Motivation.

[Nathan S]

No doubt, my motivation for VMX has been a bit wobbly overthe last few months, for a number of reasons.
I guess that a number of thing have dragged me down - the politics, the bitching, my lack of shed time, the amount of fun I had with the rally car, the fact that I have way too many projects, a sale that caused some unexpected grief, the awesomeness of The Boy, etc etc... Don't get me wrong, I haven't been close to having a brain explosion and quitting the sport or anyting, but the enthusiasm has definitely been lacking. I'd walk into the bike shed, and the best I'd manage was a lifeless "Oh, yeah, that's a cool bike" - and it would never be about the project bikes, just the race-ready bikes that didn't threaten to take up my spare time.
The enthusiasm has sparked a few times (like when the latest issue of VMX came out), but not really fired up.

As I type (admittedly half pissed), the enthusiasm is strong - stronger than it has been for months thanks to a few events/people. Really without wanting to piss in anyone's pocket, there are some top people in the VMX world, even if they aren't recognised as movers and shakers.

Today was a pivotal day. I pulled bikes out of the bike shed, and spent some time with some good blokes, and it helped me a lot. Being among the shitboxes quality examples of our MX history has made a big difference.

I was so inspired, I took some crappy photos. I will now be all self-indulgent and try to explain why these shitboxes quality examples of our MX history make me happy.


Well fudge me, a scruffy YZ250G. I've wanted one of these since I was 13 and bought this one a few years ago. Its a better bike than I am a rider, but hey - I like riding it. The fact that I haven't ridden it in two years really is irrelevant - its there to be ridden when-ever I want to.


Oh... Original (but definitely not immacualte) YZ125A and MX100A. Both bikes have been causing me some stress and they're too rough to leave original, but too original to restore.
Is this really a problem!? If that's the biggest problem I have in my life, then I really ought to shut the fudge up...


I've owned this since it was four years old, and I love it to bits. Been a bit stressed out because I can't get a part for the forks, but the worst case scenario is to make a new one.


Here's one to laugh at myself over. One of these shitboxes quality examples of our MX history is the bike I've owned for more than half my lifetime. The other is a parts bike that I have absolutely no emotional attachment to - can you tell which is which?


Oh look, original, unmolested SL100. Owes me SFA. Sure it will need some time and money before it is any use to me, but is it really a problem to have this sitting there as a "when I get to it" project? Hell no!


$500 worth of KDX200. A couple of mates looked after me to get all of the bits, and its a great bike - I love it. It doesn't do anything amazingly well, but it does everything well and its a great bike to ride.


This is the rarest bike I own. Bought it from a nice bloke that I inadvertantly managed to annoy. Leant on one of the all-time champion blokes to get it to me. Over-loaded mboddy's trailer to get it home. Paid too much for it (by any logical measure).
Do I care?
Hell no - I own an MX125C! Its one of three that I know of and while its gonna take a ton of time and a fair bit of money to finish, it will always be a super-rare bike.

I can go on, but you get the point: If your biggest problem is related to old dirt bikes, then it really isn't a problem - rather than worrying about the negatives, take a step back and think about the fun and the friendship that this old bike caper will bring to you.

[Tossa]

looks like you're hanging out for a VMX fix on a track with a good group of guys!!

[Tim754]

Losing motivation on the SL100? I could reduce that loss Cheers Tim754

[Graeme M]

I've been wondering where you've been Nathan. Hope you manage to rekindle that enthusiasm - it's a new year with plenty of riding and racing waiting. I understand though, the motivation has been lacking for me too. Lack of time, other things on the go, disinterest in working on bikes, family against it and so on. Last year I got to I think 3 events, so I am hoping this year will be betterer. Have you given any thought to what the 'must dos' are for 2010?

I have a pretty short list, but here they are:

Jack Hogg
CD7
Canowindra HEAVEN
At least one Qld event

We'll see. But I hope to see you on the line at at least one of those. After you maintained your record of beating me in every race by just pipping me on the line at Canowindra in 09, our 125 vendetta still looms large in my thinking!! I've done a little work on the RM over the break...

