BriarcliffMx
PR Founding Father
Alright, Time for me to spit some more fact at ya,
For those of you still kicking the dead horse of "It cost more now"... Just do a simple comparison that ANYONE can pull off the interweb.
Gas prices: 1990= $1.16 today= 3.48 that is up 300% BUT the average trip to and from the track is 120 miles. Average miles per gallon in 1990 (In my bad ass Ford Van) was 16mph today my truck gets 24mpg so the trip would have cost $8.70 in 1990, today it would cost $17.4.
Bike Cost: 1990 a new KX250 would set you back $3250 MSRP. Today a KX450F MSRP is $8699. Now that is a BIG jump But who pays MSRP? Break it down by week to relate to racing. (Divide by 26 for a weekly charge) 1990= $125, 2013= $334 a week.
Gate fee: 1990 at Kenworthy it was $9 2013 = $10
Sign up: 1990 it was $15 a class, Today it is $25
Gear (Helmet, boots, pant, jersey, goggles) 1990= $525, 2013= $475 This is just average gear. Remember today there are a lot more company's making gear.
SO.. A total weekly expense in 1990 was $177 and today that number is $404... I major increase, no dout... BUT (you knew I would have a BUT) the average American income over the same time with from $27,922 to $48,152
That makes the total: 1990 it was 33% of a weekly income to race. 2013 it is 43%.... or 10% more.
Motocross has ALWAYS been expensive. BUT there are several ways of saving money. NUMBER 1. A STOCK BIKE IS MORE THEN COMPETITIVE. Unless you are winning the stock class at LL then there are other guys getting more out of their STOCK bike then you. (In 1990 I rode a 2 day old, fresh off the dealer floor, KX250 in the Daytona Supercross) .
Truth sometimes hurts... You are not good enough to modify your race bike. Moto cost money (get over it, it always has and always will, and the cost are the same in EVERY state), There are less "quality" motocross tracks. We run less laps.
One last thing that I just cant get over. To ANYONE talking about the cost. Again, watch the video of the kid at Millville.
The biggest difference is that people aren't as willing to stomach the cost as much as they once were. "Other" things to do. Can a generation of motocrossers burn out? I think we are witness to it.