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Finale of UK Speedway ?


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On 5/29/2023 at 11:00 AM, Sings4Speedway said:

The problem with continuing at even individual/amateur level is the supplies of equipment will dry up. Currently lower leagues and amateurs mostly feed off buying second hand pro bikes. If they stop being purchased the suppliers will shut down too and just leave a trickle of parts available or revert to the days of bodging and mending to keep ailing bikes running 

I must admit, I'm a bit out of touch now as it's been at least 10 years since my son rode at amateur level, and yes, his equipment was second hand and probably filtered down from pro use.

Having said that, I seem to remember at the time, you could buy new equipment from JRM (Jawa) and build a basic machine for a reasonable amount. After all there's not much to a single cylinder bike with no gearbox or brakes. It's all the trick bits & specialist tuning that make it unaffordable, which wouldn't be necessary at an amateur level. 

I don't know if this is still the case? I looked online but the Jawa catalogue I found doesn't show prices anymore like it used to, but would a new basic machine cost any more than what people pay to compete in other amateur motorcycle disciplines like Moto X etc.?

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1 hour ago, AFCB Wildcat said:

I must admit, I'm a bit out of touch now as it's been at least 10 years since my son rode at amateur level, and yes, his equipment was second hand and probably filtered down from pro use.

Having said that, I seem to remember at the time, you could buy new equipment from JRM (Jawa) and build a basic machine for a reasonable amount. After all there's not much to a single cylinder bike with no gearbox or brakes. It's all the trick bits & specialist tuning that make it unaffordable, which wouldn't be necessary at an amateur level. 

I don't know if this is still the case? I looked online but the Jawa catalogue I found doesn't show prices anymore like it used to, but would a new basic machine cost any more than what people pay to compete in other amateur motorcycle disciplines like Moto X etc.?

Using Joe Hughes International (because they list prices) and selecting only the basic level items focussing on a single bike for amateur level racing with no donor parts id guestimate that it would cost easily £5-7K to build up a respectable new machine (not including cost of engine).  Will chuck rough figures below but thats the tip of the iceberg....

countershaft £385 
clutch  £585 
forks + damper £450
diamond £250
rear end £150 
engine plates £120
fuel tank £100
air filter £50
tyres £120 (Front&Back)
wheels £250 rear £180 front
exhaust £350 (front pipe, silencer, heat shield)
dirt deflector £300
carb £675

Total £3965

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11 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Using Joe Hughes International (because they list prices) and selecting only the basic level items focussing on a single bike for amateur level racing with no donor parts id guestimate that it would cost easily £5-7K to build up a respectable new machine (not including cost of engine).  Will chuck rough figures below but thats the tip of the iceberg....

countershaft £385 
clutch  £585 
forks + damper £450
diamond £250
rear end £150 
engine plates £120
fuel tank £100
air filter £50
tyres £120 (Front&Back)
wheels £250 rear £180 front
exhaust £350 (front pipe, silencer, heat shield)
dirt deflector £300
carb £675

Total £3965

Thank you, that's kind of what I expected. So as I say, not disproportionate to other hobbies then.

I know people who have spent over £10k for something they have to pedal for a weekend hobby.

At the end of the day it's a very basic piece of kit. Anyone with any basic grasp of mechanics could strip & rebuild one so the servicing & maintenance costs needn't be prohibitively high. 

At an entry level too, using a pit bike engined machine for youngsters to get started would probably be cheaper than the combined cost of their iPhones and games consoles!:)

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On 5/29/2023 at 12:01 PM, stevehone said:

riders needing to have 2 bikes at each meeting is an added expense also, the number of times i've been somewhere and riders would rather borrow from another rider or spend ages trying to fix something than jump on their own spare bike.

i think in league meetings the last rider i can recall having the 2nd bike set up the same as the 1st was Tom Topinka

In the days when I reported on speedway, I recall Paul Bentley ticking me off for referring, in conversation, to his 'second bike'. They're both the same, he told me. There isn't any point, he added, having two bikes, if you think one is inferior.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The question regarding speedway's future has to be where are the new fans. I began attending in 1975, for example: but who is the most recent first time attendee on here, for example?   I guess most would say the 70s and 80s. 

 

Edited by moxey63
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2 hours ago, moxey63 said:

The question regarding speedway's future has to be where are the new fans. I began attending in 1975, for example: but who is the most recent first time attendee on here, for example?   I guess most would say the 70s and 80s. 

 

My grandson Ethan attended speedway for the first time early last season after his family were gifted some free tickets for Sheffield from the charity "Bluebell Woods", and he was instantly hooked. My last speedway meeting I attended prior to 2022 was at Rye house but his enthusiasm for all things speedway re-ignited my enthusiasm and now we attend every week at Sheffield and we are also fairly regular at Leicester as well. 

Every day I get a phone call to discuss the latest postings about riders and teams on the various forums so I would say that Ethan is one of the new generation of speedway supporters ready to move forward into the future with this great sport of ours BUT are the powers that be ready to move the sport forward and give these new supporters something to support and follow?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just looking at the fixture lists and seeing most teams have periods of inactivity for several weeks I can't but wonder how the ruling bodies can get it so wrong. 

