The 2004 rules structure was finalized during a Nov. 1-2 meeting of the AHRMA Board of Trustees in Columbus, Ohio. Rules proposals were reported in the October VV and are included on this page after this article. Unless specified otherwise, all votes described below were unanimous.

The on-line version of the rulebook will be posted by the end of November. Any corrections, personnel updates or other changes that occur through the year will be noted there.

General rules
Helmets with Snell 2000 certification are now required for roadracing and dirt track.

Across the board (except in Sound of Singles/Battle of Twins roadracing), hydraulically assisted clutches and drum brakes are now prohibited.

Dirt track
Approved was the new Seventies Two-Stroke class, open to 1981 and earlier air-cooled two-strokes up to 250cc. Like Seventies Singles, frames must be dual-shock units, forks can be up to 38mm in diameter and rims up to WM4.5 are allowed. The Can-Am 250s that have been dominating the Sportsman class are moved to Seventies Two-Stroke, joining post-'74 machines such as Honda CRs, Kawasaki KXs, Suzuki RMs and Yamaha YZs. Any Sportsman 250 two-stroke machine also may bump up to Seventies Two-Stroke.

In other eligibility matters, the Kawasaki A1 was added to the Classic 250 eligibility list, but a request to include the Kawasaki Greenstreak was denied. Simply as a clarification, the Yamaha XS650 is included on the Sportsman 750 eligibility list.

As a further clarification of AHRMA's policy regarding professional racers, rule 14.1b was changed to read: "Riders who have raced as a professional in the preceding 12 months may not compete in AHRMA dirt track events, to protect AHRMA amateur riders. Pro-Sport/Pro-Am riders are eligible to compete."

General roadrace
All roadrace machines are now required to be fitted with oil-containment systems such as belly pans. This new rule can be found at 9.3f and states:

"Oil containment systems are required on all roadracing machines. Oil containment pans on wet-sump engines must be designed to hold the capacity of the engine sump with nominal reserve. Material used must be durable, fastened safely and removable for inspection if required. The pan must have a retaining dam at the rear. Two-stroke and dry-sump machines must use a pan with a minimum capacity of one quart, or approved oil-absorbing material with a screen backing and fastened securely. Oil-absorbing material, securely retained in the bottom of the pan, is mandatory. All oil containment systems are subject to approval by technical inspection."

The oil-absorbent material will be available at tech inspection, but a search of oil absorbent pads on www.google.com will turn up numerous suppliers.

Series tie-breaking procedures were changed so that if there is still a tie after comparing the number first, second, third, etc., finishes, the oldest rider will win.

Vintage roadrace
After considering member feedback, the board reversed its earlier decision and voted (Craig Breckon abstaining) not to allow all Formula 250/500 machines to use reed valves. The consensus was that a change to the existing rule would further harm four-strokes in F-500.

Also reversed was a vote that would have allowed Historic Production machines to ride in Vintage Superbike as a second ride if the machine qualifies. In fact, no changes will be made to the Vintage Superbike rules in 2004. Even though a number of proposals were tentatively approved at the board's September meeting, trustees heeded concerns that perhaps the changes were occurring too quickly and the classes should be given the chance to develop.

SOS/BOT roadrace
Trustees approved a pair of fairly lengthy additions to the Production Singles and Supersport (formerly SuperStock) rules. (Jeff Smith and Rusty Lowry voted no, because they hadn't previously seen the proposal.) The changes basically plug loopholes and clear up gray areas that had existed in both sections, specifying what parts may and may not be changed.

The board also voted to:

—allow Sound of Singles and Battle of Twins machines to bump up into any classes for which they quality, rather than just the next larger displacement class.

—allow AMA 250 GP type machines into BOT Two-Stroke to help attract more entries. At the same time, the SuperStock limits were removed from 250cc V-twins.

—reverse the earlier vote that would have removed the $10 surcharge for SOS and BOT licenses. Voting to end the surcharge were Breckon, John Goodpaster and Dave Janiec.

