Author: Outlaw

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How to Find a Stunt Lot (And Keep It)

Motorcycle stunt rider practicing wheelies in an industrial parking lot during a private stunt session

Every rider eventually hits the same wall:

You’ve outgrown the back road wheelies and you’re tired of getting harassed by the police.
You need space.
You need consistency.
You need a lot.

Finding a stunt lot isn’t just about pavement. It’s about longevity. The goal isn’t to ride somewhere once, it’s to ride somewhere for years without drama.

Here’s what’s worked for me.

Think Industrial. Think Invisible.

The name of the game is:

Out of sight. Out of mind.

The best luck I’ve had came from:

  • Searching online for commercial properties for sale
  • Driving around industrial parks
  • Looking for areas with:
    • No houses nearby
    • No foot traffic
    • No businesses open after hours
    • Minimal lighting / visibility from main roads

You’re not looking for the biggest lot in town. You’re looking for the lot nobody cares about.

Size Matters (But Not How You Think)

Everyone thinks they need an airport runway. Quit focusing on straight line tricks only and learn some slow speed circle combos.

I rode a 250 ft x 250 ft square lot for years. That’s barely bigger than a small parking lot. And in that space I learned:

  • Tight circles
  • Slow wheelies
  • Brake control
  • Clutch modulation
  • Technical bike control

Flat and clean pavement is more important than massive size.

  • No gravel.
  • No potholes.
  • No oil slicks.
  • No broken glass.

You can build elite skills in a small space.

The Reality of Permission

Here’s what most riders don’t understand:

When a business knowingly allows you to ride on their property, they are taking a massive risk.

Even if you say:

“I won’t sue if I get hurt.”

It doesn’t matter if you crash and go to the hospital:

  • The hospital reports it as a motor vehicle accident.
  • Police may get notified.
  • Your insurance company may investigate.
  • They may pursue the property owner for damages.

All without your control.

From the business owner’s perspective, you are:

  • Creating liability
  • Making noise
  • Attracting attention
  • Risking property damage

So if someone reacts aggressively or tells you to leave… Don’t get mad. Put yourself in their shoes.

It’s not to say there aren’t assholes out there, but most of the time they’re:

  • Doing their job
  • Protecting their employer
  • Protecting their asset

Be calm. Be respectful. Leave immediately if they ask. You might preserve the ability to come back later and ask properly.

If You Want a Reliable Spot…

The most reliable lot is the one that stays underground.

If word spreads, problems follow.

  • More riders
  • More noise
  • More attention
  • More risk
  • More complaints

If you find a good one and want to hold it down:

  • Keep it small. Only invite stunt riders you know are serious. NO SQUIDS
  • Keep it controlled.
  • Don’t blast it all over social media.
  • Don’t tag the location.
  • Minimize or don’t do big smokey burnouts that leave dark black lines and make lots of smoke.

The fastest way to lose a lot is to make it popular. It is fun to have a big lot session with lots of killer riders and energy flowing, but it comes at a cost.

The Smart Way to Lock Down Permission

If you want legitimate permission, target places that already operate around motorsports:

  • Event centers
  • Race tracks
  • Fairgrounds
  • Motorsport venues
  • Large rental venues with existing insurance

These facilities already understand risk.

If you’re skilled enough, consider offering value:

  • Offer to provide free stunt shows
  • Help draw a crowd
  • Create entertainment during events
  • Promote their venue in exchange for practice time

Bartering skill for access is powerful, but only if you bring professionalism.

Have:

  • Controlled riding enough that you can show the owner or manager what they’re signing up for
  • Professionalism – be prepared for lots of “NO WAY WE’RE GONNA ALLOW THAT“.
  • Clear and professional communication
  • Agreed-upon time restrictions
  • Clear boundaries on where you ride

If you treat it like a business arrangement, they might too. Don’t approach them like a sweaty drugged out bum with a clapped out motorcycle and expect them to let you have free reign.

Once You Have a Lot- Protect It

Getting the lot is one thing. Keeping it is another.

