MA Bonanza to compete with VMX Classic Dirt

[AjayVMX]

Well well well,

They say that you should never let facts get in the way of a good story.
The "three" events that VMX Honda is talking about are:
1. The Barry Sheene memorial road race. I suggest that you check again and you will find that this has run on only one Easter (2008) with the traditional date being February.
2. Classic Dirt. The date of this has varied but I have no information that Easter 2009 was an option.
3. The 2009 Classic MX Championships. There was vague discussion on holding this at Easter  but traditionally this event has been on the long weekend in June.

Let's clarify a few things, just so as we can fully understand what has happened in realtion to the three prior events, which have or haven't been affected by MA's decision to run HBBB on the Easter weekend.

The three "prior" events:

1.  Yes the Barrry Sheen event was in Easter this year.  I am not sure whether they had originally intended to run it again at Easter in 2009.

2.  Classic Dirt has been run in the last weekend of April for two years running now.  There was never any intention to run it at Easter in 2009,  it was intended to be run again on the last weekend of April, however when MA decided to run HBBB over Easter (without any prior consultation with VMX about the proposed date for CD6), it became obvious that running two major event 2 weeks apart would not be a good idea.  But have no doubt, the MA event is the newcomer and it would have been "considerate" of MA to choose a date for HHHB which was not so close to the now regular date for CD.

3.  We understand that there was a proposal put to MA to return the Vintage MX Nationals to the Easter weekend in 2009 and intially this was verbally approved by MA.  I say return, because the traditional date for the Vintage Nats, over years gone by, has been Easter.  It's only recently that it has been in June.  FWIW, I understand that MA has now withdrawn the verbal approval for the Vintage Nats to be run at Easter, even though the two events are actually completely different, i.e. the Nats are a race meeting (two states away) and HBBB is a recreational riding event only.

Again, I think the MA event idea is a good one, but the execution of it's organisation and timing has been poorly handled in my view.  If MA had taken a more consultative and flexible approach in the early organisational stages of this event, I have no doubt that we all would have been praising this as a great leap forward for Vintage Motorcycles in this country.  As it is now, it is devisive and some people will have to choose which major dirt bike recreational event they will go to in 2009.  Anything that makes it more difficult for the vintage enthusiast, especially when it involves potentially significant extra travelling costs, is really not a good idea.

[oldfart]

This little black duck's calender for 2009 will be all home club events ( QVMX ) plus  CD 6 where ever it is.

To me it's all about having a good time on and off the track, catching up with Forum members that share the same thing in common ...old dirt bikes ... and CD does it for me 

[Board]

Well well well,

They say that you should never let facts get in the way of a good story.
The "three" events that VMX Honda is talking about are:
1. The Barry Sheene memorial road race. I suggest that you check again and you will find that this has run on only one Easter (2008) with the traditional date being February.
2. Classic Dirt. The date of this has varied but I have no information that Easter 2009 was an option.
3. The 2009 Classic MX Championships. There was vague discussion on holding this at Easter  but traditionally this event has been on the long weekend in June.

Let's clarify a few things, just so as we can fully understand what has happened in realtion to the three prior events, which have or haven't been affected by MA's decision to run HBBB on the Easter weekend.

The three "prior" events:

1.  Yes the Barrry Sheen event was in Easter this year.  I am not sure whether they had originally intended to run it again at Easter in 2009.

2.  Classic Dirt has been run in the last weekend of April for two years running now.  There was never any intention to run it at Easter in 2009,  it was intended to be run again on the last weekend of April, however when MA decided to run HBBB over Easter (without any prior consultation with VMX about the proposed date for CD6), it became obvious that running two major event 2 weeks apart would not be a good idea.  But have no doubt, the MA event is the newcomer and it would have been "considerate" of MA to choose a date for HHHB which was not so close to the now regular date for CD.

3.  We understand that there was a proposal put to MA to return the Vintage MX Nationals to the Easter weekend in 2009 and intially this was verbally approved by MA.  I say return, because the traditional date for the Vintage Nats, over years gone by, has been Easter.  It's only recently that it has been in June.  FWIW, I understand that MA has now withdrawn the verbal approval for the Vintage Nats to be run at Easter, even though the two events are actually completely different, i.e. the Nats are a race meeting (two states away) and HBBB is a recreational riding event only.

Again, I think the MA event idea is a good one, but the execution of it's organisation and timing has been poorly handled in my view.  If MA had taken a more consultative and flexible approach in the early organisational stages of this event, I have no doubt that we all would have been praising this as a great leap forward for Vintage Motorcycles in this country.  As it is now, it is devisive and some people will have to choose which major dirt bike recreational event they will go to in 2009.  Anything that makes it more difficult for the vintage enthusiast, especially when it involves potentially significant extra travelling costs, is really not a good idea.

It is not a "clarification" when your facts are wrong.

3. I have been told that the initial application to run the 2009 CMXC did show the Easter date but that this was not approved in any way, verbally or otherwise by MA. Therefore there was nothing to "withdraw". The last time this Championship was run at Easter was 2004 (Colac). In 2003 it was in November.

[AjayVMX]

It is not a "clarification" when your facts are wrong.

