Is the AMA/FIM changing the wrong things?

ML512 wrote:

I've thought about dropping the price/adding competitiveness in the 250 class for a bit and here's the couple I've come up with... 1. Production tire rules...

I've thought about dropping the price/adding competitiveness in the 250 class for a bit and here's the couple I've come up with...

1. Production tire rules: Right now, the top 250 teams have access to proto tires. I'd like to see the 250 teams only be allowed off-the-shelf tire patterns and compounds. To eliminate a "race replica" tire with a high price tag, put a cap on the front and rear tire price.

2. Fuel rules: I feel like a spec fuel could control its own costs and motor building costs in one shot. I'd purpose a spec fuel that is just slightly higher octane than pump (maybe 95-ish) with no oxygen or power additives and no additives to eliminate detention/knock factor. Keep the price between $5-6 a gallon. This would lower the price of a 5 gallon pale of race fuel from something like $150 to around $30.

That alone would a big savings, but there's an added aspect as well. If you eliminate the additives that aid in scathing away detention and the octane level isn't too high, it could help lower the compression levels of these race engines and keep them closer to stock levels. Beyond that, a key place that the factory level 250 teams find power is the endless time they can spend mapping a bike to best utilize the high-end fuels and make the bikes run perfectly crisp. Taking away a lot of those additives I feel like would lessen their advantage with so much time to invest in mapping. Don't get me wrong, they'd still spend a lot of time mapping the bikes and making them crisp as can be, but I don't think the advantage would be as wide against a privateer who would try to utilize the same fuel but doesn't have the resources to adjust the mapping so precisely to maximize those additives.

Lastly, a privateer could take a practice bike with good fuel (that's not race legal) to run during the week to make closer power to their "fuel restricted" race engines without all the needed mods. It could make their practice bikes cheaper and more reliable, while still making power levels comparable to their race bikes.

3. Tighter suspension rules: There's a price cap on suspension in the 250 class right now but it's poorly enforced and worded. I'd like to see a rule that require the fork legs, cartridges, and damping rods to be homologated from a production level bike...along with the shock bodies, compression adjusters, and shock shafts. Then, place a lower price cap on all these parts so someone like KTM doesn't release a special edition bike with Cone Valves and a Traxx shock to get around this rule.

The goal would be for everyone to be on components that are near stock levels with maybe some coatings, valving changes, pistons, and spring rates. Additional parts like fork spring seats or spring tubes could be added. Ultimately I'd like to see this rule work to the point a spare set of race-level suspension (without coatings) was closer to $2500-3000 for a complete set of forks and shock.

peelout wrote:

cheaper beer, 11 bucks is fuckin' redickulous