Help the off-road motorcycle community expand legal options for riding

While I was there, I got to talk to a lot of readers and customers about all of the great off-road riding available to them in Colorado. I explained that on a recent trip to Gunnison I was blown away with the amount of public use land that is available for dual-sport and off-road motorcycles.

In Colorado, motorcyclists can register their off-road bikes with the state, which allows them to obtain an annual permit to ride the hundreds if not thousands of miles of off-road trails. But it doesn’t stop with just Colorado. Something like 80 percent of Public Use Land lies west of the Mississippi River. My west-coast friends just give me a confused look when I explain to them the struggles we face finding legal places to ride in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, we have a state-run forest system managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DCNR). We have 11 tracts of forested land across the state which feature 267 miles of diverse ATV trails that are open for recreational use. Only one of these, Bald Eagle State Forest, allows for off-highway motorcycles (OHM).

The lack of OHM trail access stems from the DCNR’s registration requirements and current laws. With very few exceptions, ATVs operating on state forest trails must be registered and insured. However, current law provides no means to legally register an off-highway motorcycle. There is a local riding group, the DelVal Trail riders, who have been working with DCNR and other riding groups in Pennsylvania to rectify this situation.

According to the their petition on Change.org, DelVal states, “The Gabler bill (HB 1706) would amend Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and provide a means to optionally register off-highway motorcycles, such as dual sports and enduros, with the DCNR for use on public ATV trails. Opening registration to OHMs will provide revenue for further trail development and maintenance, which translates to better trails and more riding opportunities for all, NOT just motorcyclists.”

This is a huge opportunity for the off-road riding community on the east coast. A lot of these riding areas are within reach of folks in New York, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, in addition to Pennsylvania riders. It would be so great to expand the use of state forests to offer off-road motorcyclists more public options to legally ride.

So here is where I ask for your help.

You can start by signing the DelVal petition on Change.org but you can also reach out to the DCNR directly.

The DCNR is currently in the process of amending its ATV Trail Management and Development Policy in response to increased demand for trail-riding opportunities. The DCNR is welcoming comments on its policy changes through March 27. All riders in support of OHM trail use are encouraged to review the revised policy and implore the DCNR to accept the advisory committee’s recommendation to include OHM use on state forest ATV trail systems. Comments are being accepted by DCNR via email (paforester@pa.gov).

I would also encourage everyone to get involved with local riding groups like PaTRA and DelVal Trail Riders and participate in upcoming trail maintenance days. There is no better way to let the government know that we’re serious than by showing up to help maintain and repair the trails we’re asking to ride.

I know our audience is spread across the country, something made abundantly clear from all of the great people I recently spoke with in Colorado. But I would appreciate your support on an issue that is important to us east coast riders, no matter where you live, and even if you're a street-only rider. You never know — you might want to try your hand at a new type of riding if there are more places available to ride.