How to make motocross safer?

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stein943

PR Member
Anyone following Freestone the last few days? How can motocross be made safer? Or is this just the way it is? Is it the tracks? Should we outlaw Quad jumps before they become normal on all tracks like triples? Is it the bikes? To much power? To much speed? Restricter plates? Rider protective gear? I don't know but its getting scary. Its been scary, just seems worst, or maybe Im an old man that worries to much. Is it time to think outside the box? Anyone have ideas? Thanks
 
Ryan Hughes went on a rant on this very subject on his Twitter page a couple days ago. Lots of opinions. Mine would be that the bikes are too powerful. You can blame the tracks for being too fast, but I really think it comes down to the power of the motorcycles themselves.
 
But, how do you take power away from a racer? Drop from a 250 to a 150 and FMF would have field day making pipes to make it faster again, lol. And we already have 150s out there. 450 to 350 its out there to.Got to be another way, but I don't know what it is. What got this on my mind again is, I think 2 riders lost there lives at Freestone this week.
 
This may be off subject a little. But Gopros and youtube are encouraging these kids to do some crazey stuff to get a cool video on the internet.

my 13 year olds best buddy did a "video this" at Rays last week. concussion, broken jaw, busted out 2 teeth, broken arm and wrist.

The bike is no different than a gun, guns dont kill, poeple do.

I hold my boy back and teach him safety first, the speed and jumps will come. I couldn't stop that if I wanted to.
 
stein943 said:
I think 2 riders lost there lives at Freestone this week.
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THIS^ makes me sick to my stomach.

I will tell you this, slowing down the track will help, taking away some of the potential energy. BUT, with that much power, the riders can still make dangerous situations. I think both need to change, more so the bikes. Just look at the power difference from stock to pro bikes. At Bc for example, the Pro guys think everything is too short, and it is to a degree, i dont have too much that is it a pinned jump anymore, just in case we have a muddy day, and people try stuff they shouldn't. I think the bikes need dialed back so when they are modded, they are getting back to a decent 450 level, not a "Pro Circuit hold onto your hat buddy speed".
 
My opinion: 4Ts are easy to ride. This allows the rider (regardless of skill level) to go fast with little effort. When you get an inexperienced rider going fast and they get out of shape, they do not have the skill set to get back into shape. They crash and get hurt. When you get an experienced rider going fast, getting out of shape doesn't happen as often, but it has serious consequences when it does happen.

I do not have a solution as to how to make the sport "safe". I think track design may help a bit, but ultimately it is the person operating the bike (or quad) that needs to be aware of their speed and abilities.
 
Beating that damn dead horse again ( or velociraptor if your Day181)

You know my feelings, and surprised JO seems to agree now. 2nd and 3rd are all we mere mortals need. We are not pro riders for a reason. 4th gear on a 450 is uncalled for. More corners, slow it down. You can jump an 80' tabletop in 2nd on a 450 with a relatively short run ( if you dont believe me head on over to my house). If thats not big enough you have a problem.
 
ck1racerx said:
WHAT? and the event continued???
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Two bad crashes. Tyler Hoeft went down at the finish line jump and is in bad shape (but still alive at last report. TWMX jumped the gun and prematurely reported that he had succumbed to his injuries.) If you are the praying type, please say one for Tyler and the Hoeft's. I met his dad Darrin years ago, and his brother Justin at Loretta's a few years ago. They are a great family.

Zach Commans crashed during practice, early reports were neck/spine injuries. Last report, he is walking (with assistance).

s1200_Screenshot_2015_03_17_16_13_31.jpg




bruce
 
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Track building. Seems like alot of places have gone back to the evil knievil distance jumps. Tall short distance jumps out of corners is all I will build on a track. My favorite is when I build a nice easy big double and the rider asks " hey can you lay that face over more and throw another lander 20ft out so I can someday triple it". Slower harder tracks are what we need. No 4th pinned straight to 90ft booter with 3ft tall landing. And four strokes. burn them
 
Double D said:
The bike is no different than a gun, guns dont kill, poeple do.
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Best point on here...

