Pre 75 - Yesterday's Hero?

[supersenior 50]

Regardless of the merits or otherwise of the 5 inches rear travel, recent visits to USA, Sweden & UK, confirm that Pre75 is restricted to 4 inches. I assume that 4 was chosen by the wise men that started VMX because with very few exceptions that was pretty much standard in those days.
Pre78 ably caters for the trend to 5-6in to 9in before the really long legs became the norm in the late 70s.In short the current rules reflect the eras. 

[SAABCOMBI]

We, the classic scramble club, have alway`s ran vmx meetings on natural terrain tracks, ( grass Paddocks and always will, the trouble with some of the clubs in  the early stage of vmx where running race meeting on moderns race track and making us ride steep table tops, over the years tracks in the 60`s where grass tracks, not any jump if their where they where only a metre high, once the 70`s came around they started to introducing larger jumps plus some where natural drop offs,but still natural terrain, some tracks where set up in old quarries, as the bikes get older we get older so its only natural that we prefer natural terrain, and should alway be that, Common cents.

[TooFastTim]

I think it's an age thing. I'm 49 when I was 14 it was 1976. Between 14 and 17 are your most formative years. I have no interest in B40's nor Matchless's, AJS etc. But a '76 Bully really floats my boat. In short and IMO not much you can do about it I'm afraid.

[Marc.com]

I am pretty attached to my pre 75 bikes, really they are Vintage MX as opposed to almost modern VMX that the pre 85 bikes represent. I think WAVMX sticking to pre 75 has been successful because the bikes have character and tracks are obviously a complete enjoyable alternative to modern racing.

[Tossa]

the VMXWA home track of Dandaloo park is purely for pre75, no other type of bikes are allowed on it.  it is a prime example of a great pre75 track you can go flat out on any early era bike.  Anyone who has ridden it will tell you how good it is to ride a pre75 on it.  But the reason is, because the club is purely pre75 and has remained that way for 15yrs with no thought of changing.  therefore every meeting looks at the track as to whether it is suitable for pre75. 

[SAABCOMBI]

Clubs that only cater for pre75 can also run other meeting like pre 90 era, pre85 era, trials, vinduro, pony express, if they wish too, its their legal right to run these sort of meeting, if they wish to raise money for their club you don`t have to just run pre 75 race meetings to raise money.
If their was ever going to be a split, the pre 75 era should include a new class to cater for these models. 75 model, 76,models.
 Pre 90 Meetings would cater for pre85. pre 80 era which will Include 1979 models,78 models,77model bikes. End of story.

[Graeme M]

All good food for thought. My main point I think is that it *seems* to me that Pre 75, at a club level, is stagnating in NSW. As people have observed above, the successful Pre 75 clubs promote events on natural terrain tracks. I'm thinking that a 2 or 3 event series, whether a genuine competitive series or a non-competitive thing, held on natural terrain grasstrack, would be attractive to the potential riders. Would such a series help bring more back to the track?

[Curly3]

As a flattracker I'd love to see more " Natural " terrane events.
Not too many land owners prepared to make land available & or it's getting harder and harder to gain MA approval.

[Iain Cameron]

Graeme yes as an ex heaven member ( moved away ) the pre 70 class was a total of 4 in 2004 mind you there were at least 10 other bikes out in the club , it was the usual answer the track are ok in the morning but too rutted in the arvo . Here in Tas we do not have the speedway act so we still go out on Sat and peg out a track and ride on Sun . on our last grasstrack the pre 75 was the largest class . Suprising as we run juniors and moderns . where as the next event motocross the numbers were less than half in the pre 75s .

[Nathan S]

I am increasingly concluding that the pre-78 and post-77 eras represent related but separate sports. Much like modern MX or trailriding, there's tons of overlap, of course - but they are different sports.

I mean, plenty of us have both era bikes, but plenty of us have moderns too...

The vast majority of the conflict within VMX disappears when the eras separate, as the Victorian model demonstrates.
In contrast, the NSW model (one size fits all) seems to be the epitome of discontent and unrealised potential. Including underwhelming fields at the CRC.

FWIW, the CRC was hurt by date clashes with both RetroMX and Nepean Vintage DT, and I'm told that the pre-75 grid at the CRC wasn't as weak as has been reported.

[VMX247]

I'm thinking that a 2 or 3 event series, whether a genuine competitive series or a non-competitive thing, held on natural terrain grasstrack, would be attractive to the potential riders. Would such a series help bring more back to the track?

yes..competition happens with or without the trophy/rewards 
Why a series-main issues would be clashing dates.

Not too many land owners prepared to make land available & or it's getting harder and harder to gain MA approval.

One of the keys- gettin a good relationship with land owners and keeping it !!.
No problem with MA,track inspection by a level 3 offical and its done..
cheers A

[holeshot buddy]

we at qvmx up here in qld run all our meets on grasstrack natural terrain
except cononodale we always cater for pre75 bikes but the numbers do not come
they all seem to be stuck in brisbane riding around a small track all the time
last week we had a meeting at coles creek 1.8 klm long grass track
and it was pre 75 friendly but bugger all turned up just a few regulars
we try to cater for all classes to make it fair for everyone but they are not turning up
and i cant believe brisbane club is running its queensland vintage championships
a week before cd8 WHAT THA
whos going to that not me just the regulars and they dont get the numbers so they cant constitute
a championship class anyway. we recently had a pre75 practice day the day before a club day at rocksberg
 i think about 8 turned up and this track is only45 min from brisbane
so work that out 
i think pre 75 is dying off if riders are not turning up to meetings that are catered for them
so dont blame the later classes that are running in the events if we didnt have them ther would be no vmx

[SAABCOMBI]

I have be saying this for a long time now, centres in the 70`s specially Victoria were very strong, now its not so important, its time they come back together as one, with a maxuim 8 strong race meetings  through out victoria on the best natural terrain Track that are available and it can be done, for etc they done have to be in this order.
1. HBBB
2. Gerrangameet (natural Terrain
3. Mirboo North (natural terrain
4. New Track ( north) ( natural Terrain
5.  Taralgon
6. Barrabool A bit of everything
7. Stoney creek Natural Terrain
8. Gellibrand ( Natural Terrain
9. Harrow ( Natural Terrain
10. Australia vintage Titles ( hoisting State
10. CD9

[cheapracer]

Regardless of the merits or otherwise of the 5 inches rear travel, recent visits to USA, Sweden & UK, confirm that Pre75 is restricted to 4 inches. I assume that 4 was chosen by the wise men that started VMX because with very few exceptions that was pretty much standard in those days.
 

I believe they used the CR Hondas as the baseline, what a shame.

You ought to check out the amount bikes using spacers to limit travel to 4" on rear shocks at the next titles.

Most bikes had around 6.5" front and 4.5" rear then (besides some late 74 models of course) and of course many people were increasing the travel themselves from '73 and heavily in '74 but thats for another thread.

[mx250]

I wonder what the travel for the AJS 'almost LTR' shock position was?

I reckon the rules should be straight age related rather than re-writing history for whatever reason.