How to save motocross

I appreciate your enthusiasm but I don't see any of that working, I don't know where to even start. It would be pretty cool if it did though.

MohMoto14 wrote:

I appreciate your enthusiasm but I don't see any of that working, I don't know where to even start. It would be pretty cool if it did though.

True it's a pipe dream I guess. But with MX Sports teaming up with YS currently Things could develop.

Ultimately success will be driven by support of the people. If all 3 MXGP rd were massively supported because for example Tomac was crushing it internationally, then It must have a great chance of working.

US could then become more of a SX world leader growing that as it already seems to want too, let MXGP take care of motocross at the highest level.

The US nats would still be hugely relevant thou as that would be the feeder series. Like the Euro champs is for most GP riders.

US nats is strange as you have a few potential world champs against a largely privateer set up. Surely the sport is better of with the best fighting the best in a series.

Your enthusiasm is great but canning the AMA nationals and forcing the top guys to race the GPs is a horrendous idea.

What would happen is the top USA riders would just go SX only and it would kill AMA motocross.

ATKpilot99 wrote:

What would happen is the top USA riders would just go SX only and it would kill AMA motocross.

Yeppers

What problem does it fix? The low purse? The long season? The logistics?

US riders will be burnt out and beat up after sx, just like they are now.

Feld would see a chance to add 6-10 more rounds and just wipe American moto out.

"The US nats would still be hugely relevant thou as that would be the feeder series" Prejump.
Yep.

SX goes to 12 rounds.

Motocross goes to

250cc (2stroke and 4 stroke) 12 rounds
450cc 6 rounds
125cc 6 rounds

The 250 class is the premier class where the best action is and the costs are highest. They might as well just go ahead and recognize it for what it is and make it the best they can. Factory teams can still pump millions into their 4 stroke one race rev bombs and everyone else with a budget can build a stout performing budget based 2 stroke. Since they only put in 6 rounds with the East/West SX, they would be fresh and ready to make 12 rounds outdoors. With the lighter and less powerful bikes, injuries should be lower throughout the season and the talent pool stays strong. I'm sure someone will have stats to prove or disprove the injury list.

The 450 class has been notorious for decimating the talent field by the end of SX so dropping it to 12 rounds will not only help pack the stadiums to see good racing but also leave some healthy racers to head outdoors. With 6 rounds outdoors, the 450 riders will have more time to recover from all the injuries they received from riding the overweight 70hp bikes. More healthy talent on the gate and less rider burnout. Maybe some of these guys can make it past 27 years old and still have the desire to race. My guess though is that the powers to be are just too greedy to realize they are shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly.

Which brings us to the 125 class. Much needed. So much history with some of the best racing for decades and just absolutely shit on and sent down the toilet by all those who head up and make decisions for "our" sport. They should all be ashamed of themselves.

I like your idea, but unfortunately I see the circus that is SX taking over in the USA and the nationals as you mentioned going downhill to a mainly privateer series. I really hope I'm wrong but give it 10/15 yrs

Whoever it is that knows how to do it, PLEASE re-boot this thread after today's national. This is a great thread and these are really good ideas - Newmann's especially.

1. Since Supercross is popular and more lucrative I feel they should have several doubleheaders (Friday and Saturday night events to get more events and $$$ in the sport. At least 1 on the west coast, 1 on East coast, and 1 mid West.
(attempt to not criss-cross the US so damn much) (pretty sure DC has said its next to impossible) So we can end the first week of May. (BTW 2-12 lap mains)

2. coordinate with YS to have at least 2 MXGP events with AMA and 1 Canadian and run MXGP rules. (forget south and central America)

3. Memorial day (3 weeks to prep) Run a (125cc class), a (250 2s/4s class) and the (450 class)

20 mins +1, 35 riders per class, (non GP events, This should cut down injuries)

Go electric.

No more maininence issues for dad's. Just buy the bike and ride it till the wheels fall off.

With electric the bike can be set to have 125 power equivalent then when the kid is ready 250f power equivalent.

Also electric opens up new riding venues without the noise pollution.

The only negatives currently are of course the initial cost and that there is only one oem, alta.

