Issue 19

The sun and the rain. Plants need both to grow and so do we in a metaphoric way. Everyone needs the bright sunny days to make you realise what life is all about, but you also need those horrible, dark, wet and dingy days. You know the ones, the ones where

The sun and the rain. Plants need both to grow and so do we in a metaphoric way. Everyone needs the bright sunny days to make you realise what life is all about, but you also need those horrible, dark, wet and dingy days. You know the ones, the ones where you just feel miserable and cold as life seemingly continues to spread your legs apart so they look like quarter past nine on a clock and takes a run and jump with a double footed lunge on your knackers. It’s painful. You know that pain won’t last forever but you still can’t see when it’s ever going to stop. Well, that’s life for me right now. I’m not going to rumble on about too much and bring you down in a state of Lou Reed style depression, I think I’ve explained enough how I feel. I shouldn’t feel this way though. Not now, not at the start of a new race season but somehow I do and I think I know why. It’s a thing called pressure. I’ve never really had that before. For over 30 years I’ve managed to avoid stressful labour and really hard work, in fact I’ve gone out of my way to do so. I knew from a young age I wanted to race bikes and that was it, so by hook or crook I’ve done that and I was bloody good at it. Not riding the bikes, I was okay at that but not bloody good, no I’m talking about my ability to get away with it. Of course I’ve had an amazing, supportive family behind me the whole time and I still do but before I had no real responsibility. I’ve never really wanted to grow up. My god that has changed. I still don’t want to grow up but now I have been herded into that pen.

What I’m trying to say is that this magazine in your hands has got hold of me far more than I ever believed it would, it has made me realise just how much I love motocross and it’s people. It is life. I knew I’d enjoy working for Moto when the opportunity as assistant editor came up but now I’m in the hot seat it’s a whole new world of joy and pain. I haven’t got any children, not that I know of anyway, but taking care of this magazine must be setting me up for when I do eventually have little ginger mini Jeffro’s running around. It’s a proper responsibility and not only that you lot are scrutinising my every move and mistake and believe me there’s been several of them so far. There’ll probably be more, but what I’d like to think is that at least you can see we’re all doing our very best here at MOTO. We are not the kind of parents that would let our kids run around housing estates, smoking, swearing, thieving and beating up OAP’s. We care. That’s why yet again, come deadline we’re still putting ourselves under immense pressure. This magazine could have been finished a week ago if we’d really wanted but it wouldn’t be as good as it could be. It would be like sending your kid to school without packing their trunks for swimming lessons and them having to wear their skiddies, then wondering why they’re getting bullied. Not cool on any account. The real reason it’s been so hard around here of late is because now this magazine has a chance to be all it should be. There’s been loads going on behind the scenes. We have been fully aware that most of you want us to go to a monthly publication. We also know that sometimes the magazine has been hard to find, well all that’s about to change. Starting from this issue we’re going monthly throughout the race season. Finally. It’s been a long time coming for us. We have constant ideas that have never made the mag because we never have the issues to put them in, well now we do. There’s the all new singing and dancing http://www.motomagazine.co.uk that should be up and running as you read this too. Hopefully all this will give us a chance to really get our teeth into UK MX and document it in a way that makes you feel inspired. Personally speaking that’s what I really want to do and as I now have that responsibility I’m going to do my utmost to make sure it happens.

The 2007 Maxxis championship has kicked off already and unfortunately it just didn’t quite make the cut for the MOTO deadlines but we have some great shots from there to put in the photo bank for the next magazine. After all of their efforts the race teams and riders could finally get down to what it’s all about and that’s racing. Canada Heights and the start of the season was drenched in glorious sunshine. For some, they felt the warmth, while others had their own personal rain cloud but I can’t help but get the distinct feeling that the sun is going to continue to shine here at MOTO. The long, dark winter days are now behind us and now the heat is on, so bring out the shades and the factor 2 and watch me burn up like an albino in Death Valley.

All the best wishes to you and your family Ray. Take Care.– Jeff

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