an aside to why vmx are declining in price- who,what,where

[Ktm181]

I stumbled across this some time back and think it might be a timely discussion again...previous post by 090 which might again be enlightening.......
"With the twin shock/ linkage debate, i thought i'd ask who is riding what (era not specific brand) and how old you are(tell the truth now)just to see how many venture to older bikes other than their 'era' just to see if the majority are sticking to the bikes that they rode in their youth.... or not. Also how often, like regularly or dust it off for a title meet."
Me first:  52yrs young. started mx in 1974 riding my yz80 against the big boys (no juniors back then) still managed to win a couple that first year, lots of mx from 79 to end of '86 then nothing til '93 when cross country racing and some enduros took over, did ok on Katos but too much $$$$$, no racing now,just RIDING RIDING RIDING!
current stable:
kTM450 EXC- too fast but is a modern
RM465-  old and tired but just a lovely old girl
RM500-  looks about a month of use total in 30 yeas odd!
Z900- have to admit,full rebuild mechanically and is my all time favourite bike,although the 465 is a close second.
I think  the age thing is telling, you/we need new blood and i reckon that will only happen with "their" era bikes,a rolling cut-off so to speak, pre 90, pre 95 etc, maybe set a 20year limit or something for the cuto off point for the bikes etc......

Cheers,
Kt

[Ando]

Well Kt,

I'm into Evo, Pre-85 & Pre-90

I'm 42 soon, & in the Evo days (1980 for me) I rode a YZ80G, YZ80J & YZ80K, YZ125G at 12-15 years old. Now I'm still doing the same thing but with 250's & 500's! They still remind me of the same type of bikes I rode back then. When I was 16 I bought my first new mx bike a YZ125W 1989. This seems kind of strange but 2 years later I went & bought a second hand KX500E1 1989 for $1500. Sold it for $3000 a couple of later (when I met my MRS). The strange thing was I never owned a 250, till a few years ago. So what I'm saying is, "the true senior race bikes back then" for a 42 year old (today) were at least Pre-90 to 95 bikes correct?

[Ktm181]

Well Kt,

I'm into Evo, Pre-85 & Pre-90

I'm 42 soon, & in the Evo days (1980 for me) I rode a YZ80G, YZ80J & YZ80K, YZ125G at 12-15 years old. Now I'm still doing the same thing but with 250's & 500's! They still remind me of the same type of bikes I rode back then. When I was 16 I bought my first new mx bike a YZ125W 1989. This seems kind of strange but 2 years later I went & bought a second hand KX500E1 1989 for $1500. Sold it for $3000 a couple of later (when I met my MRS). The strange thing was I never owned a 250, till a few years ago. So what I'm saying is, "the true senior race bikes back then" for a 42 year old (today) were at least Pre-90 to 95 bikes correct?

Errrr, i think so!  Now where the list of your current riders!!!???!!! 
(wish i was 42 again young man!)
Kt

[Nathan S]

I agree with the way you're thinking. I expect it to erupt into the usual poop storm...

I'm 37 this year.
My old-dirt-bike fleet is roughly summarised:
2x Pre-75 bikes.
2x Pre-78.
1x Evo.
2x Pre-85.
2x Pre-90.
5x Pre-95.

In order of my enthusiasm: Pre-95, pre-90, pre-78, pre-75, everything else.
If Vinduros were pre-90 (or pre-95!), one of the pre-85 bikes would be gone in a heartbeat.

There's plenty of blokes who will race any era - when you ignore them, there's a pretty consistent trend tha blokes want to race the bike of their heyday era, and have minimal interest in bikes away from that era.
The average age of the Northern Districts club (pre-90) is clearly younger than at Heaven (pre-85, but historically Evo and older), for one simple example.

[Ando]

Well Kt,

I'm into Evo, Pre-85 & Pre-90

I'm 42 soon, & in the Evo days (1980 for me) I rode a YZ80G, YZ80J & YZ80K, YZ125G at 12-15 years old. Now I'm still doing the same thing but with 250's & 500's! They still remind me of the same type of bikes I rode back then. When I was 16 I bought my first new mx bike a YZ125W 1989. This seems kind of strange but 2 years later I went & bought a second hand KX500E1 1989 for $1500. Sold it for $3000 a couple of later (when I met my MRS). The strange thing was I never owned a 250, till a few years ago. So what I'm saying is, "the true senior race bikes back then" for a 42 year old (today) were at least Pre-90 to 95 bikes correct?

Errrr, i think so!  Now where the list of your current riders!!!???!!! 
(wish i was 42 again young man!)
Kt

I won't go into current riders  Just current racers:

Evo YZ250 & 465H's

Pre-85 YZ250 & 490L's

Pre-90 KX250G1 & 500E1

[Rookie#1]

I'm a ripe old 29 and dont have a racing background but have always felt the same "buzz" we all feel eversince 87 when the old man dragged home a rm50 for me to toodle along behind him on our many camping trips to mathoura/echuca/mildura and various other murray river towns. My current shed stable (which is declining) currently houses:

YZ125E
IT200L
DT175G
IT250K
IT175G
95 Triumph Tiger
12 Husaberg TE250

My love of old yamaha's has been a growning passion and it's only half about the bikes, most of my bikes were manufactured while i was still hanging out in my old mans briefs! The  thing that draws me to this hobby is the people, the quirky characters, great knowledgable people, people who have stories, experiences and bikes that they are so passionate about they'll tell you anything you want to know. My riding other than a csc meet here and there is out in the bush on the modern or at Vinduro's, i look forward to every chance i get to meet new people in this scene and hear their stories of days gone by and arguably simpler times. The era of bikes i grew up on were probably the same as what most of you 40-50 year olds did as the old man wasnt rolling in $hit when we were growing up and what we had was we could be afforded, I too had the yz80g's, xr75's and so on well before people thought to bother restoring them as by then they were just old bikes and not "old collectable/valuable bikes as they have become. I loved them just as much as im sure you all did, i look back on the days i spent riding them around the same track or trail over and over just as fondly as im sure most of you do. 



