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Where do we go from here? Do we just sit back and continue the path we are on? Its not like the AMA actually does anything.
I think our only option is to speak with our wallets. I know next year I plan on doing the entire hare scramble series and spending much less time at the mx track.
It is not fun to roll jumps or pound through obstacles because I don't feel like taking a chance of visiting the ER. Doing that lap after lap is not nearly as satisfying. I've come off the track wondering why I bother. I wonder if tracks with more natural terrain and no make-or-break obstacles would, over time, attract more of us weekend, fun riders?
I've considered racing again, but when I look at results I see classes with 5, maybe 10 riders at the most. Not very appealing. I haven't looked at all of them, so maybe there are more at times, but why have so many classes and so few riders in each? I'm 50 and could race many classes. Why? I guess I'm stuck in my 80's class structure mindset.
The Shop
- Cost (bike, gear, gas, maintenance, truck, trailer)
- No tracks within 2hrs from me (all of them got shut down for noise, endangered species, high cost)
- Every single one of my friends sold there bikes because they are too dangerous (got married, wife said sell it)
As far as the pro series goes, I used to be 100% fan of motocross. Now, I would prefer to watch supercross. The coverage with the AMA motocross is terrible. It's not exciting. Blurry 100% of the time. Commenting is boring.
With supercross, I'd rather watch it on TV than go to it. The cost to attend a race is ridiculous.
It sucks that if you want to do anything fun, you have to spend your entire savings to do it.
Just my opinion.
1. Cost
2. Time
3. Safety
Over the years, racing costs have increased, time available to participate as decreased, and the sport in general has become less safe.
And you wonder why racing is going down.....
You need to work on at least two of those three issues to bring families back to racing. The time aspect is more social because kids have access to so many things. Tracks are far away, kids today get out from school later then they did 20 years ago.
So focus on cost and safety if you want to make a difference.
+1
Yearly break down:
Bikes 4500 (My 250 8k, and two minis 10k divided by 4 years = 4500/year)
Parts 2000
Maint. 1000
Misc. 1000
Gear 2500
Travel 1000
Entry/Race 3600
Total: $15,600 a year
Add another 10k+ if we hit some of the big amateur races like LL, Mini O's, JS7 spring championship, etc
That kind of money might not be a big deal to some but to a family on a single income of 100k/year its not easy. My kids would race if we could afford it. No pussies in my house. Both my kids are wrestlers and thrive on the toughest challenges. They bust their asses 3 days a week practicing and put the work in to possibly be a state champ or collegiate wrestlers. My point is, it's a sport I got them into because it was the least expensive and the closet thing to racing motocross competitively.
Technically speaking all of us could take a $1400 RM125, $10 in pump fuel, $400 in oneal gear in the back of a $1000 S10/Ranger to the track...but very few of us do that.
be $2,047.47. 8k for a toy that can get you maimed is nuts.
Pit Row
As bike prices continue to rise, fewer people will buy them, resulting in less of everything else. As tracks and riding areas close and also raise prices, there are fewer places to ride and the ones that remain are more expensive.
In my opinion:
Abandoning beloved traditions that people loved for more $$ + higher bike prices + few places to ride = A dying sport
Add in the risk since the tracks get more gnarly and at some point the cost is not worth the risk. Being out of work due to injury is not a small factor.
For your average joes, they will not be doing Pro level racing, so having jumps where you have to be perfect every time is a crazy risk.
Casual riding with the family is what I look forward to now, my kids are very good in varsity sports at this point so I do not risk them in MX where my son will miss a wrestling season or my daughter field hockey.
I do really look forward to getting an electric bike and overall I hope they are here to stay.
I don't have that fancy tv package or do I rarely eat out. No matter where you cut costs to save, it's still a bummer that it's so expensive.
I am talking more along the lines of supporting your personal racing habit. Supporting a whole family of rugrats while racing is a game only to be played by Bill Gates and associates. For me to race on a weekend is not really that bad.
Lets break it down,
Basic Moto day with my lady friend
40 miles of travel each way for a total of 80 miles, my truck averages 18.5 MPG, that is 4.3 gallons @ say $2.50/gallon =10.8 or $11 for fuel
$10 a head to get in $20
$35 for the first class and $30 for the next is pretty standard around here. $75
2 gallons of fuel in bike, max $6
Case of water $3
5 or so big Gatorades $5
Food $20 on the highest end. burgers and sandwiches are cheap
$30 for broken parts (could be more or less)
That is $170 total, not bad considering that $170 will not even get you a right rear tire for a dirt track car.
Obviously I am not taking bike and truck cost into consideration, but it is still wayyyyyyyyyy cheaper than anything with an engine.
I offered them they could have mini bikes instead of Ipad / xbox, the two youngest said no and the oldest didnt even bother to answer me.
The Trampoline is still the No1 toy they use it every day it is not raining, even then they would if i let them.
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