From abandoned homesteads to strange memorials, geologic wonders and weird works of art, the desert is chock full of mysterious places. Chances are, you’ve probably come across a few yourself out riding your adventure bike. Other times you hear about these places from friends or a local you run into, and they become the perfect excuse to go out and explore.

Recently, while scanning areas to ride with Google Maps Aerial View I happened to come across what looked like a giant motocross track out in the desert. I’ve heard rumors of these types of tracks before… An experienced motocross racer builds a dream track with perfect lines, big berms and supercross jumps. Or it might just be a simple turn track that follows the natural contours of the Earth. It may be out in the middle of nowhere or perhaps hidden in plain sight, but only a handful of people know about it.

Of course I’ve come across smaller tracks out in the desert before, typically for kids to play on, but nothing of this scale. And the more I looked for them, the more I found. Pretty soon I’d collected three or four potential GPS coordinates to check out, some I had passed within a hundred yards countless times and never noticed before. However, seeing something from space is one thing, getting to it on the ground is another. There might be a massive amount of brush and gullies between a known trail and the track, and who knows if it has weathered away since the satellite image was originally captured.

Saturday arrived and we got a perfect spring day in the middle of winter for our ride in the Mojave desert. We’d just had a big storm a week earlier in Southern California, so there was good moisture in the soil and the sun was shining with few clouds in the sky. I also had the perfect tool for the job — a 2024 KTM 790 Adventure project bike outfitted with a slew of mods from the PowerParts catalog. Notable above all was the top-of-the-line WP XPLOR PRO suspension. 

The XPLOR Pro upgrade is a complete fork and shock replacement, the same components that come on the limited-edition ‘890R Rally’ model and similar componentry to what KTM runs on its 450 Rally bikes. The fork features cone-valve technology and closed-cartridge construction while the rear shock is a PDS type, giving the suspension insane damping control and bump absorption, not to mention an extra 2.7 inches of travel. 

Other upgrades included a high fender kit, Akro pipe, free-flow air filter, one-piece seat, skid plate, rally pegs, and a few other miscellaneous items. Needless to say if I needed to rip through some gullies or up steep hill climbs to reach our target coordinate, the only limitation would be my riding skill.

Joining me on this micro adventure would be ADV Pulse contributor Jean Turner. Jean’s been racing motocross and riding dirt bikes in the desert since she was a kid, so she’s come across more than a few hidden tracks in her time. It didn’t take much cajoling to convince her to be my sidekick on this little excursion. She’d be riding her just-completed Suzuki V-Strom 800DE custom build. This project bike has had a ton of upgrades, including a Scotts steering damper, IMS off-road pegs, Yoshi pipe, a range of protective parts, and a suspension re-valve/re-spring by TBT Racing that gives it better hold up and bottoming resistance, plus a set of Motoz Tractionator Adventure tires for extra grip on any sketchy terrain we would likely find ourselves on. 

Heading out for the ride bright and early in the morning, we wouldn’t travel far before we hit our first target. While the GPS coordinate was just feet away from the main trail, it was hidden deep in the bushes with no clear entry point we could see. So we decided to take a quick break and unpack the drone for some reconnaissance from the sky. From the drone view, we could clearly make out a thin track , snaking its way through the bushes that covered a pretty large territory. Not a full-on motocross track but a pretty sweet turn track. There was also an entrance visible on the north side. 

Jumping on our steeds, we sped over to the site excited to see with our own eyes what we’d discovered. And it was in fact a track that someone had done an excellent job of hiding from any passersby. Clearly it hadn’t been ridden in a few years though, and it had very tight, soft turns that made it hard to follow on an adventure bike. But we hopped on the track and tried our best to follow the skinny track through the brush and soft sandy turns. We soon realized this was a fairly small track, but quickly noticed there was another adjacent track that went on for more than a few miles through natural terrain, with climbs, jumps, descents and plenty of tight turns to perfect your technique on. 

While this tracktime had us grinning ear-to-ear, we were quickly getting tired. With these big bikes, it felt like driving a trophy truck on a motocross track. We still had a full day of riding ahead of us to get to the next location. To save some energy for our next target, we decided it was time to move on. 

On our way to the next spot, we’d cover dozens of miles on jeep trails and two-track that offered a great opportunity to test the XPLOR Pro suspension on my KTM. I’d ridden a 790 Adventure Rally years ago, a bike I quickly fell in love with after experiencing its fluidity over rough terrain. The ride on this 790 was no different. I know I probably sound like I’m exaggerating the experience, but I will say it’s way beyond what you might expect. 

Blasting through a chopped up, whooped out dirt road, it dares you to go faster, and faster. When I finally reached my point of ‘too fast for me,’ the suspension was far from exhibiting any negative traits. No bottoming, no wallowing, just straight as an arrow through whatever nastiness you point it through. And surprisingly, the thing is plush as hell on the smaller rocks too. It’s simply magic!

