Posts: 90
Joined: 6/5/2016
Location: Merrick, NY USA
Any people living in the New York/ NJ/ NYC/ Long Island area on here? Have any of you guys been riding? what tracks have you been going to?
Also if anyone on here owns a dealership on Long Island or in the New York / NYC area I would like to know. I am interested how many people in this area are into Motocross and Supercross enough to go on Vital.
Posts: 826
Joined: 12/18/2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Live in Brooklyn but I'm from NJ and still keep my bike at my parents' place there. I've ridden all of two times this year (at Etown) but hoping to step up those numbers next year.
Tedesco snapped this shot of me during my first excursion this year at the Etown practice track. I was pretty damn rusty, but he's pretty good at making even bad riders look fast.
Posts: 2282
Joined: 1/9/2010
Location: Clifton, NJ USA
Live in Jersey now but have lived in NYC for many years. Now I commute into NYC every day. Home track is etown but love Field of Dreams and do the occasional Orange County and Walden trips too. I missed this year due to injury but can't wait to have my YZ125 back out once the snow clears up in '18.
Posts: 90
Joined: 6/5/2016
Location: Merrick, NY USA
Twice in a year might not sound like much but it's better then nothing! I only got 3 days in this year (so far). I have been struggling with injuries the last few years, so I am hopefully going to be doing the same as you and getting back into the swing of actually riding again.
On Long Island we used to have several really fun practice tracks and one race track at one point, however the town of Islip shut down our last remaining motocross track, 10th Street MX, earlier this year. The owner's and the members have been fighting to get the track re-opened for several months now. I have been told by the owner's that things are "looking good" but have not heard anything official or a possible date the track will open again.
3 or 4 years ago we had four public tracks and two more private facilities for people to ride. Now there is only one semi-private location to ride, but it is more of a trail then a motocross track (Moto 1 long Island).
My uncle has a private track up in Warwick that I went to this year. Once I get comfortable again I will start going back to E-Town, OCFMX, Walden ect. I did teach a school and roll around at Gotham Mountain MX in Monticello earlier this summer. That track is really cool, and the owners are really fantastic guys. I liked it a lot but it is just so far for me to drive from the island. Four hours each way is a lot to day trip regularly.
Posts: 826
Joined: 12/18/2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
I was checking out some vids of Gotham Mountain. That place looks dope! MX on a ski resort basically. Are they good with grooming? It's about 2.5 hours from Central Jersey so I don't want to make the trek only to have a dusty dried out track.
Anyone else been there?
Posts: 2408
Joined: 8/15/2006
Location: Woodstock Ii, NY USA
I have been to Gotham. I thought it was a lot of fun. I was there early spring and there was no issue with dust or being dried out. It has a lot of elevation changes and in some places a decent amount of sand. Being built on a hill it also has its share of rocks. I didn’t get the chance to go back but I heard they were constantly improving it. I will go back when I get a chance.
Posts: 545
Joined: 6/7/2016
Location: Bristol, GBR
This thread hits home. I am in Manhattan, and bought a bike recently after being tee-total since moving here in 2015. I have only managed to ride a couple of times a year when I went back to the UK on holiday and frankly, I missed it.
I keep my new bike and gear at my cousin's place in Franklin Lakes, NJ, but it's a bit of an inconvenience as each time I want to ride I have to head out there, hire a u-haul van and go to the track for the day. If the track is far away, then the cost is likely to rise.
I have only just got myself sorted and rode at Englishtown a few weeks ago; the track is certainly very different from Europe and to what I am used to. Met up with some great guys from here (Uncle Tony) and had a genuinely brilliant day.
If any of you are in the city, give me a shout and we can take down a beer and plan a track or race day.
Posts: 90
Joined: 6/5/2016
Location: Merrick, NY USA
Edited Date/Time:
Bruneval, Definitely! I hope I don't end up regretting this (to many vitards combing through everything) but my number is 516-532-6164. Shoot me a text some time and we can try and do something. I don't always answer calls from numbers not saved in my phone so either text me or just leave me a voicemail and I will call you back.