General motocross
Both the vintage and post-vintage rules were changed to specify that minicycles are not permitted. Machines must have an OEM wheel size of at least 17 inches, and the minimum engine displacement for 125cc classes was changed to 88cc. Ron Winget voted against the proposal because it did not follow the proper rule-change procedure.

Series tie-breaking procedures were changed so that if there is still a tie after comparing the greatest number of moto wins, then second, third, etc., finishes, the oldest rider will win.

A rule removed in 1996, stipulating that all nationals also must pay regional-championship points for the region in which the event is held, was returned to the rulebook.

Rule 11.6c was changed to clarify the point at which a rider must reenter after leaving the course as "before the next track marker."

Trustees revisited the "last place plus two positions" rule regarding DNFs (11.4c), but again decided to leave it unchanged.

Finally, only official AHRMA classes are to be run at nationals. Any exceptions must be approved in advance by the Executive Director.

Vintage MX
The "vintage sunset" proposal was put to rest with the following statement inserted at the end of the Sportsman section of the rulebook: "The Sportsman eligibility list is now complete with regard to non-like-design post-1974 machines. However, proposals for inclusion of like-design machines are always welcome."

+70 riders now may be moved down one skill level in any class except +60, at the discretion of the rider grading committee. The rule previously enabled a lower skill level in Sportsman.

On a related matter, the board reaffirmed the policy of not charging an entry fee for riders age 70 and older.

Two changes were made to eligibility lists—the addition of the Maico oval barrel to Classic 250 and extending the cutoff to 1975 for CZ 125s in Classic 125.

Post-vintage MX
Most of the changes to PVMX rules involve fine-tuning of eligibility lists. Among the additions:

—1975-76 Puch 250 MX (twin-carb Harry Everts Replica), Historic 250.

—1982 Suzuki DR500z, Gran Prix 500.

—1982-84 Yamaha YZ125 with YPVS system, Ultima 125. These are the only eligible motorcycles in Ultima 250 allowed to use a power-valve mechanism.

—1982-84 Yamaha YZ250 with YPVS system, Ultima 250. Again, no other eligible motorcycles are allowed to use a power-valve mechanism.

—1983-84 Yamaha TT600 (not XT600). This is the only model allowed in the class that is over the displacement limit of 580cc.

—all Honda XR200s, Ultima 250.

Two equipment rules also were changed. The first specifies that for Gran Prix and Ultima machines, any OEM or aftermarket fork may be used up to and including the Ultima era. The second modifies the carburetor rule to prohibit Mikuni and Keihin flat-slide units on Historic or GP class motorcycles and states that active accelerator pump mechanisms must be disconnected or removed on these same machines.

Observed trials
There were several alterations to the lines specified for the various classes and skill levels. The "PI" line becomes an official fifth line in each section. Also riding this line in addition to Premier Lightweight and Heavyweight Intermediates will be Rigid Expert entries. Classic class riders move down one step—Expert, line two; Intermediate, PI; and Novice, line three.

To encourage more riders to volunteer to help at national events, first-place points will be awarded at any one event per year to someone who works as a checker or trialmaster. Smith, Lowry and Winget voted against the change.

Cross country
A change was given final approval stating that riders may enter only one class in a one-hour race (for instance, you cannot enter both Sportsman Open and +50). Two new changes also were okayed:

—A rider’s motocross skill level designation is used as the basis for cross country. However, the rider grading committee may assign a rider a separate skill level designation for cross country.

—The Post-Vintage class was split into classes up 200cc and over 200cc, referred to as Post-Vintage 200 and Post-Vintage Open.

From the October 2003 issue of Vintage Views
2004 rules proposals

The AHRMA Board of Trustees met Sept. 19 in Denver, Colo., to review proposed rules changes for 2004. All proposals specific to a type of AHRMA competition went through the various Rules & Eligibility committees, with the board focusing primarily on those items that the committees recommended for approval or flagged for further discussion. General rules proposals went directly to the board for consideration at this meeting.

What follows is a description of the actions taken on rules issues by the board at Denver. All of the approvals are tentative. 

