Love some local news coverage

I don’t see the sport “growing” into something much bigger than what it is today. May we get some mainstream attention from time to time? sure, but unfortunately nobody thinks the sport is as cool as us riders do.

There are only two types of motocross fans:

1. Those that ride and understand
2. Danger Boy social media cum guzzlers

My girlfriend falls under neither category.  There may be a truth within listed categories....😬

FWIW , the guardians had Eli out to throw the first pitch at tonights game.  Thought that was cool. 

Its growing.  Every other garage around my area has dirtbikes in it.

Minis and e bikes are running the streets too.  Those kids are going to grow up wanting to ride. 

More often than not mainstream media attention ebbs and flows with the personalities at the top of the sport.

The Lawrence’s, and more recently Charli Cannon, have brought a bit of renewed attention in Australia. I still get a kick when I see it on the national news, and non-moto people often ask about it after seeing coverage. 
It’s not necessary but it helps.

   Bodycast, I wish I thought you were correct, but my experience tells me otherwise. Grew up in the 70’s, High school was 1000 enrollment, knew about 50 guys who rode off road / MX in school. My son attended the same school, and he was not aware of one other rider in the school. This held true for all 4 years of High School. Far fewer riding areas, much more unreachable pricing on motorbikes, neighbors much more likely to complain to the police, even when you just quickly start your bike in the driveway. I don’t mean to be so pessimistic, but my observations tell me that the sport is slowly withering on the vine. Wish it wasn’t so.

If you want to grow the sport the local tracks have to change their style: so many local tracks have an sx influence, or a monster jam influence or an insta banger influence.

Make the tracks flow, safe, and doable to normal humans. I’ve known people who grew up riding in the woods, in pits, in backyard tracks, who have legit bike skills, now are older with jobs let’s say 25-35 who won’t ride many of the local tracks because they’re just too extreme. The jumps are too peaky, the landings aren’t forgiving enough, and there’s simply too many obstacles. 

So many local track owners think the jumps are what is fun or what is challenging or that more jumps are an improvement and they are simply wrong:

And before you go RAH you should ride flat track, no you’re missing it.

The tracks even as jumpy as they are may be ok when it’s perfect conditions, when it’s smooth, when it’s not crowded but add 250 riders in a practice day, add some dry or mud, add some kickers and add varying skilled riders all out there and it’s chaos. 

Make the tracks more rideable, let the riders actually ride their dirtbikes and not just pilot them off of jumps, it should NOT be turn jump, turn jump, turn jump, let riders move around, link some fun turns, singles, inside rollers to straights add a couple fun floater jumps, maybe 5-6 depending on track length, add a couple small hip jumps into turns to get the cool feelings up when you grease it but keep the consequences low, and keep the stoke high and WATCH how many people come out and ride.

Focus on prep, soil and condition rather than moving mountains of dirt and calling it improvements.

If the local tracks were slammed day after day with people loving it rather than being intimidated and watching the helicopter and the ambulance get more ride time than the bikes, imagine how that would help to grow the sport.

Only people who ride are spending money on the sport, and you absolutely can grow that number.

But making the tracks more extreme and bigger steeper taller isn’t the way. It’s so frustrating to watch.

Not to mention I’m in the northeast where we typically get 2-5 months worth of winter and no riding. So let’s add in being off the bike for months to the equation too.

So who are they building the tracks for?

The average ride falls in this category vet/kids/mid pack c rider

The Loretta’s c kids, and high level riders make up 10% or less of the turnout at a track day, for every rev banging insta banger clip from the track there’s 105 average sketchy riders just trying to string a lap together.

Build the tracks for them.

Sounds crazy but they laws in the areas around here allow kids to ride small dirtbikes and e bikes aslong as they stay off main roads, private and personal property and they must wear a helmet.  So basically treat them as a bicycle your good.  It looks like on any Sunday out here.   It warms my heart alittle because I did the same thing when I was young and I thought those days where over.