FIM Sound Level Meeting
A meeting was held on February 23 in Geneva, within the framework of the FIM Conference Meetings, on request of MSMA. During this meeting, FIM President Vito Ippolito was assisted by FIM Vice-.President Jean-Pierre Mougin, International Technical Panel President Oriol Puig Bulto and Sports Director Ignacio Verneda. MSMA was represented by its President Mr Hiroshi Oshima, accompanied by KTM President Stefan Pierer, Aprilia/Derbi President Leo Francesco Mercanti and MSMA Secretary General Takanao Tsubouchi. Youthtsream was represented by its President Mr Giuseppe Luongo.
MSMA representatives acknowledged the negative impact of noise on the development of sporting and non-sporting activities and confirmed their will to work closely with the FIM in order to reduce the sound level of off-road machines, an evolution which matches totally the strategic orientations of the FIM.
It was decided to create immediately a steering committee composed of FIM, MSMA and Youthstream representatives and with the task, at first stage, to propose to the FIM mid and long-term sound level limits for Motocross and Enduro.
This Committee, presided by Mr Jean-Pierre Mougin, will quickly define a common working programme as well as the correspondent planning, the target being to be able to decide during the next FIM Congress in Durban, South Africa, on October 2008, about the plan of sound level reductions until 2015. This Committee will examine in a second part the evolution of emission levels, as well as the cubic capacity equivalence of 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines.
Moreover, the FIM and MSMA agreed to intensify their cooperation in order to find solutions not only in Off-Road, but also in Road Racing.
President Vito Ippolito said: “This FIM/MSMA/Youthstream meeting represents a considerable step forward for the future of our off road activities. As for motorcycling activities as a whole, the strong will of collaboration between the FIM and MSMA represents a new starting point for other future collaborations.”