[DR]

disinterest in working on bikes

perish the thought!

no lack of motivation round here, a new project RM80X arrived on ummm,..Thursday and I have a nice little running G5 kawa motor and forks on their way over this morning. Just finished the GTS185 (well 99% airfilters/battery) My dirt track TM125 is oh so close and a few others are also complete but awaiting the boring bar to do the number on them   To build afterwards I have numerous TS250's, 1 back to an original and with the parts left over a TM/TS250 hybrid. RM50N forks arrived on friday so they're to be fitted also and that's a step closer. The XR/YZ80 will have it's engine rebuilt (most parts already gathered) and then that'll be finished. I wish to do some more social rides (on the RL especially) and 3 or 4 local meetings (CD7 a must!) Then, just to be different in between I plan to get the old FJ special sedan back together ,running but probably not up to RWC specs due to some mods that aren't allowed well, they are allowed just so long as they don't know and for mine I'm using all era parts so what's the problem!!

[Graeme M]

 

How on earth do you find the time, Chris?  I'm hoping to sneak off to the shed for about a 30 minute 'window of opportunity' right now, but that's about all I'll get today! I think I am doing something wrong...

[TM BILL]

Nathan i can relate to what your saying   i too am in a bit of a rut as far as bikes go, too many unfinished projects and i cant seem to get motavatied   I still have a huge passion for VMX but iv'e bogged myself down with to many bikes . Valeria came to work the other day and stopped counting when she got to 60   Now if that was 60 VMX race ready bikes cool but the reality is 40+ are all in some sort of unfinished state some minor some full rebuilds . plus a sustantial amount of parts new and used .The obvious thing to do is get rid of the majority and keep the ones i like best   Here then lies the problem   how do you choose   There not all MXers there are a number of trailies and PEs etc . Do i sell them as projects or part them out on Ebay or finish them (yeah right) and sell them.
Nathan i dont recall you telling me my MX 125C was rare when you wanted to buy it   but i think thats a keeper as its a cool little bike.
I have marked the calender with events to do this year upto CD7 and there is somthing on 3 weekends out of 5 so that should keep me busy   I am hoping to go to farliegh castle also finances permitting
Well i better go back to the shed and do my Sophies choice   will report back with whats for sale  

[yzhilly]

Aaagh i too have had this same problem . Not enough money to finish things off too where i would like .Lacking the drive to really hook in and get some projects up and going .So i decided i should sell some to finance the ones i want too keep,so off to the shed to make some choices and i cant pick which ones i would sell. So i'm just going to hold on to them as long as i can and have as much fun as i can afford this year and really work on pulling good mono's at all the meetings i get too this year . See ya all there.

[Husk72]

Motivations a bitch.100% agree with you Nathan,Bill.
Sometimes the spark to get motivated to finish bikes comes outta left field.
I had 2 sparks.
My 9yo son pestered the crap outta me to get the ball rolling on his MR50 project.So I said to him you strip it down and get the old paint off it,and we'll go form there.I thought he'd give up,put it in the too hard basket.
Well bugger me he started in on it,and was asking so many questions how to do things.Firstly,I ended up sitting there telling him how,etc,no interest at all.I helped take the motor bolts out,cause he couldn't budge them,and next thing we were both into it.I had a ball just watching him pull it apart,and the joy of a new project started.
My second spark was a visit to Doc.I asked many questions,how do you do such and such to your bikes etc,etc.I didn't want to leave,it was great chatting with him.The way he makes stuff fit between models and the finish he achieves on the bikes,they look like they came from the factory like that.The bling factor happening on his bikes is amazing, pure eye candy.On my way home I had all these ideas spinning in the head,for projects I have but was unsure where to start.Now thanks to Doc,and my son I've finally gotten motivated to get the projects finished.


                                                     Cheers,Mark.