Huckster and bayodome, Gotham Mountain is honestly incredible. I know it might not be the best, having to drive to Monticello, but I can confidently say that the owners and staff at Gotham are some of the most incredible, passionate, caring, welcoming and humble people around. If only I didn't have almost a four hour drive each way I would go as often as possible. Grooming wise 99.999% of the time, they are on the mark. Of course you are gonna have some days where the dirt is not "perfect" or a decent amount of rocks start popping out of the soil, but I would recommend that track to anyone and not have to worry about looking foolish because of poor conditions, a destroyed and boring track or anything at all.
Whenever you go to Gotham tell them that Alexander Ratner sent you. It would be cool to plan a day for all of us to meet up and go riding somewhere. Being this late in the year you could possibly do it at Switchback but that is a full weekend trip with a hotel and everything. Maybe early spring or a freak warm day we hit up Gotham or another local track. I want to try and do as much riding as I can the next year and since I am literally JUST getting back on the bike after years of not riding, it would be good to have another group of guys to go riding with. Normally I ride with my family or the riders that I help out with different things, but since they are all expert and pro level, it tends to not be as fun as riding with people who are probably just a couple of seconds faster then me lol.
Posts: 388
Joined: 6/16/2009
Location: Fairview Park, OH USA
I'm originally from Bellmore on Long Island. Moved to FL in 2006 and now in OH since 2013. Unfortunately not much riding left on the island.
@robfox10
Posts: 90
Joined: 6/5/2016
Location: Merrick, NY USA
MOTORSPORTFOX wrote:I'm originally from Bellmore on Long Island. Moved to FL in 2006 and now in OH since 2013. Unfortunately not much riding left ...more
No way, I am from Merrick. How old are you and when did you leave? I thought there were only 3 people in all of Merrick ? Bellmore that rode.
Posts: 388
Joined: 6/16/2009
Location: Fairview Park, OH USA
ARnvrbinfast937 wrote:No way, I am from Merrick. How old are you and when did you leave? I thought there were only 3 people in all of Merrick ? ...more
I was 18 when I left in 2006, went to Mepham HS
@robfox10
Posts: 53
Joined: 12/29/2016
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY USA
Im on Long Island, now that every track is closed I maintain hope that Ronkonkoma 10th St Mx will reopen soon. There is a small niche private track for locals who have been involved in the Mx scene out east. As of now Im forced to commute to Etown or Field of Dreams weekends. It seems even upstate they are having difficultly keeping tracks open. Walden is open 5 times a years, AK farms is closed.
Posts: 897
Joined: 6/12/2008
Location: Coopersburg, PA USA
Born and grew up racing on LI till I moved off in 1988. Have raced at Bridgehampton, Westhampotn Rocky Point, Morgans Motos and SX at the old Horse racing track suffolk meadows. You had endless land owned by corporations that you could ride on and build tracks. Colony Hill, city of glass, Commack pits and on and on. All gone and so different now. SAD
Posts: 178
Joined: 10/14/2015
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA
I grew up on Long Island and rode all the time in the 80’s but never on a track. There were so many places to ride back then it wasn’t really necessary. We had a sump down the block(manmade drainage lake which are all over LI) that had a big dirt area with some hills and jumps. There was a big area behind Nassau Colisseum by Meadowbrook Parkway that had trails with jumps. Sand pit in Farmingdale with huge sand walls for cool hill climbs. We would go further east I think either Commack or Farmingville and there were great riding places out there too. Sad to see thats all changed now and few places to ride.
Posts: 122
Joined: 5/29/2013
Location: Roosevelt, NY USA
Edited Date/Time:
I’m from Long Island, close to bellmore actually right in Freeport. I usually go to Etown but I sometimes go to Moto one Long Island in Calverton. It’s an ok place , not really maintained that well and they charge $70 to ride. Which is why I’d prefer to go to etown any day.
Posts: 897
Joined: 6/12/2008
Location: Coopersburg, PA USA
Forgot about all the sumps. They were it before we were old enough to drive and haul bikes to better places.
Going up the walls and out, then dropping back in. We pretended we were at the Rose bowl going up out of the stadium and then dropping back in.
