Ron

[northernnorm]

What Michman is saying is that he is convinced there will never be any riders better than Himself ,Debbie ,Bernie and Ms Sanz period in his mind that is reality and we all need to catch up on the fact

[northernnorm]

Just a few Easy questions . How many true champions would answer the following w/ (MYSELF) Who is your favorite rider or Who is the greatest rider ?? Would a guy who has for over a decade dominated the majority of Champ/Pro level events on 1/2 the planet be considered a true champion? Any other historians out there who could share some of the stories back when Bernie was in his prime and the competition was so intense and etc. ? If all USA riders suck why did a teenager from California finish so high in the JR class?? Why if you count dabs only(remove time and yellow card penalties) did a kid with less than 1 year riding pro come within 3 dabs of Laia? We all suck? GMAB (give me a break)

[doc holiday]

Why Geoff's a winner in my book! He's doing what he likes for a living. He has found a nitch in the trials world. Has has met a great lady trials rider that I believe he plans to marry.

It's just too bad he was already married at the time he met her

[eric23]

...  Who is your favorite rider or Who is the greatest rider ?? ...

My vote is Sammy Miller. Of course I'm dating myself with this choice.

[mich lin]

I'd say Sammy Miller also but Dougie is still going strong and has a great deal of fight left in him. So his riding history is still not finished. Dougie for sure is my all time favorite rider even though Sammy stayed on top longer.

My favorite American rider of all time is Marland Whaley! I believe he was a much better rider than Bernie but simply didn't like the lifestyle in Europe. So he never rode all that well there. I do know he was a much tougher compeditor than Bernie ever was in USA competition.

As for the Smage vs Sanz competition, yes Laia won! I've alway believed that the top women make great competition for the young riders. That's why I feel that the US women's championship should be combined with the youth nationals.

[atomant]

Mach Din, you have to remember that Geoff dominates your sport in your country and if hes the best and theres no one else to challenge him, why does he need to get any better. Taking into account the world scene is not relevant because its simply not a wise decision to make as the costs are huge for very little return. (unless you have heavy sponsorship)

[mich lin]

Adam, your right!! Glad you can also see that Geoff is part of our lowering riding standards problem and not part of the solution! Geoff's smart, why push when there's no payday?

Geoff CAN take it up a notch when he's forced to. For instance when Freddy and Tommy lived in the USA he improved and pushed everyone. I wish companies like Beta, Scorpa, Sherco and Montesa would bring over 2nd string world round riders. It took GASGAS to import Europeans to push Geoff, why can't the competition?

Someone like Manzano on the Beta or the Polish champion on the Scorpa could do really well in the USA. Manzano even beat Geoff at the El Trial at the age of 15! Insted of letting him retire, Ron and the Beta factory could have beaten Geoff with Manzano. Instead they let Manzano retire and now Ron's talking about bringing over someone from Africa, who may not be able to beat anybody!

There must be a lot of former top 10 world round riders who could extend their riding careers by cherry picking the US title. They might even be able to earn a few bucks here in the USA. All it would take is for Sherco, Beta, Scorpa or Montesa to go gunning for GASGAS and Aaron!

They would be doing the US sport a great service! It would push our riding standards back up near international standards once again. We need an influx of European talent if we ever hope to climb back up the world championship ladder.

[alan bechard]

There must be a lot of former top 10 world round riders who could extend their riding careers by cherry picking the US title. They might even be able to earn a few bucks here in the USA. All it would take is for Sherco, Beta, Scorpa or Montesa to go gunning for GASGAS and Aaron!

They would be doing the US sport a great service! It would push our riding standards back up near international standards once again.  We need an influx of European talent if we ever hope to climb back up the world championship ladder.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So Lane, when you going to make that happen? Instead of telling us all the time what someone else should be doing, why not just do it and show us how?

From your previous posts, I can gather that you have the financial resources that most of us do not, to make it happen. Heck, you could even put on a WR, take your earning's from that, and have a rider over here for a number of years proving your point and making it happen.

Looking forward to meeting the next Leavittation National Champion soon. Will you have the groundwork laid by the YN so you can give us all a sneak preview that are there?

[onestophop]

Mich I think the ideas lack results. There are all these ideas out there and some of them are good. Some are just a way to keep chasing your tail around and around too. It seems futile to me to keep throwing ideas out there and not putting your own ideas to work. It's words without action which translates to just talk. What is the number one thing you would change with US Trials and are you willing to do the leg work to make it happen? No one wants to hear "this is how you should do it" or "you yanks should listen". People want to see it done or at least see the effort put forth afterall you are the one giving the suggestions. You seem to have the right tools to conquer this. If there are excuses though, I think the credibility is lost.

Terry

[mich lin]

Alan, your really good at being a smart@ss when you have no aguments left. Perhaps I should take your tack for a while, So here goes my attemp at being a smart@ss back at you!

