What changes have been positive and what have been negative?

I enjoy the triple crowns a few times a year.

For the past couple of years-

Positive: Triple Crown Races. Peacock.

Negative: SMX is fun but the actual title is a gimmick. Ticket prices are too damn high. 

Don’t like: 

Supercross racing during the day.

As a fan I like the extra races but don’t like it for the sake of the riders.

SMX playoffs format and venues.

Supercross track design.

Grates, start devices, etc…

Like:

Triple Crowns.

More money for the riders.

More consistency and enforcement when it comes to blue flags, track cutting, etc…

More top level Euros coming to race here. 

More OEMs

The most positive changes have been the introduction of combines and SMX Next. Giving young riders the opportunity to transition into the pros without jumping into the deep end is huge. 

The most negative change is probably the schedule length. We shouldn't have only 1-2 riders making it every round each year. That is an issue and it's disappointing that FELD and MX Sports can't see past their own profits enough to reduce the overall schedule. 10 SX rounds and 10 MX rounds, with 3 playoffs if it's absolutely necessary. Make 250SX a national series. 

Better -

-Top riders showing personality
-Info on strategy, technique and racecraft
-Access to athletes via YouTube and IG

-Streaming on peacock is pretty great and RDL

Worse- 

-Supercross tracks have been repetitive for years.  Some creativity would be helpful.

 

Positive - so many more Euro’s racing here, Peacock, triple crowns, SMX

Negative - the fans, SMX 

The sport feels like circus entertainment with the "storylines" and narratives. The sport is managed by people for the sake of profit not for racing. It certainly will not end well. "Growing the sport" is a euphemism for "increase the value of the race series and income it brings".

Prices have gotten ridiculous.

The good of it is that it's literally impossible to not buy a fantastic motorcycle. Regardless of color, you're a handful of clickers away from a dang good bike. It seems easier than ever to protect yourself too as far as fair pricing on good helmets and other protective gear.

Pro's

More manufacturers and teams.

Cons

Short lap time tracks with generic cookie cutter layouts.

Dislikes:

SX tracks suck the last few years. I hate everything being spec also.

9 whoops. 

Day races suck.

Ticket prices.

SMX title. More money for the riders is cool and more racing is great, but there is still something about it I just don't care for.

Local tracks are mostly fast and wide open. Slow them down and make them technical please! And is everyone allergic to ruts now or what?

Unnecessary electronics and things being added to bikes that we really don't need.

Metal grates and any and all start devices/maps/electronics

Likes:

More racing for us to enjoy.

Peacock

Riders Youtubes/Socials

WMX

More OEM's

Like: Corporate mindset change aka willingness to try new things out. In the future, they should consider implementing a rule that at the end of each championship lets/forces each rider drop his worst (or 2 worst fpr smx) score/race like mxon.

Dislike: The economy that squeezes families out of money either to ride/race or attend races. I get the vip experience some people want and pay for but some of us just want an affordable bike or simple carburated 2 strokes bike with no electronics or big bs to ride for fun and we enjoy walking up the stairs to the cheap seats.

Like: Peacock coverage of RDL and Races

Dislike: Boring tracks with tame whoops, no dragon's backs, ect...

Bad.

Day Supercross…

SX track design seems very unimaginative

National schedule lacks variety

Outdoor track prep. Enough of the rut fest and they don’t all need to be the same.

Bikes (too fast?)

Edit: I fundamentally disagree with the concept of racing being a show. It is racing, with winners and losers. “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” None of the riders are busting their ass and taking the chances they do for a show. It is to win, and crush the competition. At our core, I believe that true competition is the appeal vs it simply being a show. Perhaps semantics, but place the emphasis on competition and I believe it is more compelling.  

Good:

Finally a better system to develop younger riders 

Bikes (quality) and number of brands 

Race coverage

Negative = going away from dirt starts and allowing all the start devices/maps.  

Negative 2: the vip section takeover at nationals and allowing eazyups that block the viewers.  Outdoors can be so awesome to watch.  But both those things significantly take away from the enjoyment.  

Positive 1:the coverage on peacock is amazing compared to anything before it.  Live, full coverage, no commercials during races.  Affordable.  

Positive 2: the triple crown races.  Those spice things up a little mid season.  

Bad:

Supercross tracks are horrible and getting worse every year.

Daytime Supercross is terrible.

SMX is a total joke and FELDs cheap venues are pathetic. 

I'll get hate for this, but I couldn't care less about SMX Next, especially if they are making the tracks worse for them.  

GNCC having no pros racing is ridiculous. Pay them. 

Major proponents to the sport using AI media is pathetic. 

ISDE not having real enduro tests.

Good:

2027 Yamaha YZ125

100% with you regarding the tracks.

I've said it a million times but the whoops now shouldn't be easier than the ones MC had to skim on his YZ250.

Steve's berm nets

Starting grates
 

bad:

$16/$18 tall cans (lol)

start devices and grates.  blocks ok for the shorter guys for balance

SMX tracks and venues  (1 SX, 1 Outdoor, 1 True hybrid i.e. outdoor track with SX sections SX whoops and all)

250 SX being split divisions (not a change but needs to be one)

Monster/Feld controlling everything

good:

more races (good for me but not for thee)

Triple Crowns sprinkled in

SMX Next

Multiple Events in Ca. sorry everyone (good for me but not for thee) (lol)

good: Peacock, fantasy and 20 minute mains rather then 20 laps.

bad; standard sized track obstacles, IE, 3 foot and 5 foot jumps, 65 foot triple, 9 whoops.

