Posts
1495
Joined
7/19/2012
Location
Trussville, AL, USA
Edited Date/Time
8/9/2014 10:55am
Lately I've been battling mentally with myself over the cost of riding. Here in the northeast there is no free riding so tracks are it, which is fine, love the track. But the cost runs about $40 and the closest track is about an hour drive so $10-20 in gas for the truck, if you make it a twice a week event its $400 a month just to ride. Factor in gear, maintence, racing fees, etc and it quickly becomes a $500-600 a month hobby. Dont get me wrong I knew our sport was expensive and I love every second of being on the bike. But in this world/economy though I have a solid paycheck (Air Force) I often wonder if it would be better to put the money in savings, towards something else, etc. When I think about it, especially all the variables/negatives such as injuries (already have come off two big ones when I first started), cost, etc. Compared to the positive, I love it its hard not for the rational/fiscal side to say grow up, sell your bike and find a different hobby like mountain biking or fishing, etc. Just wondering what every one's thoughts are on this or if anyone else runs into this same mental debate.
In a way, MX is like crack. When you start doing it, people call you crazy and tell you it can't be good for you, but you do it anyway. Slowly, you realize all your money and spare time are invested in it. Soon enough, you start hanging out with people who also do it, and after a certain amount of time they become your only friends, because you're not interested in doing anything else or talking about the "normal" stuff. Sometimes I wonder how a rehab-type therapy would work to get out of this sport. But I see my son showing interest in it, and I'm pretty sure he'll want to ride in a few years, so I think I'll stick around a little more until he gets going, then I'll be the mechanic and riding coach.
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i've just had to cut down on the amount i ride- riding occasionally is better than not riding at all!
Looking now at my older brother, I think that is what he is doing. He gave up bikes when he moved away from our home town, in which my family has a small practice track, and started a chain of hobbies to replace mx. First it was JEEP stuff, and going off-roading, then it was guns, specifically Glocks. Then golf, and now road cycling. The road cycling seems to have stuck, but he's extreme about it (cycling from Grand Rapids, MI to Bay City, MI this saturday which is about 130 miles).
To him, as a rising professional in a large hospitals management group, and him currently working on his Masters.... The risks of MX does not make sense. He would rather play it a bit safer and mitigate some risk with the concession in fun being a given.
If you're going to choose another hobby, you must be extreme in your pursuits within that hobby to match the highs of mx.
mtb is not bad but you need to go all out...mx is definitly like a drug it changes you and can get to the point where its all you think about...normal life seems so dull after mx
i think for me anyway i've just changed my approach and ride when i can and try and enjoy it ....being competitive i'm never going to be happy rolling around with a smile chilling but pick my battles and tend to think things out a bit more
also I dont worry about having the latest gear bike etc anymore...stop reading magazines that helps! and smoking douchebags on new bikes with all the goodies on my 04 yz125 is so funny
To have brand new nice stuff there is no other motorsport as inexpensive as MOTOX.
Have you even looked at motorcycle road racing?? lol
I've taken up mountain biking in the last year, been fishing more than ever, and am getting into racing RC cars. Those keep me entertained, as well as days on the lake.
No shame in hanging up your boots.
For instance, I race a 2010 fully race prepped 911 Porsche Turbo all across the country in the Porsche Cup Series GT1 class. This is the unlimited, "fast" class. It costs about $25,000/race weekend to race the car. Costs include a transport driver to drive the transporter to the track, airline to fly a dedicated mechanic and myself to the races, hotels, meals, entry fees, fuel, post race maintenance, scheduled maintenance, etc. Tires alone cost $6,000/race weekend. Currently installing a new engine to the tune of $40,000 excluding labor. Installed a rebuilt transmission as a maintenance item to the tune of $14,000 two months ago. Car is at the frame shop to get straightened from when another car ran into my left side at Circuit of the Americas. Cost estimate is $17,000.
At my races many talk of the high cost of racing in the Porsche series. We are often an undercard to other series with much faster cars, more sophisticated cars than mine. They get a good laugh hearing us whine about the high cost. Their weekends run about $40,000 to $50,000 depending on the team.
Our budget to run 8 races this season is $200,000. It will probably come closer to $250,000 due to unplanned expenses from mechanical issues and getting run into....
Moral of the post again is it's all relative. I myself think the costs of MX are minimal when taken into context of the costs of other forms of motor racing.
FWIW, I'm currently the 2014 national points leader in the series in the GT1 class.
cost is one of the main reasons i got into trail riding, that and the hate of getting hurt. i can take off on my bike and spend the entire day exploring new territory, enjoying myself, and not spend a dime besides fuel. of course like anything there is a cost associated with anything, but you may enjoy it.
and living in the pacific northwest, you have an unlimited backyard to adventure. one of these days i'll get up there to ride
Pit Row
When the rush of moto and the possibility you could die at anytime is removed you replace that rush some other way.
Nothing can,buy another bike and get back into it,it is cheaper.
Like Jamey Johnson says, "the high cost of living ain't nothing like the cost of living high"
Its maybe the most addicting sport there is because there are always new goals to achieve and harder routes to climb. The biggest cost to it is time but it promotes and rewards overall physical fitness. I spent 6 years climbing as much as i possibly could traveling the country from one climbing area to another honing my skills.
Plus your hand strength will skyrocket and you will never get armpump on a bike again!!!!
MX is not that expensive, IMO, until you get into after market cams, pistons and ECUs that dramatically lower the head rebuild interval. If you are racing 250 B Stock, and can go 75-100 hours between head/valve rebuild....that is not bad. Back when I raced Karts in the KT classes...it was a complete motor rebuild every race weekend (2 classes). Add in tires and clutches, and you are at $1200 before you even pay an entry fee or book a hotel room. The really fast guys would only race a chassis for 3-4 races before they got rid of it. The chassis work harden from flexing, and go dead then do not hook up as well.
IF you want to race big cars (SCCA formula cars, etc)....add a zero. If you want to race pro (FF2000 Pro Series), multiply by 2-3. Atlantics...add a zero.
There is NO other motorsport on earth where you can get equipment that is near elite level at a reasonable cost, and challenge the top guys in the world, if you had the skill. Recall Shorty at Oakland in 2013. He took a stock Honda 450...put an aftermarket exhaust on it, put in a HC piston, had the stock suspension re-valved by a top shop (Ross I think), new ergos (bars, seat, pegs, etc), stronger wheels, and finished P5 or P6 at the Oakland SX! He had less than $20K into that bike.
How much do you think it would cost you to finish P5 at a Cup or Indy Car race on your own nickel...if you had the skills?
Run a trials rear tyre put gas in the bike and ride right from the house. Easy to street legal a bike here in Idaho. If you want to moto, the local track is a membership only place so if you want to ride there everyday, will only cost you 200$ a year.
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