Moto is on the Decline?

early wrote:

Motocross is not a beginner friendly sport. You would think accommodating beginners/riders new to moto would be top priority for a struggling MX business.
https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Club-MX-being-sued-could-a…

Tarz483 wrote:

In America its very obvious even without data. For Motocross anyway. Entrys are way down , there do seem to be some areas where it is...

In America its very obvious even without data. For Motocross anyway.
Entrys are way down , there do seem to be some areas where it is still good though, i always here new Jersey
E-town, some parts of new york and some parts of Illinois
Still get big turn outs, and so cal i think is at least at some tracks, but most states its way down.
I think all the reasons are pretty well covered in this thread,
#1 Being money imo
But its not the only reason
I dont think its lack of kids being born though lol.

Bry145 wrote:

Finally... "#1 Being money imo" That's called cutting to the chase. And I stand by my arguement that Feminism and its economic fallout hasn't helped motocross...

Finally...

"#1 Being money imo" That's called cutting to the chase. And I stand by my arguement that Feminism and its economic fallout hasn't helped motocross. I'd imagine a lot of homes that produced motocross racers had a breadwinning father and a mother who did a fine job tending the home and raising the kids. And then these same kids want to do the same in the future.


"I dont think its lack of kids being born though lol."
Less births, and especially less births by groups that traditionally participate in moto (white working-class, white middle-class, white upper middle-class), will mean a smaller pool of potential future participants. Cut that pool in half, because it is mostly males who want to participate. So, a smaller pool, cut in half, may end up being a very tiny wading pool.

Remmember that the birth rate is being propped up by groups who traditionally do not participate in moto. Keep that in mind when saying "The birth rate isn't that bad." If we can get these other groups interested, then great. But I don't see that happening.

Bry145 wrote:

Finally... "#1 Being money imo" That's called cutting to the chase. And I stand by my arguement that Feminism and its economic fallout hasn't helped motocross...

Finally...

"#1 Being money imo" That's called cutting to the chase. And I stand by my arguement that Feminism and its economic fallout hasn't helped motocross. I'd imagine a lot of homes that produced motocross racers had a breadwinning father and a mother who did a fine job tending the home and raising the kids. And then these same kids want to do the same in the future.


"I dont think its lack of kids being born though lol."
Less births, and especially less births by groups that traditionally participate in moto (white working-class, white middle-class, white upper middle-class), will mean a smaller pool of potential future participants. Cut that pool in half, because it is mostly males who want to participate. So, a smaller pool, cut in half, may end up being a very tiny wading pool.

Remmember that the birth rate is being propped up by groups who traditionally do not participate in moto. Keep that in mind when saying "The birth rate isn't that bad." If we can get these other groups interested, then great. But I don't see that happening.

early wrote:

There's a better chance of getting minorities interested in Moto than there is kicking women out of the workforce or making them have babies against their...

There's a better chance of getting minorities interested in Moto than there is kicking women out of the workforce or making them have babies against their better judgement

early wrote:

There's a better chance of getting minorities interested in Moto than there is kicking women out of the workforce or making them have babies against their...

There's a better chance of getting minorities interested in Moto than there is kicking women out of the workforce or making them have babies against their better judgement

Bry145 wrote:

Birth rates are a global problem that will have to be addressed. Capitalism is based on growth. Will capitalism collapse when there are few new workers...

Birth rates are a global problem that will have to be addressed.

Capitalism is based on growth. Will capitalism collapse when there are few new workers, customers, and taxpayers?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM0YO1uSZ_8

Bry145 wrote:

Motocross is too expensive for minorities. Except in some states where white folks are the minority. Like it or not a lot of women would be...

Motocross is too expensive for minorities. Except in some states where white folks are the minority.

Like it or not a lot of women would be happier married with kids than working. It has been documented that womens' happiness has gone down and many are on anti-depressants.

There is no hope of changing anything, aside from a global economic collapse or WWIII. We can't even build a fence at the border without stirring up a hornets' nest. That fence should have been built a long time ago and would have prevented many problems.

We could make some changes to make things better, but won't. We only care about our slice of the pie, and life is a zero-sum game. Improve things for one group and another group experiences a loss. No one wants to make any sacrifices for the common good, such as restructuring Social Security and perhaps making it optional.

