My 6yo first time on a 2 wheel bike.

[Conquiztador]

In October 2018 Vinny turned 17yo. That is when you become a Senior MX Rider in NZ. He is now (2019) in his last year at High School and on track for completing his UE and Level 3. This is currently the main focus for him. But as he is doing OK we have time for some MX inbetween! But being his first year as a Senior we have cut back some of the riding we did in Mini/Junior grades. There he had 2 - 3 years in each age-grade to make his mark. Now he will stay in the Senior grade for quite some years...

We have also had discussions regarding what is next in Vinny's life. A trade or a degree is on the agenda. But 2020 will most probably be a gap-year as there is nothing he is fully focused on yet. We have discussed him becoming a Pilot (this is currently quite high on the list), a few trades and also changing to full time at his current part time work in a supermarket (with the idea of doing some Management papers) and climbing up the ladder. He is also keen on doing an OE (preferably to America). But all that will take shape in 2020.

Last time I updated this thread was in 2013. I have been mostly absent from KB since then (only popping in now and then) as other forums like fb and some make specific sites message boards became where I did my writing. That is apart from updating Vinny's fb and web sites. I have not been riding my bikes as much as I would have liked, but with Vinny's 3 brothers now all having moved out and started their own lives, and Vinny also being at the doorstep of his own future, this will change.

Re Vinny's MX since last update:

2013: Vinny was initially still riding in the 9-11 65cc Mini class but also in the 11-12yo 85cc Junior class. He had some good results in the 65cc class, but quickly adapted to the 85cc class and enjoyed his first MX trip to South Island where he placed 3'rd in Nelson MCC's Top Of The South Champs. But most of 2013 was about getting better on the 85cc. We initially bought a 2009 KTM 85sx that gave us issues so we again got a second bike (a 2011 KTM 85sx) so we would have a backup bike when/if there was an issue.

2014: This was the year when Vinny had his first major injury: In the NZGP at Woodville he crashed badly after a jump and damaged 5 vertabrae. He did not ride for 3 months while they healed. This year Vinny was very focused on his fitness and what he did eat. He did swimming and biking, told me what he wanted to eat and took good care of himself! After his back was OK he came back to MX like nothing had changed and straight away did well. We sold the 2009 and got a 2013 KTM 85sx as his race bike. He won the HB Magic Series by winning every one of the 15 races in the 5 rounds (in the last round riding with a broken collarbone he had got 2 weeks earlier but still being fast enough to beat all other riders. He only needed to finish the three races to make sure the championship was his. I had managed to convince a doctor that he was good and we would take it easy (As his license was with MNZ while injured we needed a doctors OK for him to get back to riding)... I asked him why he did not follow the plan and take it easy... he told me he did!). He also raced in the NZ Junior Champs where he managed 17'th.

2015: This year Vinny moved up to the 12 - 14 125cc class. We sold the 2011 85 and bought a 2012 125sx. The 2013 85cc was kept as backup. Sadly this year was one that was hampered by many injuries and as result series podiums evaded Vinny as he missed one or two rounds with injury.We did some Beach Racing and Vinny was a natural winning the EC Champs in his class. Most fun was the Secondary School's Trent Haywood (RIP) memorial at Pirini where Vinny fought hard for his 3'rd placing.

2016: By now it became obvious that Vinny was starting to become a fraction "burned out" by the years of MX and all the travelling, missing mates birthdays and parties and to just "hang out" on a w/e. The NZ Junior Champs were held in Hastings so we were aiming for Vinny's first Top Ten placing in a NZ Champs. It was all looking well before the final race on Day 3 (Race 5). Vinny was in 9'th overall and planned to climb a few spots. That was before he got one of the doubles wrong (while in 5'th), cased it, crashed and broke his tibia and fibular. That left him in 11'th overall, in hospital and with a cast for 8 weeks...

