MA Bonanza to compete with VMX Classic Dirt

[fatboyracing]

I think that this can only be a good thing for our sport, I personally will be attending both the MA event as well as CD6 and most definatley be attending Connadale Nationals as well.
I know when the MA event is on and I know when the Nationals are on can some one tell where and when CD6 is on so us Tasmanian VMX nuts can book our trips.


Cheers
Fatboy

[magoo]

I'm led to believe that MA has already vetoed the Barry Sheen Memorial over Easter next year so the PCRA will have to find another date as well.

[BJJ]

FWIW - LOved CD5,  but I would not travel to VIC/TAS/SA/WA if it was MA or CD6.  Just too time poor for travel (and $$$).  Would consider SEQLD & ACT for travel.  (BTW I am SYD based|biased).  As long this event it is in a different month,  then I would be keen.  But if there is multiple national events,  plus the nationals,  plus the club events,  then it is a big ask. 

Summary,  still positive for the associated crew,  would make the trip if I had the time and money and there was no other major VMX events that month.

[Graeme M]

Maybe I've misunderstood? I thought the MA event was across all the spectrum, so vintage MX would only be a part of it all surely? You'd assume that the focus on VMX would therefore be rather diluted. I see it as more a generalist celebration of motorcycling and it should attract the general punter.

But Classic Dirt is still THE event for the serious VMX fans, of whom we had several thousand at CD5. So I think that by and large the majority of us will go to CD6.

Ajay's points though are a worry. You'd think that MA would make *some* effort to manage how and when these things are on, given the small marketplace ie there aren't that many people to go around with the vintage events...

[AjayVMX]

Ajay's points though are a worry. You'd think that MA would make *some* effort to manage how and when these things are on, given the small marketplace ie there aren't that many people to go around with the vintage events...

Graeme,  suffice to say there is a hellava lot more to this story than I am prepared to put in print in a public forum! 

But even though the MA event is supposed to be a multi-disciplined event (and we whole-heartedly agree that is a great idea, withness Mid-Ohio in the USA), the reality is that right here, in this thread, the MA event is being touted as being a competitive event to CD6.  It is, after all, the obvious conclusion from the dirt point of view.

I'm sure the organisers of other Historic and Vintage events (both road AND dirt) that intended to run national level meetings over Easter next year and have found out that MA has rejected their event permit applications are not too happy either...

[Wombat]

We (VMX Magazine) have known about the proposals for the MA event at Broadford for quite some time and our initial response was to try and work with MA to possibly combine the new event with CD6, so that people and sponsors wouldn't have to possibly make a choice between one event or the other.

Unfortunately, due to the way in which MA has pushed forward in organising this event, there was no benefit whatsoever to VMX and Suzuki to participate in the  MA promoted Broadford event, so at the end of the day we have decided to maintain our support for our major sponsor, Suzuki.  Thus CD6 will be held at a separate location and time in 2009 and hopefully this will be announced shortly.

Regardless of how much we all would like to see this as a positive, it is not in our view. :'(  As Graeme reasoned above, the reality is that the vintage dirt bike scene IS a finite number of people and having two major non-competitive events in the one year cannot do any other than reduce the number of attendees at BOTH events, and this is especially true now in the light of the rapidly rising travel costs.

We were also very disappointed that MA unilaterally decided that their new event would be held at Easter, only two weeks prior to the date that Classic Dirt has been held for the past two years.  As a result, Classic Dirt will now move to a different time of year.   We believe that MA's decision will also adversely affect the annual Barry Sheen Road Bike event which is normally held at Easter at Eastern Creek.  At this stage, I have not heard if that event is still on or not...

No doubt, some enthusiasts will go to both events and have a good time at each one.  But naturally, we hope that the VMX enthusiasts will choose to come to Classic Dirt 6, if they have to make a choice. 

Oh boy, will this topic be the next mega thread? I'm hoping this 'Bonanza' can be a good thing but Ajay raises some relevant points.
I try to see Motorcycle Australia as a Leader for our motorcycling community.
I try not to 'bag them' in the way we automatically bag our Politicians (they exist, therefore they're corrupt...), but once again I'm scratching my head over yet another decision seemingly pushed through with no consideration to anyone elses plans and efforts.

Is it fair to say the successful Classic Dirt meetings are the model for this 'MA Bonanza'? If not THE model, let's not pretend they haven't noticed...
Am I right to think MA, knowing full well the motorcycle calender, should consider first the smaller cogs in our community before riding rough shod over their events?
They know full well the long running and successful CD events are held close to this date, as is the Barry Sheen event and others close to Easter.
What possible reason can they have to NOT speak with the brains behind these long running events?

But once more I can picture another f*ckin' MA board meeting with a handful of crusties PUSHING yet another agenda on the grounds they have the mandate to do so. 
Any MA boardies on this forum? Try talking to the membership, the community, the smaller groups whose fees you exist on.

Get over yourselves, your 'elevated position'  - it's not a f*ckin' dictatorship. 

[VMX247]

same happens in Modern MX,don't lose sleep over it.
Just enjoy events while you can.

[pokey]

Am i correct in thinking that a beaurocracy is attempting a coup on the VMX mag derived Cd's?

 If so that sux the big one.A purely fun event with what I understand a stipulation of no racing and only fun  being turned into  something  completely different.. I have a gut feeling that the fun factor will diminish in proportion to and as the new rules and $ increase and be balanced by the waning of other events IE: the nats and various club events..

Increasing a fun factor  is a certainty for increased sales, more hoops to jump on the way is not. People invariably stumble and fall along the way then abandon the chase and park the bike in the loungeroom and have a wine and watch DVDs on the weekend.
 More opportunities to participate and streamlining will assist . the two events in one will suit some but Im not conviced it would suit all and believe it will have a negative overall effect on the sport. Lets face it guys . MidOhio is in the US not Australia and we have a lot smaller percentage of bikes and riders  and just as many days .
 VMX neeeds a mates day  and thats CD with no racing.

