Private track | GTAMotorcycle.com

Private track

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killvino

Well-known member
Not sure if this is the right section, please move it it isn't.
Just wondering what are the rules/laws around racing around on private property? We have an 8 acre rural, residential/agricultural zoned property.
Can I just make a dirt oval and do some flat-track with friends? What about if I paved a kart/pitbike track? I'd assume certain noise by-laws have to be met but what else is there?
Thanks
 
killvino said:
Not sure if this is the right section, please move it it isn't.
Just wondering what are the rules/laws around racing around on private property? We have an 8 acre rural, residential/agricultural zoned property.
Can I just make a dirt oval and do some flat-track with friends? What about if I paved a kart/pitbike track? I'd assume certain noise by-laws have to be met but what else is there?
Thanks
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Noise by-law alone in most places will be enough to shut it down if someone complains. It depends on the municipality, but most specifically prohibit racing of any motor vehicle.

Sadly Evoex is right, there is no way to do this without risking everything. If you built a track for yourself to practice on only, you will have better luck but still may get shut down. Eight acres is not very big in terms of separation distance to a different owner and/or a road.

I worked on one job where the guy bought a farm because he wanted to water ski. He was going to make his own lake in the middle of the farm and the municipality was giving him a really hard time. He completed a lot of studies, but afaik, he was never able to do it.

EDIT:
If you really wanted to do this, I would transfer ownership of the land to a numbered corporation to attempt to isolate you personally from liability. You may lose the eight acres, but have a good chance of keeping other assets. Consult a lawyer before you let friends on the property.
 
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Dirt track racing is done on a dirt horse track ;) build a horse track and ride your motorcycles on it.

Municipality is key. If you ask the municipality for permission, they will want to talk permits for this, that and everything they can think of. If there are noise, land use or by-law issues, it will be the municipality that you hear from. How good is your municipality and with only 8 acres how good are your neighbours. If all your neighbours want to ride dirt track you will have much less problem, if even one of neighbour hates motorcycles you are sol.

Good luck I hope you can make it work.
 
This is what electric trail/dirt bikes are for ...

Don't build anything permanent, just ride on whatever terrain you've got.
 
GreyGhost said:
I worked on one job where the guy bought a farm because he wanted to water ski. He was going to make his own lake in the middle of the farm and the municipality was giving him a really hard time. He completed a lot of studies, but afaik, he was never able to do it.
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Brantford area? A customer of ours has a friend out that way with some land and they do waterski there.
 
killvino said:
Not sure if this is the right section, please move it it isn't.
Just wondering what are the rules/laws around racing around on private property? We have an 8 acre rural, residential/agricultural zoned property.
Can I just make a dirt oval and do some flat-track with friends? What about if I paved a kart/pitbike track? I'd assume certain noise by-laws have to be met but what else is there?
Thanks
Click to expand...

If it's out of site and far enough from the neighbors I would personally just ride it. I've ridden plenty of private land over the years (with the owners) and never a problem.

The liability is a issue for sure. First thing I would be looking into is rent a parcel of the land to a riding club you form, have anyone that rides there join the club and pay some type of due. You would need insurance etc but this is the avenue I would look at. I'm not here to say it's doable or the right way but there is a reason most facilities that cater to high risk activities make you buy a membership. It's for insurance/liabilities purposes.
 
blackcamaro said:
Brantford area? A customer of ours has a friend out that way with some land and they do waterski there.
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No, he wanted it in Markham/Stouffville/EG area. There is a waterskiing/ski jumping lake just north of newmarket but it had been around for a long time.
 
blackcamaro said:
If it's out of site and far enough from the neighbors I would personally just ride it. I've ridden plenty of private land over the years (with the owners) and never a problem.

The liability is a issue for sure. First thing I would be looking into is rent a parcel of the land to a riding club you form, have anyone that rides there join the club and pay some type of due. You would need insurance etc but this is the avenue I would look at. I'm not here to say it's doable or the right way but there is a reason most facilities that cater to high risk activities make you buy a membership. It's for insurance/liabilities purposes.
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He's got eight acres, not 800. That's at most 600' in the smallest dimension (~590'x590' square but realistically it is probably a rectangle that is narrower and longer). Unless it's an old quarry, almost everywhere is visible from a neighbour. Especially once you carve out enough space for a track. You could probably get away with a bit of riding, but once you put a few people on bikes doing laps, unless those people are all of your neighbours, expect trouble.
 