Bry145 wrote:

Motocross is too expensive for minorities. Except in some states where white folks are the minority. Like it or not a lot of women would be...

Motocross is too expensive for minorities. Except in some states where white folks are the minority.

Like it or not a lot of women would be happier married with kids than working. It has been documented that womens' happiness has gone down and many are on anti-depressants.

There is no hope of changing anything, aside from a global economic collapse or WWIII. We can't even build a fence at the border without stirring up a hornets' nest. That fence should have been built a long time ago and would have prevented many problems.

We could make some changes to make things better, but won't. We only care about our slice of the pie, and life is a zero-sum game. Improve things for one group and another group experiences a loss. No one wants to make any sacrifices for the common good, such as restructuring Social Security and perhaps making it optional.

early wrote:

There's a better chance of getting minorities interested in Moto than there is kicking women out of the workforce or making them have babies against their...

There's a better chance of getting minorities interested in Moto than there is kicking women out of the workforce or making them have babies against their better judgement

Bry145 wrote:

Motocross is too expensive for minorities. Except in some states where white folks are the minority. Like it or not a lot of women would be...

Motocross is too expensive for minorities. Except in some states where white folks are the minority.

Like it or not a lot of women would be happier married with kids than working. It has been documented that womens' happiness has gone down and many are on anti-depressants.

There is no hope of changing anything, aside from a global economic collapse or WWIII. We can't even build a fence at the border without stirring up a hornets' nest. That fence should have been built a long time ago and would have prevented many problems.

We could make some changes to make things better, but won't. We only care about our slice of the pie, and life is a zero-sum game. Improve things for one group and another group experiences a loss. No one wants to make any sacrifices for the common good, such as restructuring Social Security and perhaps making it optional.

Braap19 wrote:

Seems like all you vet riders are so out of touch with the younger generation. Do none of y'all understand that it is just not feasible...

Seems like all you vet riders are so out of touch with the younger generation.

Do none of y'all understand that it is just not feasible for my generations parent to afford to take a kid to the track?

My generations parents who are now in their 30's-40's are still making the same amount of money as they were 15 years ago. Except now they have two kids looking to go to college. They have a mortgage. They have to pay for insurance for the entire family now thanks to Obama. They probably have two car loans because it is cheaper in the long run to buy a new car than buy a used one.

The college thing is the biggest problem I've seen on the east coast with people ages 8-24. If you don't go to college now and get at least a bachelor's, you will either be working Blue collar, which is fine dont get me wrong, or be working as a retail associate on food stamps. Kids in my generation understand that they have to go to college in order to get the better jobs like banking investors and CPAs. And college isn't cheap. Long gone is the day where you can pay for a few classes at a time and get it done when you can. You just can't do that anymore.
Not when tuition is 4500 a semester if you take 2 classes or if you take 6 classes. Let alone the cost of living if you don't live with your parents while in school.




For example:


My dad spent over $21,000 in one year on bikes , gear, parts, gas, entry fees and practice fees. And I raced zero nationals or AMA races that year.

The next year of racing, he spent almost $17,000 on race fees, gas, parts, fees. No new bikes or anything like that. And I raced two nationals (am) and one other AMA race.

Another year I raced regional, area qualifier and lorretas and it was over $14,000. Not to mention the time my dad had to take off work for these races and money he lost not going to work for two weeks while we were at Loretta's and travelling there and back. Or the week and a half it took us to go to ponca at minios. And then the four or five day weekends needed to get to the qualifiers.


Stick with me.


Now. Imagine yourself at 16, your school friends are all getting ready for college. Saving up money, doing applications for schools (75-175$ each application by the way) and you don't have a clue what you want to be as an adult because you still want the luxury of racing.

Mechanic is an option. Construction is an option. But when you ask about these careers everyone tells you there is no future in them unless you hit it big and own your own business. You can't retire from being a framer. There's no 401k in blue collar jobs, no insurance, no job security. Which is entirely true. You decide blue collar just won't do for your future even though it works for some people.

So now you're looking at other careers, military, sales, attorney, medical field. Careers that you can afford to race while working in. You see the wages offered are doable and good benefits, job security. Everything you need to be able to afford racing and a life outside of racing. But then you realize that employers won't even look at your resume without at minimum a bachelor's from a great university and often times want you to have a master's with a B+ GPA.