 They reckon people get smaller as they age, perhaps brains do aswell

[Wombat]

same happens in Modern MX...

And that's maybe why our sport doesn't really grow...so I'm lumping moderns in with VMX here.
When I raced MX in the 70s it was 'modern' to me... and I'm pretty sure it had a bigger following with more bikes sold and televised events like MR Motocross.
I think it's in the DVD 'One chance to win' (available from bigk at Bendigo Dirt Bikes) where the Prophet Marty Smith says MX will be bigger in the USA than football and baseball.
I think it was 1975 when he said that. The sport rose high for a while... then dived and levelled out to where we are some 33 years later.

Motorcycle sport in general and VMX/twin shock trials/classic road in particular needs all the help it can get.
We have limited events and the events we have shouldn't be allowed to clash.
We have a limited paying public; in fact we, the motorcycle community, ARE the paying public.
Isn't that what an 'organising body' is supposed to do? Organise? I'll say it again, ORGANISE.   
Stealing patrons, highjacking concepts and forcing date changes on existing events are not the actions of an ORGANISING body.

It's not only Politicians who let a little power go to their heads.     

[VMX247]

Being officals,our son rides modern MX and Steven VMX,we bust our guts going to events/working busy bees etc and love it,hopefully doing what half of us here on this forum do, with there own clubs across Australia. 

What do we do?? fly to the commision/highrakee meetings every time some dick has an idea.No..
We continue on our merry way ,probably with little regard to what is really happening with MA.
We do write or email if the need be.

As I have said before ,you in the east have many choices as us in the west .You are very lucky.

Come November we will be busy promoting VMX with our time at Classic Road National and Northam Festival Motorcycle show(this being the same as the type of event we are writting about)all we can do is promote /promote/spread the word on VMX.
Just like Jesus said go forth and spread thy word...
ps have got the movie from Bigk "ONE CHANCE TO WIN" when men where men and woman wore no bras.
pss join a school p&c then you will know about ORGANISING body/government dept.
no wonder I look/feel old
cheers

[VMX-Honda]

The concept of the MA event is great. No problem there.

However the execution is seemingly hostile. For a governing body to ride roughshot over the promoters of 3 existing and successful events [Classic Dirt, Barry Sheene Memorial, 2009 Vintage MX Nationals] for what appears to be nothing but self interest is amazing. If the event had been scheduled for the October long-weekend then all this agravation would have been easily avoided [my appologies if I am ignoring any existing event that regularly occur during that time of year].

I have not read the MA Constitution but I would be very surprised if it encouraged [or even allowed] its leaders to act in such a way as to damage or compromise existing events for what could be seen as its own self interest. MA only exists to serve the needs of its members. The members pay the wages of the executive through licence/membership fees and they [I believe] would expect the organisation to work for the good of all. If that is the case then they have a funny way of showing it.

Overall a very disappointing start to what could be a significant addition to the vintage calendar. I hope they see the error in their ways and reschedule their event to show due respect to those that already serve the Vintage marketplace.

Good luck to CD6, Barry Sheene Memorial and the Vintage Nationals.
VMX-Honda

[YSS]

I was in the believe that MA PTY LTD was privately owned by a handfull of shareholders in Melbourne (David White , Darril Hiddle etc) and only the statebodies where public . Is that right or am I wrong . If I am right , then MA PTY LTD can do what ever they like . And if I am correct , then all volunteers and officials work for a boss without pay.

[VMX-Honda]

Walter, if that is true, then it would probably be news to most members.

And if that is the case then maybe they don't have a constitution to adhere to, but morally they still stand condemed by the flagrant disregard for their members and the organisations that support them [but it would explain a great deal].

In their position they should go out of their way to do the right thing - because it is the right thing - not because they are made to! But judging by the mess that is the Australian Road Racing Championship then I might be wasting my breath.

Back to you…
VMX-Honda

[GMC]

Greame , advertising  and supporting classic events, I can not call a smart buisiness decision. We call it goodwill actions . The return does not cover the expenses. But thats OK , its good for branding perhaps ,
and because we love VMX we are there anyway. But now beeing confronted with two major events will take a toll on sceduling, (time is rare those days) , do we only do one event ? Do we scale back and do both events ? We can definitely not justyfie doubling the  financial outlay . And some competitors that travel long distances and use their hollydays may have to think along the same lines too.Another thought that goes through my mind is also , that the VMX boys  have done all the hard work to get this sport where it is now and then when everything goes great , somebody with more muscles wants to cut a big slice of the cake. 

YSS, took the words right out of my mouth.

They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

Due to this ones location I will be their in one form or another, but travelling 5km's to get their will be a drain on finances  If it was in SA or NSW I probably wouldn't bother depnding on $$ at the time which I guess is probably how some interstaters will view this, as well as Vic's that go to this one may not bother with the effort to go interstate for the CD events
CD will always be No 1 so it will be hard to justify another big effort on promotions. I may take the oportunity to be at this one as a spectator, but with so much happening at once the next big question will be which section to support, VMX, Vinduro, Speedway or trials??
Then again if I decide to run a trade stand, which discipline should I set up nearest to??
Having everything on one weekend is good in one way but each discipline may detract from the other.

While it is being viewed as a bit of a takeover, I'm afraid thats how business is these days and Broadford is run as a business. It employs quite a few people these days, including a few locals. It's not unusaul to hear MXer's & road bikes practising their during the week.

And there are no long weekends in October down here.

[paul]

COULD SOME ONE POST THE DATES( OR AT LEAST THE PROPOSED DATES FOR ALL THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS)