Breaking Into the Mainstream {Part 2: The Three Pillars of a Mainstream Sport}

December 26th, 2008 • Comments Breaking Into the Mainstream, My Thoughts
Tags: Breaking Into the Mainstrem, motocross, My Thoughts, supercross, television, three pillars

Before reading this post, be sure to check out Part 1: Introduction to find out more about this five part mini-series.

Motocross is at an important part in our history where we must decide whether or not to break into the mainstream, or continue to grow slowly and maintain the strong core fan base which we have built.

Before we can truly examine the effects which the transition to the mainstream will have on the sport, it is important to analyze the three pillars of support which are present in every mainstream sport in America and throughout the world.

Going mainstream will require 3 pillars of support for our sport. First of all, more fans are needed. While the motocross community is currently of a healthy size, we are no where near the size of football, baseball, or even soccer. In addition, motocross will need more advertising money to fund the sport as it grows, and a better television deal to get the sport out to more telelvision viewers.

The only way for the sport to build these three pillars is to move away from outdoor motocross and focus on Supercross. While this transition will provide newer fans with a more enjoyable experience, mainstream companies with more advertising options, and a more feasible live TV setup, it will also leave the hardcore fans in the dust.

Supercross Will Attract New Fans

-Photo by Paul Buckley.

For new fans, supercross provides a much more enjoyable experience. The events are held inside, where climates are controlled, food and bathrooms readily available. Furthermore, supercross events are generally held near or in large cities. Meaning that a weekend trip to watch a supercross can be incorporated into a larger excursion. Motocross, on the other had, is held outside, and fans are susceptible to the harsh summer weather. At almost all of the outdoor professional motocros events I have attended, it has either been scorching hot, or heavily raining. Neither of which are prime environments for newer fans. For the dedicated hardcore motocross fan who is already a fan of the sport, braving the elements in order to see a race. However, for newer fans, the harsh weather conditions at outdoor motocross races will quickly drive them away from the sport. If you are not intensely interested in motocross as a sport, than going to watch an outdoor motocross race is simply not worth it.

Weather is not the only way that Supercross provides a much more enjoyable experience to new fans. Supercross guarantees a specific seat. You can come when you want, leave when you want, and your seat is still yours. Finding a good spot to watch Motocross, on the other hand, can entail climbing hills, pushing through large crowds of people and holding on to your foot on the fence for dear life, because, if you leave, there are more than enough people to fill the gap instantly. Once again, for hard core fans, this is not a problem at all. In fact, this is one of the joys of going to the nationals. For newer fans, finding a spot to watch at an outdoor motocross race is simply not worth the trouble.

As a result of these stark differences between Supercross and motocross, Supercross is the “gateway” drug of motocross in that it attracts new fans to the sport. Conversely, in order to go mainstream, motocross needs to attract (many) new fans. This can only be accomplished by putting more of our industry’s effort and industry behind the sport of Supercross.

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Breaking Into the Mainstream, A Five Part Mini-Series {Part 1: Introduction}

December 25th, 2008 • Comments Breaking Into the Mainstream, My Thoughts
Tags: Breaking Into the Mainstream, motocross, My Thoughts, supercross

The sport of motocross is at a crucial crossroads. The sport is gaining popularity, press coverage and active participants. We are quickly approaching the point where we must make a decision. As a sport, are we going to “go for gold,” and try to break into the mainstream? Or are we going to let our sport grow as it has been, slowly, but steadily. The decisions made by the promoters, sponsors and organizers of professional motocross events in the next few years will shape our future forever.

-Photo by Paul Buckley.

In this five post series titled Breaking Into the Mainstream I will begin to examine what going mainstream will mean for the sport, and whether or not it is truly good for the hard core fans of motocross.

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Suzuki to Cut Amateur Racing Support Team

December 6th, 2008 • Comments Motocross News, My Thoughts
Tags: amateur, Anderson, depression, Dungey, economy, Motocross News, My Thoughts, Suzuki

A few weeks ago, I posted about the current state of the motocross economy. In the post, I talked about how I felt the motocross economy would crumble from the bottom up. However, it appears as if I may have been incorrect in this thought.

Recently, Suzuki decided to cut their amateur racing support team. In other words, the factory Suzuki team ran by Cole Gress in years past is now debunk. According to AmateurMX on Vital Mx

…Suzuki has dropped their amateur program. In the current economic climate they just couldn’t justify the expense of continuing with their current business model. Basically, no more free or discounted bike deals and no more factory trackside support in the fashion they were providing it. And no more factory amateur team.

Suzuki is clearly being strongly affected by the current economy situation throughout the world, and is starting to cut expenses to survive, however, I believe that they are cutting the wrong expenses.

Amateur Riders are the Backbone of the Motocross Community

-Photo by Paul Buckley.

