My point is that "we" keep making divisions where none need to exist. WHY?!
How do other people riding around on old bikes negatively impact anyone's enjoyment of riding around on their old bike?
We are far too small a pastime to be able to indulge in constant internal apartheid and segregation.
In answer to your question Nathan, the impact is none. No one gives a toss when you're out on the trail as to who's riding what. People are there to ride the event and have fun.
I have also been a strong advocate for Pre-90 Vinduro's. To me Australia produced some great enduro riders in the 80's. That means from 1980-89! Guys like Brooke Flanagan, Pelle Granquist
Brett & Craig Smith, I could rattle off more but as a young bloke growing up these blokes and their MACHINES is what I looked up to. For me I can't just draw the line at Pre 85 without acknowledging what came after.
When organising the Cookardinia Vinduro this year we decided to go with the rolling 25 years. I adopted a similar idea from the VJMC (Vintage Japanese Motorcycling Club) who run with bikes older than 15 years, I quote
" To foster the preservation, restoration, riding and enjoyment of ownership of Japanese motorcycles" What a great philosophy. Obviously they have seen the need and forsight to preserve these bikes before they are lost. It also encourages new members to the club. This is no different in the dirt bike scene. Have a look on Ebay, bike sales, trading post and see how many dirt bikes from 85-90 are on there. Not many why? Because they've had the a#se flogged out of them and have been wrecked out.
I've seen people's responses on this forum in regards to the Pre-90 debate and one comment that really sat uneasy with me was " everyone will just bring their pre-90 bike in favour of a pre-85 bike"
Boy was that bloke wrong
Of the 90 odd entrants at Cookardinia I had probably 6 guys on Pre-90 bikes, and yes Nathan was one onboard his KDX, Wayne on his 87 Husky, our MCA sponsor on an 89 KX500 and a couple others on KTM's. Did people care
NO, did the locals gather up pitch forks and protest
NO What it did do however was allow more entries and also give guys the option of bringing more than one bike. As I do the registrations for Cooka I noticed the average age of most of the riders was 45-50 years old, so I understand that the bikes that these guys grew up with were from the 70's & 80's and they can relate to them. But what does the future hold for these blokes and their bikes?
Their bodies are getting older and Pre-85 bikes are getting harder to get parts. So when do you draw the line and say I just can't afford to abuse a pre-85 model bike anymore.
I love all dirt bikes but we need to keep Vinduro alive and growing and inject new blood each year, so I'll continue Cookardinia with the same format. I don't believe non-competitive Vinduro events need so many rules, keep it simple. I'll support Dennis and VTR the best I can, he's doing good things for the sport, I just hope the organisation as a whole body listen to peoples ideas and suggestions before they set any rules in stone.
Cheers Brooksie
