Kudos & how many intact CBXs are left>bottom posts

[EMS]

...to Dave Edwards, editor of Cycle World for telling like it is. In the latest issue of the magazine, David speaks out in his editorial and tackles the current situation in AMA racing , using the example of the confusing format and muddled classes as displayed during the races in Daytona.
Anybody who has been involved in racing either actively or as a dedicated fan has to agree with his assessment that the AMA should wipe everything out and start fresh from scratch. With a format and class specifications that make sense. I go a little further and say that the AMA has lost it. Too many lawyers and business types running the organisation who are into "commissioner-ing". Not enough motorcycle enthusiasts anymore.

[Mike Barone #123]

...to Dave Edwards, editor of Cycle World for telling like it is. In the latest issue of the magazine, David speaks out in his editorial and tackles the current situation in AMA racing , using the example of the confusing format and muddled classes as displayed during the races in Daytona.
Anybody who has been involved in racing either actively or as a dedicated fan has to agree with his assessment that the AMA should wipe everything out and start fresh from scratch. With a format and class specifications that make sense. I go a little further and say that the AMA has lost it. Too many lawyers and business types running the organisation who are into "commissioner-ing". Not enough motorcycle enthusiasts anymore.

I have done business with the AMA over the years (not recently) and found during this time the upper management had little if any overall business/corporate management experience. Ed Youngblood was a history major if I recall correctly.

Additionally, the second level managers were not seasoned in the areas they managed and were not inclined to work with listen to those that were participating, sponsoring or promoting events.

The entire matter with Roger Edmondson is a perfect example of all this.....and ofcourse as noted in your post the current structure of the AMA road racing program in America simply does not make sense to the buyer....(viewers on TV/those going to race events) which again brings us back to lack of real world business/corporate experience in the fields these people have to be experts and the best there is.

>>>>

This is not unique to the AMA and I have formed a possible explanation for it all and I call it the 1950's Major League Baseball Syndrome. Back then there were 16 teams or so....and each team had some or many great players..... Americans knew the "names" of some or most players.

Now we have nearly three times the teams.....each team might have one or a few "name" players and most Americans do not know the names of many of the remaining players.

Basically........today there are not enough great "name" players to go around for all these teams. Same goes for business. Todays company count in the US has expanded in my view to the point where there simply are not enough experienced managers to run these companies and this includes the AMA and ICOA.


Mike

[silversurfer1050]

...and what is wrong with the ICOA directorship?

How many avtive members are there? How many should be expected with many bikes having been crashed or taken apart for their engines for other machines - set on pedestals in museum and such? Now if I could only find that one a few miles away in a barn with 200 miles on the clock

[EMS]

...and what is wrong with the ICOA directorship?

How many avtive members are there? How many should be expected with many bikes having been crashed or taken apart for their engines for other machines - set on pedestals in museum and such? Now if I could only find that one a few miles away in a barn with 200 miles on the clock

That is a very interesting question, Bill. It would be great to be able to complete a registry and get an idea of how many CBXes are still alive and in use. Number of owners and number of bikes... Many CBX owners have more than one. I would be surprised if there would be more than 10,000 bikes worldwide left. That probably translates into maybe 4,000 owners.

[daves79x]

As close as anyone can count, there were a total of 37,000 to 40,000 CBXs produced in 4 years. I'd maybe raise your count to around 20,000 left out there somewhere. It'd be an interesting thing to look into.

Dave

[EMS]

As close as anyone can count, there were a total of 37,000 to 40,000 CBXs produced in 4 years. I'd maybe raise your count to around 20,000 left out there somewhere. It'd be an interesting thing to look into.

Dave

Any number, of course, is speculation. I dare to say that the number is still rapidly declining because of all the guys who can only turn a wrench counter-clockwise. A friend in Germany tells me that he knows two guys who are in a little competition right now who buys the most CBXes. While one of the guys just puts them away, the other one tears them apart as soon as he gets them, because he wants Louis' title as the "world's largest seller of used CBX parts" Considering this, 20,000 seems very high to me.

[Mike Barone #123]

I am thinking if we take the number of members in CBX clubs...estimate the average number of bikes they own ....then add to this the number of owners/CBX owned by non club members this might be a start.