We eventually reached one area where there is a set of uninterrupted whoops about 300 meters long. On each pass I kept pushing my limits further and further, increasing speed gradually. Soon I was hitting dirt bike level speeds on this 450-pound machine, yet the long wheelbase and Scotts steering damper provided excellent stability. I handed the bike over to Jean to see if she felt the same way about it and after doing a few laps, she came back just as wide-eyed and amazed as I did. 

While there’s no denying the incredible improvement in performance, it is a $3,600 fork and $2,200 shock upgrade, plus you’ll need longer brake cables and a longer side stand, bringing the total to $6,200. Worth the cost? If you’re pushing the limits of your adventure bike off-road, we both agreed it is well worth it. Even if you’re an intermediate off-road rider, you’d easily notice a significant difference in feel.

Putting this suspension on the cheaper 790 Adventure, rather than the 890R offers the potential for better cost savings ($10,999 MSRP for the 790 vs. $15,799 MSRP for the 890R), especially if you are planning on upgrading everything anyway. And honestly, the power difference between the 790 and 890 models isn’t that big. 

Anyone looking for an ADV racer that will slay just about anything out there, should definitely consider building one of these. The only thing I’d suggest adding are a set of heavy-duty ‘skinny’ wheels because the speeds this bike is capable of could destroy the stock tubeless wheels quickly if you are really pushing it. Considering resale value, buying an 890 Adventure R Rally ($21,499 MSRP) might be a better investment but the total buy-in cost would be more. These are already equipped with the XPLOR Pro suspension, along with a ton of other factory upgrades. Although they stopped making those in 2024, so it could be hard to find one.

Hammering through rough terrain, we also learned Jean’s custom-built V-Strom 800DE was no slouch either. The suspension upgrades made a noticeable difference in reduced bottoming out on bigger hits. It also made tackling aggressive trails much more fun compared to the stock suspension whether hard rocky hits, roots or in the whoops. However, compared to the KTM 790 Adventure with the XPLOR Pro upgrade, these bikes are miles apart in the dirt.

Back to the mission at hand. There were still more hidden tracks to find. With the afternoon sun dropping fast in the sky this time of year, we stopped messing around and quickly headed toward our next target to investigate. After navigating through a labyrinth of trails, heading in the general direction of our waypoint, we descended more than a few sketchy hills that had been washed out during the recent rains. We managed to get through these without any incidents though and soon we were looking down on a valley covered with trails.

Adjusting our eyes, zooming in on the details, we could make out some large berm turns, several sets of big whoops, and even a jump or two. These weren’t just random trails, or a simple line traced in the sand, it was a legit track we’d found, wide enough for several bikes to ride shoulder-to-shoulder.

We quickly hopped on the track and went through a series of twists, berms and bumpy sections. It would be a great track to rip around on a 2-stroke but on our big bikes, we were soon getting tuckered out — especially now with the sun hitting at its hardest. After completing a few laps, we stopped to take in what we’d found. Clearly, this was something someone had designed, manicured and built, perhaps even with the aid of a tractor. While there weren’t any big supercross jumps and the layout wasn’t too sophisticated, it was the type of track anyone would have loved to ride non-stop all day as a kid on their dirt bike.  

Enjoying the shade from one of the only trees in the area, we decided to break out the drone again to see what else we could find in the vicinity. With our eyes in the sky, we flew about a mile or two west until we could make out the unmistakable view of another completely different motocross track up in the hills. This one looked even more extensive, with even more-defined berms, whoops, jumps and the like. Finding a trail to that location could take quite a few hours of probing though, so with the sun quickly dropping behind the hills, we decided we’d have to save this one for another ride.

Having had our fill of track riding for the day, we threw a high-five to celebrate ‘mission accomplished,’ then decided it was time to head home before the sun disappeared and the chilly temperatures reminded us we were still in the midst of winter. On that ride home, I reflected on the satisfying day we’d just had. Starting out, we didn’t know if we’d find anything at all but we’d ended up finding three tracks right in an area I’d ridden through countless times over the last 20 years.

It just goes to show you there’s still a lot of mysterious places out in the desert, and probably some in your own backyard waiting to be uncovered. It doesn’t always have to be some long-range, multi-day trip to a far-flung destination. Those are great adventures of course, but we can only do so many of those with our limited time. A quick day trip out in your local neck of the woods can happen on any Sunday and be just as fulfilling. What matters most is that you just get out there and ride.

So where are these hidden tracks located?… Well, we wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. Finding them is half the fun. If you really want to know, you can probably piece together the clues and discover it for yourself. And while you’re out there, who knows what else you might find. One thing is certain, you’ll come back with a satisfied grin and some great stories to tell.

Photos by Rob Dabney and Jean Turner

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.