factory teams start bringing in sponsors? As far as I can remember, back in 05 and 06, none of the big 4 had sponsors. Now, all of them do.

It's simple, money is tight. In racing, sports, life, everything. That's why we have the Nokia Sugarbowl and Tostitos Rose Bowl instead of the Sugarbowl and Rose Bowl.

Wandell wrote:
It's simple, money is tight. In racing, sports, life, everything. That's why we have the Nokia Sugarbowl and Tostitos Rose Bowl instead of the Sugarbowl and Rose Bowl.

Oh, I realize that, but I never knew that factory teams were struggling that long ago. Was this just a symptom of the over-inflated rider salaries?

Nikhil wrote:
Wandell wrote:
It's simple, money is tight. In racing, sports, life, everything. That's why we have the Nokia Sugarbowl and Tostitos Rose Bowl instead of the Sugarbowl and Rose Bowl.

Oh, I realize that, but I never knew that factory teams were struggling that long ago. Was this just a symptom of the over-inflated rider salaries?

Bingo. In a lot cases the riders salaries were paid by that sponsoring company. Plus there were new products that fit the market place.

When MC did the 1-800-Collect deals it set a small precedent for the riders to come and when the new products (Energy Drinks) came to the market place they needed a home. Now that the budget is going away AND bike sales are down...nobody has the money to pay for the beast it created. The bubble has popped and now it will bring itself back in a new form a bit more appropriate for the market place and some new types of products.

HONDA was sponsored by UNIVERSAL STUDIOS for both roadrace and motocross/supercross in 2001/2002. Every generation of "FACTORY RACERS" have always been accused of gonna causing the fall of the factory teams as we know them. The amount of people it takes to present a Factory Team with all the R&D testing and support to get the bikes and racers to the track is pretty large. No one wants to step back (remember the Box vans and even the regular vans) but look at what NASCAR racers are paid or even the Formula-1 racers bikes or cars get. Most of the Factory MX racers are still young so people don't understand for the most part it is a young man's sport and they need to make what they can when they can because what will they do when they pass 40 and have issues with health from crashes and such. Sorry for rambling.

offroadtoday wrote:
Nikhil wrote:
Wandell wrote:
It's simple, money is tight. In racing, sports, life, everything. That's why we have the Nokia Sugarbowl and Tostitos Rose Bowl instead of the Sugarbowl and Rose Bowl.

Oh, I realize that, but I never knew that factory teams were struggling that long ago. Was this just a symptom of the over-inflated rider salaries?

Bingo. In a lot cases the riders salaries were paid by that sponsoring company. Plus there were new products that fit the market place.

When MC did the 1-800-Collect deals it set a small precedent for the riders to come and when the new products (Energy Drinks) came to the market place they needed a home. Now that the budget is going away AND bike sales are down...nobody has the money to pay for the beast it created. The bubble has popped and now it will bring itself back in a new form a bit more appropriate for the market place and some new types of products.

So are sponsors still paying a large chunk of riders' salaries? I know Monster is doing this for Reed, but has it ended now for the most part?

xnationalwrench wrote:
HONDA was sponsored by UNIVERSAL STUDIOS for both roadrace and motocross/supercross in 2001/2002. Every generation of "FACTORY RACERS" have always been accused of gonna causing the fall of the factory teams as we know them. The amount of people it takes to present a Factory Team with all the R&D testing and support to get the bikes and racers to the track is pretty large. No one wants to step back (remember the Box vans and even the regular vans) but look at what NASCAR racers are paid or even the Formula-1 racers bikes or cars get. Most of the Factory MX racers are still young so people don't understand for the most part it is a young man's sport and they need to make what they can when they can because what will they do when they pass 40 and have issues with health from crashes and such. Sorry for rambling.

You are absolutley right here Wrench. Both my cousin and I were talking about this at the Vet Championship this past weekend...we couldn't believe the amount of semis with these huge trailers hooked up to them not to mention all the gigantic RV's that were there and it wasn't even a National race! The whole behind the scenes of this sport has ballooned itself so much that it seems as if nobody dares be caught seen pulling up to a weekend race in a small box van that the factory racers and mechanics used back in the day.

Somewhere someone in this industry needs wake-up and smell the coffee and bring down the cost of this sport or before they know it all that R&D will only leave a bunch of neat new bikes on the showroom floor not being purchased because everybody wants the cheaper model from a few years back.

Nikhil wrote:
offroadtoday wrote:
Nikhil wrote:
Wandell wrote:
It's simple, money is tight. In racing, sports, life, everything. That's why we have the Nokia Sugarbowl and Tostitos Rose Bowl instead of the Sugarbowl and Rose Bowl.

Oh, I realize that, but I never knew that factory teams were struggling that long ago. Was this just a symptom of the over-inflated rider salaries?

Bingo. In a lot cases the riders salaries were paid by that sponsoring company. Plus there were new products that fit the market place.

When MC did the 1-800-Collect deals it set a small precedent for the riders to come and when the new products (Energy Drinks) came to the market place they needed a home. Now that the budget is going away AND bike sales are down...nobody has the money to pay for the beast it created. The bubble has popped and now it will bring itself back in a new form a bit more appropriate for the market place and some new types of products.

So are sponsors still paying a large chunk of riders' salaries? I know Monster is doing this for Reed, but has it ended now for the most part?

That is a better question for DMG at least for current info...I am sure there are a few, but maybe only top guys who can demand the type of money that comes from a Corporate sponsor.

Chevy Trucks was a long time sponsor of Kawasaki....

Nikhil wrote:
factory teams start bringing in sponsors? As far as I can remember, back in 05 and 06, none of the big 4 had sponsors. Now, all of them do.

Long before then. The difference these days is that because the cost of racing has gone up considerably with those damned 4 strokes the sponsors are being asked for more - they then require naming rights as quid-pro-quo.

Go-Lo wrote:
xnationalwrench wrote:
HONDA was sponsored by UNIVERSAL STUDIOS for both roadrace and motocross/supercross in 2001/2002. Every generation of "FACTORY RACERS" have always been accused of gonna causing the fall of the factory teams as we know them. The amount of people it takes to present a Factory Team with all the R&D testing and support to get the bikes and racers to the track is pretty large. No one wants to step back (remember the Box vans and even the regular vans) but look at what NASCAR racers are paid or even the Formula-1 racers bikes or cars get. Most of the Factory MX racers are still young so people don't understand for the most part it is a young man's sport and they need to make what they can when they can because what will they do when they pass 40 and have issues with health from crashes and such. Sorry for rambling.

You are absolutley right here Wrench. Both my cousin and I were talking about this at the Vet Championship this past weekend...we couldn't believe the amount of semis with these huge trailers hooked up to them not to mention all the gigantic RV's that were there and it wasn't even a National race! The whole behind the scenes of this sport has ballooned itself so much that it seems as if nobody dares be caught seen pulling up to a weekend race in a small box van that the factory racers and mechanics used back in the day.

Somewhere someone in this industry needs wake-up and smell the coffee and bring down the cost of this sport or before they know it all that R&D will only leave a bunch of neat new bikes on the showroom floor not being purchased because everybody wants the cheaper model from a few years back.

Amen, Go-Lo you need to run for govenor