whats the plan if the 'energy' drink companies pull out?

ML512
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ML512 9/19/2018 7:45pm
9/19/2018 7:45pm
langhammx wrote:
I thought that was more than just a rumor ?
Well, the info I was given does point to it being fact but I was going with rumor for this post considering they haven't confirmed it yet. But other brands involved in sponsoring outdoors said Lucas out and it's effected a few of their deals until a new title sponsor is found.
avidchimp
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avidchimp 9/19/2018 7:55pm
9/19/2018 7:55pm Edited Date/Time 9/19/2018 9:10pm
Remember the days when a bike only needed one Mechanic? The advent of Four Bangers, EFI, programable ECU's, etc... hasn't helped budgets at all. Hospitality semi's? Endless testing days?

There is a ton of fat that can be trimmed from this sport should sponsorship money retract, and it wouldn't look any different than it did in the late 90's. You think Eli or Kenny wouldn't race for an all in million a year, bonuses included contract(s), if that was all that could be afforded by the teams and sponsors?

Where else are they going to make that kind of money?
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mauidex
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mauidex 9/19/2018 8:08pm
9/19/2018 8:08pm
GuyB wrote:
Sponsorship is an issue in lots of places. There are a lot of big NASCAR teams wondering where the money went. Lowes (Jimmie Johnson) and 5...
Sponsorship is an issue in lots of places. There are a lot of big NASCAR teams wondering where the money went.

Lowes (Jimmie Johnson) and 5 Hour Energy (Martin Truex) are just a couple of the sponsors that went away this year. With the loss of 5 Hour Energy, Truex's team will be closing down.

We're lucky that the energy drink companies love MX/SX the way that they do. Will life go on (albeit at a different level) if they go away? Yes.
motorsports is a tough sell right now...............specific companies and specific demographics make Moto go around........monster is more and more being run by bean counters and only going to get worse............thankfully, I think, any Moto series or team deals are a fraction of what it takes in any other motorsport..........but the logos on Hamilton in F1 aren't cheap but that is where monster sees growth and competing with Red Bull in Europe.........I guess a real good indicator might be why GEICO finds Moto such a good "buy"............that would be a very telling indicator of what and who might be next
Doddy
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Doddy 9/19/2018 8:50pm
9/19/2018 8:50pm
Not if. When.

The Shop

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wisey
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wisey 9/19/2018 9:17pm
9/19/2018 9:17pm
WSC Walmart Shopping Cup

Amazon Supershopping Series

Stevie Wonder Straight Rythm
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Andy_Greenney 9/20/2018 12:13am
9/20/2018 12:13am
People having to buy bikes and transporters and go racing?
99.9% of riders don’t have sponsorship, what difference would it make?
Fearo
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Fearo 9/20/2018 12:49am
9/20/2018 12:49am Edited Date/Time 9/20/2018 12:49am
If they go, we will see a huge collapse in the sport.

No other industry other than energy drinks, tobacco or alcohol has BOTH the money to support this scale of sponsorships AND the need to access this certain demographic that watches these 'action sports'.
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make1go
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make1go 9/20/2018 4:16am
9/20/2018 4:16am Edited Date/Time 9/20/2018 4:25am
Andy_Greenney wrote:
People having to buy bikes and transporters and go racing?
99.9% of riders don’t have sponsorship, what difference would it make?
as a kid i got into mx partly b3cause of highest level star riders, smith hanna, raheir, decoster, gall, dinsdale (oz mx) etc were all names i knew well by 15....and i started racing seriously by 16..

without a prominent place in sports it will be less attractive to kids.

ask ANY current or former champion and he or she will have names they looked up to, wanted to emulate.

i dont think mx is driven by son follows father participation more than any other sport, my dad was a champion swimmer and had no interest in mx. (but who knows im geussing there)