Come the business and rainy end what's the chances teams are going to be struggling for dates yet again?

Total mismanagement and financially clubs much be taking considerable hits.

IMO we must go to a single league and ensure fans get weekly racing or fans will find other (cheaper) forms of entertainment.

Changes are needed now

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On 6/24/2023 at 12:02 PM, cinderfella said:

Just looking at the fixture lists and seeing most teams have periods of inactivity for several weeks I can't but wonder how the ruling bodies can get it so wrong. 

Come the business and rainy end what's the chances teams are going to be struggling for dates yet again?

Total mismanagement and financially clubs much be taking considerable hits.

IMO we must go to a single league and ensure fans get weekly racing or fans will find other (cheaper) forms of entertainment.

Changes are needed now

Changes were needed donkeys years ago. ..

They never happened...

And won't now. .

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. ..

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Herts-based spectator sitting in front of me at Peterborough last night reckoned there is a good chance Rye House will reopen in 2024. Something to do with the stadium owner having to reinstate track and safety fence because his alterations didn't have planning permission. Is that right (these days, I never see Speedway Star)?

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well there goes the theory that GP/ star name riders will have them flocking through the gates. One division at CL level and NL needed. If we accept we're down to the bare bones of fans (500 at Pboro last night with a GP star and good looking Pboro signing?) lets cut our cloth and go from there, much as I've enjoyed seeing clips of Sayfutinov etc. it can't go on

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2 hours ago, Piotr Pyszny said:

Herts-based spectator sitting in front of me at Peterborough last night reckoned there is a good chance Rye House will reopen in 2024. Something to do with the stadium owner having to reinstate track and safety fence because his alterations didn't have planning permission. Is that right (these days, I never see Speedway Star)?

The lease agreement with the new landlords and council permission has still to be signed off I think, but certainly seems a lot more positive. The landlords have seemingly given up on their plan for football pitches and are going to put in for planning permission to restore the track.

New landlords shot themselves in the foot by building without planning permission and ripping the track up without permission. A stop order was put on the land by the council so it hasn't been touched for a couple of years. They have put in a couple of planning applications but I don't think they've ever been heard. The council have been abysmal through the process anyway by waving through retrospective planning permission when they knocked the stand down and generally not being interested in the landlords breaking planning laws until they were threatened with legal action.

Fair play to Steve Ribbons as it would have been artificial football pitches by now if not for him. Still a couple of hurdles to go though, but they want to run in the Championship in 2024 if all goes well.

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This is why it is the Finale of UK Speedway

SCB STATEMENT: ARTEM LAGUTA

TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2023

Following the withdrawal of Artem Laguta from the Kings Lynn team at the Wolverhampton Premiership fixture on Monday 26th June the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB) have made the following statement…

The SCB were informed on the morning of the 26th June that Artem Laguta would not be able to attend the Wolverhampton v Kings Lynn fixture due to falling ill after competing for his Polish team Wroclaw on Sunday 25th June.

Subsequently the SCB received medical documentation at 1.30pm confirming that Mr Laguta had suffered from food poisoning and was unable to travel to the UK and advised to rest for a period of at least 2 days.

Due to missing this fixture through a non-speedway injury/sickness as per SCB Regulation 010.5 h) – Mr Laguta SCB Registration will now be suspended for a period of 7 days.

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5 hours ago, Piotr Pyszny said:

Herts-based spectator sitting in front of me at Peterborough last night reckoned there is a good chance Rye House will reopen in 2024. Something to do with the stadium owner having to reinstate track and safety fence because his alterations didn't have planning permission. Is that right (these days, I never see Speedway Star)?

I have been told the same. I hope this is the case as it would be my closest track as its only 20 miles away, failing that its 60ish to Oxford & Iwade or 90ish to Peterborough.

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It would be very good news if could start racing again at Rye House for me as I was a regular there before closure. The two tracks I visited after Rye closing were Poole and IOW. Sadly in both cases it is no longer possible to get back  to the Wimbledon area after their meetings due to changes in the train (and ferry in the case of IOW) timetables after Covid.

Edited by Chris116
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Tonights cricket at Edgbaston was a  T20 QF Warwickshire Bears v Essex Eagles, 3 hours of almost none stop action in a modern Stadium all for £10 per ticket, that's the price Richard Willford said on Radio WM tonight, and that is the kind of competition Speedway is up against and really has no chance of winning as things stand.

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On 7/6/2023 at 11:20 PM, heathen52 said:

Tonights cricket at Edgbaston was a  T20 QF Warwickshire Bears v Essex Eagles, 3 hours of almost none stop action in a modern Stadium all for £10 per ticket, that's the price Richard Willford said on Radio WM tonight, and that is the kind of competition Speedway is up against and really has no chance of winning as things stand.

Although 37 quid for Surrey t20 matches at the Oval.

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