AMA Board votes down "Class Displacement"

lwsmithjr

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Sep 18, 2002
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AMA Board votes down "Fair Class Rule"

From http://ama-cycle.org/news/2006/BOD.asp

AMA Board acts on rules recommendations from Congress

The AMA Board of Directors considered 54 rules recommendations from the AMA Congress at the recent Board meeting in Las Vegas, approving 50 of those proposals outright, voting against three of them, and requesting further investigation of one.

The AMA Congress consists of delegates elected from each of the chartered AMA districts across the country. Those delegates submit proposals for changes to rules governing AMA-sanctioned events. Those proposals are voted on by the entire Congress and those that pass are then considered by the Riding and Racing committees of the AMA Board before going before all Board members for final decision.

On the road-riding side, the Board approved six proposals, most related to technical language in the AMA Road Riding rulebook. In the area of amateur racing, the Board approved changes to National Championship Enduros designed to make it easier for promoting clubs to hold this form of competition and also ratified a rewritten chapter better defining the sport of observed trials and making it easier for clubs and promoters to run these events. In addition, the Board agreed with the AMA Congress to increase the allowable displacement of motorcycles in the Super Mini class, to 112cc for two-strokes and 150cc for four-strokes. Four-strokes up to 150cc will also be allowed in Schoolboy-class racing.

On three specific proposals, the Board decided against recommendations from the AMA Congress.

The Board disagreed with a Congress recommendation that would have allowed two-stroke motorcycles displacing up to 144cc as built by the manufacturer to compete in motocross Class 2. Currently, riders in that class can only compete on 144cc two-stroke motorcycles if they were built and homologated as 125cc machines, then bored out to the larger displacement.


The Board also voted against approval of Congress recommendations that would have increased minimum purses at Pro-Am races and increased displacements in the 90cc ATV racing class.

Finally, the Board voted against immediate enactment of a Congress recommendation that would have made sweeping changes to the AMA competition class structure, eliminating the separate displacement limits for two-stroke and four-stroke machines.

Noting that this proposal would have changed class structure for the 2007 racing season, which begins in less than two months, the Board instead directed AMA staff members to submit to the Board a three- to five-year class structure plan, after consulting with technical experts in the field.

"When we looked at this recommendation," said Carl Reynolds, chairman of the AMA Board's Racing Committee, "we realized that it would have ramifications for nearly all of the AMA's racing programs, and that a couple of months was too short a time frame to expect racers to react to those changes. We have instead asked staff to give this issue the type of technical investigation it deserves and come up with appropriate rules for the future."

I think it's interesting the board voted down what was decided overwhelmingly by congress. I guess we don't have a voice? :think:
 
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lwsmithjr

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Sep 18, 2002
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Fair Class Rule was voted down. Class structure will remain as it is. They also voted down OEM 144's in the 125/250F class. That means the KTM144SX is not legal. It too will have to race in the 250/450F class. I realize there will be folks happy about this but what really happened is the minority (AMA Board) over-ruled the majority (AMA Congress) on an issue that had NO legal ramifications, which as I understand it, is supposed to be their role. And really, if the current rule were fair, would everyone be on a 4 stroke?
 

SpDyKen

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lwsmithjr,
Thank you for your update! I would appreciate any other information you might have, or come across in the future. I like to be well informed and relatively accurate when I criticize the A.M.A. for their mismanagement. :bang:
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
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Oct 19, 2006
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The Iron Curtain Remains????

What the heck happened? How the hell does the majority speak and just because some guys are sleeping with the epa and big business we get shut down! Thats it , names and addresses , no , need something better , suggestions at this point would be appreciated , friggin ama ...
 

kawicam250

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Aug 7, 2006
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that really sucks! :yell: i was thinking of boring my bike to a 144 and racing it, but id have to dance with 450s?!?! :yell: . names and addresses doesnt suffice. i need SS# and birth certificates! i cant believe the AMA would put everyone through this and then let everyone down! dictatorship will be required! :| :pissed: :bang:
 

Okiewan

Admin
Dec 31, 1969
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big business we get shut down!
Because "big business" makes the bikes? Just a thought.
 

lwsmithjr

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Sep 18, 2002
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Because "big business" makes the bikes? Just a thought.
And in my opinion, big business has the right to try throw their weight around. But for me, and a LOT of the people we race with week in and week out, racing has become way too expensive (and I do most of my own mechanic's work). Amateur MX racing is becoming a sport for the wealthy. Mini's that cost $4K, plus the increase in cost per hour to operate? And people are beginning to hesitate at buying used because of the potential "gotcha's" from a used 4 stroke? Buy a new bike every year so you don't spend big bucks on maintenence and then take a huge hit trying to sell in the used market? ('06 450's are having a hard time selling for $4K around here). The AMA won't have much to govern at the rate we're going.

