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Trail in Woods

Make it Legal

You Must

  • Have a valid membership in the OFTR.

  • Licensed (Green off-road plate on front, or Blue street plate on rear).

  • Know where you are riding, and stay on designated trails only

  • Ride in control and observe a 50 kph speed limit

  • Insured

  • Quiet (94 db or less). Don’t annoy our neighbors, and risk losing access to trails. Loud Bikes Suck!

  • Respect, and expect, other trail users including horseback riders, hikers, and mountain bike riders

Code of Conduct

  • Ride on existing trails only and do not trespass on private property

  • Respect nature

  • Expect and respect other users, they have a right to use the trails

  • Respect the work of volunteers who develop and maintain your trails including the volunteers of other user groups

  • When you see a horse: stop, turn off your engine, remove your helmet and wait for instructions

  • Practice All the Gear all the Time: Always wear a helmet and other safety gear

  • Pack in and pack out to leave the place better than your found it

  • Use trails according to permitted uses. Some trails are seasonal, be sure to check trail conditions.

  • Rider sober with no use of drugs or alcohol before or during your ride

  • Keep your motorcycle quiet with a maximum of 94 decibels.

Don't Trespass

  • If you ride without a trail pass you are trespassing.

  • Trails are patrolled by the police and by-law enforcement officers – if you are doing something illegal, you will be charged.

  • Ride legal and encourage those you ride with to do the same.

Do the right thing, don't be that rider that shuts us down

  • Off road motorcycles have the distinction of being the fastest most nimble creature in the forest. As such we have to be very careful not to intrude on the enjoyment or the path of other forest users. It is also important not to conflict with other off road motorcycles.

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  • It is very rare in the public domain to run into one way trails. Therefore when riding, you must always be aware of oncoming traffic, motorized or not. It is the lead riders responsibility to constantly survey his surroundings for oncoming users. It is important on double track to stay far to the right when cresting a hill. Always error on the side of caution. When passing another group it is a good practice to hold up a number of fingers to indicate the size of the riding party. Obviously if the group is bigger that 5 you will have to improvise.

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  • In the event you come across people on horse back, signal you are stopping to fellow riders and pull to the side and stop. Turn off all bikes, remove your helmets if necessary and give the right of way to the equestrians. Always let them make the call.

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  • The rule of thumb is that there is no real speed limit on single track as trees and gravity will triumph over blind stupidity. However fire roads and road allowances do have speed limits that are 50 kmh unless otherwise posted.

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  • Ride quietly. OK so you passed sound test but you have to remember each motorcycle is equipped with a volume control. Yes its called a throttle and if you wind it to the pin in populated areas you are guilty of noise pollution.

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  • Tread lightly. This can mean observing seasonal closures, staying off the trails in muddy season or just after a big rain. It can mean not digging a trench when climbing a hill or when stuck on a root. Big brake slides and roosting out of corners is another example. Tread lightly and do your best to maintain the integrity of the trails.

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  • Invasive species is a huge concern for forest managers. Did you know these plants or animals could hitch a ride from forest to forest via your motorcycle? What's a rider to do? Wash your bike after every ride to remove this threat. If you get dog strangling vine on the edge of your driveway it is a lot easier to deal with than in the forest.

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  • Give a hoot, don't pollute. Great old saying. It applies to littering and it can apply to how you dispose of old motor oil and chemicals. Use proper environmental practices to dispose of waste materials.

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  • In Ontario, the legislation governing off-road motorcycling is the Off-Road Vehicle Act. Copies of the Off-Road Vehicle Handbook are available for about $8 from the office where you buy your license plates. The Act governs off-road motorcycles, three and four wheel ATV’s, and Odysseys.

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  • The act is specific in that every vehicle must be registered if the vehicle is used anywhere other then the registered owner’s property. Dirt bikes must carry a license plate. For off-road use, the license plate is the green one, it costs $35, and must be attached to the front of the vehicle. It does not require a renewal sticker each year.

 

  • At this time it is not necessary to have any kind of operator's permit or motorcycle license endorsement to ride a bike or ATV off-road. To operate a motorcycle on the street, or on a dirt road, an “M” license or learner's permit is mandatory.

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  • The next requirement: insurance is mandatory to operate your vehicle anywhere other than your property. The basic insurance requirements are public liability and public damage. I wonder how many people realize the penalty for operating a vehicle without insurance is presently $5000. THIS IS NOT A MISPRINT. The fine is equal to the price of a new bike (ok a used one).

 

  • Some off-road or dual-sport motorcycles carry street plates (blue plates with renewal stickers) and are then automatically governed by the Highway Traffic Act. When possible a bike should be licensed in this manner as it opens doors to a lot of country that a rider with a strictly off-road plate cannot legally travel.

 

  • Keep your machine QUIET, 94dbs or less. All machines must have a spark arrester.

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