A conversation about safety in motocross
Updated: Apr 27, 2021
Sadly I have come to find that it's a hard conversation to have on a public forum, people start name calling and everyone that has a opinion about anything to do with safety is either a pussy or a commie and wants to make regulations for everyone.
These days it's go big or stay home, and I don't know if y'all have noticed but at the grassroots level most have in fact decided to stay home!
I have done surveys and talked to thousands of people that have quit racing online. And a lot of them would come back if there was a new optional way to get out and bang bars with your buddies and have fun without having to go so big and so fast.
Below is a clip from a conversation I read on a public forum, that turned into name calling and the thread got locked.
I was just observing neither person is me, but I would like to continue the conversation here.
I will say that i think the person that said that parents are wanting more safety these days is spot on. And that doesn't have to mean regulations or changes to current classes, it means options. I can easily explain this.
Question
It’s gotten to the point to where we have to ask you this question. Why are you still involved in the sport if it is so unsafe to you? My drive to work every morning is more dangerous than a few laps at pala motocross track.
The question above is in reply to someone talking about a thread on safety in motocross, And it seems to be a very common point of view, the macho just man up type, in fact I think most on the thread lean that way. And below was the reply from the guys he was talking to
Answer
you don't get statistics do you? Put it this way, how many miles have you driven a car without a crash? How many miles have you been on a dirt bike and crashed? Way more people die in cars because there are millions of more people on the road at any time. If the same amount of people rode motocross that drive cars and do the same amount of miles, you'd see way more injuries/deaths. Motocross is way more dangerous than driving a car. This is the type of argument that will help kill the sport. You need money to be in the sport.
The people that have money put a ton of time and money into their kids and don't want to see them hurt for life for a sport. This is why football is becoming less popular too. People now see the impacts of concussions on the brain in the long term. I'd be fine with my kid riding/racing a track that was mostly flat and tame but no way do I want him riding/racing a regular track. I don't need him getting landed on by some kid who can barely ride but can do all the jumps cause they're on an overpowered 250F. Lastly, riding areas are going away because people are moving to cities for work and the land is too expensive. If you have to spend all day getting to and from the track, fewer people are going to do it.
Personally I agree completely with the guy giving the answer here. It has nothing to do with car accidents or statistics, but everything to do with putting kids on over powered bikes and injuries almost everyone I know that used to race dirt bikes has quit, most still love the sport and wish they could do it but feel its just gotten too dangerous.
If you aren't planning to try to become a pro and just want to go out and bang bars with your buddies we don't need 50 plus foot jumps or bikes with so much horse power.
people often ask why is the sport struggling.
This is not that hard to figure out.
look at what worked in the 1970's simple affordable air cooled bikes that were a lot slower. people could bang bars have fun and still go to work.
If that isn't enough proof, Look at where the growth is right now. Pit bikes! and vintage mx racing are both have massive growth right now, even American flat track is having a resurgence
and we can in moto to.
The problem is right here below!
This is from The AMA website.
If purchasing a bike, use this guide to help pick out the correct machine for AMA Racing.
Ages: 4 to 6: 50cc 2-stroke/4-stroke. Max Front Wheel of 10”
Ages: 7 to 8: 50cc 2-stroke. Max Front Wheel of 12”
Any child over 8 yrs old or an adult just trying to start in the sport of motocross has to fit into one of these classes below.
Ages: 7 to 11: 65cc 2-stroke
Ages: 9 to 15: 85cc 2-stroke
Ages: 12 to 16: 112cc 2-stroke or 150cc 4-stroke. Max Front Wheel of 19”
Ages: 12 & Above: 125cc 2-stroke
Ages: 14 & Above: 201cc 2-stroke – 350cc 2-stroke/4-stroke
Ages: 16 & Above: 351cc – Open cc 2-stroke/4-stroke
This list is Killing the sport,
if you are an adult beginner, there is no place for you in modern motocross. if you are a washed up 40 year old motocrosser again, there is no place for you. there is no place anymore to have fun racing without taking it seriously, spending a lot of money, and without A Lot of risk of injury.
But our problems are easily fixable and a resurgence could be right around the corner.
I believe have solutions and I want to implement them but I need help doing it.
If you would like to help me work on it please reach out... @
mx-collaborations.com
I also think Electric motorcycles will help fix a lot of the problems we are currently having eventually, but who knows when? it could be 5 to 10 years before they have that technology dialed in and its affordable enough for the average family. I have some solutions we could implement right now that would help, and when the electric bikes become more prevalent they will also roll right into the plans I am working on as well.
Get in the conversation
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MX-COLLABORATIONS.COM
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