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Johnny Depp
11/2/2018 5:33pm
11/2/2018 5:33pm
Edited Date/Time
11/6/2018 9:04am
There are storms on the economic horizon, and it would be better to be prepared to trim expenses before it comes cold turkey from the budget rooms. Bike sales are declining already due to a variety of factors and the handwriting is on the wall.
This article tells the story of Yamaha's drastic cuts in MotoAmerica (road racing) very much like when DMG took over the series and lost all of the manufacturer's support. This has previously been stated as one of the biggest fears.
https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/yamaha-graves-motoamerica-2019/
"We have already published about the sizable sales trouble that Yamaha is encountering in the United States, seeing its last 12 months of sales drop 19% compared to the 12 months prior.
We have also talked about Yamaha’s plans to move its headquarters from California to Georgia, taking the brand away from the epicenter of the motorcycle industry, and off to cheaper waters for operations"
"As such, Yamaha Motor USA is set to massively reduce its racing budget in the United States – we have heard that the budget will be reduce by a staggering 75% next year."
So what is to be done? Where can fat be trimmed? If you think deserving rider's aren't getting contracts now, just wait.
It may be too late to affect next year, but things are likely going to have to change.
I'd start with schedules that are more condensed in time and distance.
Less Pro classes is an obvious choice also.
I believe it's possible to accomplish drastic cuts and yet make for a better show, but everyone won't be in it.
This article tells the story of Yamaha's drastic cuts in MotoAmerica (road racing) very much like when DMG took over the series and lost all of the manufacturer's support. This has previously been stated as one of the biggest fears.
https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/yamaha-graves-motoamerica-2019/
"We have already published about the sizable sales trouble that Yamaha is encountering in the United States, seeing its last 12 months of sales drop 19% compared to the 12 months prior.
We have also talked about Yamaha’s plans to move its headquarters from California to Georgia, taking the brand away from the epicenter of the motorcycle industry, and off to cheaper waters for operations"
"As such, Yamaha Motor USA is set to massively reduce its racing budget in the United States – we have heard that the budget will be reduce by a staggering 75% next year."
So what is to be done? Where can fat be trimmed? If you think deserving rider's aren't getting contracts now, just wait.
It may be too late to affect next year, but things are likely going to have to change.
I'd start with schedules that are more condensed in time and distance.
Less Pro classes is an obvious choice also.
I believe it's possible to accomplish drastic cuts and yet make for a better show, but everyone won't be in it.
Box vans or Sprinters/Transits/Promasters and 2 strokes are a hell of a lot cheaper than semis and fart machines. Rearranging the schedule so that the teams don't cross cross the country 13 times a season would help too.
Flame on.
The Shop
Suzuki's program is a prime example. When they hired RC, they effectively withdrew amatuer support to help fund his contract by putting all their eggs in one basket. What used to be a solid amateur program that saw many young kids advance on the yellow bikes (ian trettle, davi millsaps, broc hepler pastrana dungey tomac just to name a few)
if factories pulled back the funding of their factory teams a bit they could possible generate more amateur racers. The best salesmen are your local joes, not eli tomac
They never became interested in doing more than lip service to help preserve riding areas. Ultimately, that will be their downfall. The just sent some token money to the AMA, and, well, we know how well that has worked out.
It's biting them harder and harder every year. As more riding areas close and they become farther and farther from the population centers, it gets more difficult to convince people to take this up as a hobby.
Add in the generational differences of kids that are growing up not caring about anything motorized much less being able to work on one and you have an aging sport. Look at the entry sheets for almost any race day...they get more skewed to the Vet classes every year. The days of the 3 division 125 novice class ended a long time ago.
This has always been a participation sport with a relatively low cost to get involved. Between the dollars required and the time required, I don't think you can say that anymore.
Yes, but if you have to drive 2 hours to ride it you are less likely to bother. The point is that when the sport was booming, there were places to ride everywhere. That has been dramatically reduced as the population has moved from rural areas to metro centers.
And realistically, while I could buy a $1000 bike, restore it myself and have a fine ride, most of the kids that we need to get into the sport couldn't identify a piston if it were the only thing on the table. Therefore their only entry into the sport will likely be something a dealer sells them. If their dealer has any dirt bikes on the floor at all...
I don’t get this argument, my 2000 KX250 in 2000 was 5800 OTD and that was a deal deal... I’m pretty sure if I wanted to I could find a left over 2018 450 for around 7-8 OTD which is more affordable than that 250 was 19 years ago.
Just buy a bike and ride and quit worrying about stuff you can’t inpact or change... seriously just go ride!
E-bikes are about to take over.
I know it is getting harder and harder to find somewhere close to ride our bikes but when you have a love for the sport you will always find a way to get there and make it happen. Unfortunately for us and for MX in general, kids are instead choosing to love sitting on their lazy asses and having everything they want right there in their hands.
We need a stock class. Find a way to show kids racing doesn’t have to be expensive. We are our own problem.
Pit Row
You’re looking at the wrong end of the spectrum.. make it more affordable at the grass roots and there will be plenty of money for the teams and manufacturers.
kids these days arent as interested because of the social media/ video games/ cell phones program...its crazy
Let's remember that to almost all of the manufacturer's MX is a very small piece of the product pie. In powersport's alone there are ATV/UTV, Watercraft, Street bikes, generators etc. Then consider that Honda is a car company 1st now, Kawasaki Heavy Industries builds ships, Yamaha has music instruments, Suzuki build cars etc. and you realize fixing the grass roots of MX is not going to fix the big picture.
MX/SX is fortunately not something that makes any sense from an advertising/marketing budget in relation to MX bike sales or even dirt bike sales to most companies. Just as in MotoGP where Millions are spent annually with no specific replica bikes ever sold, it is an Umbrella affect for the whole companies brand awareness and pride.
If the economy tanks, getting caught without liquid assets to institute changes and responses to the new market environment will be near impossible and you end up like Alta. When the "Winter is Coming" you need to be prepared.
In most ways , Those mountain bikes priced well
Into the thousands are a perfect example, so its definitely not only economic, and it's safe to say we as a sport dropped the ball somewhere along the way ,
Price does still matter because A lot of middle and lower class where priced out , and there are things that could have been done to help , like some Budget classes, or older bike classes , 125cc only classes etc. Because as someone said yes you can go get everything you need for $2500 , but it's not as fun and can even be embarrassing, lining up on you raggedy old bike next to a brand new ones , and fully modded suspension done etc etc, sure it's great if your really good and beat them but getting lapped , not so much , so purposely making some classes where you only race others on equal equipment would have helped ...
But imo our Biggest concern Right now is Riding area's
I Live in Minnesota and the ones we have are nice , but way far from the populated areas
And not a lot of them , and other than the organized Race tracks , Its Really hard to find a place to ride, all land Nowdays in some states is owned , privately, by businesses or being farmed, there is almost no open land to ,just make a small track on , or a field to make a turn track on , unless you buy the land.
I personally dont Buy that its phones, Video games,Computers, I think they simply arent being introduced to it. And aren't given the opportunity to ride.
I would Argue that at least 50% of Boys age between 5 and 18 would Want to ride a Dirt bike ...
Let the riders and only the riders vote on what rules should be added, deleted, and modified. As long as they are a current registered pro they can vote.
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