FIM acknowledge Two-strokes in war on noise
By Mannix Devlin on 14th Dec 06
IT would seem that the powers that be have recognised the more intrusive nature of the noise output by current four-stroke motocross machinery and have set differing levels between two-strokes and four-strokes which will come into effect at international level starting January 1, 2008.
Though the meeting was held in Athens, Greece, on November 5, the press release concerning the outcome was only issued last week.
The Motocross and Supermoto Grand Prix Commission, comprising Wolfgang Srb (representing the FIM Motocross Commission), Giuseppe Luongo (representing series promoters Youthstream) and Takanao Tsubouchithe (representing the MSMA - Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers' Association) made a number of decisions.
On the technical front for Motocross and Supermoto:- The maximum sound level as from January 1, 2008, will be 96 dBA for two-stroke engines and 94 dBA for four-stroke engines. These limits will remain in force until December 31, 2009. Then, for 2010, lower maximum limits will be introduced, and these will be announced in April 2007.
In Motocross, whoops/ wash-board are forbidden. ‘Rolling wave' sections may be incorporated with a specification that the distance between the highest point of each wave must be approximately ten meters and the height of each ‘wave' is limited to approximately 80cm.
Furthermore, if a race is stopped before the second lap has been completed, the re-start will follow the same procedure as that for a ‘false start'. This will apply for MX1, MX2, MX3, MXdN, Veterans, Women, Junior and Sidecar classes at international level.
When questioned on its noise policies, an ACU spokesman commented: -The ACU will be following the lead of the FIM with respect to MAXIMUM noise limits and we will be issuing the appropriate statement to this effect in due course.-
For 2007 the ACU will be running a limit of 96 dBA for motocross (with a 2 dBA post race tolerance).
The BSMA has been ‘ahead of the game' on the (anti-) noise front for some time. Concerned with the impact that noise was having on the availability of - and in some cases the loss of - venues, it announced unilaterally at the end of the 2005 season that it would be running to a maximum limit of 96 dBA in 2006 and this limit would further reduce to 94 dBA for 2007. That new BSMA limit comes into force on January 1.
In recent years the AMCA has followed a similar regime to the ACU in regards to noise limits. The AMCA's Motocross Committee is due to meet in early January to deliberate on this and other matters.
Noise and noise complaints have led to the increasing loss of circuits and practice venues over recent years and unless everyone accepts that we will have to monitor and police noise outputs, these venue losses will continue!