Add to that the inability of some committees to recognise the potential & growth in the Pre85 & Pre90 classes, it doesn’t surprise me at all that “competitive numbers” at races are dwindling at such a fast rate.
Bang on I would say, finally what was not recognised is there has to be a cross over from modern MX to VMX at some point where the guys finishing their MX careers see VMX as a natural less serious, cheaper and less punishing alternative to riding moderns. If we want VMX to grow they are the riders that need to be targeted..... who knows retiring modern MX riders may lust to ride pre 65 bikes but I am not so sure ( has anyone ever asked them).... more likely they will want that 89 RM125 paddock basher they started on.
My idea is that the cut offs should advance annually, so next year it is possible to ride pre 91 dragging in another years worth of riders. With pre 78 and Classic classes we are really starting to move in that direction now. Then promote the shit out of VMX at modern meetings
New to this scene only a year ago, there is no doubt to me that a large number of riders including myself are reliving the great times they had 'back in the day' by not only racing, but cleaning, preparing & looking at their favorite old bikes. It only makes sense that as we get older, what we want to get out of this movement will change.
marcFX I think you have highlighted a very good point. There is no status quo in life. Like any organisation or movement the VMX movement is either improving or it is declining. I think that if some of club officials restrict their membership to people who raced in the 60s, 70s & early 80s it is a dangerous call to make and inevitable the movement will die out as the riders fade away for various reasons.
While I love dirt bikes and I'm having fun, the experience could certainly be better for me. At the moment being a 1 bike owner it is annoying to put so much time & effort into preparing the bike & gear, packing up all the gear, getting to the meeting, organizing accommodation & cleaning the bike afterwards, then at some meetings I can only race a total of 14 laps! 2 x 4 lap races and 2 x 3 lap races. That is a lot of work for not enough 'time on the bike'!
Perhaps a solution for one club to cater to most people's needs is to grow as the potential audience grows but still cater for the needs of the original older guys by splitting the meetings between eras. Instead of 9 'all in' meetings a year, have something like this, 4 x separate points score meetings for the Four-strokes, Pre 65, Pre 70, Pre 75, & the Pre 78s & 4 x separate points score meetings for , Evolution, Pre 85s & Pre 90s & perhaps Pre 95. Ending the year with a Gala, 1 x 2 day all in Year End Final meeting & presentation.
The points score for each class could then be split over 5 rounds (perhaps double at the Year End event), lessening the burden on those who don't want to or can't make it to ride 9 events but still want to have the occasional race and factor in the points.
At the meetings you would then have extra time to have a more relaxed format, time for a 'Garage Queen' event & trophy, more time for the races (longer races for the younger and fitter guys), more races for your chosen class (especially if you are a 1 bike owner.) & Maybe an end of meeting all in 'Cast Iron Man' longer race for those who still need more riding time.
This would certainly work better for me. I would get more ride time for the huge effort I put into getting to the race meeting. If I had a year of busy commitments outside racing, I would only have to reserve 5 weekends a year to race the full years series. If I was free to race many events, as I already have an Evo bike I could get a pre 78 and race that series as well.
Those guys & gals who need more than 5 race meetings a year have these other events like Mr VMX, the NSW titles and the like to race or they could buy 2 bikes, which from what I can see is already fairly common.
