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Rising Costs For Only 14 Meetings!

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So with at the moment only 8 teams in the league. Only 14 proper meetings for this years NL only riders yet they will all have to have the new silencers at roughly £200 per silencer so for 2 bikes thats £400.

 

Then theres the new style rear guard rule which isnt gonna be just a case of adjusting the old guards down. This also effects the push bar so new push bars will be needed along with the guards or the complete 1 piece gp guards at £50 odd apiece. Then because of the new guards the riders will also need new covers as the full length covers wont fit.

 

So where are these young or even semi experienced riders suppose to get the neccessary funding for these parts.

 

Silencers were held back a year from the other leagues because of costs but as theres very few 2nd hand ones about due to the fact alot of top riders (E.L) found themselves buying new ones half way through last year so not getting new ones this year (P.L riders dont tend to buy new equipment every year so dont sell on this stuff after 1 season).

 

Could they maybe do this with the guards rule as NL riders need to buy he silencers this year?

 

There is no way most of these riders will make this money back over the season when you take into account already running costs e.g. engine services, fuel, oil, tires. Unless they are being paid more than what they should be. Most of the riders in this league race because they love racing. Could they not be helped out to keep them racing instead of like many retire.

 

Most British riders dont get the help and opportunities in the higher leagues and if they do its often only for half a season or 1 season and unlike alot of foriegners around the 3pt PL mark if a Brit hasnt suddenly become a 5pt plus rider he is thrown back in the NL as obviously not good enough and will never make it.

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£200+ for the new silencers ...£70+ for the new rear mudgaurds ...£150+ for a new bike cover..£420 for one bike.... £840 for two bikes where are the riders supposed to find this sort of money before the season starts ,,and thats with out other bike parts and engine tunes,,The health and safety brigade have gone stark raving mad..At this level of racing these extra costs can not be justified....

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While I would accept that it may not be easy for some there are a couple of things that strike me. Firstly, everyone knew about the regulation changes for the bikes ages ago. Everyone should have long-since had a plan in place (by which I mean save the extra few hundred instead of going out on the pop or buying the latest phone/trainers/jeans/sunglasses or going on a winter holiday etc. It's been about 3 years since we knew the new silencers were on the way and a year for the mudguards. We're only talking about having to save a few pounds a week.

 

Ask the like of Pedersen, Crump and Nicholls what they think about the 'health and safety brigade'. The new style mudguard would have most likely saved all of them from severe injury.

 

Nobody said being a professional sportsman was going to be easy!

 

All of that said, I do think there should be more meetings where possible at NL level. An old fashioned second half with 4-man teams featuring the number 2, 6, 7 & 8 (or if you don't have a No. 8 signed use an unattached 3-pointer) is something I've suggested before and is something that would give extra rides to some of the lads that don't have the PL as well, and an extra half a dozen heats for the fans.

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You don't need new covers......... there are guards which are like the 'old' rear guards (but they are just lowered and little different shape) and you can still use your covers.

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Duch grasstrack could you possibly give us the name and telephone number for this supplier of legal gaurds that take the old covers would be obliged...

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Ask the like of Pedersen, Crump and Nicholls what they think about the 'health and safety brigade'. The new style mudguard would have most likely saved all of them from severe injury

 

 

the new guards will now just chop your fingers straight off instead of burning your skin

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20 century heathen..Pedersen ,Crump and the like can hardly be compared to the kids in the National League who can not be classed as professionals at this level as every penny earned.. and much more goes into maintaining bikes ,vans ,, excessories ..My own grandson Ben Morley is badly in need of sponsers for the new season,,However small all financial assistance is greatfully recieved .And that is the real world...The Dean Machine being a rider of many years experience is also correct in the effect on fingers..They have been designed with only legs and arms in mind..so still dangerous....Oh and most tracks dont pay for second half racing........

Edited by waco

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Im not saying if it is a valid safety measure it shouldnt be brought in but i totally agree with Deano that they are actually more dangerous. Unlike road bikes that have smooth tires speedway tires have knobbles and could grip a finger or hand and rip them into the guard. with no chance of doing anything about it with the new guards. No way of getting hand or arm out of guard like i have seen done in the past as there was room in old style guards.

 

21st century heathen you mention the likes of Pedersen, Crump, Nicholls as much as i take your point if they were so revolutionarily safe then surely these such riders would of started using these guards straight away without having to have the new ruling come in.

 

Dutch grasstrack yes i have seen these guards you mention but i do not believe that old covers will still fit as they will be too high up the side. They may squash down the push bar to fit making them a very bad fit and possibly cause problems. Also they will look completely wrong (unproffesional) as wont fit properly.

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While I would accept that it may not be easy for some there are a couple of things that strike me. Firstly, everyone knew about the regulation changes for the bikes ages ago. Everyone should have long-since had a plan in place (by which I mean save the extra few hundred instead of going out on the pop or buying the latest phone/trainers/jeans/sunglasses or going on a winter holiday etc. It's been about 3 years since we knew the new silencers were on the way and a year for the mudguards. We're only talking about having to save a few pounds a week.

