Build Your Own Starting Gate!

Well because taking th holeshot usually sets you up for a decent finish (MX), I decided to help out my team (CTR) and the local guys that ride my buddies track (about 50 riders, 50/50 split between bikes/quads) work on starts. We have a decent track, (track through my eyes: 450r

or 250r if youre a 2smoker guy)

 

Anywho, enough on the why, more on the what.

 

I had a basic design, but no plans. I'm just winging it really. It is made of 2 10' gates that slip together and pivot on a hing welded to some flatstock and anchored to the ground.

 

the plan:

[ATTACH]463.vB[/ATTACH]

And what I'm looking at now..

 

I'll be working on it a bit more on my break (building it at work)

Nice, keep us in the loop on your progress!!

 

Coming from drag racing I can relate, the start plays a major role in the finish!!

Cool! Wish i could build stuff like that in work..

Looks cool man!

I just have my Wife stand in front of me with a "fold out" chair, drop it real fast and jump the f-ck out of the way!!

I just have my Wife stand in front of me with a "fold out" chair, drop it real fast and jump the f-ck out of the way!!

 

Haha I'll have to get my GF to do that next time she's bothering me, haha.

 

This is what I ended up with.

Not bad, looks clean and proffesional. Doesnt look like a half ass, use anything i can find type of job.

Thanks, I'll post some pics when we start using it. Hopefully this weekend

 

Total cost was 150$ my price.. but I got a good price on steel and didn't pay for gas or welding rods, so it would be a bit more. 20' is too much for 1-2 guys, but nice to have the extra length when there are 4-5 guys lined up.

 

I do have some concerns on it bending from somebody false starting, but I'm only dripping it from ~8" off the ground so it shouldn't jam too hard. I hope, lol .The hinges seem to work really well, I'll post back with an update after we use it for a few months.

If one guy false starts, won't the whole gate not drop and hold everyone else up? Or are you not worried about that.

I'm only dropping it from 6-8" as mentioned above.. I'm hoping that short of a drop will prohibit false starts as much as possible.. if it happens it happens though..

Well guys, I finished the gate. I went and tested it out for a little bit on the weekend. My brother was playing with his new phone and snapped some clips of the gate and me practicing some S turns..

 

 

Still not completely done, I want to stake it to the ground so it wont move back when people drive over it like in the second clip, but also i would like it to have some give if someone false starts so it would be pushed ahead.

 

I think I'm goiing to slot the flat steel so a pin can go in can stop it from going back, but still let the gate move forward.