WHAT CLASS SHOULD THIS RUN IN PRE 60 65 68 OR 70

[jimg1au]

no mark i allready have a 1940 350 ariel home built slider.a 1974 mx 360 slider and a 1975 tt500 slider.pluss 4v wessy and 4 v jawas both speedway and longtrack.i dont have room for any more.also the wife would kill me
cheers

[Bamford#69]

Hi Mark ,
I'm pleased to hear you are being a Devils Advocate, there needs to be more people who aren't afraid to ask a difficult question,that may be unsettling for some.  don't be like some riders who bitch and grizzle,most often with a beer in their hand after the racings over, casting aspersions about some one or their bike,but don't have the courage to do something about it .
Its all about a "level playing field " commonly known as the Rule Book, some people can't read it,some people don't read it,some people won't read it .
Eligibilty isn't a popularity contest,(I'd never get to ride)The GCR's aren't perfect, but they are the rules,its interesting to note that  some protests in the past, have been the catalyst for rule changes !remember;
Those who protest are often called pests
Those who have their protests dismissed are called gooses
Those who have protests upheld against them, are always wrong.

[YSS]

Dear Jerkoff , I would like to join in this conversation. Many times this pest from WA has ruined a good race day with his threats of protest . I have always built my bikes to the rulebook . The problem is that MA lets this pest and his followers getting away with interpreting and twisting the rulebook on the day . I remember in Pt.Pirie when he snuck into my annex during ridersbriefing to measure my homebuilt frame. But I caught him . I then looked at his bike and pointed out his square Mastercilynder on his front brake. He quickly grabbed a rag , rapped it around with tape until it was round . There was no one from MA that had the guts to address the issue and settle it on the spot.
As long as people like that can twist and abuse the rulebook on the day , just to put a competitor out ,
I will park my treasures, wast no money on a license and save the travel.

The bottomline is , if MA hade someone there to inforce the rulebook with authority at scruteneering there are no pests and no geeses,  just plain old fun .I thought thats what it was all about . 

[firko]

I caught the cheating WA prick out at the Barrabool Nats with an 80s Maico hub disguised by machining off the fins on his pre 65 Matchy Metisse. This was after he'd protested a bunch of bikes, even in classes he wasn't racing in. When I challenged him about the hub he winked and said that "she'll be right". To think that the bloke was going to protest my Maico because he reckons my front hub (declared legal by everyone who's scrutineered it) is illegal.

Jikov. I still remember with a sinking feeling your back tyre measuring exploits (among other things) at Cherabah in 2000 which forced Doug Atchison to withdraw from the pre 65 class when you protested his Cheney Triumph for having a back tyre too wide for the class rules! Do you think that kind of pedantic behaviour was a positive thing for the sport Michael?

I could relate some amazing stories of so called motocross police that are so busy finding fault with others bikes that their own cheating behaviour goes unnoticed. It'll make a good campfire yarn at CD5. I've got some doozies.

[YSS]

Who is this Jikov in real life ? Anyone got an idea ?

[mike1948]

Guys, in my day practically every slider frame was a handmade copy of something too expensive to buy, or a heavily modified speedway frame.  How in hell, if I dragged one out of 40 years storage, could I prove it was that old, and eligible to run?  There has to be some measure of trust as well, we're not racing for sheep stations, It's supposed to be FUN!!

[Bamford#69]

Its interesting you say that the 65 matchless was cheating because it didn't comply , but the Cheney which didn't comply  wasn't ,or  do you think we should only use some of those rules we like,

[Bamford#69]

Yes its only fun, except  those pricks keep cheating !
Jikov ;Michael Bamford age 58 NZer living in Brisbane , co founder of QVMX ,Current National VMX Champion, owner ,builder of pre 65 triumph metisse ,250 twinportCZ, pre 70 CZ250,& CZ360 sidepipe, pre75 CR125 Honda ,75 CCM 580,  MAQ Vintage # 69 ,yep thats who jikov is

[Bamford#69]

Hi Mark
,Do you also remember that sinking feeling, having your mate with the Bultaco being excluded for using the Long Travel front forks, and who was the scrutineer!  some rules for some people ?

[firko]

Remind me Michael. I don't recall any mates with Bultacos and I have never passed a bike I knew to be illegal, mate or no mate.
Michael....Are you saying that a hub 20 years past the legal cutoff for the class has the same consequence as a tyre being half an inch too wide?  The result of your tyre pedantics was that Doug left the sport in disgust. Boy wasn't that a positive move for the sport?

[Tim754]

I would love to join in this topic at CD5, very sadly for personal and health reasons I will not be there. Anyhow discuss, dismiss, rage and rectify. Bring the best and worst up and maybe just maybe in future no complaints cause well we all remember the fun enjoyment aspects of our chosen.......Hobby....... Even the Nats are still really a meeting for a hobby , yes the pinnacle meeting, but still an amateur NOT a professional ($) paying meeting. Cheers Tim   

[Graeme M]

You know I think you've said the most important thing in this debate Tim.

It's a hobby. It's meant to be fun.

I know plenty of folk disagree with me, but seriousness of this level should be left at the front door - the time for that was years ago when maybe you could have made your mark. I'd love to win a VMX national, but really I know it means diddly squat in the scheme of things. Who'd even know or care?

If you really need to protest someone because of a hub or a tyre a few mil too wide I think you may be missing the point. That's just petty, no two ways about it and right outside what the spirit of VMX is about. I couldn't live with myself if I won a title because I'd successfully protested someone on such flimsy grounds.

And don't tell me it's because the rules say X, or the rules need to be shown up. Nathan S has clearly shown plenty of times that the rules are strong guidelines only, they don't hold up to a detailed scrutiny at all.

Why is it so hard for some folk to just see this sport for what it is? A fun past time. I'm glad I've never had to witness any of this sort of thing, it would leave one hell of a sour taste in my mouth.

[YSS]

Yes Graeme , its sounds so simple  until  it happens to your self. When you know you are doing the right things to the rulebook and every letter of it. Then some induvidual comes on the day , trying and lobbying until the scruteneers are not sure anymore. Yes that leaves sour tastes. Especially when I sold this bike and the new owner (because his no threat to win a title )never hade a problem. That should sum it up and explains the real motive behind those sort of people. 

[Bamford#69]

Hi,
 The people who consider VMX,or is that CMX , just a hobby,dont need a rule book ,hobbies dont have rules,but those who choose to compete in any form of motor sport understand that competitions must have rules ,its all about having a level playing field, the GCR's aren't perfect , but they are the rules we have to abide by.

[Bamford#69]

PS,
I hope you are all joining in the discussion re tyre sizes over at "bike talk",
but do read the rule book first.