Here’s how you keep permission:

  • Keep the area clean.
  • Pick up trash (even if it’s not yours).
  • Don’t rev for no reason.
  • Keep sessions tight and focused.
  • Respect time limits.
  • Never argue with neighbors.
  • Respect burnout rules (I’m talking to you Harley boys)

If a neighbor comes out angry, Stay calm. Don’t escalate. You will never have the upper hand if it escalates.

You’re always representing more than yourself. You’re representing Stunt Riding as a culture and sport. Don’t put dirt on things because you can’t control your emotions.

Never Practice Alone

This part is non-negotiable. Do not ride alone. Stunt riding carries risk.

If something goes wrong and you’re injured:

  • You may not be able to call for help.
  • You may not be visible from the road.
  • You may be hours from being found.

At minimum, bring one friend.

Even better:

  • Have them record your progression.
  • Use the footage to analyze technique.
  • Use it to build content if you’re growing a brand.

But most importantly- have someone there who can call for help.

Final Thoughts

Finding a stunt lot isn’t about luck.

It’s about:

  • Being strategic.
  • Understanding liability.
  • Thinking like a property owner.
  • Staying disciplined.
  • Staying low-key.

The best lot isn’t the biggest. It’s the one you still have access to a year from now.

Ride smart.
Respect the space.
Protect the opportunity.

Portray stunt riding in a way that will push the sport forward.

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Fabbed Stunt Tanks vs Bolt-On Tank Kickers- Choosing the Right Setup for Your Riding

stunt tank blog post

When it comes to stunt riding, tank tricks open up an entirely new range of progression. Riders can spend years building skill on the street or in the lot, yet still be limited by a stock tank- often without fully realizing what tricks like spreaders, highchairs, or more advanced transitions even require from the bike.

Once you start looking at tanks that make those tricks possible, there’s no single “best” solution. What works depends heavily on your riding style, goals, and how much downtime or permanent modification you’re comfortable with. Tank setups vary wildly in material, shape, depth, lip design, coverings, and overall feel- and all of those factors change how the bike behaves under you.

Today, the most common route riders take is a fully fabricated stunt tank. Custom fabbed tanks have proven themselves over time and continue to be the go-to solution for riders who want a highly tailored setup.

With the low-profile design of the R7 and MT-07 fuel tanks, we saw an opportunity to explore something different: a bolt-on tank kicker that opens the door to tank tricks while leaving the OEM tank untouched.

Both approaches come with real advantages. Both come with compromises.

Fabbed Stunt Tanks

A properly fabricated stunt tank is still the gold standard for many riders- especially those deep into tank tricks.

✅ Pros

  • Built exactly to your riding style and body position
  • Can be shaped with a deeper, more aggressive lip
  • Excellent lock-in for advanced tank tricks
  • Clean, one-piece solution when done right

Fabricators like WONK333 do legitimately great work. Their tanks are well-known in the community, and for riders who know exactly what they want, a custom fabbed tank can be unbeatable.

http://w333designs.com/

❌ Cons

  • Permanent modification to your OEM tank
  • Some don’t like the idea of playing with the fuel tank venting
  • Pinhole leaks are a pain to deal with
  • Downtime while your tank is cut, welded, and refinished
  • Shipping cost + lead time
  • Higher total cost once labor, shipping, and paint are factored in

If you ride constantly and don’t want your bike down for weeks or don’t want to permanently alter your OEM tank- this can be a deal-breaker.

Bolt-On Tank Kickers

R7 tank kicker from outlaw stunt parts

Tank Kickers

Tank Kicker for R7 Exposed No Fairings- Outlaw Stunt Parts

Bolt-on tank kickers were designed to solve a very specific problem:
adding tank functionality without permanently modifying the bike.

Our goal with the R7 bolt-on tank kicker was never to replace a fully fabbed tank, it was to offer a reversible, low-downtime option that still delivers real stunt function.

✅ Pros

  • No welding or permanent tank modification
  • Can be installed or removed as needed
  • Minimal downtime – no sending parts out
  • Keeps your OEM tank intact
  • Great for learning tank tricks, spreaders, and high chairs

As mentioned in our product description and community replies, this setup feels closer to a narrow, flat-top tank rather than a deep bowl. It takes some adjustment time, just like any stunt tank.

