AMA Congress Has Approved 144cc!!!

ProMed

Member
Sep 17, 2004
43
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AMA Congress has approved 144cc!!

From Mototalk:

Just finished up the committee portion of AMA congress here in OHIO and I am very happy to report that we might have evened the playing field for 125 riders competing against the 250f's. Looks like you will be allowed to bore the bikes out to 144cc's to make them competitive. Representatives from Suzuki and KTM along with Wiseco were on hand to lend their input and support for this proposed rule change.

What this means is you will be able to run this bike as long as it's stamped with the cc displacement on the cylinder and no larger than 144cc's. This will NOT apply to the YOUTH class though as it's a 125cc class only so that will remain the same and I'm quite certain you WONT be able to race this 144cc Machine in the 125 Stock class at Lorettas. I know it leaves a few holes but I think in the end it will help struggling families going to the races who have to deal with a 4 stroke blowing up and can now go back to a 2 stroke with a more realistic rebuild bill from their local mechanic. The Wiseco Rep had the horsepower charts for both bikes and said they are very close when you put a 144 up against a 250 F and the rebuild cost when they go down is much less on the 2 stroke vs the 4 stroke. The KTM representative was very interested in this and I wouldnt be surprised to see a 144 kit available directly from KTM very very soon.

NOW this made it out of committee and now has to go in front of the entire Congress for vote tomorrow so the official word has not been given.

More to come later

Looks like Eric Gorr is going to be very busy this winter!!
 

Chili

Lifetime Sponsor - Photog Moderator
Apr 9, 2002
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Hmmm I wonder how reliable an RM144 is going to be for us? Not sure this will even the playing field but every little bit helps. I imagine the OEMS will start selling 144 jugs and kits to retrofit older bikes. Hopefully you will have a purchase option of the 144 or 125 configuration when you buy the bike at the dealer in the future.
 

ProMed

Member
Sep 17, 2004
43
0
The other big news is that the Schoolboy (12-15) class will be 125 only. Similar to the way Loretta's was run this year.

Here is another from Mototalk:
-------------------------------------
Just got off the phone with Tim Cotter and Davey Coombs and found out that the AMA just passed two major new rules. First off, the Schoolboy class (125cc 12-15 Stock and Mod) is now a 2-stroke-only class nationwide.

The Schoolboy rule was passed unanimously by the AMA Congress today, thanks to the lobbying done by MX Sports and OEM representatives from Suzuki and KTM.

The other rule passed today by the AMA Congress had a little more trouble in the voting, but made it through by one vote. The new rule now allows 125s to overbore up to 144cc in the Mod classes. The purpose of this rule is to keep the cost of racing down and to elevate the competitiveness of the 125's against. the 250F's. However, this new rule only allows for modifying the bore and not the stroke.

After the overbore rule was passed the KTM rep was heard saying that KTM might produce a 150cc production 2-stroke for the 125 Mod class.

Not discussed at this session of AMA Congress was raising the cc limit of 4-strokes in the 85cc class. As it stands now, the limit is 125cc, while the OEMs claim they need at least 150cc to make a bike that is competitive with the current crop of 85cc 2-strokes.
 

pyrofreak

Member
Apr 9, 2003
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I think that they should adopt the very askew four-stroke production rule, after the displacement increase of course, to the 125cc two strokes, and the mini-thumpers. That rule revolutionized the current four-stroke technogoly and i imagine that it would be quite revitalizing to the 125cc two-stroke which had been put on the "endangered species" list along with the 500s..... not really sure what to do about the 5-hunnys, except to get some growth hormone therapy to be handle the beast!! Lol
 

kmccune

2-Strokes forever
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jul 3, 1999
2,726
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XRpredator said:
the two stroke is dead.

Live with it

2 strokes are VASTLY superior to 4 strokes as race bikes. They are lighter and more powerful, cc for cc. They are also more fun... live with it. :nener: :nener: :nener:
 

wardy

2005 Lori Nyland Award Winner
Nov 12, 1999
2,681
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I guess I should have stayed longer, if it passed with ONE vote. but couldn't stay. that 144 will NOT be competitive with a 250F, unless you have a rider that can stay wide open on the pipe all the time. They should do away with the handicapping and let them run normal CC limits as in the past. 250-250. 2 strokes are dead? LOL see how long that would last if the handi-capping stops.

any way, in committee i voted against the 144, simply because it's a bandaide and not a fix to the problem.

at least the schoolboy or the riders coming off 80's won't be "forced" to ride a 250.

wardy
 

kmccune

2-Strokes forever
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jul 3, 1999
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Wardys my hero!

Lets see..... a modified 125 4 stroke makes what about 20 hp ?
The 125 and 250 class should be just that.
 

Kevin003

Member
Jul 5, 2005
237
0
I think its a step closer to making the sport even. I still think a 250cc class should be for 250cc bikes only though. The schoolboy rule is nice, people coming off of the 80's don't have to make a huge jump the 250's. They can ride the 125's and know they aren't going to get stomped there first race.
 
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