How many bikes!

[jerry]

A friend of mine reckons if some how there was a law about how many bikes one man needs then there would be a lot more bikes around for more people to become involved in the sport. He reckons 2 x MX, 2 x Enduro, 2 x Trials etc per man is enough. I dont know about a "law" (think he was joking!) but maybe he has a point. Nothing worse than seeing some of these "enthusiasts" in the states in VMX with their collection of 27 RM 250A"s. Talk about selfish! I wonder at what point does a collector become an obsessive and in need of psychiatric care. Cheers Jerry

[LWC82PE]

yeah its pretty much common knowledge that the PE400 makes a better mx engine than the RM400. if you got a spare PE400 frosty just go for it, as others say, the PE400 makes a great mx bike, just gotta change the cosmetics, eg different rear fender, remove lights etc and there you have a mx bike and dont have to go and buy another bike. If you dont chop the rear frame loop off, you can always change it back to a PE if you want.

[jerry]

I agree Walter no doubt people pay top dollar for bikes and it certainly is their right to aquire and do whatever they like with them. But that is not my friends point. He believes that there a lot of bikes tied up in peoples collections that could otherwise be owned by others and get the numbers up at races. Cheers Jerry

[mx250]

better get a montesa  bmx bike then

Yup. You'll be top of the heap then......

Unfortunately it would be the BMX heap not VMX .

[Husky500evo]

       I am always reluctant to post into a thread like this, because there seems to be guys who want to criticise about the number of bikes that some people have, saying that they are holding back VMX racing by hoarding up all the bikes. But usually the guys who do the whinging are those who only want to pay very little money for something desirable or rare . I live in an area where the vintage scene hasn't really taken off yet. Most of the bikes that I have aquired would have otherwise been dumped or thrashed to death on saltpans by blokes who just wanted a cheap scrub basher. But I am now starting to get a lot of enquiries from younger guys who watch us race in our evolution class at modern meetings. I intend on assembling some of the bikes that I have "hoarded" over the years, to sell to these younger guys and get some more bums on seats .
   

[DR]

sorry to butt in but I disagree also Jerry.

Not every collection is built up of bikes purchased at high prices in restored condition. There are still oodles of old bikes and basket cases out there for taking at very reasonable prices. If they were not affordable then I wouldn't have much at all I'm afraid the most I have ever paid for any dirtbike (even brand new) is $1800 but most of mine were under $500. Prices paid depends on what each individual can afford. I could sell 90% of my bikes but this would make absolutely no difference to the numbers that turn up at meetings. If you want to ride you'll find something that falls within your price range. I don't feel obsessive or in need of any psychiatric care. I'm an enthusiast and collecting and restoring or rebuilding bikes is my hobby. What 'a lot' of people don't see is the hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours of time, effort and $ put into these bikes. This time and effort doesn't even get considered in a sale, all the buyer see's is what's presented before him. Collectors are simply regular people who are very enthusiastic about their chosen hobby

[firko]

I was going to reply to Jerry but Doc and Mark have put it in a nutshell. I've seen that releasing bikes to allow more riders access is a load of old fooey. The reality is that it doesn't make any signicicant difference to entry numbers. Many guys who own decent collections of bikes are usually the first to offer their bikes to others to ride. Docs point that many of his bikes were absolute basket cases or a trailer full of parts rings true. 90% of my bikes are built from other peoples discarded shit or parts and wouldn't exist at all if not for blokes like Doc, myself and many others.

[Marc.com]

Collectors are simply regular people who are very enthusiastic about their chosen hobby

The collecting aspect of VMX is an important part of it, it allows a lot of people involvement in the scene that for various reasons, time, old injuries etc would be lost to it if racing was the only activity on the menu. I think the people who want to race VMX can easily fiind bikes still, recently the cost of good bikes seems to be falling.

