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Personally I think the genie is out of the bottle in terms of bike performance/handling so the change will have to come from tightening up the tracks and maybe looking at CC ratings.
Given the 250/lites class has become the defacto premier class, maybe 150cc 2/ or 200c 4/ in the lites, 250cc 2/ or 300cc 4/ in the main.
Supercross is a different deal. Some changes are definitely in order there.
In America. Not so much in the GP's
The bikes are what allows for extremely fast speeds, the bikes are what allows 100 foot leaps with the blip of the throttle, etc. - not the tracks. What's insane is what little power the 450's actually use going around a supercross track. Watching K-Dub jump a berm and blip the throttle before flying 120 feet in Arlington, Texas this year really put things in perspective.
A group of people are slashing through brush in the middle of a jungle trying to get out. After some time, they look back and see that they've made significant progress--slashing through miles of thick brush. However, it isn't until one of the people in the group climbs up a tree, high into the canopy, to see that they've made a boat load of progress deeper into the jungle... furthering themselves from their goal of getting back to civilization.
Progress in 4-stroke motorcycle technology doesn't necessarily translate into growth for the motocross market at large. In fact, many may argue--as evidenced in this thread and countless other like it--that while the technology "advancements" are shiny and new at first glance, they may be hurting motocross rather than helping it. No matter how people try to spin the obvious increase in frequency and severity of injuries in motocross, the evidence is disturbingly obvious to the tenured and passionate motocross public. It's a shame that pride and a lack of perspective on the bigger picture (i.e. the sustainability of a healthy motocross racing market) has contributed to the slow death of this sport as we know it.
ever notice the supercrosses are 1 line now because the 450's create inside ruts to every jump...they don't need a run up...they just burp the face and they go 110ft. its ridiculous.
i think the arenacross was on to something when they cut the 450's out last year....i know its way tighter but its just what has to happen indoors.
450's can produce great racing. The MX1 class has been great to watch this year in the GP's. The euro tracks have something to do with that IMO.
thats a business model the jap 4 dont want, so it will never happen
Pit Row
sx - yes
There has been a lot of pro's injured this year, but it is hard to say whether this is a trend or just an unlucky coincidence.
I think there has to be a physical limit to how fast a dirt bike can be ridden around a motocross track. As the riders approach this limit, the stakes are getting higher and this may (or may not) be contributing to higher injury numbers.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of posters have blamed this on the introduction of 4-strokes. Although they have undoubtedly allowed riders to go faster, today's pro's are also better riders due to continued progression and increased competitiveness throughout the sport.
Slowing the tracks down and/or restricting the performance of the bikes might help, but who really knows? Everyone will still push the limits in order to gain an advantage over their rivals. Motocross will always be dangerous.
As for the injury thing, having been in the sport for over 15 years now, and worked in the moto industry for a lot of that time, the injuries these days are much, much worse now than ever before. Thats not from hearing about injuries on the internet or through media like so many claim on this website, that is from speaking with many people within the sport, and my group of friends. Breaking a collarbone used to be considered a bad injury, and would make you realise what could happen when you go riding. These days, a broken bone is so common, that it takes something like hearing about a rider on life support for you to come to the same relisation.
Go back through the MX results of the past couple of years. Not many have had a season ending injury outdoors. When they have, is it even a result of going too fast?
SX is a different scenario. The 450's allow difficult rhythms to be taken too easily, and when things go wrong, it can get pretty bad. But even then, how many of the injuries were a result of going too fast?
The basic problem with engine restrictions (rpm, comression limits) is that it cannot be enforced at the amateur level. If the ama can't tear down 20 motors per week, how can mom and pop tracks manage it?
With all due respect, us s/x is the best in the world, the ama is too busy holding hands with HD to do anything about supercross.
And this constant argument about 125/250f being as fast as 250/450f... its always been that way since they have to keeptheir momentum up in the corners this isnt new to the 4 stroke if you dont believe me ask Dave Thorpe who was a 500cc rider how it felt to have Jonny O pass him on a 125 in the MXDN!
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