❌ Cons

  • Less aggressive lip than a fully fabbed tank
  • Not ideal for riders who rely heavily on deep lock-in
  • Some compromise compared to a one-piece welded solution

That tradeoff is intentional: reversibility and simplicity come at the cost of extreme shaping.

Tank Shape & Feel- What to Ask For

One of the most common questions riders ask when getting a tank fabbed is “what shape should I get?” The answer depends entirely on how you ride and how locked-in you want to feel.

Flat top tanks put you more on the bike than in it. They’re easier to slide around on and feel more forgiving when transitioning positions. This is my personal preference especially paired with a medium rounded lip, which reduces sharp edges and wraps cleanly with Hydroturf.

Bowl or dished tanks lock you in harder. They’re great if you want maximum hold, but they limit movement and can make getting on and off the tank more deliberate.

Lip design matters just as much as the top shape. Higher lips offer more lock-in, while rounded lips are easier on missed landings and more comfortable.

Our R7 bolt-on tank kicker naturally ends up narrower due to the OEM tank shape, but the feel is closer to a flat top than a bowl. It does sit you slightly higher, but the radius is pushed further back on the bike, which helps stability and avoids the “too far forward” feeling.

There’s no perfect shape — just what works best for your tricks, transitions, and comfort level.

Common Concerns:

We’ve seen a lot of honest feedback, and it’s worth addressing directly.

“It didn’t feel great at first.”

That’s common with any new tank setup. Fabbed or bolt-on, tank tricks always take time to adapt to. Muscle memory matters.

“The lip wasn’t aggressive enough.”

That’s fair — if you want a deep lip and live on tank tricks, a fabbed tank is probably the better option.

“Is this better for bigger riders?”

Rider size and preference matter a lot. Some taller or heavier riders may prefer the security of a deeper custom tank. Others value flexibility and reversibility more.

“Why not just get a fabbed tank?”

For some riders, that is the right call. For others, downtime, cost, and permanent modification are deal-breakers.

About the 3D Printing–

One of the biggest questions we hear is:

“Isn’t it 3D printed?”

Yes, and that’s intentional.

But this isn’t a hollow, cosmetic print.

How Ours Are Made

Our tank kickers are:

  • Printed solid (not shelled, not honeycombed for weight savings)
  • Designed with impact resistance as the priority
  • Reinforced with stainless hardware
  • Locked to the tank using CNC-cut aluminum brackets

This isn’t consumer-grade printing. It’s industrial additive manufacturing chosen specifically because it allows:

  • Complex internal geometry
  • Controlled flex instead of brittle failure
  • Rapid iteration based on rider feedback (we will be offering new shapes in the future based on this)

In practice, this means the kicker can absorb impacts differently than a welded metal extension- and if it does take damage, it can be replaced without cutting up your tank.

Stunt riding has never been one-size-fits-all. Some riders want the ultimate custom solution, others want flexibility, reversibility, and minimal downtime.

Our bolt-on tank kicker exists alongside fabbed tanks — not in competition with them. If you know you want a welded tank, support good fabricators like WONK333. If you want a functional, reversible option that lets you ride more and wait less, bolt-on kickers make sense.

The best setup is the one that keeps you riding.

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Dirtbar Conversions vs Adjustable Clip-Ons — Which Setup Makes the Most Sense for Stunt Riding?

When riders start dialing in their stunt bike ergonomics, one of the biggest decisions is whether to run a dirtbar conversion or adjustable clip-ons. Both raise the riding position and give more leverage than stock, but they each deliver a different feel – and a different ownership experience. Here’s a breakdown to help you figure out which setup fits your riding style.

This breakdown is based on real-world stunt riding, not catalog specs, and is meant to help you choose the setup that best fits your riding style, bike, and goals.

What Is a Dirtbar Conversion?

A dirtbar conversion replaces the stock clip-ons with a one-piece motocross-style handlebar, mounted using risers or a billet top clamp.

Pros of Dirtbars

  • Maximum leverage for wheelies and balance point control
  • More upright and forgiving ergonomics
  • Stronger in crashes – fewer individual parts to bend
  • Huge selection of bar bends, widths, and rise options

Cons of Dirtbars

  • Less precise front-end feel at high speed
  • Can feel vague during aggressive street riding
  • Requires rerouting lines and cables on some bikes

Dirtbars are the go-to choice for lot riding, learning balance point, and riders who prioritize comfort and durability over sharp steering feel.

