Posts
701
Joined
4/19/2012
Location
Santa Maria, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
3/23/2015 3:11pm
With K-Dubs comments about his son and not wanting him to race, and my son having to deal with a shoulder that dislocates due to a crash at Zaca Station in 2010 , I was wondering why we put our children through it to begin with ? He was watching Jessy Nelson flying around on the KTM 50 and thought wow, I want to do that. So we started riding trails and about 6 he started racing. It was fun but expensive on the 50's along with the crashes , then 65's more speed and bigger crashes. When he wrecked his shoulder he decided to quit (yeah) , but due to Facebook and the internet he still see's the kids now teenagers that he raced with getting stuff broken constantly , the comas, the deaths . Love the sport as a spectator, but hate to see so many kids limping at 30 due to prior injuries. Yes I know we knew the risks and had meet some great people along the way, but I constantly think, was it worth it ?
With life changing injuries becoming a common occurrence and serious injuries almost inevitable at some point in a riders career it just isn't worth it in my squiddy opinion.
On top of all of that (along with what I'm sure I missed) it helps you build relationships with the brotherhood that goes along with it. I built a great relationship with my father through our years of riding and racing. It gave us something in common and as a kid it gave me something to look forward to on the weekends and a reason to be a good kid. I only got hurt once through our 8 year stint of being hardcore into the sport racing every month together. Some people are crashers and others aren't. I just never was one.
Eventually I had to go to college and my parents decided that the expense and risk of racing could jeopardize the next phase of my life and so at that point it was no longer worth it. 6 years later I got back into the sport slowly. I got a pit bike, got my dad to get one then we got bigger pit bikes and now we've both got full size bikes again. My mindset on riding sure has changed though. The triples are certainly no longer worth it, heck even some of the doubles aren't
The Shop
Our motorcycle rules when they were tykes:
- be safe
- have fun
- crying (or anger) and motorcycles don't go together. You can't control the bike if you can't control yourself.
I grew up on a motorcycle riding and racing every weekend, and what may seem like a shocker my dad rode and raced right along with me. And I think that is how it was for the most part years back. The father AND son both raced. My dad was supportive but when he ever talked about my riding it was never with "we". "We won this weekend, "We have minio's this weekend, "we have a qualifier for Loretta's this weekend". That sounds so stupid to me.
The parents in today's motorcycle world are not riding motorcycles. We have parents like the OP of this thread that talk about their kids "career". Are you kidding me? Motocross use to be about riding and racing along side your old man and enjoying life. Now, it has turned into parents bitching about money spent, and getting to the next qualifier and pushing their kids beyond their comfort zone, when in fact, they have never swung a leg over themselves.
Pure bullshit.
You only get one life and not doing the things you enjoy the most would be ridiculous!
Its really a good title for looking at mx.
Theres a few common things that I see now that im an adult
1) Parents become so invested that they push their child above the "comfort zone"
2) Parents think that winning local races = Winning races at a national level (pressure the kids at large events)
3) Tracks and moto are commercialized - The jumps are so extreme that its dangerous just for the "fans"
I walked away from the whole sport in 2006 when racing was no longer fun (spending $1000 to "win" $300). For most people (B & C classes) its a great way to spend time with the family and just have fun. The risk isn't the highest but its still there. When it becomes a financial burden its time to look at other things. Most guys don't make it to the pro level, and even when you do its not what youd think it would be. Im friends with someone who does the ax/sx/mx rounds, and if it wasn't for "free" bikes and motors, he wouldn't attend the races. Everytime we hear about a death or injury this topic comes up, but for most people there are many factors that push them back to the track. Hopefully people will follow the trend of Hepler & Others and know when its no longer a sport for them.
Ripped shoulder.....worth ten of them.
In the big time stuff, if u get a bad start...go fast but smart. Maybe Dunge is onto something.
Frankly riding/racing MX today is a much more dangerous pastime than is was pre double/triple days IMO.
That said I hit the ground so hard I ruptured a blood vessel in my brain 25+ years ago and their wasn't a double on the track.
I think regardless of how well risk is managed their will always be a high degree of risk when up put someone on a dirt bike that wants to go fast and jump. Enter the risk/reward debate. The answer can only be either a family or individuals choice. The more information the better the choice may be.
Pit Row
Why do we need doubles and triples which can be ridden only one way.
I did amateur racing for 15 years and I had injuries but most of them where due to technical failures or getting down on the wrong place.
But we didn't had so many fatal injuries.
In 15 years (and we rode with around 300-400 racers each race weekend) the injuries where minimal.
I remember 2 which where fatal 1 rider died due to heart stroke and 1 rider got paralyzed but he rode always above his capabilities.
Other than that a broken arm, collar bone, broken leg and dislocated shoulder.
I would call those injuries "normal" but on the tracks we raced there where nor doubles or triples allowed by the rule book.
Even whoops where banned. But that was in Europe back in the days.
I am not sure but if I see the tracks in Europe "amateur tracks" the rule still exist.
If you see Herlings practicing in Flevoland, this is an amateur track no crazy doubles.
Herlings
Nice jumps but nor dangerous at all.
The local tracks are to much driven by the SX approach.
Don't get me wrong even with 50 I like to jump high and far but if I have a doubt it is not save I don't jump!
At SX it is their Job and it is entertainment it has to be spectacular but for me it could be safer and I still would watch it.
For amateurs priority nr.1 should be safety! And its not all about the bikes we rode modified 250 2 stroke and those where beasts already.
When it comes to amateur riding 99% of the riders could not even operate a 250f even close to their limits.
And that's the point, people asking for more power due to the lack of riding skills.
Found a signature the other day:
"Some people like 125s more than anything, others hate them. I noticed that people who ride poorly hate 2 strokes, especialy 125s, and those who ride good like them."
If you truly believe it is more dangerous for a child to be properly restrained in a car or racing a bike over a 60' double with other 8 year old kids then go and believe that. It is simple mathematics
As it is, I will say my personal opinion, for the original question. I fell in love with MX as a kid (you just know the spectacular beauty of a dirt bike ridden well, like man-ballet, ha) and raced as a kid until collarbone and college. I, of course, was injured far worse in football. This was Hannah-era for me as a kid. Enter mid-thirties, got a YZ250F and ADORED that bike. Spent some spectacularly bonding family time with friends and sons. We all broke something (three collarbones, two arms). Even the kids on 85 two strokes. I started thinking about it pretty hard as the jumps got gloomier and peakier. More fun for those who think it is the norm. I had a history of it not being so. I got hurt BMXing (talk about a stupid sport for those in their 40s) and no longer can ride motocross. I wouldn't anyway, at least not to race. Racing it is astronomically more dangerous. The introduction of the "3d' big air jumps one after the other on a modern SX track, even more so with the advent of the four-stroke traction potency, is disastrous. Every year I internally threaten to leave watching it. Sorry for the long-windedness. Has my risk-reward been worth it? Yes. Would I put my son in that risk-reward today. Absolutely no.
Just my 2¢
Not worth it. Much more worth it to just enjoy your time on the motorycycle and being with family. To make it your job, not worth it. To ride over your head....not worth it. To ride at a level that will hurt you significantly in the event of an error.....again, not worth it.
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