General roadracing
Trustees gave tentative approval to a new rule requiring that all machines taking part in AHRMA roadracing be equipped with an oil-containment system such as a belly pan. Requirements recommended by the committee are: dry-sump four-stroke engines and two-strokes, one-quart capacity; wet-sump machines, the maximum machine oil capacity, with a three-quart minimum. Trustees asked the R&E Committee to consider a minimum containment capacity of one cup for dry-sump engines, and to look into the viability of using “diaper”-type containment systems for dry-sump motorcycles with very low ground clearance.

The committee’s recommended requirements state that containment devices must be made of durable material not subject to tears, rips or abrasive damage in normal operation. They must be attached in a workmanlike manner, with safety wire on mounting hardware, and made so that they can be removed for inspection of the underside of the machine. Faired machines may incorporate the containment device in the lower fairing parts. All pans must have a dam at the rear to preclude spillage. Oil-absorbent material is recommended on the bottom of the pan. All installations will be subject to the approval of the chief tech inspector.

Vintage roadracing
Tentative approval was given to a proposal to allow any two-stroke in Formula 250 and Formula 500 to use reed-valve induction.

Also approved was a proposal permitting Historic Production Heavyweight machines to bump up to the appropriate Vintage Superbike class, if the particular motorcycle qualifies.

The board asked the Vintage Roadrace R&E Committee to look into prohibiting hydraulically assisted brakes and clutches.

Vintage Superbike
The following proposals recommended by the Vintage Superbike R&E Committee were given tentative approval by the board:

• Move the year cutoff to 1982 for Japanese machines up to 1025cc, provided the bikes meet all class requirements.
• Move the Honda CB400F from the Middleweight class into Lightweight.
• Allow stock OEM CV carburetors in the Heavyweight class.
• Allow solid disc type wheels of the period in the Heavyweight class (the board asked for some clarification of the proposal).
• Do not make any engine-displacement changes to the class structure for 2004.

Sound of Singles/Battle of Twins/Sound of Thunder
The committee proposed a comprehensive cleanup of Supersport and Production Singles rules to clarify gray areas and plug loopholes, and the board agreed to these changes. The SOS/BOT/SOT Committee noted that the current Supersport rules are “woefully inadequate,” forcing committee members to spend a lot of time answering questions and requiring officials to create policy at the racetrack. The proposed changes closely mirror the rules of the other major sanctioning bodies and clearly spell out what is and is not allowed. Meanwhile, the existing Supersport rules cannot adequately cover the large variety of machines permitted in Production Singles, so the committee came up with a package specific to the needs of this class. The full text of both proposals can be found here.

In other changes, the board endorsed the following:

• The $10 surcharge for SOS/BOT licenses will be eliminated, even though it will mean a loss of about $4,000 in revenue.
• Rule 10.9.2 limiting bikes to bumping up just one class will be removed, allowing modern bikes to ride in as many classes for which they qualify.
• SOS Two-Stroke and BOT Two-Stroke machines may race in Sound of Thunder.
• BOT Two-Stroke will be opened to all modern 250cc GP two-strokes.

Vintage motocross
An issue of considerable interest to many AHRMA members—a youth class for riders under age 16—was discussed at length, and the board ultimately voted to leave things unchanged. A large portion of the board’s concerns revolved around the risk posed to the association from lawsuits that might stem from injuries to young racers, which can be filed many years after the actual incident. Trustees also expressed hesitancy to tamper with the association’s basic philosophy—AHRMA’s purpose is to provide opportunities for vintage racing, not to provide opportunities for youth racing. Discussion ranged from allowing the regions to experiment with youth classes to raising the minimum age to 18 in MX and cross country so that all AHRMA speed events are consistent. In the end, no changes were recommended for 2004.

On another controversial topic, the “vintage sunset” proposal, the board voted to freeze the current Sportsman eligibility list, so that no more post-1974 models can be added. The often-misunderstood proposal would have, in 2008, removed all non-like- design 1975 and newer motorcycles now permitted in the Sportsman classes and placed these in the post-vintage Historic classes. Under the trustees’ tentative vote (Robert Borg dissenting), the vintage sunset plan will be shelved and no additional post-1974 machines will be added to the Sportsman eligibility list.