thats just one thing of many..
and one not to be underestimated..
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PRM31
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PRM31 9/20/2018 4:43am
9/20/2018 4:43am
I wonder how much less it was to run a box van with two strokes? It’s interesting to me that all the seemingly additional costs of racing since the early 80s haven’t made the sport any better. Not to me anyway. If the sport loses enough sponsors we may find teams dialing their operations back some.
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OldYZRider1
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OldYZRider1 9/20/2018 5:46am
9/20/2018 5:46am
Move to a team scoring format to eliminate the current individual rider focus that returns little to the sponsor when the rider gets hurt riding his 450 and sits out the remainder of the season.
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Silas444
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Silas444 9/20/2018 6:09am
9/20/2018 6:09am
Hmmm - I'm thinking you're all missing the game-changing ingredient that will totally transform the future mix of our sport: ELECTRIC BIKES. No more need for a "team" of mechanics to look after your bike, no more worries of having your engine "grenade" on a jump face, no more need to tear down your motor between races. Just tighten the chain and go. The advent of this new technology will change everything, including who can afford to race and where racing venues can be located. Electric bikes will be a fascinating new opportunity, both for new people to come into the sport and for new sponsors to see a reason to financially support it. Keep in mind, you don't need to have a major service center stocked with mechanics and parts to sell electric bikes. Hello, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Dick's sporting Goods, etcetera, etcetera. Right now I own a CRF250 and a KTM Freeride E. The CRF is tricked out and re-valved to my specs, the Freeride isn't. The CRF is a race bike, the Freeride isn't. There should be NO reason why I would prefer to ride the Freeride on my track....... and yet I often do. Not only that, but I've let my buds ride it, and to a man, after that first ride, they all perceive their own bikes differently. They can see what I can: that the future is coming, and it's gonna ROCK. Lucas Oil won't feel the need to sponsor it, that's for damn sure, but you know who likely might? - Harley-Davidson, that's who. They see where the future is going, and that's why they bough a big chunk of Alta, And by 2025, you'll be able to come and see Harley's new race bike in the boutique dealership they just built inside your local sporting goods store, and get free tickets to attend the national they're gladly sponsoring too...... because it's good for business.
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motogrady
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motogrady 9/20/2018 6:14am
9/20/2018 6:14am
Silas444 wrote:
Hmmm - I'm thinking you're all missing the game-changing ingredient that will totally transform the future mix of our sport: ELECTRIC BIKES. No more need for...
Hmmm - I'm thinking you're all missing the game-changing ingredient that will totally transform the future mix of our sport: ELECTRIC BIKES. No more need for a "team" of mechanics to look after your bike, no more worries of having your engine "grenade" on a jump face, no more need to tear down your motor between races. Just tighten the chain and go. The advent of this new technology will change everything, including who can afford to race and where racing venues can be located. Electric bikes will be a fascinating new opportunity, both for new people to come into the sport and for new sponsors to see a reason to financially support it. Keep in mind, you don't need to have a major service center stocked with mechanics and parts to sell electric bikes. Hello, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Dick's sporting Goods, etcetera, etcetera. Right now I own a CRF250 and a KTM Freeride E. The CRF is tricked out and re-valved to my specs, the Freeride isn't. The CRF is a race bike, the Freeride isn't. There should be NO reason why I would prefer to ride the Freeride on my track....... and yet I often do. Not only that, but I've let my buds ride it, and to a man, after that first ride, they all perceive their own bikes differently. They can see what I can: that the future is coming, and it's gonna ROCK. Lucas Oil won't feel the need to sponsor it, that's for damn sure, but you know who likely might? - Harley-Davidson, that's who. They see where the future is going, and that's why they bough a big chunk of Alta, And by 2025, you'll be able to come and see Harley's new race bike in the boutique dealership they just built inside your local sporting goods store, and get free tickets to attend the national they're gladly sponsoring too...... because it's good for business.

So.....invest in portable generators and the places that fix them?
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Moto_Geek
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Moto_Geek 9/20/2018 6:45am
9/20/2018 6:45am
I'm really worried about cheating when ebikes start racing. To easy to add a lil gizmo for extra power of the start.
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early
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early 9/20/2018 6:53am
9/20/2018 6:53am
Why no ExxonMobil, Shell, BP sponsorships like Repsol and Petronas?
ga_pike
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ga_pike 9/20/2018 6:59am
9/20/2018 6:59am
Silas444 wrote:
Hmmm - I'm thinking you're all missing the game-changing ingredient that will totally transform the future mix of our sport: ELECTRIC BIKES. No more need for...
Hmmm - I'm thinking you're all missing the game-changing ingredient that will totally transform the future mix of our sport: ELECTRIC BIKES. No more need for a "team" of mechanics to look after your bike, no more worries of having your engine "grenade" on a jump face, no more need to tear down your motor between races. Just tighten the chain and go. The advent of this new technology will change everything, including who can afford to race and where racing venues can be located. Electric bikes will be a fascinating new opportunity, both for new people to come into the sport and for new sponsors to see a reason to financially support it. Keep in mind, you don't need to have a major service center stocked with mechanics and parts to sell electric bikes. Hello, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Dick's sporting Goods, etcetera, etcetera. Right now I own a CRF250 and a KTM Freeride E. The CRF is tricked out and re-valved to my specs, the Freeride isn't. The CRF is a race bike, the Freeride isn't. There should be NO reason why I would prefer to ride the Freeride on my track....... and yet I often do. Not only that, but I've let my buds ride it, and to a man, after that first ride, they all perceive their own bikes differently. They can see what I can: that the future is coming, and it's gonna ROCK. Lucas Oil won't feel the need to sponsor it, that's for damn sure, but you know who likely might? - Harley-Davidson, that's who. They see where the future is going, and that's why they bough a big chunk of Alta, And by 2025, you'll be able to come and see Harley's new race bike in the boutique dealership they just built inside your local sporting goods store, and get free tickets to attend the national they're gladly sponsoring too...... because it's good for business.
motogrady wrote:

