pre 90 and the nationals

[BAHNZY]

I'll be called all the names under the sun and get a bunch of off-forum e-mails for saying this, but.....
At a "National" level Australia is not ready for pre-90. If what was noted on another thread, if you took the EVO bikes out of the pre-85 at the last nationals you would have only had 6 bikes on the grid. My expectation for a pre-90 field would see more than half the grid being pre-85 & EVO bikes. If that's the case then what's the point?

[BAHNZY]

I don't know who "deleted thread" is, but I take exceptional offence to the profile picture.

[Wotto29]

Thats the first problem, riding up. Stop the riding up and era's will grow. Every
man and his old bike want to ride up in pre 85. I say 1 bike 1 era.

[090]

I'll be called all the names under the sun and get a bunch of off-forum e-mails for saying this, but.....
At a "National" level Australia is not ready for pre-90. If what was noted on another thread, if you took the EVO bikes out of the pre-85 at the last nationals you would have only had 6 bikes on the grid. My expectation for a pre-90 field would see more than half the grid being pre-85 & EVO bikes. If that's the case then what's the point?

The sooner everyone forgets about the nationals the better. You cannot use that event for any reference other than the worst nationals for a long while or probably ever.
Oh, and good to see you finally made it home!!  

[BAHNZY]

Brad,
Still not home, just put in 1000 km's to get to Gilgandra. Should be home tomorrow night.

Wotto, stopping riding up a class like the classes up to pre-78 is the answer, but it was knocked back in this years GCR's suggested changes. Brad is probably right as a different grid structure would be seen in NSW & Qld.

[090]

Ha ha. Which way did you go? Anti clockwise? Sounds like you are smelling the roses so to speak. Good one.

[Wotto29]

Bahnsy, the riding up in NSW is out of control. Blokes on pre 75's
riding up all day on the 1 bike. Been like it for years but wasn't
the case in the early years. I just believe it you continue to let blokes
ride all day on 1 bike they will never have a need to build other bikes
and as a result the later classes suffer from low numbers and while I'm
having a rant VMX should be restricted to blokes over 35 with beer guts.
Cheers.......

[BAHNZY]

Spent a few days in Hervey Bay & Bundaberg, if I'm gunna spend that much money & time getting to classic dirt, gunna make the most of it. For a change I went via Warwick, Tenterfield & Tamworth to get to Gilgandra, never again, what a shite road!

[matcho mick]

old farts roadrace 2 dayers are for over 45's

[Nathan S]

Bahnsy, the riding up in NSW is out of control. Blokes on pre 75's
riding up all day on the 1 bike. Been like it for years but wasn't
the case in the early years. I just believe it you continue to let blokes
ride all day on 1 bike they will never have a need to build other bikes
and as a result the later classes suffer from low numbers and while I'm
having a rant VMX should be restricted to blokes over 35 with beer guts.
Cheers.......

Where's this?

For at least the last three years, HEAVEN has had a policy that basically states "one bike, two rides". And you were always strongly encouraged to ride up a capacity class, rather than an era.
This year they've gone a step further and made the capacity races strictly for the specific capacity bikes of the era, and then added an 'all powers' race for each era.

[Nathan S]

I'll be called all the names under the sun and get a bunch of off-forum e-mails for saying this, but.....
At a "National" level Australia is not ready for pre-90. If what was noted on another thread, if you took the EVO bikes out of the pre-85 at the last nationals you would have only had 6 bikes on the grid. My expectation for a pre-90 field would see more than half the grid being pre-85 & EVO bikes. If that's the case then what's the point?

Two immediate thoughts:

1. Pre-85 is like pre-78 in that the short spread of eligible year models means it will always be somewhat restricted. In 1980 everything was an Evo bike. It took until 1983 before the majority of serious dirt bikes were no-longer Evo legal (remembering that plenty of Enduro bikes are raced in VMX). This leave you with only a couple of years worth of pre-85 bikes.

2. If you build it, they might come. If you don't build it, nobody can come.
Making pre-90 a part of the Evo+ Nationals is a strong statement that it is a class with a future, and not just something that's entirely at the whim of the local VMX club.

There's plenty of NSWers who have pre-90 bikes that would be likely to attend the Nats simply for the chance to race their pre-90 bikes.

[GD66]

Are you off work on workers' comp, or on holidays with nothing to do, Nathan ?

[TM BILL]

Bahnsy, the riding up in NSW is out of control. Blokes on pre 75's
riding up all day on the 1 bike. Been like it for years but wasn't
the case in the early years. I just believe it you continue to let blokes
ride all day on 1 bike they will never have a need to build other bikes
and as a result the later classes suffer from low numbers and while I'm
having a rant VMX should be restricted to blokes over 35 with beer guts.
Cheers.......

Wheres the problem with blokes on pre 75s riding up a class   if these pre 90s are so great surley every man and his dog must want one  
This is the fundamental problem with pre 90, it is a scattered few newcomers who want them at the moment. that will probably change in time as more people get into VMX and want bikes they can relate to.
To say that blokes with pre 75 bikes (arguably the true VMX bikes ) are holding back pre 90 is laughable, If you cant front a full grid of pre 90 bikes dont expect the pre 75 riders to buy bikes they dont want. get out and spread the pre 90 gospil and recruit new blood.
When you can supply a full grid of pre 90s then turn the pre 75 bikes away from the line.
The pre 90 debate gets dragged up every few weeks and the fact that a few sneeked into CD7 shows how they have no regard for rules or structured events ( Not you Wotto29 you asked and abided by the rules , and good on you for that )
Im not anti pre 90 but it does seem that its (active) supporters are few.

[Shaun G]

TMBill said Wheres the problem with blokes on pre 75s riding up a class  if these pre 90s are so great surley every man and his dog must want one 
This is the fundamental problem with pre 90, it is a scattered few newcomers who want them at the moment. that will probably change in time as more people get into VMX and want bikes they can relate to.

Bill I think your a bit off the mark at least when it comes to Pre '90 VMX in NSW.

There is more than a handful of pre '90 bikes sitting in sheds waiting for a venue to ride. And the majority of these are not 'newcomers'.

A few years ago the HEAVEN club constitution was altered to specifically prohibit the introduction of later than pre '85 classes. That's fine if that is what the majority of the membership wants but in my opinion it is a short-sighted policy that will limit the potential future growth of the HEAVEN club. Pre '90 bikes are over 20 years old and seem to be embraced by riders in the 35 to 45 year old category. This is the demographic we need to look at for future converts to the sport. I am not saying that pre'75 will not attract new riders but as they are generally older I think it is reasonable to assume that this group will be limited compared to the younger generation.

I think if you talk to any pre '90 proponents it would be unlikely that you would find that they would like to "turn the pre 75 bikes away from the line". Speaking for myself the earlier classes are extremely important to the sport. I currently own a pre '90, EVO, pre '78 and am in the process of building a pre '75 bike. My preference will always be toward EVO and later bikes because they are what I most strongly relate to however I am looking forward to getting my pre '75 on the track.

I've now put on the body armour and helmet so come on guy's go your hardest 

Cheers
Shaun

[Wotto29]

Hey TM BILL I've got nothing against pre 75 I have a Bultaco Mk7 360 Pursang
I'm just not a fan of bikes racing out of era. My favourite bike at CD7 was a
Suzuki RM370 along with the #211 Suzuki's and the #090 CZ was cool. I'm just a
VMX fan, I've mates just getting into VMX that are approx 40 and they want to race
what they thought was cool when they were 20 which is pre 90. So I believe to
continue to entice new blokes into the sport we need pre 90.