3. I have been told that the initial application to run the 2009 CMXC did show the Easter date but that this was not approved in any way, verbally or otherwise by MA. Therefore there was nothing to "withdraw". The last time this Championship was run at Easter was 2004 (Colac). In 2003 it was in November.

Well, that's very interesting. 

I consider my source for this information to be very reliable.  How do you "know" otherwise?  Are you the responsible person at MA?  Can you vouch for every person in MA not having given the indication that the Easter date was intially acceptable?

And all previous championships to 2002 were held when?

[Wombat]

sorry guys, all posts removed for the interest of VMX

Cheers Trev

Huh? I don't remember anything particularly inflamatory.

[Rosco400]

This little black duck's calender for 2009 will be all home club events ( QVMX ) plus  CD 6 where ever it is.

To me it's all about having a good time on and off the track, catching up with Forum members that share the same thing in common ...old dirt bikes ... and CD does it for me 

Summed up nicely old fart except NSW for me

[Old Husky]

Like myself, I believe that all of the supporters/followers of CD will continue their support to CD, because its such a great event that is for VMX riders and supporters and we all have had and will continue to have a ball, even if its just to catch up with the old VMX crowd every year, I meet up with old competitors from 35 years back and it is fantastic.
Yeah a lot will attend the MA event and with its variety of events, it could turn into a very good weekend, but I doubt that the vintage motocross crowd will forget what CD is all about.

[magoo]

I really think that motocross / grass track will be a very small sideline to this event.  Shit, looks like we won't even be riding on the MX track so they aint too serious. MA is very much a road race biased entity and you can rest assured that road racing will have most of the focus on the weekend. Classic Dirt is totally about what we are about so I really don't think that as a Vintage Motocross group we have anything to worry about a far as the event is concerned. I also don't think CD numbers will be affected at all because if CD Viccos don't travel very well anyway.

I just think that a controlling body of any sort should be very careful not  be seen to have a conflict of interest, which in this case it certainly does. I've known about this event for a couple of years now so it's no surprise it's been announced, but it just concerns me the way it's been done.

Bored, you're a firey fella. Don't you think people are within their rights to question the process? If they are wrong, why?

[Board]

Well I don't want to appear firey but it does get up my nose when I see statements that are obviously wrong, and ones that can be so easlly check for their validity.
I rang MA and asked them a series of questions to which I believe I received reasonable and believable answers.
These answers, and my own knowledge of motorcycling have urged me to respond to other forum writings.
I just want to enjoy riding and restoring my wide range of motorcycles (over 40) and not to be too restricted.
Is that too much to expect?

[Phil]

Come on boys, get over whatever is bothering you and be thankful that there is another event for old bikes on the calendar. I'll be there for sure and as much as I've been pissed of with MA in the past, I'm prepared to give them a go. If they fork it up I won't go back. Easy Peasy.

[AjayVMX]

Well I don't want to appear firey but it does get up my nose when I see statements that are obviously wrong, and ones that can be so easlly check for their validity.
I rang MA and asked them a series of questions to which I believe I received reasonable and believable answers.
These answers, and my own knowledge of motorcycling have urged me to respond to other forum writings.
I just want to enjoy riding and restoring my wide range of motorcycles (over 40) and not to be too restricted.
Is that too much to expect?

Fair enough.

Again, I would stress that I am not suggesting that anyone should NOT go to the HBBB and as an idea, it is a good one.

But the way in which it was organised was questionable at best.  That is the issue which is disappointing.

Lastly, I seriously doubt that anyone at MA would tell you over the phone that someone in MA gave a verbal approval re the 09 Nationals and then recinded it to allow HBBB to be organised.  It is much easier just to deny that the approval was ever given....isn't it?   

So, I am not sure how you can be so sure that my statements are "wrong" as you put it, just by calling MA...

[marshallmech]

Bored people are not bagging the event just the way MA have gone about it.Why are we being told what to do by a company.It should be the clubs and members for with no clubs or members there would be no MA.

[paul]

ive head the men in charge  are on  about 140k a year in wages to look after every thing

[marshallmech]

It should go back to the sport.Most clubs are run with no officials getting paid they do it for the love of their chosen sport.Is this how it should be???

[Phil]

This is geting stupid now. Who gives a flying shit how much the MA blokes earn a year? You blokes are digging away looking for excused for the event to fail. If it wasn't so ludicrous I'd be pissing myself with laughter. For years you blokes have been crying out for more of these events. Now a new event has been announced but because it's been put on by the dreaded MA and not by VMX, you're all going into girly hissy fits. Anyone would think Robert Mugabe and the Carlton gang had joined forces to run the Bike Bonanza going by the bullshit I've read here.

I've had my issues with MA over the years and I still don't like the way they do a lot of things. However this Bike Bonanza is just what we've been crying out for so just maybe they've been observing that the non competitive enthusiast was getting the bums rush and have decided to do something about it. I don't give a fork about the politics. All I'm interested in is having a good time with like minded people in a bike friendly enviorement, just like I've had at all 5 CDs. I honestly apreciate all of the work that Ray Ryan and then Ken and AJ have done but does that give then total autonomy on these kind of events? Just take it for what it is and go and enjoy it.