designing the new track in hanoi

Building the New Dirt Bike Track

Today, we’re at the site of a new track under construction. We have a digger on hand to help with the work.

Step one: clearing out all the sticks and grass.
Step two: widening the track — currently, it’s about 1 meter wide, but we’re aiming for 4 to 5 meters to make it more spacious. We’ll also adjust the layout to make it faster and less tight.

The final step will be adding jumps. We’re planning some small jumps suitable for beginners and a couple of bigger jumps for more experienced riders. These bigger jumps will be optional for beginners but add excitement for advanced riders.

Even though it’s raining, we’re supervising the digger to ensure the jumps are challenging but not too difficult — accessible for average tourists or beginners.

At one point, I realized my Vietnamese might not be good enough to explain that some of these jumps might be a bit too risky for newcomers. So, I called Kavin over to help persuade the digger operator to make the jumps a bit safer for beginners. Hopefully, this will make the track enjoyable for everyone.

Testing the New Track

I tested the new jump by cutting across the track. It’s possible to clear it, but just barely — especially coming out of a corner.

Since my KTM broke down for the fourth time this month, I used a WR155 for the test ride.

We had only a small piece of land to work with, so our goal was to create a track that’s technical but still manageable for riders of all skill levels.

We added some whoops that aren’t too steep, and the corners are a bit rough and sandy. This makes the track ideal for training, and it holds up well in the rain.

There’s also a fairly large double jump that most riders can roll over if they choose, and a smaller tabletop jump designed specifically for beginners attempting their first jumps.

Reflections on the Project

Honestly, none of us had built a track before, and our digger driver had never built jumps before either. Considering that, I’m pretty proud of what we’ve created.

It’s a great place to hang out after work or on weekends. Even if you’re nervous about the ruts and jumps, I can get you riding confidently around the track in just a two-hour lesson.

If you’ve never ridden on a track before, you can probably get around it, but if you want to ride with confidence, I recommend booking a lesson with Dirt Bike Academy.