Meister said:
While I like big jumps.. Its simple as this.. To make it safer, you add more turns and make smaller jumps.. but who wants that..
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With you there, but as I age, it seems to take longer and longer to get the jump down...
baxterj787 said:
My opinion: 4Ts are easy to ride. This allows the rider (regardless of skill level) to go fast with little effort. When you get an inexperienced rider going fast and they get out of shape, they do not have the skill set to get back into shape. They crash and get hurt. When you get an experienced rider going fast, getting out of shape doesn't happen as often, but it has serious consequences when it does happen.
I do not have a solution as to how to make the sport "safe". I think track design may help a bit, but ultimately it is the person operating the bike (or quad) that needs to be aware of their speed and abilities.
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I agree with the thumper note. I pummeled myself much more on my first 450 than I ever did on my smoker. It's like going from a 1974 Nova to a 2015 Caddy. You don't even know you’re going 40 over the speed limit until the po-po pulls you over and tells you...
In the end, what can you do? I feel is so the riders duty. Peeps been getting hurt in our sport forever. Now with social media, we now know of every crash practically. Riders need educated. Do we require them to take a course to ride? Sure, good idea, but they'll find some other sport to rack their balls in for free. Not that our sport is free, but you know what I mean. I haven't seen a track that has you jumping over the golden gate bridge or has a 100ft cliff between jumps... If you can't do it, don't. Not just 'cause you think you can.
I mean who do we think we are? The democrats? Are we really going to try and fix stupid (not saying everyone that gets injured in our sport is stupid, just that they may do something of the like. I have plenty of times. I've just been lucky I guess. Well, protected I like to think more so...) in some respects by telling someone what they can and cannot do? No. Best we could do is try and educate them with some sponsored free riding courses or something. Will that fix it? No. Reduce the injuries? Maybe.

As much as some folks HATE hearing this, some of it has to do with fate. I mean, if it's your time, you really do not have to be doing anything in my belief. Just sitting on the couch will do it. Can't say I "like" it per say, but I'm definitely not going to fight it and try to change something I cannot control or change. If you do not believe that, it's all good, but quit trying to stress us out that do with your lack of belief if you catch my drift... Just get out there and ride, try riding within yourself (again, a piece I have failed at at times), and let those that do not do so, do as they will and stay away from them...or try helping them or educate them before they do hurt themselves and/or someone else.

I have nothing else for ya if I even have anything at all...

BTW- I hate the injuries and what not also. Sickens my stomach, but in the end, I feel I am to the greater extent helpless unlike all those that feel they can save the world. Believe me, I hope they succeed some day...
 
hershey said:
Beating that damn dead horse again ( or velociraptor if your Day181)

You know my feelings, and surprised JO seems to agree now. 2nd and 3rd are all we mere mortals need. We are not pro riders for a reason. 4th gear on a 450 is uncalled for. More corners, slow it down. You can jump an 80' tabletop in 2nd on a 450 with a relatively short run ( if you dont believe me head on over to my house). If thats not big enough you have a problem.
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Just dont take what you want out of my response, i still think the bikes are too fast and the riders too bold. I will prove it this year, or I mean you all will. i think we need to be reminded where the brakes are located, and how to downshift. You ride the track, the track dont ride you.
 
I haven't ridden a track in ohio besides 213 that's had my (450) in 4th gear. Chilitown Cliff an Malvern i was in 4th gear quite a bit on my 250, especially over the bigger faster jumps. I don't have an answer to make things safer, but I think a lot has stemmed from 4 bangers. It took skill to ride a 2T fast, a 4T not so much
 
I have said it a 100 times on here. There is only so much impact the human body can with stand! Speed, height and distance all contribute to how hard the human body impacts the ground. Do tracks need tamed down? My opinion, is yes...some of them do. If you want to build a track for pros, that is one thing, but when B and C class, and Mini riders are riding on the same track, thinking they are going to jump the same things, that is when there are issues.

Look at what MX Sports does at the Daytona SX or Loretta Lynns. Their program is about running a ton of races, and the DO NOT want any medics and crashes slowing their program down at all. They take a pro SX track and tame it down for amateurs in Daytona. Nothing on the track was huge, or going to seriously hurt someone (there is always the freak accident). But yet I heard no one complaining the track was not challenging, and I saw very few people getting carted off out of 1369 riders.

Loretta Lynns....Look at the track. It is not filled with huge 100 or 120 foot triples. The triple at Chilitown is way bigger than anything on the track at Loretta lynns. The triple or finish line at Briar Cliff is bigger than any jump on the track that decides the National Championships. Why? Because they don't want crashes slowing their program down, but yet the racing does not suffer.

Malvern in my opinion is a safe track, nothing that do or die. But yet, some guy quad the step on step off section.....remove the 4th jump so guys don't do it and get hurt. Racing suffer, not in my opinion. The table to table section, while cool to watch, why have it if someone could get seriously hurt trying it. Racing suffer, not in my opinion.

Look at some of the track designs on the west coast. I've mentioned it before. They are designed with a lotof large jumps that have rounded off back sides, and you can jump as far as your comfortable. No tracks around here are designed like that. Perhaps they should be.

At the end of the day it is speed, and impact on the body. We can only take so much.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
Just dont take what you want out of my response, i still think the bikes are too fast and the riders too bold. I will prove it this year, or I mean you all will. i think we need to be reminded where the brakes are located, and how to downshift. You ride the track, the track dont ride you.
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But why build some thing as a promoter that you know is tough, and people will try? Is it worth the chopper coming in to haul someone off? I thought your track was a little easier this past year, but yet is was challenging and fun. But yet you have said on here, that you may make it much tougher again this year. So is that contributing to the problem?
 
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