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Current Topic Rating: | Join the Forum to Rate this Topic at: Classic Motorcycling Australia Forums
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john
Forum Moderator
Victoria
3130 Posts |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 2:10:54 PM
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Committee needs assistance
The HMRAV has moved in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Today we run 3 major race meetings and Mt tarrengower Hill climb, we are the only major promoter of Historic racing in Victoria and coupled with the track access issues in NSW there is great opportunities for more riders to attend our events. But we have some issues that need to come out; 1- Sloppy entry form completion 2- Opportunities for promotion missing 3- Commercial sponsorship opportunities 4- Potential growth. 5- Need to encourage pre – 1962 machines.
1. Many racers are annoyed they have to wait at scrutineering to get signed in because we entries with no name, unsigned, no licence, ambulance, contact and even completed bike details. I have been encouraging the race secretary to just send them back, but the committee thinks a more civilized approach is better. Pay attension please when filling in the forms or I shall name names. 2. getting older champions etc to our meeting is possible, all it needs is a dedicated person to take it on board. Graeme Crosby indicated to me he would be interested, Toddy is working on Kevin MCgee. If we can draw bigger crowds because of thses people it would be good for all of us. 3. The Committee just does not have time to rattle the can and get advertisers or any long term “sponsorship”, the club has a commercially valuable event, we should capitalize on it. 4. With the current lack of tracks in NSW and also promoting clubs there are possibilities of drawing many NSW riders down, this takes effort. 5. Kelly Spargo has had success attracting people from South Australia successfully so it can be done. 6. Period 5 classes are booming, Period 2 and 3 are dropping. 7. I cannot see why we cannot create a promotion package pointing out the joys or building, tuning and racing old bikes. The old furphies of expense are rubbish, riders tell me they can race quite economically compared with going to the basket ball , opera Australia and the tennis so if we can find somebody to write about the fun of riding old bangers we can use it. The sidecars came back from oblivion with effort by a few so it is attainable.
I ask everybody to remember why they started racing historic bikes and think about helping to entice more people to race against. Thanks in anticipation of reading this. Secretary HMRAV John Daley
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John Daley Sidecar #68 ' there are those who do, those who dont do and those who undo. We must lampoon the latter." |
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GD66
Senior Member
Western Australia
390 Posts |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 11:06:46 PM
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Good on you John, keep your eye on the ball and keep batting, son. We in the West are having a swing once again at P3 but so far it hasn't been too fruitful, you can ask and you can put the meetings on, but if the entries are still low, what as a club can you do ? For mine, it's really up to participants in each category to do their own lobbying : a good example is P3 Unlimited, the blokes in that class nationwide are all buddies and can be relied upon to continue to persuade each other to get out on the track. And , after a shove, the 125 guys got together and pulled together a field for the Southern Classsic and the Island. So it can be done. The sidecar guys, a couple of years ago, were faced with demotion from the Island Classic, for poor fields : result : big fields, great racing, and good camaraderie, as always, amongst the chairmen. So the punchline is, it's up to the members of each category to do their own research/chasing/tailtwisting/exhumation to get their class out on to the track. The days of "Why can't the club do this..?" and "Why can't somebody in the club do that...?" are over, and it's time to sort it out. The clubs provide a programme suitable to all classes of classic racing, and provide the event, the infrastructure, and the support staff. But it's not REALLY up to them to go hunting for the participants as well.... |
Edited by - GD66 on 14 May 2010 11:09:42 PM |
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john feakes
Advanced Member
Victoria
791 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2010 : 09:01:09 AM
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All good points John. I am happy to work towards establishing a relationship with a few journos to see if we can get more promotion for the Southern Classic prior to the event. Will I be treading on someone's toes if I do this? I will also try to stir up interest (and action) among the 125 riders. I fear that P3 is becoming a thing of the past as the riders who grew up in this era are now senior citizens and the bikes that dominated the era are now worth too much money to risk on a race track. Time marches on whether we like it or not and the most likely age group to be attracted to old bikes is probably the 45-55 year olds. These people grew up with P4 and P5 bikes and these are the bikes they would remember when thinking of historic bikes. I think this is reflected by the size of the P5 unlimited class. The active age group grew up with Superbikes, the days when Manx Nortons, 7Rs and G50s were the dominant bikes are now too far back in the mists of time. Perhaps it is time that we changed our way of thinking and embraced the upcoming P6 to encourage younger blood into the sport and the club. I don't like the idea but I do believe that it could be a case of change or perish. John |
125 RIDERS' ALLIANCE
A wise person simplifies the complicated, a fool complicates the simple. |
Edited by - john feakes on 15 May 2010 09:04:45 AM |
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john
Forum Moderator
Victoria
3130 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2010 : 09:12:58 AM
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I do not accept the arugument that P3 machines are too valuable. Not everybody has to have a Manx or a G50. Dont tell anybody but I looked at a BSA 250 a while ago and I think it would have cost me about $3000 to build. Royal enfileds with some mods are very economical. Now I dont think $3000 to play is expensive, am I wrong?
Overseas the fields are big and yes there are lots more people but that does not explain aeverything. I hope, we can develpo a plan that proves these old bangers are great fun, thats all. The plan does not need to suggest people will be world champs on an oldie but the building, camaradrie etc are all part of having a pleasant weekend.
The bogie I hear from time to time, I cant win on that is falling on the wrong ears, we dont need primadonors, just enthusiastic potential racers. |
John Daley Sidecar #68 ' there are those who do, those who dont do and those who undo. We must lampoon the latter." |
Edited by - john on 17 May 2010 9:31:46 PM |
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john feakes
Advanced Member
Victoria
791 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2010 : 10:43:35 AM
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John, just to put things in perspective, my modest CB125 started out as a $500 bike. It is now slightly over $4,000 and is not finished yet. Now I will admit to getting carried away with enthusiasm as I really enjoyed seeing this bike develop into something nice, and, of course, it could have been done cheaper had I set my sights lower. The cheapest race bike is someone else's race bike. We live in a push button world where instant gratification is demanded. It is only odd bods that are prepared to devote many hours and many dollars to creating a race bike out of an old dunger. But, having said all that, I like your idea and will, of course, do anything I can to help you get it launched. Any bike is better than no bike. Perhaps we should have a club project and actually build something and then offer it for sale. |
125 RIDERS' ALLIANCE
A wise person simplifies the complicated, a fool complicates the simple. |
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john
Forum Moderator
Victoria
3130 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2010 : 9:34:29 PM
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My idea is not aimed at ****ers who need instant gratification, its aimed at people who want to waste time learning from others how to throw their time and money away, how to get to a track and ride like hell and get beaten by everybody and go home wondering what improvemnts he needs to do. Or finding a gun rider and spending the night around a fire bragging and learning. Instant gratification can be obtained from racing a modern 250cc. |
John Daley Sidecar #68 ' there are those who do, those who dont do and those who undo. We must lampoon the latter." |
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john feakes
Advanced Member
Victoria
791 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:43:24 AM
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How about we mount a display of bikes somewhere, say a shopping town mall, and see if we can attract some interest? Perhaps P.I. at a world event? We need to promote our sport if we are to attract new blood. |
125 RIDERS' ALLIANCE
A wise person simplifies the complicated, a fool complicates the simple. |
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john
Forum Moderator
Victoria
3130 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2010 : 09:27:52 AM
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I wonder if we get some signage at Moto bits, Classic bikes in Seadford and Gregs shop in Huntingdale. Can somebody design something? |
John Daley Sidecar #68 ' there are those who do, those who dont do and those who undo. We must lampoon the latter." |
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