Interesting read from MXA this month.
CAN TRIUMPH MEET THE HOMOLOGATION RULES IN TIME?
Dear MXperts,
It is my understanding that you can’t just show up at an AMA Supercross or National with a new bike and race it. What hoops does Triumph have to jump through to get its new 250 on the starting line in 2024?
****response*****
You can’t run what ya brung at an AMA Supercross or National motocross event. Only motorcycles that are homologated by the AMA may be used in competition. Homologation is just a fancy way of making sure that no rider or team shows up at the races with a special oneoff machine that isn’t available in its basic form to every other rider in the race. Unfortunately, for TM, Beta, Sherco and other small motorcycle manufacturers, it is almost impossible for them to meet the current AMA homologation rules, largely because they do not meet the minimum production requirements.
In order to race a new brand or model of bike, the manufacturer or its distributor must file an application with the AMA and have documented proof that they will produce a minimum of 400 machines and make those units available to the public all the way up until August 1 of the racing season (unless the manufacturer can prove that all 400 of the available models were sold before that date).
Where the AMA homologation rule goes wrong is that it has been neutered to the point where it does not do what it was designed to do, which was guarantee that privateers had access to the same production models that the factory teams have.
How so? If you read the homologation rule closely, you would learn that it does not demand that the 400 bikes be available to the public before the racing season starts. Instead, only 200 of the 400 bikes have to be available by March 1, 2024. That is seven races into the 17-race 2024 AMA Supercross series. The second 200 units aren’t required to be available until June 1, 2024 which is three weeks after the 2024 Supercross season is over and the AMA Nationals have already started.
Once a new motorcycle has been homologated and the $5,000 fee paid to the AMA, it may be used until such time that the homologated motorcycle no longer complies with the technical rules or for a maximum of five years.
Triumph wants to race the 250 East/West Supercross series in the 2024 season. If the AMA homologation rule had been written to demand that no bike can legally be raced until it is actually available in large enough numbers to make it available to privateers, not just factory riders, Triumph would be in trouble. But, the AMA rule doesn’t enforce the spirit of the homologation concept. A stricter rule will never be written by the AMA, even though the "Big Seven" manufacturers start selling their new 2024 models as early as August of 2023 and certainly well before the January starting date for the Supercross series.
Under the current rules, as flawed as they are, Triumph can legally race the 2024 AMA 250 East/West series with as few as eight motocross bikes (eight is the maximum number of production bikes that a manufacturer can claim as part of the 400 required units) and never have to sell a single unit until March 1.
So theoretically. A company could make a bike. Be in process of production for the 200 bike rule by March. Never produce any more. Win the supercross title. And then be found non-compliant and lose everything for 5 years? That would be a crazy turn of events.
I honestly thought the rule said Manufacturers had to meet the 400 bike production rule by November (or delivered on show floors) the previous year before racing.
Another brain dead editorial piece by MXA
This rule helps new manus get into racing exactly because they DON’T have to have 400+ bikes available before they start racing. It gives them a buffer period to work with. I don’t really find the whole privateer argument convincing, there are how many brands now? And how many doing FE/R models now?
It's my understanding that all manufacturers have to homologate new models not just Triumph to enter the sport...like Kawi with their new 450 and Yamaha with their new 250 and KTM with any WE they come out with
Yes. This is obvious, no?
The Shop
You would think…but….
That's my understanding of it. ....but it sounds like the rule is full of "fuzzy math" and "which cup has the ball under it" tricks according to the column.
Wow, all this time I thought it was only Triumph that had to abide by this rule. Thanks for setting that straight!
You obviously didn’t read the article….MXA makes it appear that it’s only Triumph that has to comply….every manufacturer every year has to…
I would guess this is a bigger concern for BETA than Triumph. Triumph sells nearly 100,000 motorcycles a year, you think 400 is a problem? They also have a lot bigger dealer network than BETA to move these 400 units.
I didn't read it like that. The person who wrote in asked specifically about Triumph and they responded in that context.
I think people are missing the elephant in the room.... "Where the AMA homologation rule goes wrong is that it has been neutered to the point where it does not do what it was designed to do, which was guarantee that privateers had access to the same production models that the factory teams have."
Not really it’s pretty easy to understand.
The AMA has always played fast and loose with the rules they have or don't have.
We all know that the spirt of the rule was to have everyone on production bikes to level the playing field and keep the costs down for the factories. Neither is very prevalent in todays MX racing.
But wait, this rule is to help smaller manufacturers get into AMA racing. I thought the AMA was beholden Honda, Honda can’t like this one. So week after week, I read threads on here that say the AMA its beholden and controlled by the big manufacturers and here they do something that the manufacturers can’t like to help the little guy and MXA finds fault with that too. Priceless!
I think you missed the whole point of what the article was conveying.
The main point of the production rule is to have bikes on the showroom floor for anyone to buy before they can be raced in AMA Pro races.
But it is a moot point, the AMA goobers gave ALL the manufacturers a "works bike" exemption when the 4 strokes came out. So they could just do that at any point. .........."Fast and loose".
I got the main point, I just think it’s a non-issue. Privateers can wait a couple months to get a bike but many are likely to stay with what they know instead of buying a brand new bike with no context for setups, mods etc.
Are privateers really that negatively affected by not being able to line up at A1 with a Triumph?
Under the current rules, as flawed as they are, Triumph can legally race the 2024 AMA 250 East/West series with as few as eight motocross bikes (eight is the maximum number of production bikes that a manufacturer can claim as part of the 400 required units) and never have to sell a single unit until March 1.
I'd say this is the passage in question. MXA only calls out Triumph here without acknowledging that the biggest exploiter of this loophole has been the KTM group.
Having for sale requirements of 100 Jan 1, 100 March 1, and 100 June 1 for a total of 300 units would make it more fair for SX competition and smaller manufacturers.
I read the article and never felt that they were in any way inferring that the homologation rules only applied to Triumph…….
Pit Row
Wasting your breath. Some of the girls on Vital see "MXA" and this is what you get....
FFS....you post something interesting/educational and the self-imposed "experts" shit all over it. No wonder good content around here is in question.
There is no such thing as "spirit of the rule", teams and riders do everything they can get away with, to gain an advantage.
Yamaha wanted the production rule because they couldn't compete with Honda's budget in the early 1980's, they justified it by saying it would level the playing field for privateers. Factory riders still won.
Would be wild if they came out with the first ever factory edition that had a carbon fiber subframe.
Triumph has the money, they are pretty comfy in the finance department. Look at the names they have given cash, in order for this MX thing to take off..... The AMA has always been a joke at following their very own rulebook , decades following this sport can see that. So let's think about that for a second..... Wonder if the AMA got a REAL BIG check to "help us out?".....
The AMA takes cash just like a shit politician......
Triumph is an OEM business member of the AMA, they get a say in AMA rules and regulations...
Good point. See what I mean??
Surprised that Husqvarna isn’t listed.
So for the people against the current homologation rules, what exactly is the benefit of not letting Triumph (or any other manufacturer) employ a professional race team under the current rules and regulations?
Or are we just complaining for the sake of it?
That would give KTM one more vote on the AMA board of directors!
Here's the actual rule from their 2023 rule book. I don't think it has changed in any big way over the years. Seem to recall Osbourne getting DQ'ed at Southwick on a 450 Yamaha that had not yet gotten processed.
Hasn't KTM raced SX on new bikes that weren't available to the public/privateers until March, three times in the past decade? This seems like it will be the same situation. Not completely "fair", but the precedent has already been set.
Especially since it's been explained so many times before and there's absolutely nothing new.
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