Although the Vintage MX R&E Committee did not recommend moving the Suzuki TS125 from the Classic to the Sportsman class, the panel will consider adding language to the rulebook specifying which modifications are illegal for this machine. In turning down Classic 125 eligibility changes for the Suzuki TS and Husqvarna 125s, the board emphasized the existing rule allowing individual motorcycles to be moved to Sportsman if they demonstrate a clear performance advantage.

The board gave tentative approval to allowing +70 riders to move down one skill level in any class except +60, at the discretion of the rider grading committee. Trustees also discussed whether to continue the policy of free entries for riders over age 70. The measure was put in place before there was a +70 class, but now that there is a class that awards points and trophies to this group of riders, trustees wondered whether the no-entry policy should be moved up to age 80. The board decided to get more input from these riders before making any change.

The much-debated rule that awards last place plus two positions for riders who do not finish a moto (rule 11.4c) also was the focus of considerable discussion. In the end, the vote (Dave Boydstun and Dave Janiec dissenting) was to leave it unchanged for 2004.

In other race-procedure matters, clarification was added to rule 11.6c, dealing with reentering the track after a rider has left the course. Language will be added stating that non-AHRMA classes, such as exhibition races, can be run at a national only if approved in advance by the executive director. The board agreed with proposals stating that Novices should not be combined on the same gate as Intermediates and Experts, and not combining Premier and Classic with any other classes in a race, but emphasized that these things can be dealt with administratively rather than being placed in the rulebook.

Finally, trustees tentatively approved a recommendation that no hydraulically assisted control of any kind are permitted (except OEM disc brakes on Rokons).

Post-vintage MX
A committee recommendation to add a PV +60 class was given a tentative OK by the board. Other proposals endorsed by the board all dealt with eligibility and equipment:

• The Puch twin-carb (Harry Everts replica) model will be added to Historic 250.
• The 1982 Suzuki DR500Z is added to Gran Prix 500.
• All years of Honda two-valve XR200s will be permitted in Ultima 250.
• 1983 and ‘84 Yamaha TT600s (but not XT) will be added to Ultima 500.
• The phrase “manufactured as a minimum of 100cc” will be added to all post-vintage 125 classes, to make it clear that minicycles are not permitted.
• Carburetor rule 12.5c will modified to specify that all accelerator pump mechanisms must be disconnected, even if OEM equipped.
• No hydraulically assisted controls of any kind will be permitted, except for OEM disc brakes on Rokons and Yankees.

Dirt track
The Dirt Track R&E Committee recommended, and the board tentatively approved, a Seventies two-stroke 250cc class as a replacement for Veteran beginning in the coming season.

The Kawasaki A1 will be added to Classic 250, and the Yamaha XS650 will be specified as a Sportsman 750-eligible machine (it’s always been eligible but not specifically listed).

The definition of an active pro rider in rule 14.1b will be modified to specify that a rider cannot have competed as a pro in the preceding 12 months.

The R&E committee will look into a proposal to prohibit hydraulically assisted drum brakes and clutches.

Observed trials
In an effort to encourage more people to volunteer as helpers at trials, the board endorsed a new rule awarding first-place points at any one event per year where someone works as a checker.

The PI (Premier Intermediate) line will be officially added as a fifth line in each trials section. Those in the Rigid Expert class also will ride this line.

In equipment rules, the Trials R&E Committee revisited the question of allowing reed valves in the Classic class and again decided against it. The committee will consider a proposal to prohibit hydraulically operated brakes and clutches.

Cross country
Only one change to cross country rules was considered and tentatively approved. That is, a rider cannot enter more than once class in a one-hour race. (For example, a rider could not enter both +50 and Sportsman Open in the same race.)

General rules
Requests were made to eliminate the “penalty” for post-entries in roadracing and to implement tiered race entry fees. Trustees voted against both proposals, based on the association’s current economic picture. Another proposal to make all post-entries double the pre-entry fee (essentially, applying the MX and roadrace policy to dirt track) was defeated on a vote of 6-4.

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