[jerry]

I will pass on your considered comments to my friend for review (I did advise him that it might open a Pandora's box!) However answer me this why do some folk insist on collecting multiple versions of the same bike? Cheers Jerry

[TM BILL]

I will pass on your considered comments to my friend for review (I did advise him that it might open a Pandora's box!) However answer me this why do some folk insist on collecting multiple versions of the same bike? Cheers Jerry

Passion Jerry passion 

Also it makes good buisness sense, take as many of the same make and model as you can and you will be battling less people for parts on ebay etc 

But mainly because other people are to miserable to stamp up the coin to buy them  i think you will find most people who collect bikes would be happy to move some on , but as has already been said people tend to want the finished product for the roach price

When its a roach they want it for nothing , so along comes the collector who pays the asking price then hes branded a hoarder 

[firko]

why do some folk insist on collecting multiple versions of the same bike

We agree on that one Jerry. I've often wondered why someone would want any more than a couple of the same model. I get bored with more than a few of the same brand, let alone over 10 RM400 N/Ts as one well known punter has! I used to have a lot of Maicos but I was finding it all becoming the 'same old same old' so over the last few years have whittled the collection down to those Maicos that mean something to me and replaced them with specials and one offs that appeal to the inner hot rodder lurking within me.

To me and some other collectors close to my circle (those evil good 'ol boys) variety has taken precedence in our collections while other close mates (the equally evil Team Husky empire) concentrate on one particular brand. With the Good 'ol Boys injecting some unusual exotica not normally seen in Oz and the Husky lads doing almost faultless restos on their Swedish beauties it's all good for the overall future of our sport/hobby.

There's room for everyone from the low buck guy doing the best he can with his CT1 or budget Brit bike right through to the 490 Maico or CCM set. We're all mates tied together under the VMX umbrella at the end of the day. 

[Marc.com]

Also it makes good buisness sense, take as many of the same make and model as you can and you will be battling less people for parts on ebay etc 
[/quote]

Wow Bill you are really digging deep for excuses to buy more bikes now. 

I think some people will get hung up on a certain model and brand (TT500s), like people who only listen one music type or band.... I mean why do you need 35 Jethro Tull albums.

Personally my bikes are what consider iconic (often just to me) or represent an era, or it is one I always wanted as a kid (DR400T), but everyone has their own reasons.

[vandy010]

well after much reading here goes,
race bikes,
Yamaha MX125A 74
           MX250   73 {could be persueded into selling it. PM me}
           RT1      69
Projects,
           DT/MX360A 74 {could be persueded into selling it. PM me}
           DT100A
           AT2 flat tracker 72
           YZ125 89
           XT600 Tenere 84 {could be persueded into selling bits of it. PM me}
           DT/MX125C hybrid/thingy 76
           Husky/TT500 HL wannabe thing Evo
           YZ125F 79
           DT1 69 {could be persueded into selling it. PM me}
Everyday worktruck,
           XT600 93 {not for sale ever!}
I wish i had more time to ride it bike,
           Husaberg FE501 02 {could be persueded into selling it. PM me}
 

[DR]

Some people have multiples because they have their ride bikes as well as their garage queens or lounge room fixtures. I have 3 TM125's but they are all different, 1 is dirt track, 1 is mx and the other vinduro but all parts interchange which means I'm never short of a TM to ride even if I do blow up my fav. All the same model but all 3 have a different purpose. There's also the scenario that you buy a dunger or basket case to fix up and low and behold the motor is rooted..you hunt around for ages but no other suitable motor can be found so you buy another cheapie of the same with the parts you need to finish bike 1. Usually after this purchase a motor will turn up out of the blue and all of a sudden you have enough parts for 2 of the same so a second bike gets built. There are numerous reasons but to have 3 or more of the same is going a little over the top if infact none get ridden and they are all the same. Bottom line is I agree with Bill..it's all about passion and how many $ and how much time you have. Everyone is different but sometimes bargains are hard to resist even if you already the same item sitting at home. If I spend lots of time working on a bike I usually become a little attached to it also which makes it harder to sell as you rarely get the money back for the time and effort that you've put in.

[firko]

Doc I don't think having three TM125s being used for different purposes or even having a couple more for spares is the reall worry here, what I, and I asume Jerry means is blokes who have a multitude of the same model in exactly the same trim. I recently spoke to a guy who restored an identical DT1 to mine and asked him what he was up to at the moment. Turns out he's restoring another, identical white tanked DT1 enduro. When I suggested that perhaps an RT1, CT1 or AT1 might be a better choice seeing that his DT1 is a perfect concourse example and would be difficult to improve on, he became silent and looked at me as if I'd farted in his face. When I then suggested that the new DT1 be an MX GYT version I got the same turned up top lip, not comprehending what I was on about. It's the same with the guy with 10 restored RM 400 Suzukis or the bloke we know with 28 XS650 Yamahas. Don't they get bored with the same old same old?

In the end, as long as folks are enjoying their hobby it's all good and really nobody elses concern what models or how many of them they have. Whatever turns you on.