 

Ask the like of Pedersen, Crump and Nicholls what they think about the 'health and safety brigade'. The new style mudguard would have most likely saved all of them from severe injury.

 

Nobody said being a professional sportsman was going to be easy!

 

All of that said, I do think there should be more meetings where possible at NL level. An old fashioned second half with 4-man teams featuring the number 2, 6, 7 & 8 (or if you don't have a No. 8 signed use an unattached 3-pointer) is something I've suggested before and is something that would give extra rides to some of the lads that don't have the PL as well, and an extra half a dozen heats for the fans.

 

 

can I ask, do you ride or have you ridden or have a son that did/does?. Genuine question

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im going to annoy some with this post but , to be a speedway rider is your own choice nobody is forceing you to do it , it is a fantastic often painfull career/hobby , you have to sacrifice just about everything to do it , no other motorcycle sport pays you anything other than prize money to compete, you dont have a given right to earn money at it ,especially at NL level , it takes a silly amount of money to compete above NL level and although sponsors are great and well recieved why should you expect someone else to pay for your privilage/hobby/passion, as brits yes we do get less backing from our govening body than say Denmark,Sweden or Poland but it will never change , i do sympathize with anybody trying to get started in the sport ,the fact is it costs a stupid amount of time and money and your always going to be on a loser , but the sport dosent do anything to help out with costs , ive been going around in circles for long enough now to know how it works ,and when i think of the money i lost around 1997-2001 trying to compete in the premier league it makes me cringe ,i was traveling to berwick and glasgow for home meetings but i wanted to be a rider and thats what you have to do no matter how much money you lose , i actually didnt lose money last year by doing my own engines and frame straightening and wheel building , im just seeing out my career this year and having fun , hopefully all you young new riders will get to the top and make loads of money from speedway , but what im trying to say is to be a speedway rider is a privalige not a right and to get to the top its going to cost you in money/time/effort/tears/heartache/sweat and blood , enjoy the ride

 

I must say that you have hit sport of any kind on the head and it is a breath of fresh air to hear a rider speak the truth.

It costs silly money in any kind of sport as I said on another posting with my involvement in UK top level Ice Skating, but you have given me lots of joy when watching you at all your levels of racing over the years!

Thank you for all your endeavours and pains over the years.

Edited by berniev123

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im going to annoy some with this post but , to be a speedway rider is your own choice nobody is forceing you to do it , it is a fantastic often painfull career/hobby , you have to sacrifice just about everything to do it , no other motorcycle sport pays you anything other than prize money to compete, you dont have a given right to earn money at it ,especially at NL level , it takes a silly amount of money to compete above NL level and although sponsors are great and well recieved why should you expect someone else to pay for your privilage/hobby/passion, as brits yes we do get less backing from our govening body than say Denmark,Sweden or Poland but it will never change , i do sympathize with anybody trying to get started in the sport ,the fact is it costs a stupid amount of time and money and your always going to be on a loser , but the sport dosent do anything to help out with costs , ive been going around in circles for long enough now to know how it works ,and when i think of the money i lost around 1997-2001 trying to compete in the premier league it makes me cringe ,i was traveling to berwick and glasgow for home meetings but i wanted to be a rider and thats what you have to do no matter how much money you lose , i actually didnt lose money last year by doing my own engines and frame straightening and wheel building , im just seeing out my career this year and having fun , hopefully all you young new riders will get to the top and make loads of money from speedway , but what im trying to say is to be a speedway rider is a privalige not a right and to get to the top its going to cost you in money/time/effort/tears/heartache/sweat and blood , enjoy the ride

So true. Getting a second half ride is difficult enough. A proper second half would be amazing,think of the permutations and crowd reaction. Which track will try it first?

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So true. Getting a second half ride is difficult enough. A proper second half would be amazing,think of the permutations and crowd reaction. Which track will try it first?

What is your version of a proper second half??

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im going to annoy some with this post but , to be a speedway rider is your own choice nobody is forceing you to do it , it is a fantastic often painfull career/hobby , you have to sacrifice just about everything to do it , no other motorcycle sport pays you anything other than prize money to compete, you dont have a given right to earn money at it ,especially at NL level , it takes a silly amount of money to compete above NL level and although sponsors are great and well recieved why should you expect someone else to pay for your privilage/hobby/passion, as brits yes we do get less backing from our govening body than say Denmark,Sweden or Poland but it will never change , i do sympathize with anybody trying to get started in the sport ,the fact is it costs a stupid amount of time and money and your always going to be on a loser , but the sport dosent do anything to help out with costs , ive been going around in circles for long enough now to know how it works ,and when i think of the money i lost around 1997-2001 trying to compete in the premier league it makes me cringe ,i was traveling to berwick and glasgow for home meetings but i wanted to be a rider and thats what you have to do no matter how much money you lose , i actually didnt lose money last year by doing my own engines and frame straightening and wheel building , im just seeing out my career this year and having fun , hopefully all you young new riders will get to the top and make loads of money from speedway , but what im trying to say is to be a speedway rider is a privalige not a right and to get to the top its going to cost you in money/time/effort/tears/heartache/sweat and blood , enjoy the ride

OMG so cynical, yet pluasable. Why do we bother?

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