So.....invest in portable generators and the places that fix them?
So instead of a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the bikes, there will be a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the generators. Honda just took it's shirt off!
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mauidex
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mauidex 9/20/2018 7:03am
9/20/2018 7:03am
ga_pike wrote:
So instead of a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the bikes, there will be a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the generators...
So instead of a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the bikes, there will be a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the generators. Honda just took it's shirt off!
yep I can see it now.........PC, Yosh, FMF................generator mods, starting at $1999.........but you can get the A kit for $15,999!!!!!WoohooWoohooWoohooWoohoo
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ga_pike
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ga_pike 9/20/2018 7:33am
9/20/2018 7:33am
ga_pike wrote:
So instead of a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the bikes, there will be a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the generators...
So instead of a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the bikes, there will be a team of mechanics to fix and maintain the generators. Honda just took it's shirt off!
mauidex wrote:
yep I can see it now.........PC, Yosh, FMF................generator mods, starting at $1999.........but you can get the A kit for $15,999!!!!!WoohooWoohooWoohooWoohoo
Think of the possibilities... carbon fiber fuel cells, fuel injection, 2 stroke vs 4 storke... AND...

115V packages start at $2599 but you can upgrade to 3 phase, 230V for an additional $1999... that's at least worth an additional 12 HP. 480V packages call for pricing.

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Silas444
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Silas444 9/20/2018 8:25am
9/20/2018 8:25am
I should have seen all this negativity coming. My guess is, none of you guys have ridden an electric bike, which is fine. No worries. But all this talk of engines and power and who would cheat and how they'd cheat and how much it would cost to cheat really well, perhaps misses the point. So let's think outside the box for a minute. Look at MotoGP and what they do regarding tires: ALL of the riders use the same tires. A manufacturer is picked based on a bidding war, and then that manufacturer supplies everyone with tires for the season. That decision eliminated the tire wars in the sport and made the racing much better. Well, the same thing could happen regarding electric batteries. A manufacturer could be picked, and all the riders would use the same one. An OEM would build a chassis around that battery pack, and come race day, they'd go and pick up their batteries from the chosen manufacturer, who brings them to the races in sealed, unnumbered, containers. This would ensure the fairness of the motors, and best of all, it would allow the OEMs to concentrate on chassis and suspension development, and whoa - what changes and advancements we'd see then. I know it's unsettling to think of such radical changes, but radical change is great for those who have no fear of it. At 57 years old, I know all you youngsters all see me as just an irrelevant old dude whose opinion is worthless, and that's fine, I'm used to it. But before you completely dismiss me, just consider the fact that my thinking has made me devoid of any fear of the future of our sport. Whatever it is, I say BRING IT - and I say it with a smile on my face.
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motogrady
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motogrady 9/20/2018 8:53am
9/20/2018 8:53am Edited Date/Time 9/20/2018 9:00am
Silas444 wrote:
I should have seen all this negativity coming. My guess is, none of you guys have ridden an electric bike, which is fine. No worries. But...
I should have seen all this negativity coming. My guess is, none of you guys have ridden an electric bike, which is fine. No worries. But all this talk of engines and power and who would cheat and how they'd cheat and how much it would cost to cheat really well, perhaps misses the point. So let's think outside the box for a minute. Look at MotoGP and what they do regarding tires: ALL of the riders use the same tires. A manufacturer is picked based on a bidding war, and then that manufacturer supplies everyone with tires for the season. That decision eliminated the tire wars in the sport and made the racing much better. Well, the same thing could happen regarding electric batteries. A manufacturer could be picked, and all the riders would use the same one. An OEM would build a chassis around that battery pack, and come race day, they'd go and pick up their batteries from the chosen manufacturer, who brings them to the races in sealed, unnumbered, containers. This would ensure the fairness of the motors, and best of all, it would allow the OEMs to concentrate on chassis and suspension development, and whoa - what changes and advancements we'd see then. I know it's unsettling to think of such radical changes, but radical change is great for those who have no fear of it. At 57 years old, I know all you youngsters all see me as just an irrelevant old dude whose opinion is worthless, and that's fine, I'm used to it. But before you completely dismiss me, just consider the fact that my thinking has made me devoid of any fear of the future of our sport. Whatever it is, I say BRING IT - and I say it with a smile on my face.
Laughing

Come on guy, lighten up a bit.
I'm older than you, and after living thru the 4vs2 thing I realize, anything can happen. As long as guys wanna race,
Moto will be there.
Fact is, the tree hugger movement is real. It seems to have abated a bit, but it's real. Myself, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the emissions thing. It's not like the electricity just comes out of the ground for free.
Unless it's solar, and those guys have seemed to have hit the wall on what you can get out of a square foot of panel.
Which ain't much.

