Electric bikes at the MxdN

skiz
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9/23/2017 1:54pm
The original MxdN had 2 races and all riders on 500cc bikes. In '85 they set 3 categories: 125, 250, & 500. In '03 that was changed to MxGP, Mx2, & Mx3. When the plug was pulled on Mx3 it became the current: MxGP, Mx2, & Open. But "Open" is just a place holder to keep the current configuration even tho you get 2 team members racing 450s.

Would it be an improvement if the "Open" category would be open the electric bikes.?

Can you race gas and electric on the same track at the same time.? If a gas bike was side-by-side with an electric, the loud gas engine would drown the electric to complete "invisible" silence. Would that be a safety issue.? Would the completely different acceleration curves be a safety issue.?
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OldYZRider1
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9/23/2017 2:20pm
They should change the current open class which is actually nothing more than a second 450 class to either a 125cc two stroke class or an unlimited displacement two stroke class. Two strokes in pro racing is occurring about everywhere but the US. In Europe the EMX125cc class is very popular, 250cc two strokes are legal in the EMX250 class and they have an EMX300 class for 300cc two strokes. Canada and Australia and others have displacement parity in their 250 pro classes.
skiz
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9/23/2017 2:50pm
Hearing 2-strokes and 4-strokes on the same track at the same time would be absolutely fantastic, but I wonder if the 2-stroke boat hasn't already sailed. Are the factories still interested in 2-strokes.? They might be running EMX classes but is that for low cost beginner class only.? Would they consider an actual return to the past.? (I understand that calling 2-stroke the "past" is controversial, but it's also the reality of todays racing)

Electric is the future. If not now, then 5 or 10 years from now. But it is coming and it will eventually be huge. I know there are alot of tracks in and around urban areas where noise level is a huge issue. In an ever increasing PC world where new "rights" are invented everyday, the future is coming when allowing motorcycle noise to broadcast over several miles will not be allowed.

Embrace the technology now. Let gas and electric both progress and see where the future takes us. Lower noise and lower maintenance might become the dominate focal point in the future. The only question I have right now is this:

Can they race on the same track at the same time.?
KMC440
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9/23/2017 3:01pm
Classes should be 125 250 Open. There are plenty of people that rip on 125's that it wouldn't be a handicap.
Electric scooters ... not a fan.

There's plenty of gas.
skiz
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9/23/2017 4:46pm
If the Olympics announced that there would be a new event and it would be underwater basketweaving then..... an underwater basketweaving series would probably spring up. So if the FIM would announce a change for... oh lets say the 2020 MxdN, wouldn't that light a fire for a new series.?

Isle of Man has already seen the future
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TT_Zero
They have chosen to race the E-road bikes separately

The day of E-bike racing everywhere is just around the corner for Mx

Will the AMA or FIM embrace it and control it or will it spin out of their control.?

The Shop

Fearo
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9/23/2017 5:42pm Edited Date/Time 9/23/2017 5:42pm
Is the 'open' class really open anymore though? Can you theoretically run a bigger engine than a 450 4-stroke or a 250 2-stroke in that class?
OldYZRider1
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9/23/2017 7:14pm
What I read in the FIM's MXdN rules is that the "open" class machines have to meet the requirements of the MX2 class or the MXGP class. MX2 is 100-125cc two strokes and 175-250cc four strokes. MXGP is 175-250cc two strokes and 290-450cc four strokes.
skiz
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9/23/2017 8:48pm
MxdN in '85 changed to 125, 250, & 500. MxdN in '03 changed to MxGP, Mx2, & Mx3. Mx3 was limited to 500, 2-stroke and 650, 4-stroke. There were also minimum ccs in place. The last year for Mx3 was 2013. In 2014 Mx3 was gone and MxdN became the current: MxGP, Mx2, & Open. The 650cc was still inplace as of 2014 but I remember reading that guys were racing 450cc in the Open class in 2014 because they were more advanced and better handling than the 650s. I don't know if that has changed since.

2014, 2015, 2016, & now 2017.