2017: Vinny was now 15 and riding in the 15-16yo 125cc class. We had purchased a 2016 125sx to again have 2 bikes. This was the year we managed to, at last, get a MX Team happening at Havelock Nth HS. Three other riders joined Vinny in the team and for the first time he was not the only rider from his HS! The best the team managed was a 3'rd at the Wairoa School Champs. Vinny's burning desire to win had started to fade at times. We still travelled to meetings, but did not race as many as in the earlier years. He enjoyed local racing where he could compete with his shcool mates and had some epic battles with Joe (who was on a Yamaha 250ccf). Even if the 2016 bike was fast, it was very temperamental and at times unreliable meaning that Vinny would have to revert to the 2012 bike (that was his favorite one of the two even if it was not as quick).

2018: We could find no new riders for the school team, and with 2 of the others dropping out and the third one selling his bike Vinny was again alone as the schools mx rider. After 10 years of riding his enthusiasm had started to fluctuate more and at times we would not travel to a meeting. Vinny had started liking TT and Flat Track racing more than MX. As this was Vinny's final year as a Junior we still did some of the bigger events. And even if the results did not always go our way he enjoyed the racing. His best result was in the yearly East Coast Flat Track Champs where he won the 12-16yo 125cc class. This class was run together with the 14-16 250cc class and Vinny took on both classes and in the final race managed to beat all riders on his ailing 2012 bike. The 2016 had again decided it would not run (stator needed replacing I found out later) so he used the 2012 that needed a new piston and was low in compression. Vinny adjusted his riding accordingly and kept the throttle on in the corners (some very memorable corners!!) After winning his class Vinny wanted one more race and went out in Senior Support 250 and under. The 2012 only lasted 1 1/2 lap before she lost the ghost...

2019. Vinny turned 17 in October 2018 and we have cut down on the riding. We figured that he has time to ride in Seniors for many years, but this is his last year at school, so... We have again managed to find 3 other riders for the HNHS MX Team!! With 5 months of the year gone when writing this we have probably been on the track racing 5 times... But it will become a little busier now in the winter with a few winter series and also a championship or two. These days it is Vinny who dictates where and when we ride. In 2020 when he is working fulltime he will be in charge of his MX riding. I will be there to help fixing the bikes and travelling with him to race meetings. But apart from that he will fully dictate what he does. We are currently trying to figure out what bike will be next (and the last one dad buys...). The options are:
- KTM 150sx (Pros: light, can be ridden in MX2, fun, can easily be made faster!. Cons: Will give away Hp to the 250 4 stroke bikes in MX2 and as it lives on revs will have to work hard with Vinny's 85+ KG's)
- KTM 250sx (Pros: Fast, strong, easily beats the 250 4 strokers!. Cons: Can not be ridden in MX2 so is only suitable for MX1 and non championship classes like senior support, B grade etc.)
- KTM 250sxf 4 stroke. (Pros: can be ridden in MX2, well established strong bike, proven winner. Cons: Vinny prefer 2 strokers (and so do I!), not as fun as 2 strokers, we would have to learn all re the engines where we know the 2 stroker KTM's, more expensive to keep running)

I got in to MX with Vinny fully expecting it to be a journey taking many years. And if the only thing that really came out of it (apart from racing, placings, new mates and fun) in the end was that he became a very capable and confident motorbike rider, I would be fine with that. I have been riding bikes for 50 years. He is 17 and a far better rider than I ever was or will be. That is in my book a pass with Excellence!

He now also has his MC License (Learners) and a 400cc road bike.

I will still keep on updating Vinny's MX fb and web pages, but this will be the last update on this thread.

If you want to find out more, details, see pics and videos, please feel free to visit https://www.mxvinny.com/



Over and out!
Conquiztador

[onearmedbandit]

I had never seen this thread before and am thankful you've kept it alive, what a great read from start to end.

[Conquiztador]

I had never seen this thread before and am thankful you've kept it alive, what a great read from start to end.

