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Old guys like me cannot. My kids and soon my grandkids are in. There is no more room for me to grow the sport. That's the problem. The focus is in the wrong spot. We need to make it spectator friendly and introduce it to new people- people who have never ever seen an event. How do you do this? That's a good question!
But asking old diehards like me what is wrong is looking at the problem all wrong. I still go- for the most part. Your not trying to please me or the others who are racing. You need to get that kid who only plays video games to come outside and ride, then race. That is what needs to be done to grow the sport.
How that's done is the question. That's what needs to be marketed by the tracks and shops and the AMA..................
The tracks need to offer a free school taught by pros . This at least gets the people to a track to find out what it is all about.
Dealers need to be involved with safety and education like they are with A TV s.
The AMA needs to promote something like fun, adventure or whatever.
Limited places to ride depending on where you live. NorCal was mecca to use - tracks everywhere including our own. Best place in the US for amateur level moto I think.
It costs a fortune for me and the boy to ride and race. Easy $10k a year. Gas, gate and race entry fees, camping, parts, gear, food. I've spent over $20k in a really busy year riding/racing almost every weekend. Bikes not included in that cost and he outgrows one every 2 years. Getting ready to go to 85s this year.
Then there's risk. He's 10, had 2 concussions and a bruised spleen, over $100k in (covered) medical bills between 7-10 years old solely due to crashes. And he's not blazing fast or a huge risk taker. Stuff still happens. Lots of sports out there safer than MX. Mom is always worried when we leave the house. I am always worried when the gate drops. For both of us.
I'm very fortunate to make good $$$ that allows us to afford this. I'll keep going as long as we can, but I've cut back for sure on the race spending. Can't really justify it.
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Honda has lot's of little bikes, but nothing like the Cub EZ90 anymore. With it's e-start, fully automatic transmission and clutch it is a perfect spot to begin.
When my girls were growing up we had 2 of them, and ended up over in the school soccer field setting up orange cones, with 2-way radios in the helmets and ended up drawing a big crowd of kids every time. Probably taught 20 of them to ride right there. Made them do figure 8's, stopping drills and other exercises. They all wanted to go fast, but I wouldn't let them until they had demonstrated the basic skills on a flat grass field.
Several of these kids wanted a more advanced introduction and a half dozen times I would take kids with me to certain Scrambles where I knew the property would allow them to ride. Parents came along most times. It was interesting for them to watch the Scrambles before I had time to coordinate their rides. None that I know of ever got a bike of their own.
Also as an observation where did all the posters in this thread go ? I never see any of these names did they all leave the sport ?
Also the fast guys all live and train at compounds so there are no local Pro’s showing up to help draw crowds.
It’s basically becoming an elitist sport.
Compare to data from 2015, 2010, 2005, 2000, and 1995.
That woud show if the sport is on the up and up or on the way out. But how does one find this data?
I would imagine we would see a ramp up from 1995 to 2005, a sharp drop to 2010, and a gradual decline since then. We all know what the problems are. I see the stakeholders in the sport making all the money they can in the short term and not being willing to make any changes for long term sustainability.
moto used to be differnt but so did america, now we have so many pussys in this country that there trying to take inventory of personal arsenal, thats against the constitution, same thing as having gay people in motocross, im not gonna mention any names but there is a flamer and a half on utube telling people how to clean there dirt bike frames lmao.
10,000 dollars for a bike that costs not even 2500$ to make, shit like this is killing it.
Its shit because you spend all that money, go to an event and only do 20 mins of seat time.
Theirs not fun in it now. its all to serious. You have C grade riders who are wining Championships due to the facts theirs only 3 guys in there race and no one turning up!
MTB's and enduro is starting to really take off down here. becoming more and more popular due to the fact that the scene is all fun, price of events are cheaper and you get plenty of seat time. AND! theirs always some where to ride. theirs no travel to ride bush,
Im a motocross rider. I hate tree's and i hate rocks.
But its hard to want to put effort into the moto scene when bikes are double the price and i can go do a down hill MTB race and spend a whole day riding with mates with no expenses.
Motocross is failing the cost benefit analysis. $60 for a practice day. $100 for a local race.
Motocross (like marriage and having kids) used to pass the cost benefit analysis, but things have changed. And there is no going back. There will be less motocross and less white folks in the future. The times are a changin'.
Pit Row
The switch to four-strokes and raising the costs of participation seperated the haves and the have nots. Many have nots found a more affordable hobby. If the median income (before tax) is 40K/year, how could one expect the sport to thrive if many of the participants were priced out of it? Add in inflation, housing costs, and taxes to support the enormous welfare state.
I pine for the good old days: 1999.
But also, the sport is more dangerous than it has ever been.
Side effect of “pushing” the sport
Just my opinion, obviously take with a grain of salt
Tell your dealer, friends OEM's to introduce or promote new 2-Stroke Engine based bikes! Maybe electric bikes will have a longer battery life in the future, not a bad option. But the OEM's better get in gear, I would love to spend money for an E-Mountain Bike, which would get ridden more often, but not as much fun as an MX/Enduro.
Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda are falling behind. Europe is selling the hell out of 2-T 300's, this is the BEST engine technology going, smallest, lightest, most economical probably for a long time to come. The fastest growing 2-T companies, Gas Gas, Sherco, TM, Beta KTM and Husky are taking more of the market every year.
A friend of mine and I have the Eddie Sanders Racing YZ ESR 325, and expect maybe BETA will offer some type of 350 or 400 2-T in the near future, then you will have an all around bike for everything without the EXPENSIVE 4-T parts.
With the OEM's pushing 4-T's, the COST is completely out of control! Are you OEM's listening, to HELL with your expensive technology!
SX and every other PRO Racing series needs to allow 250 2-Ts to compete against 250 4-Ts, then do is again in the 450 class!
The current solution!
ESR Piston and Gasket replacement cost, $150.
http://www.eddie-sanders-racing.com/category_s/126.htm
1.Cost have gone up. Cost of Bike's, Cost of gear, cost of racing,
Cost of just Riding somewhere, getting there gas entry fee's.
Imo cost just to ride somewhere/practice is a big one when i was a kid (early 90's) we could ride on vacant land everywhere (trespassing but no one seemed to care) i would ride every day all summer and every day after school. If i had to pay just to have a place to ride that would have been the end of it, so i think having no where to ride other than paid practice days is a big one personally!
2.There are less Riding area's, not as many tracks as there used to be, almost no where to ride near large populated cities unless you live in the south west.
3. Perception of the sport is that its dangerous and extreme, and its true that jumps have gotten bigger and bikes have gotten easier to ride faster. Which increased the severity of injuries and danger.
4. Health insurance costs have gone up, plus some adults quit riding for fear of injury and fear of not being able to support their family in the event of a injury.
5. Lack of interest due to tech. Computers, phones, Video games etc.
This one i have a hard time believing personally, yes kids like these things but i still think 50% or more would want to ride dirt bikes but arent being given the opportunity due to the other reasons.
6. The sport changing from 2 stroke to 4 stroke.
Imo there is a place for both. But i do think every track should offer some 125 classes as in 125 only not 125 vs 250f.
7. People switching to off road racing or just riding practice days Due to not enough track time on race days.
Did i miss anything?
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