Stuff you see in scrutineering

[FourstrokeForever]

         The first thing I inspect is the lever ends . wheel bearings . sprocket covers . Tank and Seat secure .
         no fuel leaks. swing arm bushes. and that the engine is bolted in ..yep I have found a few loose in the
          frame..
         loose spokes just ask them to tighten them before they go out on the track
          After all your not out to spoil there Day Just to point out what they have missed in prepping the Bike.

         The Stig

That's it in a nutshell really. Scrutineering isn't about stopping anyone from riding but more pointing out any mechanical issue(s) that might have been overlooked. Fix it and come back for inspection to verify any serious issue has been fixed. Some people don't realise that broken levers and hollow bar ends aren't allowed on a race track because it is a real danger to not just them, but other riders as well. Nothing wrong with pointing it out so they do know. Again, fix it, come back for inspection and you're right to go.

[211]

cant remember stopping someone having a ride on a mechanical matter - most can be sorted on the day. Cant say the same on Eligibility though - no, Im not even going to go there on a similar thread to this one; but it would be interesting........

[Hardo]

Well all I can add into this matter after reading all this is that NSW HEAVEN VMX club scrutineering is VERY sensible.

They do it properly - check for safety, without attitude or ego, and get the job done so we can all get on with what really matters.... fun racing on old bikes.

I have only experienced "attitude" from a scrutineer once that I can recall - and it wasn't a HEAVEN meeting. I was told my front wheel had a few loose spokes. When I asked which ones (as I was surprised) ... the response was 'there's a few mate - just fix them' ...

To no surprise I didnt find any....     

 

[matcho mick]

ha spokes!!,1st time out for my stilletto at nepean,going over pre race prep (nite b4  )broken spoke,no wukkers tighten the rest ,take it out,(leaving the nipple on rim),no biggie one missing spoke thinks i,scrutineer next day park it son you have a missing spoke  ??,(fugging 8 guage,built like a brick shizenhousen,really early ossa rear ),hmm i'll just ride the XL  ,scrutineering Coff's Classic,poxy TS/TM125, titearse me relaces wider/smaller alloys with the "ome" rustyish spokes ,scrutineerer runs the screwdriver over them,he's impressed,i come back with the XL later to overhear him telling a guy in the que (with dodgy loose spokes)his experience with my suzy,"yep rusty as all fugg,but correctly tensioned & laced ",win some ,lose some,

[Iain Cameron]

Nathan when I mentioned the s\arm that I knocked back . there was at least 15mm play each way from ctr that's why I knocked it back . When I have scrutineered I have always got at least one spoke spanner with me , out of my own tool box I have loaned levers to other new riders . Im not out to knock back as many bikes as I can , In-fact one new rider's bike was soo bloody bad I loaned him one of mine for the day .Iain

[FourstrokeForever]

Nathan when I mentioned the s\arm that I knocked back . there was at least 15mm play each way from ctr that's why I knocked it back . When I have scrutineered I have always got at least one spoke spanner with me , out of my own tool box I have loaned levers to other new riders . Im not out to knock back as many bikes as I can , In-fact one new rider's bike was soo bloody bad I loaned him one of mine for the day .Iain

That's the spirit Iain. Not all scrutineers go out of their way to stop people riding. As a matter of fact, I haven't met a bad scrutineer yet.

[Nathan S]

You need to get a rally car then.
A young bloke took his car to Adelaide for an Aussie championship round a month or so back. Got knocked back for a hastily fitted oil seal leaking badly (fair enough) at around 8pm. They allowed him to fix it and re-present the car the next morning ... at 7am, deliberatley leaving him with no chance of being able to get a new seal...
He and his crew busted their humps getting and fitting the new seal, and turned up to have the car re-inspected at 9:30am, only to be turned away because they were 2.5 hours late (even though the event hadn't started and the relevant officials were still there).
So his kissed goodbye about $4k and a week of his life - and then the head scrutineer threatened to take disciplinary action when he cracked the shits....
Anyway...

My KDX's stock standard swingarm was questioned this year, because "you've modified it"... I didn't mind it being questioned, but the ignorance of both mechanical principles and virtually every Japanese enduro bike of the era, didn't inspire confidence.
I've seen a scrutineer try to tell a mate (who runs a bike shop), that his spokes were tensioned wrongly.
I've seen a competitor be berated for having dead wheel bearings, when the axle clamp plate was loose...

