AMA and BDR Sign MOU to Defend Adventure and Dual-Sport Access

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If you ride plated dirt — dual-sport, ADV, or a trail bike that still sees pavement — access is the quiet part of every trip plan. On September 9, 2026, the American Motorcyclist Association and Backcountry Discovery Routes put that problem on paper: a memorandum of understanding aimed at adventure and dual-sport riders, not just race weekends or street lobbying in isolation.

The pitch is simple. AMA brings national advocacy infrastructure, government-relations experience, clubs, promoters, and membership reach. BDR brings route development, trip-planning resources, documentary films, and a community already living on the roads most at risk of disappearing. Together they say they will expand advocacy, responsible motorized recreation, route development, rider education, and community engagement for that shared rider class.

What each side actually committed to

Per the AMA release (also carried by Cycle News), AMA will push campaigns that protect and promote BDR routes through its channels and encourage members to show up for volunteer work and route stewardship. BDR will amplify AMA advocacy, invite AMA into route-release events and film tours, and steer its riders toward AMA membership so the rights fight has more bodies behind it.

AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman framed BDR’s footprint in dollars and miles: the organization “brings over $60 million worth of economic impact to local communities annually by making over 20,000 miles of backcountry tracks available to the riding community.” That is the rural-town argument land managers hear when a connector road or two-track is on the chopping block.

Why BDR routes need lobbyists, not just GPS files

BDR Executive Director Inna Thorn said the quiet part out loud: “The sections of our routes that riders love most are often the ones most at risk of closure. We’ve spent years earning a seat at the table with the agencies and communities that manage this land, but protecting that access for the long haul takes advocacy at every level of government, and that’s where the AMA’s reach makes the difference.” For dual-sport and ADV riders, that is the difference between a published track on RideBDR.com and a gate you find mid-day with no alternate.

This is not a new trail network drop or a specific Forest Service travel-management decision. It is institutional glue — coordinated land-access advocacy, more safety and responsibility education, and a tighter loop between people who build routes and people who work Capitol Hill and statehouses. If you already ride BDR or BDR-X loops, the practical next step the partners are selling is membership, volunteer stewardship, and paying attention when AMA flags an access fight that touches the roads you actually use.

Rider takeaway

Street-legal dirt riders live or die on public-road and OHV policy more than on the next 50 hp. Pair this MOU with how you choose a bike in the first place — see our [street-legal dual-sport vs dirt bike](/bikes/street-legal-dual-sport-vs-dirt-bike) explainer — and keep the long-mileage dual-sport plot in mind when you compare something like the [2027 KTM 690 Rally](/news/2027-ktm-690-rally) to a pure woods bike. For helmet and protection choices before a multi-day route, start with the [dual-sport helmets buyer guide](/gear/best-dual-sport-helmets-buyer-guide).

Primary reads: AMA announcement, Cycle News press carry, and RideBDR.com for route resources.

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