The complete, honest guide to running your own MX Bikes multiplayer server. We'll walk through the manual setup first. Then we'll show you how to skip all of it.
MX Bikes is a motocross simulator by PiBoSo with arguably the best dirt bike physics engine out there. It's on Steam Early Access with a 94% positive rating from 23,000+ reviews. The community builds custom tracks, bikes, and gear. Multiplayer runs through dedicated servers.
7 steps between you and a working MX Bikes server. Buckle up.
You need a Windows machine that can stay on 24/7. System requirements are modest: 2GB RAM and a dual-core CPU, which your toaster probably has at this point. The real issue is the internet connection. You need a static IP or dynamic DNS, and decent upload speed. A cloud VPS works but costs $10-30/mo just for the machine.
Head to mx-bikes.com/downloads and grab the full game installation. There's no standalone server download. The game executable (mxbikes.exe) IS the server when you launch it with the -dedicated flag. So yes, you're installing the entire game just to run a server.
Create a .ini file with sections like [connection], [event], [weather], [race], and [hardcore]. Set server name, max players, track, session lengths, weather, and more. Launch with: mxbikes.exe -dedicated 54210 -set params server.ini. Most settings are cryptic numbers with barely any official documentation.
MX Bikes needs UDP port 54210 for game traffic, 54220 for live timing, and 54230 for remote admin. Log into your router's admin panel, find port forwarding, and forward these to your machine's static local IP. Every router has a different UI, some ISPs use CGNAT which makes it impossible, and if you get it wrong the server silently doesn't show up.
Download .pkz track files from MXB-Mods and place them in the mods/tracks/ folder. Bikes go in mods/bikes/. Some tracks have separate server versions. Use the wrong one and your server either crashes or silently loads a completely different track with no error message.
Player management is done through text files and console commands prefixed with '!'. To ban someone you need their GUID from the server console output. No web panel, no app, nothing. Someone wrecking at 2am? Remote into your machine and manually edit a text file.
Servers crash a lot, especially with custom tracks. Windows will restart for updates at 3am. You need auto-restart scripts. Game updates require re-downloading files manually every time. There's zero built-in crash recovery. Server goes down at midnight? It stays down until you wake up.
CBRHosting is a dedicated hosting platform built specifically for MX Bikes. Instead of managing servers manually, you get a fully managed experience with features designed for the MX Bikes community.
Create a server in seconds. Pick a name, select a region (Europe or USA), and your server is live. No SteamCMD, no config files, no port forwarding.
Access 663+ tracks directly from the dashboard. Search, preview, and install tracks with one click. No manual file management, no version mismatches.
Automatic lap timing and session recording on every server. Personal bests, session history, and rider statistics without any additional setup.
Start, stop, and configure your server from a web dashboard. Automated messages, ban management, server settings. All without touching a config file.
Run multi-round championships with automatic server configuration, session flows, rider registration, live results, and standings. A complete race management platform for $9.99/month.
| Feature | Manual Setup | CBRHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Hours to days | Under 10 seconds |
| Monthly Cost | $10 to $30+ (VPS) | From $4.99/month |
| Track Management | Manual file management | One click install from 663+ tracks |
| Port Forwarding | Required | Not needed |
| Game Updates | Manual via SteamCMD | Automatic |
| Crash Recovery | Custom scripts needed | Automatic restart |
| Live Timing | Not available | Built in |
| Racing Series | Not available | Full championship system |
| Region Switching | Need new VPS | One click, free |
Try CBRHosting free for 24 hours. No credit card required. Create your first MX Bikes server in seconds and see the difference a purpose-built platform makes.
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