We need to get Hero building competitive MX bikes and get them into the series...Worldwide the motorcycle industry is doing great...it's just terrible in the US right now until we shift our sales model of street bikes to more of a European model. More street bike sales equate to more riders, more riders equate to more people riding dirt bikes as well, The US motorcycle industry will make a strong comeback but, it will be 180 degrees different from what we're used to.

es337 wrote:

Go electric.

No more maininence issues for dad's. Just buy the bike and ride it till the wheels fall off.

With electric the bike can be set to have 125 power equivalent then when the kid is ready 250f power equivalent.

Also electric opens up new riding venues without the noise pollution.

The only negatives currently are of course the initial cost and that there is only one oem, alta.

Go electric and throw the soul of the sport into the dumpster. Motorsports have historically been about the sights, the sounds, the smell and the competitiveness of all those involved. I get it that electric is cool and has certain benefits but I feel it would make the racing empty and boring.

How to save motocross:

Make it affordable.

Make it more safe.

Make it LESS mainstream.

How this is done; God only knows...

newmann wrote:

Go electric and throw the soul of the sport into the dumpster. Motorsports have historically been about the sights, the sounds, the smell and the competitiveness of all those involved. I get it that electric is cool and has certain benefits but I feel it would make the racing empty and boring.

Could you be any more melodramatic? Motorsports has historically and always will be about who can go the fastest. It just so happens that pursuit, historically, has required sound and smell. But to suggest that an electrically propelled vehicle somehow changes the "soul" of motorsports is just goddamn absurd. The soul of motorsports is to go fast and to be the fastest. Period. Any of that other sensory nonsense you assign to it is entirely mutually exclusive. If anything, an electrically propelled vehicle just proves how completely inconsequential sound and smell are to power and speed. They're just a dumb, meaningless biproduct of an internal combustion engine's pursuit of speed.

In my opinion having the Nationals in the US is good for motocross in the US. There are many good reasons for the US riders to keep things just the way they are in the US. It is a healthy environment for riders and teams. I dont see any reason to change it at this point.

As far as the GPS I cannot comment on those. If you want to see the best against the best.. we could make a valid argument to say send the factory GP riders to the US. The US has better tracks, preparation and great support. But I dont think that would be good for European motocross.

I think it is best to just leave things as they are. But then, What do I know?

Prejump wrote:

US Nats becomes a non factory supported series

Top US riders ride SX then MXGP's with factory support

GP series has 3 rounds in states at beginning, mid & late season.

Each US round at diff corner of states to allow more people to reach a US GP

Each US GP would be the time for US top national riders to see if they can compete at highest level as wild card

USA could then fight for a world mx champion which would excite the fans to support the sport more

MXON date would be consistent for everyone

.

es337 wrote:

Go electric.

No more maininence issues for dad's. Just buy the bike and ride it till the wheels fall off.

With electric the bike can be set to have 125 power equivalent then when the kid is ready 250f power equivalent.

Also electric opens up new riding venues without the noise pollution.

The only negatives currently are of course the initial cost and that there is only one oem, alta.

Guess you've never overheated a rotor before and ruined the magnets.. or had just one cell go bad and have to chase it down and replace it.. or have an ESC let out the magic smoke for no reason at all .. or .. or... or... I can first hand tell you that electric has more downsides than u think...

Yep wrote:

"The US nats would still be hugely relevant thou as that would be the feeder series" Prejump.
Yep.

And buck the trend that JMB started? The nice thing about this is that it's actually the GP's which have been a feeder series for the AMA since 1989. Just think pretty soon you may see Gasjer and Padro over here and I'm sure there is some kid in Europe that is ripping right now with aspirations of coming to the states.

MohMoto14 wrote:

I appreciate your enthusiasm but I don't see any of that working, I don't know where to even start. It would be pretty cool if it did though.

Prejump wrote:

True it's a pipe dream I guess. But with MX Sports teaming up with YS currently Things could develop.

Ultimately success will be driven by support of the people. If all 3 MXGP rd were massively supported because for example Tomac was crushing it internationally, then It must have a great chance of working.

US could then become more of a SX world leader growing that as it already seems to want too, let MXGP take care of motocross at the highest level.

The US nats would still be hugely relevant thou as that would be the feeder series. Like the Euro champs is for most GP riders.

US nats is strange as you have a few potential world champs against a largely privateer set up. Surely the sport is better of with the best fighting the best in a series.

