So…..Why are you NOT racing???

[EBT]

The reason I don't race is simple, there is no race class in Victoria for what I love to ride and that is Vintage Enduro bikes, if there was racing for Vintage Enduro bikes Pre 2000, Pre 95 Pre 90, Pre 85 Pre 80 in a pony express style on private property with no registration required ( just like modern events are held on now ) I would get to every race I could possible make it to, in fact I would be happy to travel up to 800k's in any direction from were I live to be involved in a Vintage Enduro Race Series over a year.

Regards Mick.

[EML]

"Don't MA own their own insurance company ? If so the surely they would be seeking out the best possible deals for their members  "


Apparently MA do have their own insurance and until recently that company had only one shareholder and he ran the business and he was head of MA......look that one up and see where the money has gone.

[Nathan S]

Understand about the insurance thing , but why do you have to go through MA for it ?

Don't MA own their own insurance company ? If so the surely they would be seeking out the best possible deals for their members 

CAMS, AASA, and AMSAG all get their insurance through someone in London. AASA and AMSAG had both seperately looked for other options and found that the only place they could buy adequate cover is the one company in London.

I don't pretend to know anything much about MA's insurance, but I will be quite surprised if they self-insure their events. It's much more likely that MA is operating as a broker.

AASA is a viable option, but because MA doesn't rape us as blatantly as CAMS do, the AASA can't undercut MA the way that they can undercut CAMS.

[Hoony]

2 weeks ago I entered the excellant thumpercross old school grass track. It cost me $170 for the day just to get on the track ($80 entry $20 transponder hire $15 purchase transponder bracket $55 one day licence.) I got 5 races on a great very fast flowing track great day but exy.

I agree with the trail riding crowd its great value. As much as I love it I cannot justify the expense at my stage of life with 2 little Hoony's and other financial committments.

So for me its a luxury to drag Big Red out for a Blatt every now and again.

[80-85 husky]

Here is another reason...
http://forum.ozvmx.com/index.php?topic=36010.0;topicseen

check the last page....

[lama]

It's all down to the mighty dollar wasp has the right idea I would think when vmx started all blokes wanted to do was ride there old bikes and maybe a race or two then a beer and a laugh.some where someone thought there's money to be made from these blokes and here we are 

[the farm]

It's all down to the mighty dollar wasp has the right idea I would think when vmx started all blokes wanted to do was ride there old bikes and maybe a race or two then a beer and a laugh.some where someone thought there's money to be made from these blokes and here we are 

yes that is the truth i reckon and i hear what eml is saying , nathan as well. Who is the one company in london ? Just curious.

[Tex]

I'm not racing cos none of you bastards will let me win! 

Seriously, though... Most of the same reasons that have already been listed here: money and time being the main factors. Actually a complete lack of mx ability means that the pull for me to go VMX racing just isn't there. I did a few seasons with VIPER, in the early 2000s fooling around at the tail end of the field. It was great fun with a great bunch of people, but once vinduros came along I knew I'd found my niche. Getting to as many vinduros as I can means that vintage mx just isn't on my radar right now.

I had grand plans of doing some club level modern pony express events this year but it never happened (see "money & time" above).

Interesting discussion thus far I must say.

Tex

[Nathan S]

I knew someone was going to ask that, but I'm stuffed if I can recall the name. It may even be a broker, given the way big dollar insurance works.

[Ted]

450 riders at the Aussie Classic Road Racing Titles paid $600 to enter.

There's money around, plenty of it. Maybe our product just is not worth it to so many.

[Iain Cameron]

450 riders at the Aussie Classic Road Racing Titles paid $600 to enter.

There's money around, plenty of it. Maybe our product just is not worth it to so many.

but do they get more than 3 x 3 lap races for the money . Iain

[Graeme M]

When I got into VMX, it was about revisiting old memories more than anything. I bought some bikes, went to some races and Classic Dirts, bought up all the old magazines and some other stuff. But as time went by I found that the racing got more serious and I got slower. In the end, it wasn't fun. Then I rediscovered dirt track, and that's pretty much all I do now, on a modern bike. But I still have my IT175 and hope to ride the occasional vinduro in the future, a helluva lot of fun and more my style!

Plus I spent an entire decade's vmx racing budget rebuilding my 250F after it shat itself... 

[b490]

  I am not  real good on  an MX track ,  but  I  do like to  ride around a lot all day,  so Vinduro  suits Me fine.
      You also get a  lot  of  ride time  for your money .   

  Regards ,
                  Steve 

[KTM47]

Why do I still race?

Because I enjoy the competition.   I can no longer win but if the races were 1 lap long I could.

I also enjoy meeting different people etc.  I'm not worried about how many races I get etc.

Yes MA does own their own insurance company MAIL (Motorcycling Australia Insurance Limited).  The company is based on the Isle of Man for tax reasons.  The main reason MA formed a company was they couldn't get insurance at one stage. Like any insurance company they farm the risk out.  As for giving the members the best deal they can, the last increase in insurance was last year and that was after several years with no increase.  Does you car insurance stay the same every year?

Entry numbers are down in all Motorsport.  Money is harder to come by.     

[FourstrokeForever]

Regardless of what your passion is, Vinduro, Trials, VMX or modern National MX/ Enduro, we are being ripped off by MA. They have their collective greedy fingers in every slice of the pie and I for one reckon enough is enough. They (MA) give absolutely NOTHING back to us grass roots riders but yet fund hundreds of thousands of dollars to the top echelons of motorcycle sport. As long as that particular section of the sport attracts the manufacturers AND heaps of media coverage they will be there.... IN PERSON[/i].... to tell all and sundry just how good they are at keeping motorcycling sport in Australia alive and prospering. What a crock of crap.