So, the reality is, there's gonna be a generator in every guy's pit. The track might be quiet, but the pits won't.
Maybe the hot setup will be the generator that puts out the most watts, with the least petrol usage, and most importantly, the least amount of decibels,
And someone is gonna have to keep those things running good. No dig, just reality.
Right now, at least on construction sites, Honda seems to be the leader in all aspects of that.

And who knows, some tracks might come to offer spaces with electric hookup. Like many camp sites do.
But that ain't gonna be cheap either, to supply 200, 500 outlets, with the possibility most will be pulling juice at the same time. That's a a big ass wire feeding that place. Plus, I know I'd figure the cost of juice used to fill everyone's battery up 2 or 3 times that day into the entry fee. You'd have too.

Hey, I say bring it. And when they figure out how to do it with magnets, what the heck, why not?
BobKerr
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BobKerr 9/20/2018 10:11am
9/20/2018 10:11am
Everyone will play frisby golf.
Gandorlf
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Gandorlf 9/20/2018 12:41pm
9/20/2018 12:41pm
What about video game companies/developers? THQ dabbled in the past...

Imagine...

Playstation Yamaha
Rockstar Games Suzuki
Activision KTM
Valve/Steam Husqvarna
Take Two Honda
Xbox Kawasaki

Would make for some sweet graphics for them to advertise their newest games haha.


tprice07
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tprice07 9/20/2018 1:30pm
9/20/2018 1:30pm
It wouldn't be an easy transition but it's not impossible for another company to step up to the plate. Honda's overall net worth is more than RedBull and Monster Energy's combined. I'd be curious to know what that contract is worth.

I have many small companies that spend tens of thousands of dollars a year with me for marketing and advertising that comes out of much larger overall marketing budget. I can't imagine what some major companies are willing to spend for some exposure.

We did exist pre-energy drinks. Here is an interesting read if you'd like to know more:

https://racerxonline.com/2016/11/07/the-list-every-sx-title-sponsor
Flip109
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Flip109 9/20/2018 3:15pm
9/20/2018 3:15pm
The only thing that stays consistent is change. Bring on electric bikes. I don’t personally like changing oil and filters anyway. Lot less stress lot more fun. Fast guys will still go fast and slow guys slow. Imagine a supercross race with electric bikes with music playing or actually hearing the announcer call the racing. Could be epic. Like a football game or something where the crowd really effects the racing. I’m up for it. Eventually we won’t have a choice anyway...
Andy_Greenney 9/20/2018 3:20pm
9/20/2018 3:20pm
make1go wrote:
as a kid i got into mx partly b3cause of highest level star riders, smith hanna, raheir, decoster, gall, dinsdale (oz mx) etc were all names...
as a kid i got into mx partly b3cause of highest level star riders, smith hanna, raheir, decoster, gall, dinsdale (oz mx) etc were all names i knew well by 15....and i started racing seriously by 16..

without a prominent place in sports it will be less attractive to kids.

ask ANY current or former champion and he or she will have names they looked up to, wanted to emulate.

i dont think mx is driven by son follows father participation more than any other sport, my dad was a champion swimmer and had no interest in mx. (but who knows im geussing there)

thats just one thing of many..
and one not to be underestimated..
Agreed...but what does that have to do with sponsorship? Will they be any less of a star because they don't have huge rig in the paddock and a monster logo on their bike?
Have to disagree on the father son thing, there will always be newcomers and leavers of the sport, but its very much a sport that gets passed down and relies on parents.

The biggest threat to the sport for us over here by FAR is noise, that will kill the sport way before sponsorship of the top 1% is even noticed.
cbuehler767
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cbuehler767 9/20/2018 3:30pm
9/20/2018 3:30pm
aroark247 wrote:
It's not that bad, I can't see caffeine being booted. The majority of TV commercials you see are for beer/liquor companies, caffeine including the coffee giants...
It's not that bad, I can't see caffeine being booted. The majority of TV commercials you see are for beer/liquor companies, caffeine including the coffee giants. Really the only thing gone is Tobacco. I think you are reaching a little on this thread.
This. Caffeine starts getting demonized and more than just SX/MX is in trouble. Every Tom Dick and Harry getting their fix at Dunkin Donuts every morning will be hurting

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