Like: 

• WMX coming back
• WMX at supercross events 
• Outdoor motocross
• Europeans racing US series (iron sharpens iron)
• Stewart in the booth, he's so good 
• Modern 450 technique of riding smooth to go faster, reminds me of how Bailey rode in the old days
• Controversial but I like the slightly quieter bikes.. you can still clearly hear them but it's not as ear peircing as before
• Sportsmanship shown by many of the top riders even when their competition are being little shits 
• A major manufacturer bringing back an all-new 2-stroke for adults 
  
  Dislike
• Cookie cutter tracks
• Rut-o-cross
• SX/Moto tickets too expensive 
• Tracks getting shut down 
• Practice day fees keep going up 
• Bikes/graphics starting to look the same, no creativity, everything looks so dark and heavy. I miss the 80s/90s 
• Shitty attitude by certain riders who seem more interested in likes and controversy than winning 
• Fans of those shitty riders who have become unbearable on social media
• Vince Friese not being black flagged at all 
   

Bad: 

Excessive Start Device Depth

Lame track layouts

The broadcast glazing the SMX championship (Leigh and Ricky), everyone doesn’t put it on the same level.

Playoffs where no one gets eliminated or rewarded?

Good:

The field, lots of riders who can win or mix it up

Dislike: the way tracks rut out so quickly limits passing ability / line choices 

9 whoops: what happened to when tracks had more than one whoops section. 

Positive, I do enjoy triple crowns

Negative, daytime supercross races, i got cooked sitting in direct sunlight all day at Nashville this year

Supercross tracks should have more sections that reward those that will go big. 
Eliminate start devices. 
Allow Starks. 
No homologation rules. No weight limits. 

Worst - stupidcross

Next worst - unwatchable sx broadcast

Next worst - sx not held at night

Next worst - cooker cutter boring ass sx tracks

Best - uhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... Gonna have to think a while on dat one... lmaooo

Like:

Peacock. Live, awesome, consistent, affordable coverage

More teams/manufacturers and careers going longer

I actually like daytime/evening races. Knowing SX is on at 6pm every Saturday is nice and I don't have to stay up til midnight to watch.

SMX/WSX (RIP). It may not be perfect, but we're trying new things! Bad timing, but I was enjoying WSX, seeing more chances for income and seeing how different riders flourish under slightly different parameters than the "gold standard" of Feld's AMA SX. The first year of SMX was awesome, it's gotten worse every year since, but that proves that it CAN be good!

20 min mains instead of 20 laps, and triple crowns, and WMX making a comeback as honorable mentions.

Bad:

No lime, tracks break down so fast and get less racey/whoops go away

Boring track designs

1 less national

Endless content to consume if you so choose

Nobody fucking throws whips anymore. Make throwing fat nasty whips during the race cool again!

Positive changes:

-more good riders in each class now

-more manufacturers than any time since the 70’s

-sport is still evolving and hasnt stagnated- each era has someone who changes the way people ride and jett is doing that now

-way more resources for people to learn and get good at riding

-every bike is very good from the factory now

-smx next + higher age limit should bring in riders that are more prepared mentally and physically so they dont get the injury bug early and wash out

Negative changes:

-Cookie cutter tracks with the exact same obstacles every week just arranged slightly differently, 

-The cost overall keeps going up and up

-Not as many people racing the local series anymore

-deegan being forced into every single conversation or thread

-Oh yea I forgot one… HAVING THE FRIGGIN SPLIT SCREEN UP FOR HALF THE RACE! I bought a 55” tv but now I’m watching 2 20” boxes. So annoying. 

Well, Feld literally is a circus company. They run Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.

Add the AMA as the governing body and you have even more of a circus...

Positives: More money for the riders

Negative: Tracks lack any sort of design interest, its copy paste. We dont need 3 5 3s being the same size and distance apart every weekend. Let the "best riders in the world" figure it out.

Nothing positive comes to mind. Sports should be great but it kind of sucks. Cheap, dumb cunts running it. Shit tracks, day racing, WMX is back and is boring shit. You have to be rich to take a family if 4 to a sx, the announcing is terrible. RC is a media whore with zero skill. Chase sexton talk is lame, Matthes is a bit of a flamer. Play it safe guys like George Micheal Nicholls still taking up seats. People boot licking Justin hill for 13th. $16 beers, decline in hot dog quality. Dudes saying "ya/no" before every sentence.....not stoked!
 

Positive:

- Breadth of personalities/riding styles at the professional level

- Accessibility through Peacock

- Parity (even though Jett has been the "best" rider over the past few years, we've seen a lot of different champions and no consecutive repeats at the 450 level)

Negative:

- Lack of creativity/novelty in SX track design

- Telecast (particularly SX) geared towards narratives, fluff, PR stuff instead of covering the actual racing - if two title contenders are in the midst of a back-and-forth battle, I don't want to hear a trackside reporter talking about the guy in 7th place's recent affinity for spending time with his dog before a raceday

- Length of season... with added SMX rounds, it is near impossible for riders to complete a full season with health. I almost feel like the SX season should be shortened... do not take away any more nationals.