Posts: 118
Joined: 3/7/2012
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Im from NYC/LI and now BKLN. I ride etown racetrack almost every weds and every sat or sunday. We hit CTMX in CT and NJFOD in s jersey 2 times a month. I ride MX207 in maine NHMX new hampshire, snake creek speed citi both in DE. Plenty to ride... i am 50 min from Etown in living in bkln. I have a private garage for bikes if anyone needs places. It costs money and background check.. few private tracks i know about in NJ for SX and trails
Anyway im always riding ...17 kx450f give a shout when ya heading out..BRAP
Posts: 129
Joined: 12/11/2014
Location: Wake Forest, NC USA
I learned how to ride moto in a big sand pit off the LIE, exit 48 I believe. We used to call it Channel 21 because the TV station was on the service road there. Then we migrated out east once we got chased out of there a few times. There was a place at exit 56, then further out at exist 64 in Commack I think, and a few others. I also remember the place by Nassau Coliseum, if I'm not mistaken you had to ride through a tunnel under Hempstead Turnpike from the EAB Plaza parking to get to it. Good memories.
Posts: 826
Joined: 12/18/2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Lot of former LI people here! Like I mentioned, I'm in Brooklyn and don't ride very often but would like to a little more next year.
Season is rapidly coming to a close around here (high of 37 today...burrr!) but I'm trying to make it out to Englishtown next Wednesday. Weather looks pretty good so fingers crossed.
DM me if you can make it and want to link up. Braaap!
Posts: 224
Joined: 12/23/2015
Location: NYC, NY USA
ARnvrbinfast937 wrote:Any people living in the New York/ NJ/ NYC/ Long Island area on here? Have any of you guys been riding? what tracks have you ...more
Also live in Manhattan. Ride Etown and Millville mostly, have been to Gotham and Budds Creek a couple times. Etown and Millville are the most common places we ride.
Posts: 8
Joined: 6/14/2021
Location: Salt Lake City, UT USA
Edited Date/Time:
Hoping to wake this thread up again. I'm moving to NYC end of the summer for my Wife's school and I want to bring my MX bike. I see a lot of ETown mentioned, but several tracks up north in NY. We're trying to decide on a place to live where I can keep my bike, but isn't a super far commute for her to get into the city for school. Suggestions on places to look? Looking for general area suggestions. Some of you mentioned you're in Brooklyn, is it pretty easy to get in and out of there to ride?
And are any of you still riding out there? I'm going to need some riding buddies, would love to connect with you guys. Moving from UT
Edit: Clarification on locations to live
Posts: 224
Joined: 12/23/2015
Location: NYC, NY USA
Edited Date/Time:
Keyster737 wrote:Hoping to wake this thread up again. I'm moving to NYC end of the summer for my Wife's school and I want to bring my MX bike. ...more
Hi there - I just moved to Colorado, but lived in Manhattan for around 10 years plus 2 in Williamsburg. I will say it’s much easier to get to Jersey and upstate if you are not coming from Brooklyn or Long Island. It’s easier to escape from manhattan or live in jersey. Williamsburg was cool to live in, but much harder to get out of to ride than manhattan was. Crossing through manhattan is a pain in the ass and most riding is in jersey, or upstate New York or further out such as southwick or down south in other states (budds creek and others). I have a crew of riding buddies that still live there if you want me to introduce you to a bunch of moto characters 
. I also had a good storage unit in jersey I liked if you go that route in between manhattan and the turnpike. Let me know. Good luck!
Posts: 224
Joined: 12/23/2015
Location: NYC, NY USA
Edited Date/Time:
Keyster737 wrote:Hoping to wake this thread up again. I'm moving to NYC end of the summer for my Wife's school and I want to bring my MX bike. ...more
Btw - if u live in southern Brooklyn it might be even easier to access E-town and Millville by crossing staten island, but it depends where in BK you live and where you store your bike. BK is a huge burough. My bike was stored in north bergen so always had to go there first to ride.
Posts: 8
Joined: 6/14/2021
Location: Salt Lake City, UT USA
You can probably expect a DM when I get out there then, I'd love to meet the crew. May hit you up for that storage unit too. Thanks for the info!
Posts: 307
Joined: 7/5/2015
Location: NJ, USA
Rode Etown Sunday, most of my buds were there Saturday, going to Orange County tomorrow.
Your going to have to see how much of a commute she is willing to do. There are some areas in Jersey with trains going direct to NYC, other trains go to Hoboken then you hop on a path train into the city.