Yes we're all human, yes we all make mistakes, yes they're volunteers. But those defences disappear when you're being a nazi, and aren't motivated by the desire to help people out.

[evo550]

Scrutineers aren't safety inspectors, so why pretend you are. A scrutineers job is to check that the bike complies with the regs and that's it.
Sure point out a problem with the bike, but you can't knock a bike back for what you deem sloppy bearings or loose spokes.
Check the bike for items listed in the rule book and nothing more..

[SlideRulz]

My father was the machine examiner at both Short Circuit and Road Racing meetings here in Syd for many years in the 60-70's, well before age of bike racing came into being.
Safety was probably the most important reason the need for Scrutineering begun.

[FourstrokeForever]

Scrutineers aren't safety inspectors, so why pretend you are. A scrutineers job is to check that the bike complies with the regs and that's it.
Sure point out a problem with the bike, but you can't knock a bike back for what you deem sloppy bearings or loose spokes.
Check the bike for items listed in the rule book and nothing more..

Of course they are a form of safety inspectors. If a bike doesn't comply with the standards set out in the regs, then it is deemed unsafe for competition. No body knocks a bike back for loose spokes or sloppy wheel bearings. But they get pointed out to the rider/owner. However, if the wheel is totally flogged out with absolutely cactus bearings or numerous broken spokes, should it be allowed to compete when a failure could cause serious injury to other riders as well as the idiot behind the handle bars? I think not!

[Nathan S]

I think Evo's point is that the defined role of "scrutineer" isn't what most people think it is, and that a lot of scrutineers operate outside of their job description.
Sounds a lot like poor risk management to me...

[KTM47]

Scrutineers aren't safety inspectors, so why pretend you are. A scrutineers job is to check that the bike complies with the regs and that's it.
Sure point out a problem with the bike, but you can't knock a bike back for what you deem sloppy bearings or loose spokes.
Check the bike for items listed in the rule book and nothing more..

Of course they are a form of safety inspectors. If a bike doesn't comply with the standards set out in the regs, then it is deemed unsafe for competition. No body knocks a bike back for loose spokes or sloppy wheel bearings. But they get pointed out to the rider/owner. However, if the wheel is totally flogged out with absolutely cactus bearings or numerous broken spokes, should it be allowed to compete when a failure could cause serious injury to other riders as well as the idiot behind the handle bars? I think not!

I agree wit TBM.  The scrutineer is looking for obvious problems.  If there is just a little bit of play you take note and let the rider know to fix it for next time and also keep an eye on the potential problem.  The one thing a scrutineer should not do is ignore things.  Also something you may let go at a MX you probably won't let go at a Supercross.

Nathan The example of the Rally Car doesn't work for me. If they were 30 mins late maybe, but 2.5 hours.  If I was trying to get something finished and I knew I wasn't going to make the time, I would let the scrutineer or CofC know and ask if they would give some leeway. I wouldn't just turn up 2.5 hours late and then abuse the officials. I am yet to see one example of abusing officials that gets you any where other than in more trouble.

I will also try to help someone who treats me with respect.

[VMX247]

I think Evo's point is that the defined role of "scrutineer" isn't what most people think it is, and that a lot of scrutineers operate outside of their job description.
Sounds a lot like poor risk management to me...

Is it not a duty of care also to our fellow riders/members.
Ive not seen boot inspections at club or national level this year and believe its a hard depressing life on injuried feet.
Well we are on them more than 10 hrs a day 
Cheers A

[FourstrokeForever]

I think Evo's point is that the defined role of "scrutineer" isn't what most people think it is, and that a lot of scrutineers operate outside of their job description.
Sounds a lot like poor risk management to me...

Poor risk management would be allowing a bike with an obviously clapped out (insert whatever you like) wheel onto the track.

I've yet to meet a scrutineer who goes out of their way to make life difficult for any rider. Most want to get the job over with so they can get on with enjoying the rest of their day.

[Nathan S]

TBM, I'll stand corrected, but isn't there a widely misunderstood difference between "scrutineer" and "machine examiner"?

KTM47, he had asked for a later re-inspection time, but was denied because the scrutineer wanted to jerk him around. The 7:00am time was specifically chosen to ensure that the competitor would be unable to source the part and fit it without being late. That way the scrutineer can accurately say that he'd given the competitor an opportunity to re-present his vehicle, but was safe in the knowledge that he'd made it impossible for the competitor.

A lot of us are hopeful that it will be the end of this particular scrutineer's career, as it is simply the most blatant example of his behaviour/attitude.