The Cost of Racing – The Real Numbers.
There have been many discussions on the chat boards recently regarding the ever-increasing cost of racing…Especially with the advent of the four-stroke era. I thought it would be interesting to do a comparison of what it cost to race a 50cc motorcycle in 2001 vs. 2011. Before diving into the numbers, however, some explanation is in order: First of all, Column 2 and Column 3 are non-adjusted costs. What does that mean? In the simplest terms, the value of a dollar changes over time – inflation makes a dollar worth a little bit less tomorrow than it is today. So, Column 2 is what it would have cost you in 2001 if you would have opened your wallet (or purse) and purchased any of the listed items. That’s why I have included Column 4. This column adjusts for inflation so that you can compare the TRUE difference between 2001 and 2011. All values are in U.S. Dollars:
| Item |
Cost in 2001 |
Cost in 2011 |
2001 Cost Adjusted for Inflation* |
|
King 50 |
3375 |
3898 |
4320 |
|
Clutch Shoes |
150 |
158.88 |
192 |
|
Radiator Shrouds – Pair |
60 |
45.76 |
76.80 |
|
Rear Fender |
35 |
29.48 |
44.80 |
|
Cylinder Kit** |
425 |
388.88 |
544 |
|
Gallon of Regular Gas |
1.50 |
2.89 |
1.92 |
|
Signup at Mini Os |
60 |
100 |
76.80 |
|
CR250 / CRF450 |
5899 |
8199 |
7551 |
* – Adjusted by the average inflation rate over the decade – 2.5%/year
** – In 2001 this was for the cylinder only…2011 kit includes cylinder and piston kit
The numbers are pretty amazing! The cost of a Cobra King 50 has risen, but at less than the rate of inflation. The cost of many regular maintenance items have actually gone down both in terms of actual dollars and adjusted for inflation! Not so, however, for many of the other items that must be purchased to go racing – fuel, signups, and probably even Gatorade (not shown in this comparison) cost more. Also very telling is the cost of a new 450…Not only has the price of a full-sized bike increased, but it has done so at rate faster than if the bike had risen with inflation alone.
There is another factor that must be considered as well. Cobra sells fewer spare parts (per bike sold) than it did in 2001. Items like crankshafts, clutches, ignition components, chain guards, and brake pedals are much more durable than they were in 2001, and that translates into fewer spare parts required and lower overall costs to go racing.
Will motocross racing ever be cheap? Absolutely not…but we’re doing everything we can to make the sport more fun and more affordable for our families.
I will agree to your cost comparisons but what you have not taken into account what has happened to our jobs and for most of the motocross families our business. Increased taxes, increased fuel costs, much lower business revenue which leads to lower incomes. You can show us that the cost is somewhat the same but can you tell Obama and the others in our government that don’t want us to be able to afford a passion like a new Cobra for our kids. We are still racing but on a 2010 yz450 but it isn’t like it was just 8 short years ago. I hope ( not the Obama kind of hope) that we can take back our country and more people will be able to buy a new bike and take their son racing. It has been great for us.