South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

billinom8s wrote: ↑Feb 13th, '18, 12:24 A change in the ACU rules and regs.

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Sorry, but here's a rant, with biking in general and minor league bike sport in particular in mind (Si's innocent comment [above] re' the ACU in the topic about the cancelled Welsh road races has sparked this):

Since I started off-road racing in 1971, my experience of the ACU is that they're a top heavy, over-regulating and beaurocratic bunch of short sighted, empire-building, killjoy p.i.t. arse's. I wouldn't be in the least surprised to learn they've been involved in the C.O.W. fiasaco as well as this, the latest foray into their well trodden path of 'we-know-what's-good-for-you-so-don't-argue'.
They've managed to reduce the popularity of virtualy all disciplines of grass roots bike racing to a level where the general public, and a lot of bikers, hardly knows it exists.
Certainly IMO they've missmanaged motorcycle grasstrack racing, the sport that I've been mostly involved in; overseeing it's slide from one of the best attended spectator (and rider) off-road bike sports in the country (over 7,000 spectators at the 1976 Exeter-based 'Western Winner') to what it is today, a shadow of it's former self with dwindling attendances right across the board - anybody in SWB ever rode in a grasstrack race meeting, or attended one as a spectator? If so, you'll be speaking from a position of strength and I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
Motorcycling in ALL it's forms, including road, is declining in popularity - witness the increasing age of the average biker compared to 15 years ago. The ACU need to realise, and quickly, that the big league black-top circuit racers need the foundation of successful and popular grass roots racing, in every form, to keep biking in the public eye and therefore interesting and maybe something they, the public, should aspire to. The ACU are not doing a very good job of that at the moment.

I wanted to do ACU drag racing championship, but it was such a beaurocratic hassle getting my ACU licence and entering ACU sanctioned events I gave up and concentrated on the Straightliners and RWYB events.

I think the increased complexity (and cost) of attaining a full motorcycle licence has more to do with the current decline in general motorcycling popularity..., then there is our climate, which I'm sure is getting worse.

I love motorcycles and have done since I could walk and point at them.
In my life I have only been to see 1 bike race - didn't care for it too much, could hardly see what was happening, tbh I'd rather watch it on a TV. I just went for the ride really, and to have a nice day out with my mates.
Sporting events involving motorcycles do not affect my love of motorcycles and as such the ACU has not impacted on me in anyway (that I'm aware of).
My point being that I don't think the ACU is having any effect on the popularity decline of motorcycles in general.

I think the ACU's approach/control (if it is as you say ) is just endemic of modern society. It's all about blame and compensation nowadays and so event organisers need to protect themselves, as do the ACU, and it's probably just going to get worse.

Robbo87 wrote: ↑Feb 14th, '18, 04:18 They've managed to reduce the popularity of virtualy all disciplines of grass roots bike racing to a level where the general public, and a lot of bikers, hardly knows it exists.

How so?
I'm genuinely interested, how have they directly caused spectator numbers to fall?

ACU - Almighty Cock Up.

As above, the ACU is a bureaucratic mess who seem to make anything as difficult as possible to keep themselves in a job.

Just look at any AMCA event and you will see lower entry fees, better organisation and support with true bike events for riders feel.

You can tell who's behind any event the minute you fill the entry form in.

It's almost like they don't want anything Bike related to be going on.

Hey Robbo, why not post up forthcoming grass track events in the Meets etc. Thread. It may encourage some more attendees!