Its, surrounded by other farmland and forest, wouldn't disturb anyone. Only one neighbour might be able to see but it would be far enough not to disturb and they wouldn't, we're cool.

Evoex said:
Insurance? Someone gets injured on your property it could go bad quickly.
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Did not think about this, but I would only allow very close buddies and mostly myself on it. What's the risk in terms of not having insurance? No one that I know would sue or chase charges with me, would OHIP or work insurance come after me when they have to pay short-term disability?

Just had the idea because I live on a separate property and there is a group of ATVs that run up and down farmland across the street. They are definitely noisier than we would be. I know Markham noise by-laws prevent motor vehicles but thought that would be for residential only. Farm and commercial properties must be exempt, no?

thanks for the quick replies. I like the horse track idea though ;)
 
killvino said:
Its, surrounded by other farmland and forest, wouldn't disturb anyone. Only one neighbour might be able to see but it would be far enough not to disturb and they wouldn't, we're cool.


Did not think about this, but I would only allow very close buddies and mostly myself on it. What's the risk in terms of not having insurance? No one that I know would sue or chase charges with me, would OHIP or work insurance come after me when they have to pay short-term disability?

Just had the idea because I live on a separate property and there is a group of ATVs that run up and down farmland across the street. They are definitely noisier than we would be. I know Markham noise by-laws prevent motor vehicles but thought that would be for residential only. Farm and commercial properties must be exempt, no?

thanks for the quick replies. I like the horse track idea though ;)
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Your buddies may not sue you, but their heirs may if there is a tragedy.
 
killvino said:
Its, surrounded by other farmland and forest, wouldn't disturb anyone. Only one neighbour might be able to see but it would be far enough not to disturb and they wouldn't, we're cool.


Did not think about this, but I would only allow very close buddies and mostly myself on it. What's the risk in terms of not having insurance? No one that I know would sue or chase charges with me, would OHIP or work insurance come after me when they have to pay short-term disability?

Just had the idea because I live on a separate property and there is a group of ATVs that run up and down farmland across the street. They are definitely noisier than we would be. I know Markham noise by-laws prevent motor vehicles but thought that would be for residential only. Farm and commercial properties must be exempt, no?

thanks for the quick replies. I like the horse track idea though ;)
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you say that now, what if someone loses a limb, paralyzed or has a fatal accident? Life changing events could easily change the status of your relationship.

the risk? they sue you for liability and take everything you have from you and your family until you're in the coffin.
 
You guys think the insurance for a sanctioned event is for the rider?
:LOL: you might want to read the form as to what it actually covers.
 
Trials said:
You guys think the insurance for a sanctioned event is for the rider?
:LOL: you might want to read the form as to what it actually covers.
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I was thinking about your events. They are sanctioned and insured but I assume they use natural terrain. In the OP's plan, we was designing and building a track which seems to me to ratchet up the liability by quite a bit.

For the OP, if you want one buddy to ride with, have him design and build the track on your land. That way your buddy probably gets most of the responsibility in any lawsuit. More than one buddy gets messier. Do they work together and design and build the track and sue the ***** off each other in a tragedy?
 
Evoex said:
what form? what event?
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The one that comes with the package they send you when you apply for a sanctioned event.
My only experience is with CMA sanctioned events.

The absolute ideal circumstance from a land owner perspective, is when the rider in question is trespassing.
 
Trials said:
The one that comes with the package they send you when you apply for a sanctioned event.
My only experience is with CMA sanctioned events.
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i don't attend them, so how could i read the form?
 
Evoex said:
i don't attend them, so how could i read the form?
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Well if you are not attending it doesn't really matter then does it :unsure:
Do you have a competition license? If you do you can likely request CMA to send you one.

Brief synopsis is the insurance is largely for the spectators.
 
GreyGhost said:
Your buddies may not sue you, but their heirs may if there is a tragedy.
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... and you were liable for that tragedy, absolutely!
Such as; you strung a wire across the track at neck height, that would definitely do it.
 
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