Cheers, Brendan

[SUZUKI311]

48 soon, started on a RM80B, then a RM100T, RM125T, RM125X, RM250Z, KX250C1, KX500A1, ETC ETC. Current riders, pre 85- 81 RM250X (Now for sale), and post 90- 91 CR250RM. Modern is a U.S. Model KTM250XC 2 stroke ( basically a 250sx with a sidestand, exc electric start , bigger fuel tank and 18"rear wheel. Oh and almost forgot the old Kawie GPX750 87 Model roadie. Pre 85 is my favorite era, closely followed by evo, but i still enjoy anything from pre75 up to modern.

[Ktm181]

Good on you Brendan, FANTASTIC to have some younger blokes around enjoying the VMX scene, MORE POWER TO YOU and bring your mates along!

YOu are right about the blokes and the good info on here, i'm not too interested in the racing myself (not anymore as a rider anyways) but i LOVE riding them and working on them and talking about them, and looking at them, bloody hell thats too many "them"!
We need more "ride" days, well actually, we need more days where a club hires a track and we SOCIALISE exactly like Classic Dirt just smaller and more often, it'd be like meeting your mates for a BBQ but having a ride and chat as well. I am finding therer are a lot of bikes not being used, just sitting in sheds across the country, we need to get them out and about and more blokes (and God forbid, WOMEN!!!)onto them, get the party started so to speak.  Most blokes find the racing scene hard, to early, lots of expense,need to be committed etc, WHAT DO WE RECKON!
Kt

[TM BILL]

Im a grumpy 50 yr old  

I race

Pre 70

Pre 75

Pre 78

Evo

125 / 250 and open

[Graeme M]

Hmmm... I'm almost 54. I discovered 'vintage' in 1998 after 10 years away from dirtbikes. At that stage, I'd last owned a newish dirtbike in 1987 when I bought a second hand TT600N. I was also racing a 1982 RM250Z in dirt track at the time. I got into dirtbikes as a trailrider in 1976.

So, my interests for the 12 years I did vintage was pretty much my 'era' - that is anything from about 1976 to 1985 and I rode bikes that represented that range - Pre 78, Evo and Pre 85.

These days I focus on modern dirt track with a 2005 YZ125 and in the shed is a 1980 RM250 and a 1980 IT175. I have to admit to no more than a passing interest in anything made prior to 1976.

[suzuki59]

I am 42.
Own and race
1983 RM 125D
1985 RM 250F
Thus my  main passion Is Pre 86 racing ( NZ era classes are different to Australia)
 
Currently restoring a 1988 RM 250J the Pre 90 bike and trail bike which I hope to debut at TM Bill and Dazzlers Taupo race at Easter.
Given my age I grew up wanting the full floater RM"s of the early to mid 1980"s so that's where my interest and $ are devoted.

[John Orchard]

I'm 53
First real bike was a TM125L, raced Juniors in '74/'75
Furry magnet got me in '77/'78.
Raced in '82/'83/'84/'85 on the current bikes.
Roadraced from "86 on.
Current VMX bike KX250A5 & KX400A5 ('79)
Still have 2011 RMZ450

[Andrew L]

Rookie your only 29 boy you must've had a hard early life

Im 44

own
RT3 360 stripped for vmx
XJ900s Diversion
Rickman zundap in bits about to turn it a DT version

Got dinked around on dads dt1 as a youngster then started riding dads dt175 as an 8 year old kid he had to run along side and let me go as I couldnt reach the ground, he then got xr200's for a while which I rode around the farm then he got a suzuki ts250 that went like a dog shot in the ass compared to the xr's and I was hooked from there on, ive been a bit of a brand whore IT's, KDX's, kx500 for a while wish I still had that one got it for free in about 5 boxes put it together to do pony expresses but 3 hours of straight riding on that thing was nearly the undoing of me several times , 2 x xr400's, drz400, cb750k4, suzuki t500 titan, and 1 Jawa. Looking for an IT to do for vinduro next.

[Sorelegs11]

 I am 49 have had my it490 for 15 yrs, it sat in the shed for 8yrs after a head on in the bush and it re emerged after I found uot about vintage dirt track 2yrs ago.
Fixed the exhaust and went along for a look and got bit by the bug and now have the following in the fleet,

2 it490, 1 set up for dirt track

yz400d
2 dt250, 1 set up for dirt track
mx400d
83 xt 600 tenere, got some it forks on it for dirt track and mx
dt3 250
76 pursang bitsa , still wodering why
suzuki t125
Buell Usilly
wr400
And just got a it465 finished for dirt track to keep the boys honest in the evo open at nepean.

Roll on Racing season

[09.0]

Just ticked over to 46. Plenty already know me as a self confessed bike whore  .
I found vintage late '06 and started racing in '07. I was doing the moderns and adult mini's from '99 till then  .
I'm into all era's and most brands, but even my standards won't let me own a Bultaco or a Montesa  .
My Dad used to follow my arse around in the eighties racing mx and a little dirt track. I got him interested in vintage and he now has some cool old Czech machines.
Dad so far hasn't ridden as he is happy to watch/help me. I think that will finally change this year and he will should have his first race at the ripe old age of 66.
He owns from pre 60 to pre 70 bikes. I race his bikes as well.
I own and race from pre 75 to pre 90. I don't have every class covered but I come close.