moxey63 Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 Speedway is a weird sport that does not tickle the fancy of many motorcycle owners. On the other hand, I bet a big percentage of speedway hardcore followers have never sat on a motorbike, let alone ridden one. I bet speedway is the only motorcycle sport that speedway fans follow, that alone saying speedway and its fans are a bit of an odd coulple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepturningleft Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 Speedway is a motorcycle sport that isn't a motorcycle sport - if you see what I mean. Think this one reason why technical talk from the pits - "we've made some changes etc" is completely pointless as most punters just aren't interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Eye Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 But bikers can't go out and buy a Jawa or a GM like they see on the race track so it means very little to them. Speedway is an odd motorsport i that the bikes are not the attraction. It's still worth promoting the sport in the more mainstream motorcycle press though. It's mainly people who have an interest in bikes that watch trials, but you don't see many Gas-Gas, Montesas or Fantics being ridden on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 (edited) Speedway machines, apart from the pioneer days, have never resembled anything near to a typical road machine. Trials bikes do have a similarity with everyday two-wheelers. But riding down your local High Street on a speedway bike will be as strange as being perched on one of those C5 things, the invention and downfall of Clive Sinclair in the 80s. Edited May 17, 2013 by moxey63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy jimmy Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 Speedway is a weird sport that does not tickle the fancy of many motorcycle owners. On the other hand, I bet a big percentage of speedway hardcore followers have never sat on a motorbike, let alone ridden one. I bet speedway is the only motorcycle sport that speedway fans follow, that alone saying speedway and its fans are a bit of an odd coulple. You just can't help yourself can you, just have to keep coming back for one last insult, pathetic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foamfence Posted May 18, 2013 Report Share Posted May 18, 2013 It's still worth promoting the sport in the more mainstream motorcycle press though. It's mainly people who have an interest in bikes that watch trials, but you don't see many Gas-Gas, Montesas or Fantics being ridden on the road. Do people watch trials? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trophykid Posted May 18, 2013 Report Share Posted May 18, 2013 This is why a long hard look at formula two speedway may be worth a look. The potential to forge partnerships with Honda, BMW, KTM etc can't be ignored surely? I believe having recognisable brands would appeal to the general public. The potential financial rewards of attracting such companies is obvious. However, I suspect it would be a challenge to the power base of the promotors, and unlikely to be explored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 18, 2013 Report Share Posted May 18, 2013 You just can't help yourself can you, just have to keep coming back for one last insult, pathetic I am only stating facts. Speedway and its supporters are not like other motorcycle forms of sports. I could argue with you all day, Jimmy Jimmy, have a bit of fun, but I would still find it hard to eductae someone with your opinions. Blinkered they are. So I'll let you move on, I have toyed for long enough. You have stated, in the post above... that I have to keep coming back for one last insult, which is a statement implying I will never be going away then. For once, you could be spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Eye Posted May 18, 2013 Report Share Posted May 18, 2013 Do people watch trials? It gets large crowds abroad and the Indoor World Championship round at Sheffield has always been full. It's certainly 'different' compared to normal speed type motorcycle racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckTaylor64 Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 I actually follow all bike sports and it is a fair comment that speedway isn't as popular with the biking fraternity as other motorcycle sports. Has anyone actually asked MCN why they no longer cover speedway. I can remember Andrew Edwards Speedway Slant column years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 The difference between speedway and other forms of motorcycle might be this: speedway is very much built on rider personalities and contests between clubs. Other forms of motorcycle sport feature a great deal more on the type of machinery being used with a lesser concentration on the actual competitors. I think these days MCN likes to be regarded as a technical publication which possibly may explain its lack of interest in speedway and grass track racing (the latter was also covered strongly by them some 30 years ago). these comments are totally spot on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgowmicktiger Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 Berwick had a good crowd on tuesday.....ok they went the extra mile for the big event but shows it can be done hope they keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelcroucher Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 I have always said if you want a big corwd then you have to look at what other coutries do to get crowds at speedway. Every Sunday i watch speedway on TV in Poland and the crowds are always full or nearly full. They also get big crowds in CZ every once in a while and sometimes in Denmark and Swenden if they can do it why cant the UK. I think the promoters dont help sky never did anything and i dont know if they are still like that but you want get big crowds if they keep speedway runnning the way they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinkox Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 speedway is very much built on rider personalities and contests between clubs. PRECISELY. Its a team sport. 99% of the crowd just want to see their team win - they dont care if a particular rider has made any new mods to his bike. Actually - the bikes have less character now. Going back to my experiences of Wimbledon in the 60s it was possible to recognise any of the teams bikes because of the individual quirks they had, style of handlebars etc. It meant you could tell who might be a substitute in a race by seeing the bike wheeled out - before it was announced. Not that this has much to do with crowd size differences. . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 PRECISELY. Its a team sport. 99% of the crowd just want to see their team win - they dont care if a particular rider has made any new mods to his bike. Actually - the bikes have less character now. Going back to my experiences of Wimbledon in the 60s it was possible to recognise any of the teams bikes because of the individual quirks they had, style of handlebars etc. It meant you could tell who might be a substitute in a race by seeing the bike wheeled out - before it was announced. Not that this has much to do with crowd size differences. . . no but it helps us understand where the appeal of the sport lies and it has never been in the technical stuff for me which is why it is the one area costs could be cut - fans don't care about miles per hour jus close exciting racing. Find the cheapest kit possible to achieve this and charge £10 at the door.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_minall Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 It would be interesting to see if a track could survive by charging £10 on the door week in, week out. Granted they'd have to bring in nearly twice the crowd, but the increase in food/drink/merchandise sales should also increase as a result. An experiment I'm assuming will never be attempted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 (edited) It would be interesting to see if a track could survive by charging £10 on the door week in, week out. Granted they'd have to bring in nearly twice the crowd, but the increase in food/drink/merchandise sales should also increase as a result. An experiment I'm assuming will never be attempted. no they wouldn't have to double their crowd!!!! they'd be paying the riders less because the riders wouldn't have to shell out for daft exprensive kit the point people are making is that the bikes dont matter - but the teams and riders do massive vans and 5K bikes? The sport can't stand it - except at GP level they can ride BSA Bantams for all i care things started to get out of hand when 4 valvers came in and it gets more out of hand every bloody year Edited May 23, 2013 by ch958 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 no they wouldn't have to double their crowd!!!! they'd be paying the riders less because the riders wouldn't have to shell out for daft exprensive kit the point people are making is that the bikes dont matter - but the teams and riders do massive vans and 5K bikes? The sport can't stand it - except at GP level they can ride BSA Bantams for all i care things started to get out of hand when 4 valvers came in and it gets more out of hand every bloody year B****y good Post!! I particularly liked the BSA Bantam bit. I don't think that Despatch Riders after WW2 had 'Lay Down Engines. Yes - the Sport is PRICING itself out of Business. :sad: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Eye Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 no but it helps us understand where the appeal of the sport lies and it has never been in the technical stuff for me which is why it is the one area costs could be cut - fans don't care about miles per hour jus close exciting racing. Find the cheapest kit possible to achieve this and charge £10 at the door.. Well go and watch cycle speedway then. No complicated internal combustion engines to baffle you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Well go and watch cycle speedway then. No complicated internal combustion engines to baffle you there. honestly - have you got nothing better to do than make dumb ass comments grow up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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