War on Noise
By TMX Archives on 5th Mar 08
T+MX backs FIM in urging manufactures to slash decibels
AS a result of the major article on four-stroke noise, printed in the January 11 issue of T+MX, and warnings from UK sport going back over the last 11 years, the FIM is finally to enter into discussions with the major manufacturers. Top of the agenda is to hammer out a substantial noise reduction for four-stroke MX bikes – with tamper-proof mechanical silencers as original fitment also, writes PETE PLUMMER.
While we can't yet consider this a victory, it is certainly a major step forward as talks begin now with changes coming in 2010 or possibly even as early as next year. It is also perhaps not entirely coincidental that our Big Noise feature was translated into French for the ACU to present to the FIM. The man charged with negotiating with the manufacturers organisation – the MXMA – is FIM Vice President Jean-Pierre Mougin, a dedicated technical expert with many years at Renault/ Peugeot to his credit. Appointed to the task by FIM President Vito Ippolito, Jean-Pierre is expected to thrash out the changes needed with vigour and some style.
The ACU is to be the conduit for the FIM involvement but it has taken since 1997 to get this far. A change in the rules in how four-stroke MX noise was measured means new generation high revving four-strokes are noisier than two-strokes, even with the same decibel reading. A major stumbling block in the less noise campaign has been the reluctance by the big manufacturers' teams to change, as they have argued that the resultant power loss would see them disadvantaged. The fitment of tamper-proof, mechanical silencers, along with the attendant noise reduction, just about guarantees it's the same for everybody – so it could be win, win all the way.
As well as negotiating with the MXMA for quieter bikes straight from the crate, attention is being given to the FIM rule book on how the noise is measured. Replicated hopefully for 2009 by all the federations worldwide, this will also have a positive effect.
It is impossible to quantify the damage done to our sport, in terms of lost tracks and facilities by noisy bikes since 1997 or even the sales lost through land and image problems due to the
noise issue. But here at last is a step in the right
direction.