Your last quote is so off base. Plenty of factory teams out there. Injuries play a part like they always do just like the 2015 GP season when the big 4 were out by midseason.

gt80rider wrote:

Guess you've never overheated a rotor before and ruined the magnets.. or had just one cell go bad and have to chase it down and replace it.. or have an ESC let out the magic smoke for no reason at all .. or .. or... or... I can first hand tell you that electric has more downsides than u think...

thermistor to read rotor and stator temps. BMS to individually balance cells.

What kind of battery configuration were you dealing with where it was difficult to chase down one cell?

Sure electric can have issues but that does little to address that electric is significantly better than ICE in terms of simplicity, reliability, power density, throttle response and power cure, tunability, handling dynamics etc etc.

Bring back 500s problem solved.

who said it needs to be saved and who named you the savior of the series?

I think DC has a good handle on it right now and will continue to improve it every year!

es337 wrote:

Go electric.

No more maininence issues for dad's. Just buy the bike and ride it till the wheels fall off.

With electric the bike can be set to have 125 power equivalent then when the kid is ready 250f power equivalent.

Also electric opens up new riding venues without the noise pollution.

The only negatives currently are of course the initial cost and that there is only one oem, alta.

newmann wrote:

Go electric and throw the soul of the sport into the dumpster. Motorsports have historically been about the sights, the sounds, the smell and the competitiveness of all those involved. I get it that electric is cool and has certain benefits but I feel it would make the racing empty and boring.

Swann wrote:

Could you be any more melodramatic? Motorsports has historically and always will be about who can go the fastest. It just so happens that pursuit, historically, has required sound and smell. But to suggest that an electrically propelled vehicle somehow changes the "soul" of motorsports is just goddamn absurd. The soul of motorsports is to go fast and to be the fastest. Period. Any of that other sensory nonsense you assign to it is entirely mutually exclusive. If anything, an electrically propelled vehicle just proves how completely inconsequential sound and smell are to power and speed. They're just a dumb, meaningless biproduct of an internal combustion engine's pursuit of speed.

That's right man. Sound and smell are irrelevan! Who needs to attend a Top Fuel Drag race when one can enjoy the Top Cell Dragsters without all that horrible noise... eh?

es337 wrote:

Go electric.

No more maininence issues for dad's. Just buy the bike and ride it till the wheels fall off.

With electric the bike can be set to have 125 power equivalent then when the kid is ready 250f power equivalent.

Also electric opens up new riding venues without the noise pollution.

The only negatives currently are of course the initial cost and that there is only one oem, alta.

newmann wrote:

Go electric and throw the soul of the sport into the dumpster. Motorsports have historically been about the sights, the sounds, the smell and the competitiveness of all those involved. I get it that electric is cool and has certain benefits but I feel it would make the racing empty and boring.

Swann wrote:

Could you be any more melodramatic? Motorsports has historically and always will be about who can go the fastest. It just so happens that pursuit, historically, has required sound and smell. But to suggest that an electrically propelled vehicle somehow changes the "soul" of motorsports is just goddamn absurd. The soul of motorsports is to go fast and to be the fastest. Period. Any of that other sensory nonsense you assign to it is entirely mutually exclusive. If anything, an electrically propelled vehicle just proves how completely inconsequential sound and smell are to power and speed. They're just a dumb, meaningless biproduct of an internal combustion engine's pursuit of speed.

Call me melodramatic and then you spew all that? Too funny. I even gave it to your triggered ass that electric is cool and has certain benefits but still boring and empty. There is a reason that a two stroke video requires no candy assed techno music playing in the foreground.

By the way, have you listened to a F1 race lately?

So easy to prove I can even do it with a 4 stroke

Yep wrote:

"The US nats would still be hugely relevant thou as that would be the feeder series" Prejump.
Yep.

Park Boys wrote:

And buck the trend that JMB started? The nice thing about this is that it's actually the GP's which have been a feeder series for the AMA since 1989. Just think pretty soon you may see Gasjer and Padro over here and I'm sure there is some kid in Europe that is ripping right now with aspirations of coming to the states.

GP riders only come to the states if they want to be an SX star. Your tracks dont compare. Have you seen Prado ride sand ? Do you think southwick cuts the mustard as a real sand track for the best riders in the world ? US nats is the bet national series in the world, but it can never better an international series for variety.