Cheers! Glad you enjoyed the read!! I have spoken nothing about the costs that all this has sucked. My g/f recon I could have paid my mortgage if we had not been riding MX... And she is probably right. But it does not change the fact that we have had 11 years of fun and became very good at working on it all together! In hindsight yes, I would do some things differently if I had the chance to start again. But I would not change that we have raced for 11 years or that we have at times spent the overdraft on the credit card to get bits so we could race the next w/e. We always knew what we were doing and still do. At times it was all a calculated risk. Sometimes it paid off other times not. But that is life.

[caseye]

Worth every cent, and look whats he's achieved, a damn fine rider, alot of maturity, a sense of purpose, staying alive and keeping well is important, you can both be bloody proud of the team Con record.

[Conquiztador]

Worth every cent, and look whats he's achieved, a damn fine rider, alot of maturity, a sense of purpose, staying alive and keeping well is important, you can both be bloody proud of the team Con record.

Cheers for that! Yep. We have done well when you look at it I suppose. We would have liked a podium finish in one of the NZ Junior Champs. But it was not to be. And we were often up against ones with more funds. We travelled in a beaten up 1988 LWB Toyota HiAce. Most others had 4wd SUV's, big trailers and money for hotel. We would stay with friends or drive down/up early in the morning (3am starts were common) and back home in the night. But we regret nothing, and as stated, I would do it all again in a heartbeat... My oldest son now has a daughter (3yo) and 2 sons (1.5yo and one born last week) so who knows... maybe I will do it all again...

[caseye]

Cheers for that! Yep. We have done well when you look at it I suppose. We would have liked a podium finish in one of the NZ Junior Champs. But it was not to be. And we were often up against ones with more funds. We travelled in a beaten up 1988 LWB Toyota HiAce. Most others had 4wd SUV's, big trailers and money for hotel. We would stay with friends or drive down/up early in the morning (3am starts were common) and back home in the night. But we regret nothing, and as stated, I would do it all again in a heartbeat... My oldest son now has a daughter (3yo) and 2 sons (1.5yo and one born last week) so who knows... maybe I will do it all again...

Hmmmmm, maybe?? who knows ??? Yeah Right, go on man one of em'll love it, so will you.

[Conquiztador]

Hmmmmm, maybe?? who knows ??? Yeah Right, go on man one of em'll love it, so will you.

We are still racing even if we have cut down some. MX does not dictate our lives anymore. And Vinny will in a few months be 18 and will need to make some decisions re his life. My oldest son lives in Taupo a stone throw from the Taupo MX track. I am planning to in a year or 2 turn up at his place with a small 50cc bike and see if there are any takers...

[caseye]

We are still racing even if we have cut down some. MX does not dictate our lives anymore. And Vinny will in a few months be 18 and will need to make some decisions re his life. My oldest son lives in Taupo a stone throw from the Taupo MX track. I am planning to in a year or 2 turn up at his place with a small 50cc bike and see if there are any takers...

Ya know there will be! lol. Good on ya Con.
Been in Taupo this weekend looking at a house, wife and I just might bugger off down there to live sooner rather than later, this work lark is a joke.
Roads are fantastic and while we can both ride, why the fuck not.

[Conquiztador]

Ya know there will be! lol. Good on ya Con.
Been in Taupo this weekend looking at a house, wife and I just might bugger off down there to live sooner rather than later, this work lark is a joke.
Roads are fantastic and while we can both ride, why the fuck not.

Good plan. Just remember that Taupo gets fu...n cold winter time! When we ride at their MX track June - July there often is ice and below zero in the morning. But yes, there are some cool roads for riding there!

And if you ever have an urge to ride on a track they do track days on Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park! Plus there is also an oval Flat Track there now! Once we sell the 125 and get a bigger bike for Vinny (next job) we will go up for a track day on their Flat Track. A few Auckland guys who ride at Rosebank Rd travel all the way down for a day of practice!