My guess on club membership ranges is as follows:

ICOA 1000-1200
England 600-800
Germany 600-800
France 400-600
Japan 100-200
Austriailia 200-400
All Others: 600-800

Grand Total 3500-4800............say 4000.... so if each club member owns two CBXs on average the grand total of intact CBXs in the hands of CBX club members would be 8000

Nowwwwwwwww..... if non club CBXers also own 8000 CBXs this would give us 16,000 CBXs remaining in the world intact.

You can adjust the variables and give a try it for yourself

Mike

[EMS]

Looking at the numbers you state for club members, Mike, I think they could be very close to actual, while I think the number of people you estimate in addition to this owning CBXes is quite a bit high.
For the countries other than the USA, I think your number may acurately describe the number of CBX owners total. How many bikes show up during a Euro-meet?

[Mike Barone #123]

Looking at the numbers you state for club members, Mike, I think they could be very close to actual, while I think the number of people you estimate in addition to this owning CBXes is quite a bit high.
For the countries other than the USA, I think your number may acurately describe the number of CBX owners total. How many bikes show up during a Euro-meet?

Mel told me they had 250 plus attendees either last year or a prior recent year at the big Euro meet. The biggest Marlinton was 2003 and we had 200-225 attendees.

Just an observation, but when I check photos of the Euro meets it seems to me most of the bikes there are CBXs..... while at the big USA rallies 50% of the CBXers are on their "daily riders/not CBXs".

Does this help?

USA

[EMS]

Just an observation, but when I check photos of the Euro meets it seems to me most of the bikes there are CBXs..... while at the big USA rallies 50% of the CBXers are on their "daily riders/not CBXs".

There could be an easy explanation for this: In Europe almost all motorcyclists have just one, maybe at most two bikes. Insurance and taxes, gas prices and extremely limited available space to keep the bikes are reasons for this. Consequently, for many CBXers, the CBX IS the daily rider and not a collector's bike that is ridden only 35 miles every other Sunday. That is also one of the reason's why I think there are not many CBXers that are not affiliated with a CBX community of some sort over there.

[Mike Barone #123]

So what is your guess on the number of intact CBX in the world?

Just an observation, but when I check photos of the Euro meets it seems to me most of the bikes there are CBXs..... while at the big USA rallies 50% of the CBXers are on their "daily riders/not CBXs".

There could be an easy explanation for this: In Europe almost all motorcyclists have just one, maybe at most two bikes. Insurance and taxes, gas prices and extremely limited available space to keep the bikes are reasons for this. Consequently, for many CBXers, the CBX IS the daily rider and not a collector's bike that is ridden only 35 miles every other Sunday. That is also one of the reason's why I think there are not many CBXers that are not affiliated with a CBX community of some sort over there.

[EMS]

. I would be surprised if there would be more than 10,000 bikes worldwide left. That probably translates into maybe 4,000 owners.

I want to stick to my original guess. Maybe 12,000, but not much more...

[Mike Barone #123]

I think we refine this better if someone could tell me how many of all the 40,000 or so CBX made ....were sold in the USA

Anyone know

[EMS]

Probably some 60%.....

[Mike Barone #123]

Probably some 60%.....

OK...lets try this

1. CBXs Owned by CBX club members
ICOA 1100 x 2.00 CBXs owned on average = 2,200 still intact
England 700 x 1.25 CBXs owned on average = 875 still intact
Germany 700 x 1.25 CBXs owned on average = 875 still intact
France 500 x 1.25 CBXs owned on average = 625 still intact
Japan 150 x 1.25 CBXs owned on average = 188 still intact
Austriailia 300 x 1.25 CBXs owned on average = 375 still intact
All Other Clubs: 700 x 1.25 CBXs owned on average = 875 still intact
Total = 6000 CBXs owned by members of CBX clubs or other associations still intact

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2. This leaves 34,000 of the 40,000 CBXs manufactured not owned by CBX club or association members

If 17.5% of these CBXs not owned by club members are still intact the grand CBXs worldwide total = 12,000

If 35.0% of these CBXs not owned by club members are still intact the grand CBXs worldwide total = 18,000

If 50.0% of these CBXs not owned by club members are still intact the grand CBXs worldwide total = 23,000

If 65.0% of these CBXs not owned by club members are still intact the grand CBXs worldwide total = 28,000

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Take your pick....my guess is there are at least 20,000 CBXs still intact out there somewhere......or half all those made.


Mike