Many residents of Riverside County, California would consider the area a moto paradise. Even though the rapid pace of development has devoured some of the huge tracts of open land found in the county ten years ago, there are still plenty of areas to hit the trails come Saturday morning. Residents are also served by motocross tracks like Glen Helen, Perris, Cahuilla Creek and Lake Elsinore.
When they aren’t traveling the country (or the world) competing, many professional motorcycle racers of both the on- and off-road persuasions make their home in Riverside county. Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Emig, Stephane Roncada, and many other top MXers live in the area, as do a few road-racing brothers you may have heard of, namely the Bostrom brothers (Ben and Eric) and the Gobert brothers (Aaron and Alex).
Take the 15 freeway south past Corona, and look off to the right – if you’re lucky, you might see James Stewart turning some laps on Kawasaki’s private SX test track, the fence lined with a crowd of moto fans. The other Japanese factories maintain test tracks in the nearby hills, and up there you might find Ricky Carmichael out on the Suzuki track getting tuned in to his new RM250.
It seems the area’s ingrained motorcycle culture hasn’t permeated the top levels of local government, however, as the Riverside County Planning Commission is considering an amendment to county land use legislation that would effectively ban any dirt bike use on private property, and and in particular would make it nearly impossible for a landowner to ride on their own property.
The amendment was allegedly proposed by a group of politically active horse owners, and it is claimed to “provide development and siting standards for off highway vehicle usage”. However, the standards it provides contain many conditions which are nearly impossible to meet, particularly one which reads “During the operation of any off highway vehicle(s) on a parcel the maximum measurable noise level at any property line shall not exceed 65 decibels”. Some research on the internet revealed that 60 decibels is the approximate volume of “normal conversation”. Riding a stock XR50 in your yard would almost certainly violate this limit, unless you live a substantial distance from your nearest neighbor.
Legislation like this, which is purported to establish “reasonable guidelines” but in effect outlaws certain activities, is discriminatory and unjust. Let’s hope that the Planning Commission throws this amendment in the trash where it belongs.
For more information, visit the California Off Road Vehicle Association.
