5 Things to Know When You Start Riding a Dirt Bike

Buying a dirt bike is more than just ownership. For many, dirt bike riding is an immersion into a culture or a lifestyle. So before your initiation begins, it’s good to know what you’re getting into.

You’ll probably have some questions when you get in, so here are five things you need to know when you start riding a dirt bike.

You Don’t Need a Driver’s License

Your dirt bike probably isn’t street legal, so you’ve got no business having it out on the road anyway. No, you don’t need a driver’s license to operate one. 

You Don’t Need Insurance

Insurance isn’t required to operate a dirt bike, but it doesn’t hurt to have it. There are insurance policies to cover you if your bike is stolen, you injure someone else or damage property when you ride. But there’s a caveat to most of the policies: they won’t cover you in an incident at a race course, so keep that in mind.

Your Dirt Bike May Not Need Registration

If you’re wondering, “Do I need to register my dirt bike?”, it’s a bit of a yes and no. If you’re planning on riding on public land, like a park with trails, you’ll need registration. The cost varies from state to state, but expect to spend somewhere around $50. On the other hand, if you’re riding on private land or on a closed track, you don’t need anything.

You May Need a Spark Arrester

This is a little like the registration: it’s going to depend on where you ride. A lot of public land is going to require a spark arrester or a silencer if you want to ride there, but on private land you won’t need one.

Where You Should Ride

Many communities have closed courses where you can ride all day for a fee. There’s also federal or state land, which may have trails set up for motocross riding. Just remember the registration. And finally, there’s private land. If you have several acres to ride or know someone who does, you can ride for as long as you want at no cost with no restrictions.