

What Is Good Paint for Dirt Bikes?

When you have an old dirt bike and you want to paint the plastics as they’re tough to replace, what do you use?

Well, there are certainly some options for repainting:

To paint dirt bike plastics, it’s best to use paint designed exclusively for plastics with 2 to 3 coats applied. Before this, you’ll need to lightly sand back any heavily scratched areas and then use a high-quality paint such as Krylon Fusion spray can paint. This particular paint holds up well to the tough conditions that dirt bike riders face.

Avoid going for the cheap stuff that you find online or through hardware stores. This stuff will start peeling within a few rides and make your dirt bike look like a cheap machine, which means you effectively wasted your time painting it in the first place.

Paint for Dirt Bikes

Most modern-day dirt bikes don’t need to be painted for at least 10 years. Even then, most riders simply order the replacement plastics online and install them at home. Others actually just place some stickers off the top of their dirt-scratched paintwork. Thus, they cover up their spills on the tracks and can spend more time riding rather than worrying about how ‘new’ their very used dirt bike looks.

So consider this before you start painting your dirt bike. Do you really need to do it? Probably not. We actually like seeing dirt bikes which are a bit beaten up with scratches everywhere. They earn a ton more respect than that shiny show pony who rocks up with his polished dirt bike at the track. Can he actually ride fast and claim a championship win? Probably not.

There is a real trick to getting the right paint too. This is because of the Pantone color guides and very few paints actually lining up to the true colors of KTM, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawasaki. So you might find that you get two grades of the same color on your dirt bike and it looks….well….somewhat weird.

You won’t really need a primer or undercoat. Any popular brand such as Dupli or Performix does well. You’re typically going to spray paint this with a can instead of using a paintbrush. Get yourself some masking tape first and seal up all your exposed areas such as your seat that you don’t want stained. This specific paint is sometimes available at your local dealership though typically Amazon does stock it.

Again – question yourself as to whether you really need to paint this.

In Summary

Dirt bikes are meant to be ridden and experienced hard. Over time they always earn their fare share of battle scars and this includes scratches to the paintwork.

You can pretty much use any paint that is plastic friendly. Spend up for high quality stuff and keep to either black or white shades, but ideally black. Use this to cover up any unsightly stuff but focus more on improving your lap times and your skills on the track, rather than the judgement of what your dirt bike actually looks like.

Continue Reading More Guides by Frontaer

[elementor-template id="4784"]

👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)