What Suzuki is failing to realize with this move is that the amateur riders are the backbone of the motocross community, and of their motocross business as a whole. Granted, the amateur racing team only supported a small number of elite amateur racers, the results of this decision will have a ripple effect throughout the industry. There is no denying that Ryan Villopoto has greatly affected Kawasaki’s popularity, even before he turned pro. Similarly, Suzuki’s upcoming amateur riders, such as Eli Tolmac, Nico Izzi, and the Trettle brothers could have potentially made Suzuki “cool” again. By completely cutting out their amateur team, these riders will almost certainly be forced to another amateur team (Kawasaki’s prospering Team Green program, for example), in order to continue racing at the elite level. This, in return, will bring their present and future publicity and fan base to another manufacturer.

The transition from amateur to pro is difficult for even the most talented 16 year old amateur stars. Kawasaki Team Green has managed to make this transition easier by supporting their riders throughout the transition, so they are free of worrying about what team they will ride for. This method has worked really well for Kawasaki as it provides them with a steady stream of talented incoming riders and it benefits their riders by providing them with a solid ride in one of the biggest transitions of their career. Because Suzuki has canceled their amateur racing team, they will be void of this luxury, and will have an extremely difficult time convincing amateur riders to switch from a bike they know and personnel they are friends with, to a new team with a new bike and a new group of people around them. This decision by Suzuki could potentially cost them thousands of dollars, and hundreds of wins by cutting off their steady supply of fresh pro riders.

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5 Coolest 2009 Motocross Bike Innovations

November 29th, 2008 • Comments My Thoughts
Tags: 2009, Dirt Rider, EFI, Honda, Husaberg, Kawasaki, KTM, Monster Energy, motocross, My Thoughts, Yamaha

The 2009 motocross bikes are here, and they look great! The “Big 5″ have made a lot of changes to make this years bikes the best ever. However, 5 innovations within the industry have struck me as the coolest and most interesting.

Electronic Fuel Injection

-Photo from DirtRider.com.

Obviously, Electronic Fuel Injection (EFi) is one of the biggest new features of 2009. This has been in testing for a few years, but 2009 is the first in which the majority of motocross 450s will be EFI based. Form my point of view, EFI is almost entirely a step in the right direction. Not only does it produce soother, more consistent power in various weather conditions and locations in the power-band, but it also eliminates the troublesome and sometimes even dangerous low end bog that four strokes experiences sometimes. The one downside is that EFI adds some foreign technological complexity that mechanics experienced with carburetors may be confused by. Hopefully, however, the EFI systems should work good out of the box and not need a lot of after market tuning. Overall, I believe that EFI is a great transition for the sport of motocross and will provide us with better performing bikes for years to come. The auto industry has not looked back since switching to EFI and I doubt motocross will.

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Is the Motocross Economy Recession-Proof?

November 20th, 2008 • Comments My Thoughts
Tags: depression, eco-friendly, economy, green, motocross, My Thoughts, recession, recession-proof

There is no denying that America is currently in a time of economic downturn. The stock market continues to fall, people are loosing their jobs left and right, and major companies are crumbling. As motocross racers, we rely on an elaborate system of organizations, tracks, and companies to keep our sport going. However, as the economy continues to crumble, an increasingly prominent question in the minds of motocross racers and industry members will be “Is the motocross economy recession proof”

Motocross is a Luxury

-Photo by Paul Buckley.

The first step in analyzing whether or not the motocross economy is recession proof is the realization that motocross is a luxury. The people who truly pump money into the motocross economy, the hard core amateur racers, race because they enjoy it. They are not getting paid, and the truth is that motocross costs these riders a lot of money each year. A lot of serious amateurs may think that motocross is a crucial part of their life, but the truth is, when the going gets tough economically, expensive luxuries such as motocross are the first to get cut out of family’s budgets. There is no denying that motocross is a very expensive sport. From the bikes, to maintenance and safety gear, to entry fees, racing motocross can cost a family thousands of dollars a year. As a result, as more and more americans loose their jobs or get their paycheck cuts, they will look to cut the fat out of their budget, and motocross is basically a slab of bacon.

If the american economy continues to worsen, many riders will look to cut racing out of their motocross activities. This transition from racing to practicing is one we have already begun to see throughout New England. The past few years, attendances at races have dropped significantly, however, many shops are still reporting good business, and practice tracks are generally pretty busy. Practicing provides riders with the adrenaline rush of racing, but without the travel, entry fees, and other expenses of racing. In the past few years average attendances of races has dropped from the mid 3 and 400s to right around 200. This incredible drop is due to the added expense of racing, people’s desire to save money while still enjoying motocross. The decrease in racing will, and already has, hurt many racing clubs/organizations. They main source of income, race entry fees, has been nearly cut in half, while their expenses have stayed constant.

However, if something is not done in our country to reverse the economic downturn, many riders will be forced to cut racing out of their lives totally. While this is surely not something that most riders would enjoy doing, when motocross comes between putting food on your families table, the choice is clear. The problem that the motocross economy will have if the American recession worsens is that motocross is a luxury in most peoples lives, and something that they would be willing to give up in order to better provide for their family.

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