Having said all of that, my preference is to ride a 4 stroke -- Just so you don't think I'm 2 stroke biased. There's more to it than that.........
 

wardy

2005 Lori Nyland Award Winner
Nov 12, 1999
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funny, all contact information has been pulled from the ama website. only a suggestion board type deal remains to contact them.

believe one thing this isn't over.

wardy
 

just_a_rider

Member
Jul 25, 2006
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Well I understand that the 144's still have nothing for those 250f's and they want them to run with the 250cc class. Jumping the gun is whats going on with the manufactuers, just like they did with the 150 assuming it to be an 85cc class bike but it's got to much power. They need to get things in order on both sides of the field before making bikes or rules.
 

MX GZR

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Nov 8, 2001
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This from the same people that gave us the 250/450F, 125/250F, 85/150F!!! classes? Anyone surprised? The AMA is helping to kill the two stroke and the four stroke noise issue is killing our riding areas! I'm NOT anti four stroke but the noise carries farther than a smoker plain and simple. Are we our own worst enimies? If we don't fix it someone else will and we WON'T like it!
 

wardy

2005 Lori Nyland Award Winner
Nov 12, 1999
2,681
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1998 was the first handi capping rule, to provide 4 stroke an oppurtunity at competing with the then current 250's. The rule was NEVER suppose to last longer then 3 years. It was SOLD to us that way, "once the 4 strokes are competitive we will change it back" OR they said 4 strokes are cleaner and we HAVE TO change the rules.

Basically we were bullcrapped into this, and led down a very well provided marketing path. simple fact, 4 strokes cost more, and when they go wrong, they require more money for parts and labor.

no different then when they started putting computers and fuel injection on cars, eliminates the small guy and for sure the hobby guy from working on stuff. They are better now of course and more dependable. but you get the idea.

we need vehicles to drive around and racing motorcycles isn't "needed" fact of life, todays world, kid blows up his 250F, dad says screw it can't pay for that fix again, they go mountain biking or he decides that skateboard is still pretty cool.

the rules would not have penalized the thumper, it would only have given the 2 stroke a more level playing field..........what is ama about anyway.........guess it's about marketing.

:P
 

robwbright

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Apr 8, 2005
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bclapham said:
i was gonna buy the AMA card and start racing again in 07, but now i wont.

as far as i am concerned the AMA can go F-themselves!

Same here. I was going to. . . Guess I'll stick with the cheaper outlaw tracks and practice at the AMA tracks.
 

robwbright

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Apr 8, 2005
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kawicam250 said:
i was thinking of boring my bike to a 144 and racing it, but id have to dance with 450s

I believe the 144 overbores are still permitted in the 125/250f class. The manufacturers aren't permitted to make them 144 out of the box.
 

MXobssesed4

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Aug 2, 2006
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it said that they didnt want to make the decision so quickly, do you think that the rules that were proposed will come into play in the next few years or are they just blowin smoke up our rears?
 

lwsmithjr

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Sep 18, 2002
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Honda has no more two strokes after this year. Kawasaki already doesn't import the 125. At this stage, if the rule had passed, two strokes may have stayed around a little longer, and the manufacturers may have continued in their development. In the "next few years", there won't be enough two strokes left for it to matter. Timing, as they say, is everything.

What I do see as strange is that, in the meeting of the congress, all of the manufaturers were okay with all of the recommendations. You guess when they got behind closed doors, the truth came out?
 

Vic

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just_a_rider said:
Jumping the gun is whats going on with the manufactuers, just like they did with the 150 assuming it to be an 85cc class bike but it's got to much power.


FYI- The 85s produce more peak power than the CRF150R.

:nod:
 

Vic

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Chili said:
FYI so do some 125's over the 250F's :nod:


I know, but so what?
 

Chili

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Apr 9, 2002
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Vic said:
I know, but so what?

Well unless I'm reading your response on the 150 wrong I get that you're saying the 150R is not more powerful and should be in the 85 class. Buy using the same logic I've drawn a parallel to the 125/250F fiasco having similar properties and we all know how fair that one has worked out.
 

Vic

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The point is, the Fs don't have too much power (as just_a_rider posted), they just have better power.
 
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