The sport of motocross is missing an entry level way for people and kids over 8 years old to get started in the sport. (IMO)
Yes we have some beginner classes but after kids are to old to start on a 50cc bike neither the tracks or the bikes are beginner friendly.
I do think the 50cc class is great if your parents have an interest in the sport and get you into it when you're young, but if you aren't one of the lucky ones that get to start on a 50cc and gain experience before moving up to what are now days very high performance bikes than it's not a very easy sport to get into, so if you don't get the opportunity to start under the age of 8yrs old that is where I believe there is a problem.
I also believe there is an entire level of the sport of motocross being missed completely that if we can put in motion could and would bring thousands of new riders into the sport.
I have a theory:
I Call it
"The black diamond effect", I call it that because the closest comparison I can find to use is downhill skiing, in downhill skiing If a person or a family wants to try it, they can go to a ski resort and Rent the ski’s and equipment, also there is a bunny hill there to learn on, they can take it slow and easy and work their way up, and if they get good at it and build up confidence they can slowly move up at their own pace and eventually advance to the black diamond hills, which in are the most extreme hills in that sport.
Now imagine if in the sport of downhill skiing that there was no rental equipment offered at ski resorts, so if you or your family wanted to try it you had to go buy the expensive ski’s and related equipment just to be able to try it to see if you like it, and then on top of being no rentals offered now imagine if all there were was black diamond hills, and they had no bunny hill.. So go buy everything and go directly to the black diamond the first run.
That is kind of an example for what modern motocross has evolved into.
I raced motocross when I was a kid in the early 1990s and after not racing for several years I went to some local races just to watch. I also follow pro motocross and I never stopped watching that but I hadn't been to a local race in years, after watching a some local events with the thought of getting back into racing I left thinking wow this really has gotten extreme, and I can see why it is now becoming even more of a niche sport, the jumps have gotten so big and the speeds have gotten so fast, that I can honestly say that I'm not sure that I want to do it, if I'm thinking that and I already love the sport, what's the general public thinking?
(I had someone comment and say this is true but it's gotten really easy to hit these big jumps on these bikes, and I do get that but still when your jumping that big and going that fast even if it's easy it's still more risky because if you crash for whatever reason, crossrut get bumped by someone else or whatever it may be It's still has the potential big consequences.
We don’t have a bunny hill these days, it's kind of like its just all black diamond runs now days. And if you are someone thats never ridden before even just to try it to see if you or your family like it and want to join in, you typically have to commit by buying expensive bikes and equipment, there is no other way to try it, in the past people would usually try it on other kids bikes in their neighborhood, it was much more common in the past to see other kids with dirt bikes, or after seeing other kids riding locally their dad would just bring a dirt bike home and they would usually start out riding around the neighborhood, they could find or make home made tracks or trails around their neighborhoods back then but that isn't happening these days in most areas.
In the 1970's the bunny hill or way to learn was just riding on trails, fields and home made tracks around your neighborhood, and the bunny hill for racing was XR75's and other air cooled bikes.
Now days we really dont have a bunny hill.
I think we need to be deliberate if we want the sport to grow and create a new bunny hill, and plan new ways for people to try riding and to create new ways for people to get started in racing.
(I want to say this before the core enthusiasts start thinking that I want to change the whole sport,
I don’t!
I love watching the fast guys Rip. I even like watching experienced kids Rip on 85's and supermini's.
However what I do want is to add some new classes and options, plus I want to help put an organized focus on growing the sport.
"A rising tide raises all ships"
after doing a massive amount of research about the history of the sport of motocross.
I think we are missing some crucial areas with bike sizes and classes.
I think that the current tracks used could be changed or modified to use portions of the track, to create a shorter version for smaller lower performance bikes & classes, basically a track within a track.
Also new smaller tracks could be made specifically for the smaller bikes.
I also believe live events that introduce the public to the sport, and let people test ride on a small track with no jumps would help, the sport sells itself but most people aren't given the opportunity to try riding dirt bikes these days.
I hope to talk to key people in the motocross industry.
I am working on a passion project that's about ways to help grow the sport of motocross,
Together we can make a difference, If you have any feedback or ideas about ways we can help the sport of motocross grow at the grassroots level that you would like to share send me a message, thanks.
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