Freaky I’m going to start this of by saying clearly up front, that I’m barely able to talk about the weekend at the moment. I need to improve my state of mind and build my bridge to get over it and have pretty much stayed away from commenting on the whole ordeal until now for a couple of reasons. And those include the fact that I do not wish to be a keyboard warrior and shitcan anyone about what happened. In the end it was my responsibility to present a class legal bike and I didn’t. There are many things that could of, should of happened but what happened did and they can’t be changed. I only hope to never have to go through, or put any other official through, what we had to go through on the weekend.
I also want to clearly state that from my perspective the preparation of the track and the event was superb and the focus needs to be squarely directed to all the organisers for doing a brilliant job in putting together a brilliant meeting. Regardless of how things transpired for me, they did a great job.
So let’s talk a bit about the bike and what happened.
Probally would should have happend on the originally advert or via the sales process is the frame number was published or advised. IT would have been cleared up in 2 mins.
To be honest Freaky I still would not have known the frame was 75 even if the number was posted in the ad although maybe that might have given someone else that did know the opportunity to advise me. Paul was right when he posted a few post sback that it “pays to do your homework”. I didn’t and I paid the price for that (I know you weren’t having a go at me Paul).
The longer Swingarm and shock mount changes doesnt make much differant in DT so you can understand how it passed unchallenged there previously. In national level Motocross where Suspension is everything then you have to stick to the rule book, other wise every thing would be slipping through and every suspenion gets another inch or too.
The swing arm is longer?? Are you sure? I can see where it had been strengthened but I didn’t think it’s been lengthened as well? I will have to check that because I can’t see where it’s been lengthened. Then again I’m obviously not too bright when it comes to these things so I will measure one I have that I think is standard to see how it compares. I will get back to you on the length tonight.
Just as an aside, I don’t know much but I did think that a longer swingarm would be an advantage in dirt track? Irrelevant as it is, is that the case? Would it slide better with a longer swingarm?
I believe the bike has the required 7 inches in the front and 4 in the rear so no advantage in travel by the different shock position.
The fact that this bike has a long racing career (in NSW though) and has been scrutineered umpteen times before I purchased it, and according to the previous owner, in exactly the same trim it is in now makes the fact that it didn’t comply even more shattering. God I hope the previous owner never won a championship or trophy on it because surely that should be handed back?
Freaky I had to defer to the expert knowledge of the scrutineers at the time and if they say the bike is not class legal then that’s that. I learnt a few things about TM frame numbers that I will never forget as long as I live.
Sorry know one picked up the frame before you hit the line up, but credit to you , that you took it on the chin and kept swinging away on the track on your other ride for the rest of the weekend. ( unlike some others)
Freaky, I hate to let you down (in fact I hate letting anyone down) but I didn’t ride the rest of the weekend. In fact I left and went home .. was I not alone? A combination of many things led to that decision but if you think less of me for that then that’s you’re entitlement. To say I was shattered with how this turned out is an understatement.
Sorry that you didn't get to ride it this year in your preferrred class, but there has to be some integrity in the rule book particularly at the fundimental levels, the big 3 - frame, engine, shock travel.
From what I was told on Friday (by a number of experts) the difference between a 1974 and 1975 TM250 frame is around 3/4 of an inch in shock position. That’s it. At my level of riding skill (or lack thereof) I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. In fact when I rode the bike for the first time a week or more earlier at the BMCC Nudgee practice day, I thought the rear shocks weren’t working at all so I put a small zip tie on the shaft to see if any of the travel was being used. That zip tie ended up smashed up under the bump stop rubber which shocked me (pardon the pun).
This is my very first pre 75 250 (my era is more evo and pre 85) and my first ever TM Suzuki but I purchased this bike specifically for the titles and to go from 1 ride (on the yz in pre 78) to 3 rides, pre 75 and age class.
I’m glad the rule book has integrity too bad it doesn’t allow the Scrutineers and Clerk of the Course some scope for common sense and flexibility. I basically begged to be allowed to ride the bike around for no points but rules are rules. At one stage a scrutineer asked me the question “what if someone dies and we have to explain why you were there” What The ?? Anyway, without going into the whole sordid deal, Freaky you know the lengths I went to to try to negotiate a ride for the TM but without success. I’m not having a go at anyone, far from it, the organiser’s job is difficult enough and I felt genuinely embarrassed to even be asking for special consideration but wow, I wish the rules allowed for common sense and flexibility.
Fix the frame and come out firing next year, its just a little hurdle.
Fix the frame? You mean ditch the frame surely? Mate I will try to do my best like always and have already posted a wanted ad for another frame because the 3 spare frames I have all have issues. I never ever want to be in that position again and, I’ve said this before in the 9/9 discussion we had a few months ago that resulted in me lowering my YZ to ensure class legality even when some told me not to bother as they won’t check, I would never deliberately present a bike that did not comply or worse, was cheating. That fact alone made it harder for me to accept the scrutineers decision and inability to be flexible.
In closing (a long response Freaky but one that I needed to post so I thank you for prompting me to finish building my bridge), I again repeat that the situation wasn’t good for either myself or the scrutineers who I tried to negotiate with. In the end it was simply better I walk away and let them get on with their jobs.
This event was the 6th race meeting I have entered since rediscovering a VMX passion 3 years ago with a ride at a QVMX day at Coles Creek. I don’t possess a network of friends or contacts in the sport and I also don’t possess an understanding of the people or the sports past or even a great deal of knowledge on the sport itself but maybe that will come in time. Like I said in an earlier post on this subject, I learnt a lot last weekend.
And finally, I say this to everyone reading this post (if you have stuck it out this long) can we leave this issue alone now. I do not wish this to become any more of an issue than it already has and I certainly do not wish anyone’s name/s to be included for better or worse. Anyone wanting to take exception to anything I have written above please take it off forum and send me a PM.
Cheers
Craig