Hey, we did prove how to do it already guys! Our team scored the first FIM World Championship points since Ryan Young in the mid-80s. That was in Spain in 2000. That was with a 70s rider, not a modern US rider by the way.

We also donated money to the TDN team until the team manager didn't want it for his personal political reasons. At the expense of the team riders I might add.

I tried to ride the US series again to lead the way for the youngsters! That would have put me 7th overall in the US championship Pro class. That is until the NATC realized what fools they would look with a 55 year old guy finishing 7th in the nation. So they tossed me out AFTER they had granted me entries.

What's the highest finish ever of my critics in the US championship?

As for bringing over a European rider to sell more motorcycles for an American importer. Why would someone invest in someone else's company without any finatual interest? Man, you guys are not great businessmen, which is perhaps the biggest advantage to winning the US title today.

Stop thinking and acting like losers! It's contagous1

[kinell]

1) What is the number one thing you would change with US Trials?

2) Are you willing to do the leg work to make it happen?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Come on Lane, answer Terry's questions (in this thread please)...

[alan bechard]

Alan, your really good at being a smart@ss when you have no aguments left. Perhaps I should take your tack for a while, So  here goes my attemp at being a smart@ss back at you!

Hey, we did prove how to do it already guys! Our team scored the first FIM World Championship points since Ryan Young in the mid-80s. That was in Spain in 2000. That was with a 70s rider, not a modern US rider by the way.

We also donated money to the TDN team until the team manager didn't want it for his personal political reasons. At the expense of the team riders I might add.

I tried to ride the US series again to lead the way for the youngsters! That would have put me 7th overall in the US championship Pro class. That is until the NATC realized what fools they would look with a 55 year old guy finishing 7th in the nation. So they tossed me out AFTER they had granted me entries.

What's the highest finish ever of my critics in the US championship?

As for bringing over a European rider to sell more motorcycles for an American importer. Why would someone invest in someone else's company without any finatual interest? Man, you guys are not great businessmen, which is perhaps the biggest advantage to winning the US title today.

Stop thinking and acting like losers! It's contagous1

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whats wrong Lane? I tell you to put your money where your mouth is and you are so wishy washy you cannot even tell where that should be?

If we were so great 10 years ago, how did this all go to pot?

I do not claim to have the sure fire, three winning secrets to becoming world champ. Not sure I care either.

I care to make it an enjoyable sport to share with my family. If something develops, and one of my kids progresses, then would go from there. But I am not going to run around telling everyone else in the world how to be World Champ.

And the things I talk about, here or wherever, I put some effort into carrying them through, and trying to work with the correct people to see it implemented, rather then just going off on a tirade / tangent about how they should have done it.

So, telling you to put up or shut up is being a smart@ss in your book?

Oh well, somehow I will live with myself.

You stated the goal's and what needed to happen. I am just telling you to back up your statement. And NO, you have not done it, go off on a rambling history lesson again if you want, but the fact still remains, you laid it out there, now make it happen.

[mich lin]

What can be changed?

The power stucture refuses to change anything! We can search for the truth and have some fun doing it here on the boards. Hey, Alans search for what is an advanced rider has been birthed by the conversations of this website. In the past everyone was waiting 30 years for the NATC to do something.

The realality that the NATC will never move, budge or get involved in the betterment of the sport, that has also been discovered in conversations here. So we have made huge progress. Simply we have discovered we must go around the NATC!

Alan, you have stated clearly you simply want to have a good time. I've also challenged you to lead, follow or get out of the way. You refuse to do any of the three.

To answer the questions above , which really cannot be answered, because the powers that be refuse to address any changes to the status quo, But my answers ARE-

Willing to do the legwork- Yes! But I have no power to make the change.

The change first to , 5 classes at the youth nationals! Each line is a class, which combines the ages into one class that ride on each of the lines. This mixes up the competition a lot more and reduces the numbers of classes.

Also Bring the ladies national championship to the 3 days of the youth nationals. 5 classes, one ladies winner for each line. This allows the women to rise to their highest level possible at the NATC men's nationals.

Then impliment the proposals that where presented to the NATC last year to revise the Pro, ladies and 125cc national titles.

Very little would change for the average local or national rider, only open up more oppertunities for those who want more than a family good time like Smart@aa Alan who stands in the way of most progressive ideas.

Alan's a spoilsport and is part of the problem and not part of the solution to why we got spanked so badly at the US world round this year. His argument is hey, somebody will demand a 200cc class if we allow a 125cc class. The NATC's argument against the 125cc class is that somebody will cheat!

Brilliant arguments against a 125cc national title and coming into standardization, with the rest of the world. Smart@ss Alan and the NATC clearly stand in the way of more Americans competing with the rest of the world again at the world championship.

Edited June 5, 2006 by Mich Lin