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A PLEA FOR A TRACK
written and photographed by the OMAN DIRTY BIKER

We are increasingly reluctant to use Bausher sands as we are very concerned about the alarming number of people who drive or ride recklessly there”

THE DIRTY BIKERS
Where will we go?
One of the appeals of Oman, for those of us with an interest in motorcycles who are fortunate enough to live and work here, is the opportunity to explore the country’s varied terrain. One such group, who ride enduro bikes designed for both on- and off-road use, collectively call themselves the Dirty Bikers – not a description of their behaviour but of the condition of their bikes after a day’s riding in rough conditions. This particular group of riders numbers around 40 – that’s also roughly the average age of the riders themselves!

We come from all parts of the world, including Oman, of course. But where can off-road bike riders in Oman go to enjoy their sport in safety; to learn and improve their off-road biking skills and to practise them safely and without risk to others? Where can official moto events that are properly controlled and organised in Oman be held? At present, nowhere – and it is such a shame.

HIT DIRT
Meet the bikers
In the pages of this magazine there have already appeared articles about some of the Dirty Bikers’ activities; crossing the Sharqiya Sands several times in a single day; riding an off-road circuit of Oman over a week; participating on behalf of Oman in the UAE Desert Challenge event and other solo exploits of a similar nature; as well as the one-off motocross event staged during this year’s Muscat Festival in Qurm.

The Dirty Bikers is a group that comes together sometimes in the evenings and at weekends to practise their off-road riding skills, or to ride a route to take in some of the country’s incredibly varied scenery. Many of us also have conventional road bikes, and we have ridden them for years in our home countries and in Oman, too. But the skills required to ride an off-road bike are completely different, very physical and tremendously challenging.

One issue that is paramount to us all is safety. You will never see any of us riding without the full set of protective equipment – helmet, goggles, chest and back protector, elbow, knee and hip protection, tough boots, gloves, proper off-road outer clothing. Fresh water is usually carried in a backpack with a tube that leads to the rider’s mouth so he can re-hydrate as he rides. In the event of a tumble, which can often happen in sand, the rider is always very well protected against injury. We insist on our members wearing this gear during a ride, although all appreciate the need for it, so persuasion hasn’t yet been required! The riders also carry GPS sets, and on longer rides a satellite phone, too, to ensure contact can be made in the event of a serious problem, no matter where they are.

All enduro bikes ridden on public roads are properly registered and insured, although some members will not ride on blacktop and prefer to transport their bikes by trailer to the off-road venue.

ONE SHOT AT MX
The taste of motocross
The practice evenings on the track built specially for the 2008 Muscat Festival bike event and the five motos (races) we rode over the two days improved all our riding skills in a very short space of time. It gave many novice off-road riders enormous confidence on the difficult surfaces, and prepared them well for the longer rides organised by the group. The spirit of enthusiasm for racing under safety controls rose very quickly among the Dirty Biker entrants – as did the pace round the track.

Despite several impassioned pleas made on the prize-winners’ rostrum to the representative from the Ministry of Sports Affairs, the Festival track has sadly been destroyed. We are increasingly reluctant to use Bausher sands for practice, as the number of leisure users increases with time. We frequently observe riders and drivers of various types of machinery using the sands, some of them clearly inexperienced and without any form of protective gear. With cars, bikes and quad users all enjoying the dunes without any kind of co-ordinated control, the risk of a collision and perhaps injury is higher than ever before. The Dirty Bikers don’t want to be associated with that kind of uncaring and reckless image.

WHAT WE WANT
Working towards a track
Over the last few weeks, the Dirty Bikers have voiced loud and clear their unanimous and strong desire to have the use of a properly constructed and maintained track that can be used for off-road
practice and for organising properly controlled moto events. It would be great if riders from other countries could enter and compete, thereby encouraging tourism and publicity for Oman. Presently, those of us who wish to race must travel abroad to compete in motos or enduro events such as the UAE Desert Challenge and the Baja events. Some years ago, Oman Automobile Club had a motocross track that has now fallen into disuse. If this track was reinstated, with the support of OAC and the Ministry of Sports Affairs, riders could have a safe, well-organised venue.

We have had some early discussions with OAC about this. The indications are that this is possible provided they receive support from the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Sports Affairs. We are going to form a sub-committee within OAC that will enable us to affiliate with proper authorities such as the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), using their regulations and controls for organising and running race and enduro events. Steven Hendry and Ian Bowen are fronting this up at present, and other Dirty Bikers have indicated they will get involved as progress is made.

What we need is the open support of the Ministry, the Royal Oman Police and the general public to establish a track and to properly organise and run competitive motocross and enduro events in Oman. We have the willingness of the Oman Auto Club to reinstate the motocross track, provided the officials in government give their approval; and we have a massive wave of enthusiasm, from the Dirty Bikers themselves and also from members of the Dubai Motocross Club who are keen to return to Oman and sample more of the challenging conditions here. The potential for lots of publicity exists with these types of sports, as is evident from the events being run in the UAE – all good for promoting tourism in Oman. We would like your support, too.

Contact the Dirty Bikers at DirtyBikersOman@hotmail.co.uk and give us your support to reopening a safe, properly constructed and managed motocross track, and the staging of properly regulated and controlled race and enduro events in Oman. Do it today – right now if you can.