Eligilibty scrutineer at the Nationals

[worms]

Nathan, its all to do with insurance and duty of care as officials, it might get up your nose, but if the insurers say this is what they require and i'm the official, i couldnt care less if you know when and where you come off your bike or less your opinion on whether you think its safe to wear or not.

maybe you should become an official, it would help you understand why some rules are there to protect the folks running your race meets.

Cheers Trev

[Graham]

Boy I wounder if all helmets fit people with big heads

[paul]

im thinking off sending a 69/360 square barrell maico to the nationals for  a victorian to ride ,my question is. are alloy swing arms legal in pre 70 .if so what type

[LWC82PE]

all bikes to meet OEM for class, no less, then we would have a true representation of era and sport

Are you forgetting that there was aftermarket parts and mods around in that era/period? They are an important part of the era/period aswell so shouldnt be left out. If there was going to be rules that say we cant modify our bikes then every one may as well be supplied exact identical bikes for example YZ or RM 250's  or black and gold no name bikes and then everyone races them. How boring would that be if everyone had the same bike and you were not allowed any modifications or customization Having all bikes be as exactly as they werw from new/as OEM is not a true representation of the era to me and its an unrealistic expectation to think that should be the way it has to be.

I think someone mentioned this before, but who raced a stock bike back then? 99% of people did some mods and customization to their bikes so its nothing new now.

[Nathan S]

Nathan, its all to do with insurance and duty of care as officials, it might get up your nose, but if the insurers say this is what they require and i'm the official, i couldnt care less if you know when and where you come off your bike or less your opinion on whether you think its safe to wear or not.

maybe you should become an official, it would help you understand why some rules are there to protect the folks running your race meets.

Cheers Trev

Mate... I've been through the CAMS official's shit multiple times. I've done the scrutineering and event administration (aka Event Secretary) courses, as well as actually having done a truck-load more officiating stuff. Don't try pulling the "ungrateful, ignorant, non-contributing competitor" line on me because it is a long way from the mark, and it won't work.

I'm telling you right now: Picking on this sort of shit places the scrutineer at more risk, not less.

If your job is to check a helmet for a standards label, and a functioning strap, its clear and easy. But the instant you're asked to make a value judgement on the condition of a helmet, you're asking for an arse reaming because you've officially said "Yes, this helmet is safe to use", when you actually have NFI whether its safe to wear or not.

In a coroner's court, I would hate to be saying "Yes, I inspected the helmet and told the rider that it was safe to wear" - to say that is basically asking for an arse reaming.
 I'd be a lot happier saying "I checked the helmet, and it met the required Australian Standard and was not visibly modified, as per my duty as a scrutineer" - this can easily be defended because you're not being asked to make a judgement that's outside your skills/training/testing equipment.

If the scrutineer is expected to make, and be accountable for, a value judgement regarding non-visible, un-disclosed damage to helmets, then the only logical conclusion is to insist on everyone having a brand new helmet for every event.

The Two Golden Rules of managing your exposure to risk as an official are:
1. Follow written procedures (don't make anything up);
2. Don't make decision on matters that you are not formally trained in.

[colmoody]

It's about this time I am reminded of a quote of a towering economic thinker of our time whose name alludes me at the moment and it goes thus.

There are those who dont know and those who dont know they dont know. Please dont take offence as I am sure he was refering to economic forecasters .

[worms]

good morning Nathan

sometimes things are just what they are, fortunately my officials licence has expired today and no longer shall i need to explain why a helmet dose not fit the required std's set out to race, expamle tell a bloke his helmet is stuffed, but hey i paid $100 for it 20 years ago and i think its allright, not my problem anymore.

as to my curse reply last night, i would like to of said the same but maybe with more text so as not to get up anyones nose, but as i finilised my fathers affairs yesterday, i appologise wholeheartedly for typing without consideration.

and yes Graham you are right.

just forget i was here, Trev

[VMX247]

Trev,
Don't take it too personal.Lifes to short   
Think of it like this,...... if you helped one person ,you have actually contributed to many others even if you don't realize it.
Your knowledge is a useful and powerful thing weather others agree or not..stay cool.
cheers

[worms]

the only scrutineering that will happen at the Nationals will be machine excamination, you will not  have eligibility scrutineering unless your bike is protested and it goes thru the COC and then the Steward who will then refer the matter to the Eligibility Scrutineer. Your bike will be inspected for safety first.

This event is intended to highlight our sport, with 300 expected competitors, we are not going to be over zealous about every bolt and nut or design mod as long as it fits your era!

We must keep the spirit in the sport even at this level!



Trev

[Brian Watson]

Gents, and for those like Rossco who have read the MOMS..footrests must be "self returning"..does not mention anything about springs...

[lucien]

yeah
nothing about spring loaded fottpegs, ; "self returning" is the phrase
a lot of Huskies are folding ,without springs

[squirtmoto]

On the helmet thing, your lucky we're not back in the ACU days when you had your helmet inspected at the first meeting of the year and had it recorded and sticker'ed, then after it was 3 years old reguardless of condition. It could no longer be used in competition again!

[colmoody]

Re Worms last post and particularly his last sentence and I quote " even at this level we must keep the spirit of the sport". Kinda sums it up pretty well in a commonsense sort of way dont you think.

[mike1948]

Just had a look through an August 1975 Dirt Bike mag, with a feature on Lectron flat slide carbs.  It refers to Bart Markel using one for a full year, so they may even have been available pre75!  God, what a can of worms for eligibility scrutineers.  Wouldn't be one for quids at National level.  Having said that, it's up to the riders to do the right thing, and there wouldn't be any hassles.
Mike

[Rossvickicampbell]

Yammiefan - I didn't go back and chase it up but I think Gorby from Tassie who was a scrutineer at last years Nationals said somebody told him (this gets good doesn't it???) that the pegs only had to be folding as they went through scrutineering and he was let through but on further investigation they had to be returning - hence the comment about springs.  As I said it has been covered elsewhere but I couldn't find it.  For the sake of a $3 spring added to my pegs I ain gunna argue with ya 

Rossco