ASK THE MXPERTS: SINCE WHEN IS LESS SKILL A GOOD THING?

Starting used to be a highly valued skill, but modern changes have made getting off the line easier and easier.

SINCE WHEN IS LESS SKILL A GOOD THING?
Dear MXperts,
     I’m curious as to what MXA’s opinion is of launch control maps, holeshot devices and metal-grid starting pads?

We don’t like it. Motocross racers throughout history have a firm belief that the start is the most important part of any race. Motocross history is full of stories about riders who were great starters. They achieved their fame because they were able to find traction and launch out of deep ruts without wheeling, spinning or bogging their bikes off the line. It was a skill that had to be learned, and because of its importance, it had to be practiced. Somehow the pantywaist AMA decided that making life easier for riders who couldn’t get a good start was a worthy cause. So, the AMA completely eliminated the skill sets needed to get a good start on dirt.

They achieved this by legalizing a series of changes:

 (1) Holeshot devices pull the front suspension down to keep the bike from wheeling out of the gate. By eliminating the wheelie, the need for effective throttle and clutch control are eliminated.

(2) ECU-controlled launch control systems took the actual throttle control out of the riders’ hands and left it to electronics that retard the ignition timing when the ECU detects the runaway revs that signal wheelspin—something that talented riders could manage with their throttle hands. And more insidious are launch control maps where the ECU holds the rpm at the preset perfect rpm to launch the bike without the rider having to select the best setting by themselves. 

(3) Metal grids are ridiculous. Starting on dirt is a major part of the sport. It tests the rider’s ability to go from zero to warp speed in the blink of an eye and replaced it with 100 percent traction to every rider behind gate. It eliminated the rider’s skill at being able to pick the best gate based on its alignment, straightness of the rut, consistency of the dirt and traction. Instead, every rider launches at the same time with the same traction and, in many cases get to the first turn together, where they clump together and crash.

At least there is still some common sense in the motocross world. Both the Wiseco World Two-Stroke Championship, Dubya World Vet Motocross Championship and $100,000 MotoFest races banned starting grids from their races. They didn’t want every racer at the events to have to spend money to buy start grids, or have mechanics kneeling in the dirt as they hammered metal stakes in the ground to keep the metal contraptions from moving while blocking the next race on the line as they removed them. Plus, at races with massive turnouts you can’t have 800 guys , in class and low as the minicycles dragging metal grates to the starting line.

What’s next? How about metal freestyle ramps on the jump faces instead of dirt?