Thats 4 years as a placeholder category called "Open". I would be surprised if the FIM isn't already contemplating their options for the longterm use of this placeholder category.
Johnny Depp
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9/25/2017 9:23pm
There is no race that is a better laboratory of testing different bike sizes on the same track at the same time.
The results are largely ignored, but there is much evidence to show that it doesn't matter what you ride.
TDeath21
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9/26/2017 12:21am
Someone explain to me what MX3 was. They actually had a whole series for it at some point right? Was it just the riders who couldn't get an MX1 ride?
JMX82
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9/26/2017 12:45am
TDeath21 wrote:
Someone explain to me what MX3 was. They actually had a whole series for it at some point right? Was it just the riders who couldn't...
Someone explain to me what MX3 was. They actually had a whole series for it at some point right? Was it just the riders who couldn't get an MX1 ride?
MX3 was series based on the old open class and riders where mostly guys who didn't have enough money or speed to compete in MX1. Bikes in the MX3 where mostly bigbore kitted 450's but rules would allow two stroke 500's also in that class.
TXDirt
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9/26/2017 6:28am
You won't see an E class until more manufactures start building E bikes, unless you expect the riders from other teams to all ride Alta's which I highly doubt would happen.

There is no question that E bikes are the future. The reasons have been discussed in many different threads. Once the cost comes down a bit more and the battery life improves a bit more then you will see a complete onslaught of sales. I fully predict that at some point in the near future that KTM will acquire Alta. They certainly have the money to do so and it would cost a manufacturer more in R&D to catch up to Alta then to just buy them outright.
GuyB
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9/26/2017 1:50pm
How about an MeXdN?
ToolMaker
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9/26/2017 4:59pm
GuyB wrote:
How about an MeXdN?
Meh Wink
skiz
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9/29/2017 3:13pm
TDeath21 wrote:
Someone explain to me what MX3 was. They actually had a whole series for it at some point right? Was it just the riders who couldn't...
Someone explain to me what MX3 was. They actually had a whole series for it at some point right? Was it just the riders who couldn't get an MX1 ride?
JMX82 wrote:
MX3 was series based on the old open class and riders where mostly guys who didn't have enough money or speed to compete in MX1. Bikes...
MX3 was series based on the old open class and riders where mostly guys who didn't have enough money or speed to compete in MX1. Bikes in the MX3 where mostly bigbore kitted 450's but rules would allow two stroke 500's also in that class.
Mx3 was conceptually the big bore category that was supposed to replace the 500cc with an either/or 500cc 2stroke or 650cc 4stroke. In reality, nobody but a few Eastern Europeans participated. The series never (or maybe rarely) left Europe and so should never been called a "World" Championship. It was eastern Europeans competing against each other on big bikes. The FIM said, "We're cancelling the 500ccMx and giving you this BS instead" but 650cc 4strokes were basically enduro machines and all R&D was going into the 450s. The 450 4stroke today is performing somewhere between the 250 & 500 2stroke of yesteryear, so a higher displacement 650 was not a good idea for motocross.
skiz
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9/29/2017 3:30pm
You won't see an E class until more manufactures start building E bikes, unless you expect the riders from other teams to all ride Alta's which I highly doubt would happen.

There is no question that E bikes are the future. The reasons have been discussed in many different threads. Once the cost comes down a bit more and the battery life improves a bit more then you will see a complete onslaught of sales.
Yes yes fully agree
I fully predict that at some point in the near future that KTM will acquire Alta. They certainly have the money to do so and it would cost a manufacturer more in R&D to catch up to Alta then to just buy them outright.
"KTM will acquire Alta"
OK, I guess KTM is projected to become some kinda Mx juggernaut. I guess I don't disagree with the possibility/probability. The other European manufactures (BMW, Ducati, Aprilia, Agusta) will be saying "Motocross.? What is that.? We don't know what dirt is". Honda and Yamaha will say, "Hold on a second, we have E-bikes too.!" Kawasaki will say, "Ummm, we haven't finished deciding if we should get into that but...... if we sign a top notch rider then we're ALL IN." Suzuki will say, "Can we jump in and out endlessly and everybody still love us.?"
Johnny Depp
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9/29/2017 8:12pm
What year will we see the 1st e-bike win the overall? I'll give it 5 years. 2022.

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