[oldfart]

Nathan , the passion you have for VMX bikes is still alive, there is no doubt about it going by what you have ferreted away.
Like most of what Bill has spoken about relates to me, as I have far too many projects on the go at once but that's the way I operate  
And yes my Garage is in need of  a cull  ( gunna's ) they will NEVER happen so why do I keep them      
What motivates me - up and comming events     CD7   

[firko]

As an old fella pushing 60 who stopped racing vintage in 1999 I'm finally finding that the motivation to remain involved is finally starting to fade away.  I've lost the spark that kept me involved since 1986. Whereas I once attracted to the politics of the sport like a moth to a flame, I now find it all so irrelevent and futile. I've been racking my brain trying to find the one pin that burst my baloon but can't put it down to a particular event or occurence. I guess the sport has grown away from me, or perhaps I've grown away from the sport, I'm not sure. Maybe a bit of both.

Thankfully it's not all doom and gloom. Whenever I feel that I need to totally pull out and move on, the contagious enthusiasm of my close mates and one in particular that it's all about the bikes and not the racing, inspires me to the shed and back into my project bikes, preparing them for this years fun events like Classic Dirt 7 and the Broadford Bonanza. The cameraderie and fun with the 'good ol' boys' at those events will continue but I can't raise two fifths of a damn about the racing or the pedantic politics raised on this forum any more. I just want to enjoy the many wonderful people involved in VMX and their great bikes bikes with as much enthusiasm as I can muster in the future.

[asasin]

I to like Nathan race cars also . the differance for me with cars is I made the decision to let someone else do the grubby bits and just pay the man. I still do the motors but the boring putting in and out work I dont do . This has made it more enjoyable .The bikes I dont mind doing myself but have reached  overload status with them .I now just do one at a time and have the next one only not 4,5,6 etc bikes in bits or half done like I used to have.I also think a thining of the ones you just wont do(no really you wont) is a good idea as otherwise it gets tooo daunting.But yes i would rather be racing than fixing

[All Things 414]

I'm glad I haven't been sucked into buying anything 'cute' or a 'someday' project for a while and I want to keep it that way. Six bikes (all runners even though I'm having small-stuff grief with the 465) and that's gunna be the limit. Would like to sell one 414 and replace it with a Pre 85 250 but that's it. Just refine what I have. As much as I love my Monties, I no longer have to buy something on eBay because "it may come in handy one day" now that I have the Jap racer.
I think a shed full of unfinished (or never started) bikes just wears you down and you don't get to enjoy what you have. 
When I told my local bike shop lately that I had six bikes they couldn't believe it and yet on here, that figure is probably considered small. 
Yes Sir. No more tripping over boxes of crap or wondering what I should be working on next.
Besides it's nice to be able to do other things like read a book, visit friends (after they've put the 'idetikit' photo in the local paper of you) or go out for a meal instead of doing your head in with some squish-band measurements or some ridculous mono-shock air-box set-up.........

[Slakewell]

I had well and truly lost my desire for VMX but for me it has returned. I started a whole new chapter really. It started at Conondale Nats last year I went and watched just to catch up with old mates. Drinking beer with Firko seeing Billy Holmes bought back to me the real reasons why I enjoyed it so much. I went home bought a new YZ 250 2 stroke just because it had been years since I’ve owned one, cleaned my shed and sold off stuff that I was never going to do anything with. I’m starting with all new projects and bikes I’ve bought 2 KTM’s so far. I’ve made plans to attend the nats this year. Now I just have to get fit enough to 4 laps at my pace. 

[vandy010]

you guys...
for sure i too can relate,
a quick glance through my shed reveals one too many projects.
i've said to myself one too many times i won't buy any more bikes till i sort out the crap i've got.
but then of course, i seem to find another one.
one step at a time.
my biggest laugh to myself is that if i die all too soon then someones gonna have a hell of a job cleaning my mess up
cause i know my kids won't do it.
motivation?
step by step...