Motocrosser population

J

Jhenders222

Noob
Today I see less and less kids riding then back in the day. Wonder how the motocross scene will be in the next 10-15 years. :confused: Especially in ohio. I can go to a qualifier and see a decent turnout but thats it.
 
Price of bikes, and less places to ride right out peoples back doors than there were 30 and 40 years ago. There are gonna be less.
 
Granted, this was a small sampling, but last Sunday at New Vienna, there were around 75 bikes total. 6 -7 were 65cc and 85cc. Each time I went to Ana this past winter, I saw a handful of small bikes too.

I wouldn't sound the alarm bells just yet. John does make a point about pricing AND about places to ride. There will always be youths at the track. Welcome to a "fringe" sport.
 
Apple Cabin has a Nice, Big, Well Taken Care Of mini track and usually gets a good turnout of youth riders.
Briarcliff’s Mini and ‘C’ tracks are also a major draw….
 
Use Daytona as an example. Vet classes were some of the largest classes behind the two C classes. The 50 and 65 classes did not even have two gates for qualifiers. There are a lot of people racing still, I agree. But, on the other hand I believe there are a lot less kids with bikes in their garages that they are hopping on riding after school like I did when I was a kid.
 
Minis are cheap enough to afford. Plus they'll fit in the parents mini vans! Probably due to places to ride, and tightened security by the law down at the local gravel pits.
 
During the summer months we get as many kids as we do adults,I also let new unexperenced riders come out on off days to learn to ride.I know it's not like the old days when we could ride anywhere and nobody cared.I'm sure the economy has alot to do with less riders at races,I've been to Malvern openers with 750 riders and finished racing under the lights.The youth is the future and this is a great sport to be in.I always thought AHRMA should have youth classes to grow vintage riding.
 
DelBalso123 said:
Minis are cheap enough to afford. Plus they'll fit in the parents mini vans! Probably due to places to ride, and tightened security by the law down at the local gravel pits.
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REALLY?? How many you bought lately.....4 here. The last 50 is $3800 new and the 65 is $4700 new. My opinion that is not "cheap enough to afford" for everyone.
 
AppleFrank said:
During the summer months we get as many kids as we do adults,I also let new unexperenced riders come out on off days to learn to ride.I know it's not like the old days when we could ride anywhere and nobody cared.I'm sure the economy has alot to do with less riders at races,I've been to Malvern openers with 750 riders and finished racing under the lights.The youth is the future and this is a great sport to be in.I always thought AHRMA should have youth classes to grow vintage riding.
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I agree that AHRMA should have youth classes :) I am taking my son to Unadilla this year for the AHRMA race, they are having support classes after the races on Saturday and Sunday. He will be racing the School Boy Class on a 77 YZ80 and the 85cc Modern Class on his YZ85. They are planning to have alot of old pro there (Marty Smith, Mark Barnett, Donnie Hansen, Gary Jones, Brad Lackey, Ron Lechien, Gary Semics, Jimmy Weinert, Tony D. and Gunnar Lindstrom) should be an awesome weekend.
Frank, I should have Johnny's bike back together next week, so we will see you on the April 12.
 
Jhenders222 said:
Today I see less and less kids riding then back in the day. Wonder how the motocross scene will be in the next 10-15 years. :confused: Especially in ohio. I can go to a qualifier and see a decent turnout but thats it.
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It's gonna be like NASCAR baby. Nobody like us will be racing. $5800 for a Ktm 85. My dad bought a cr250 in 96 for 4400!!!
 
ya prices for bikes are crazy right now, and for what we beat the hell out of em and sell em 9 months later for $2000 less then we paid for new. even if i picked up a bike, its an hour or more drive just to practice. between practice fees, race fees, parts, fuel for the bike, and my hemi sucking down fuel, id have to worry about how im gonna eat at the end of the day.
 
Granted, it doesn't seem like the income has inflated like the prices, but you can't just compare prices and prices. Besides, the bikes are 10 times better than the bikes of yesteryear. They should cost more. I think fuel prices have a lot to do with it, not so much the prices of the equipment.

Also, laws restricting this and that tend to make it more difficult for folks to do what they wanna. The days of riding your bike down the street, on the tracks in the back yard, the field, etc. are harder to come by. It's all relative in my mind. Peeps will afford what they wanna. Anyone can justify anything if they try hard enough.

Gurantee you wil see someone at the track with a 1980 something pickup with a tricked out 2012 MX bike this summer. :)
 
Oh, the population is getting older and I'm not 100% up on my census #'s, but I would guess it is stagnet and/or reducing due to the baby boomers leaving us... Just a thought. I have no data to back it up nor am I going to search for it. I'll let you do that. ;)

Alot of factors going into it I am saying....not just the prices of bikes...if indeed the MX pop. is reducing.... ??
 
Judnash said:
ya prices for bikes are crazy right now, and for what we beat the hell out of em and sell em 9 months later for $2000 less then we paid for new. even if i picked up a bike, its an hour or more drive just to practice. between practice fees, race fees, parts, fuel for the bike, and my hemi sucking down fuel, id have to worry about how im gonna eat at the end of the day.
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Don't drive a Hemi then.

The national series like LL and Mini O's have more riders sign up every year. They aren't hurting. It's the local joes that are crunching numbers.
 
The economy & bike prices are the main issue with the price of everything going up every month so less racing money for all.

Yeah the bikes are better every years but at what cost & look what it cost to fix a 4 stroke if you grenade it.

Back in 2003 I got a KTM 525 out the door for $5,975 & in 2004 a 50 Senior for $2,788 which seem like a lot for a 50.
Fast forward 8 or 9 years & those prices seem rather low.

How many kids can convince their non-mx parents to spend 4 to 8 grand for a bike as paper route & mowing grass
will not get a kid a bike like back in the 70's.

I always felt AHRMA should have had mini classes & right now 2 strokes class for all bike as they could cash in on it.

All we have right now are bikes from the 70's & 80's doubting the only modern bike I will ever buy would be a used 250 or 300 2 stroke
as we ride for fun only and don't want to drop 16 grand every few years for a new 250f for my daughter & 450f for me as it just does not
make sense unless you are going pro.

Insted of new bikes we bought a Toy Hauler 2 years ago & love it as it is out over 30 days a year!
 
The national series like LL and Mini O's have more riders sign up every year. They aren't hurting. It's the local joes that are crunching numbers

Aonia had a lot of bikes. Mid 50s for C, mid 20s for Schoolboy and 85s. Only 5 in the 51cc class (about the same at Bithlo). I think kids are getting into MX, but a little later than used to be.
 
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