So now you're looking into schools, some schools want $50,000 a semester (Looking at you Duke) just in tuition. Let alone cost of living and books. Oh and you need a car or truck to get there and that beat up Honda you had just won't cut it driving a few hours without breaking down. So now you. Red a new car.

So now you come out of college 4-5 years later at the age of 22-23. You are now in debt over $150,000 in student loans and a car loan because you raced dirt bikes and had no college fund from your parents.

You get your first job in the career field of your fancy new degree and have to move far away from home. You have to buy a house now. Boom, all the money you saved for a new dirt bike, is now the down payment for your new house $200,000.

So now at 24-25, you are in debt to the tune of over $350,000. And that's if you haven't had kids or gotten married yet.

So now at 25 I have a decent career making $36,000 a year. But I'm paying out over $2500 a month just to repay loans that I had to have to get ahead in life.


So y'all tell me, where is the money to race or even ride coming from, when you start having to accrue massive amounts of debt at 18?

Moto Nomad wrote:

I give moto as we know it 20 years in California, sad to say. It's only a matter of time before sales of new internal combustion...

I give moto as we know it 20 years in California, sad to say. It's only a matter of time before sales of new internal combustion vehicles are illegal in this state- 2030-2035 is the time frame I predict, unless something radical happens.

Moto Nomad wrote:

I give moto as we know it 20 years in California, sad to say. It's only a matter of time before sales of new internal combustion...

I give moto as we know it 20 years in California, sad to say. It's only a matter of time before sales of new internal combustion vehicles are illegal in this state- 2030-2035 is the time frame I predict, unless something radical happens.

LuiesMaes wrote:

Electric Bikes from the Big4 will be coming in hot, give it another 2-3 years.

Bry145 wrote:

Birth rates are a global problem that will have to be addressed. Capitalism is based on growth. Will capitalism collapse when there are few new workers...

Birth rates are a global problem that will have to be addressed.

Capitalism is based on growth. Will capitalism collapse when there are few new workers, customers, and taxpayers?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM0YO1uSZ_8

RalphS wrote:

1. This thread aged like milk - see current bike sales 2. If you want an affordable sport - get a soccer ball. 3. Moto has...

1. This thread aged like milk - see current bike sales

2. If you want an affordable sport - get a soccer ball.

3. Moto has always been an expensive sport for the average person - traditional moto demographics have lost quite some purchasing power

4. There are more and more different entertainment and sport options at better prices (smartphone, video consoles, YouTube, etc) that are as if not more addictive.

RalphS wrote:

1. This thread aged like milk - see current bike sales 2. If you want an affordable sport - get a soccer ball. 3. Moto has...

1. This thread aged like milk - see current bike sales

2. If you want an affordable sport - get a soccer ball.

3. Moto has always been an expensive sport for the average person - traditional moto demographics have lost quite some purchasing power

4. There are more and more different entertainment and sport options at better prices (smartphone, video consoles, YouTube, etc) that are as if not more addictive.

GrapeApe wrote:

I have 2 kids playing club soccer, and I take issue with your second point! Any sport you do at a competitive level involves a sacrifice...

I have 2 kids playing club soccer, and I take issue with your second point! Any sport you do at a competitive level involves a sacrifice of time, money and travel, very similar to what my parents did for me with motocross.

RalphS wrote:

1. This thread aged like milk - see current bike sales 2. If you want an affordable sport - get a soccer ball. 3. Moto has...

1. This thread aged like milk - see current bike sales

2. If you want an affordable sport - get a soccer ball.

3. Moto has always been an expensive sport for the average person - traditional moto demographics have lost quite some purchasing power

4. There are more and more different entertainment and sport options at better prices (smartphone, video consoles, YouTube, etc) that are as if not more addictive.

Hollywood009 wrote:

you could make this sport cost more if you want to... you dont have to have a brand new bike, custom motovan, most expensive tools and...

you could make this sport cost more if you want to... you dont have to have a brand new bike, custom motovan, most expensive tools and tool box. you can buy a $2000 bike, haul it in an old truck, and not use the biggest and best tool box, and still enjoy this sport relatively cheaply.