What Are Adjustable Clip-Ons?

Adjustable clip-ons mount directly to the fork tubes but allow you to change rise, width, sweep, and angle, giving far more flexibility than OEM clip-ons.

Pros of Adjustable Clip-Ons

  • Sharper steering feedback
  • Cleaner OEM+ appearance
  • Better high-speed stability
  • More precise body positioning for technical riding

Cons of Adjustable Clip-Ons

  • Less leverage than dirtbars
  • More components to bend in crashes
  • Setup takes time to get right

Clip-ons are ideal for riders who want stunt capability without sacrificing street performance, especially on bikes like the R7 or ZX-6R.

Which One Is Right for You?

Choose Dirtbars If You:

  • Are newer to stunt riding
  • Spend most of your time in parking lots
  • Want maximum comfort and forgiveness
  • Prioritize durability over aesthetics

Choose Adjustable Clip-Ons If You:

  • Ride street and stunt equally
  • Want a more aggressive riding position
  • Care about clean fitment and OEM+ looks
  • Prefer precision over brute leverage

There’s no “wrong” choice – just different tools for different riding styles.

Final Thoughts

Both dirtbar conversions and adjustable clip-ons are proven setups in the stunt world. The key is choosing the one that supports how you actually ride, not what looks best on Instagram.

If you’re building a bike that sees abuse, drops, and progression – ergonomics matter more than anything else.

Check out our DB Conversions for the Yamaha R7

Billet triple tree with dirtbike bars on Yamaha R7 motorcycle stuntbike build from Outlaw Stunt Parts
R7 Billet Triple Tree
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Winter Prep for Stunt Riders: Offseason Maintenance

Winter Maintenance tips for stunt riders

For a lot of northern riders, the lot starts to empty once the temps drop — but that doesn’t mean your bike should sit forgotten until spring. Winter is the perfect time to knock out small maintenance tasks, inspect wear items, and get everything dialed so you can roll into next season ready to ride.

Even if you’re still hitting the lot until the snow flies, a little offseason attention now saves headaches later. Here are a few simple things you can do over the winter to keep your stunt bike fresh and performing like it should.

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Welcome to The Outlaw Blog

Outlaw isn’t just a parts company — it’s a mindset. We’re here to keep the stunt world growing by combining precision engineering with hands-on experience. As we move forward, we’ll continue expanding into new bikes, new people, and new tools — always with the same focus: real parts, built by riders, made to take abuse.

If you ride, build, or just love the culture — stick around. Follow along as we share what’s happening inside the shop, in the lots, and across the scene.

The stunt scene has always been built by riders who push limits — not just on the bike, but in the garage. At Outlaw Stunt Parts, that’s exactly how we operate. Our goal has always been to create parts that make sense for real riders. The Outlaw Blog is our new space to share that process, spotlight the culture, and bring you behind the scenes of what’s driving the modern stunt world.

Why We’re Starting This Blog

The stunt community is constantly evolving. Bikes change, trends shift, and what’s hot today might look totally different a year from now. We wanted a place to talk openly about that — to share what we’re learning through testing, design, and everyday shop life. Whether it’s dialing in the perfect setup, refining riding technique, or discussing the industry trends, this blog will document that journey.

What to Expect

Every couple of weeks, we’ll dive into topics that matter to riders — not fluff.
You can expect posts on:

  1. Real-world testing and development of new stunt parts
  2. Deep dives into bikes like the MT-07, R7, and Grom
  3. Shop-level tips on fabrication, setup, and maintenance
  4. Industry trends and rider profiles that deserve attention
  5. The mindset behind “garage-built” innovation and what it means today

Where We’re Headed

Outlaw isn’t just a parts company — it’s a mindset. We’re here to keep the stunt world growing by combining precision engineering with hands-on experience. As we move forward, we’ll continue expanding into new bikes, new people, and new tools — always with the same focus: real parts, built by riders, made to take abuse.

If you ride, build, or just love the culture — stick around. Follow along as we share what’s happening inside the shop, in the lots, and across the scene.