The most fun you can have with someone else’s bike…probably.
Last year, I was looking for some dirt so I could get practice on my GS before my trip to Alaska. The closest area I could find was Hungry Valley State Recreational Area in Gorman.
As a dirt novice on my own bike, I was very tentative – no hillclimbs on the 500+ pound GS! But when I was there, I wished there was a better way for me to explore the area. Turns out, there is. Allow me to introduce Gorman Motorsport Rentals.
Started 2 years ago by husband and wife Jon and Glory, Gorman Motorsport Rentals offers dirtbikes and quads in 1/2 day, full day, and even multiple day intervals. I decided to get a couple of my friends and see what the rental experience was like.
First of all, Jon and Glory accept walk-ins, but I would highly recommend that you make a reservation. This is because they’ll actually have your bike(s) ready to go inside the park if they have advance notice. Ether way, you start by showing up at the office and checking in:
Here you’ll take care of your paperwork, and get any gear you might need. They’ve got a closet full of anything you could want – helmets, chest protectors, gloves, elbow pads, knee pads, and boots. And the prices are reasonable – most gear is free, helmets and boots are just $5 each.
Once you’re squared away, you just drive in to the first campground inside Hungry Valley, where Jon will be waiting with your bikes. The setup is almost perfect for people without gear or a dirtbike. The only thing that could make the process smoother is if check-in was done inside the campground as well – and Gorman Motorsports Rentals are in the process of securing a permit to do exactly that!
Jon will instruct you on operation of the bikes, and the pickup area is right alongside a large flat plain, perfect for getting accustomed to your new steed before you explore the expanses of Hungry Valley. And it truly is expansive:
We ended up renting a Honda CRF100, a Honda CRF250X, and a Suzuki DR-Z 250.
I believe their inventory consists of approximately 6 quads and 20 motorcycles…
…and they’re considering expanding into RZR’s as well, like this random one I saw during the day:
Easy enough, right? Just twist the throttle and explore:
I managed to dump my Honda when getting a little excited at the top of a hill – in the process I gave my protective gear a good test and snapped the end off the shifter:
I was still able to ride with it, so I just kept going until the end of the day, at which point Jon charged me for half the cost of a used replacement shifter. More than reasonable!
The day was very enjoyable, and without worry – you don’t get charged extra for gas, prep, cleaning, etc. The operation is well run – the only slight inconvenience is having to start at a separate location, but like I mentioned before, they’re in the process of setting up inside Hungry Valley itself.
And at the end of the day, they meet you back where you started, you leave the gear and the bike, and you’re done! For someone like me who doesn’t go out in the dirt often enough to justify owning a dirtbike, this is pretty much the perfect setup. If you’re looking to play around on some dirtbikes in the LA area, I recommend that you check out Gorman Motorsport Rentals – I can’t over-emphasize how friendly and accommodating Jon and Glory are!