Is off-road too precious?

We guard our sport like the crown jewels and while we collectively might make all the right noises about spreading the word to the outside world, in reality we make it about as hard to access as we possibly can!

 

Should it really cost £7,000 plus for a raw beginner to buy a box-standard MX or enduro bike – before throwing a van-full of goodies at it worth another X thousand? Or £5,000 just to see if we might be any good at motorcycle trials? 

 

Youth motocross, when you think about it, is structured to keep out beginners at all costs.

 

Why? Because there are no classes based on ability, only age. It works fantastically for the insiders who are weaned on Autos and then move up through the ranks, gaining in ability and speed as the machines get more powerful.

 

But where is the class for our mythical 14-year-old beginner from the outside world? 

 

He/she is bunged straight into the fastest class, where fire-breathing and expensive 250Fs rule.

 

Simple peer pressure is going to stop him/ her even considering this.

 

If I'm wrong, by all means tell me. 

 

This thought struck me, believe it or not, at the recent Nostalgia trial staged in my neck of the woods. 

 

The legendary Purple Helmets display team were on site and half a dozen of them entered the trial – on their all-purpose modified Honda C90 step-through scooters! 

 

In amongst the madness of throwing themselves into mud holes, holly bushes, down precipices, etc, etc, they were actually making not a bad attack on the sections, on bikes not remotely designed for such use or abuse.

 

And obviously having a great laugh to boot.

 

Isn't this what riding motorcycles is supposed to be about – having a good time with your mates? 

 

So where's the class for people who can't afford a £5,000 bike? 

 

Why aren't we encouraging outsiders to have a go on whatever bike they have got?

 

The same goes for motocross. Yes, as enthusiasts we all want the best kit available and are prepared to shell out whatever it costs. 

 

New bikes are absolutely awesome, no-one is denying this and are there for those who live and breathe the sport.

 

But surely there's room underneath for what in four-wheeled motorsport would be control classes. The Karting world has some really strictly controlled classes devised to keep costs down and the competition fair. 

 

Yes, a lot of this is overly simplistic. In the real world kids are incredibly sensitive to peer pressure and – for instance – no-one wants to be seen as the poor kid in the paddock.

 

But there must be ways of attracting some genuine new blood into the sport – apart from the obvious and very restricting one of simply expecting them to get their wallets out...