read it here

Anybody else feel like jumping on the next flight to Switzerland?!

it's funny, but i remember a few months ago the ama (while still working with jam productions) was talking about leaving the fim. now...

Who needs soap operas when we have this!

Tony, what's the deal?! Do you know how the AMA benefits from it's relationship w/ the FIM? It seems to me that the FIM benefits more from the AMA's support/voice than the AMA benefits from the FIM. Would a split prevent American riders from competing internationally?

i'm not really sure what benefit there is to being in the fim for the ama. rcjohn probably knows more about this than i do.

i know that the afm was the us fim representative for some time.

www.roadracingworld.com has ran a few stories on it. it doesn't seem like a big deal. if you run a search on supercross on the roadracingworld site, they summarize the relationship.

It is my opinion, albeit an unpopular one, that FIM is the best of the best. No where in the US does the AMA allow you to construct a totally original bike and race it against similar bikes. I compare it to F1 motor cars. You get the best engineering and the best drivers.

As far as how it benefits the AMA to be a member of the FIM: It doesn't. They are actually competing with one another.

This year I actually prefer the AMA over the FIM. In the FIM it usually starts out OK but sooon turns into a rout. Boring....! At least in the AMA the races seem closer and are better over-all races.

Just my two drachma worth,

Rich

Rich,
Thanks for the input. I have to agree that it doesn't really seem to benefit the AMA to be a supporter of the FIM, but rather seems like a courtesy more than anything else. To be honest, I wouldn't be the least bit upset if the AMA gave the FIM its walking papers. Let's just hope that things don't get too ugly in court. And for God's sake, let's hope the FIM doesn't win 'cause that'll be the end of AMA Supercross as we know it.

I would need to know a lot more on this matter. Still of interest to those that were not riding or competing PRIOR to the AMA joining up with the FIM things were a bit strange.
Like the AMA being RUN by the Harley-Davidson factory people that did some strange things. For instance they had this thing of where they flat tracked 45 cu inch SV (750cc) bikes with a low comp ratio of 6 to 1 & later 6.5 to one while we with OHV could only use 500cc & while the bikes came with 7 or 7.5 to 1 we had to lower the comp ratio.
HD realized that Indian 45 flat head bikes were actually best for 1 mile flat tracks so around '49 to '50 they banned any m/c prior to 1945 (knowing Indian had not produced a 45 flat head since '42) & in actual fact in their clause the reason one could not put in a OHC Manx Norton was because it was not street legal meaning it had no generation systm for lighting YET the new 45s were never produced for road use since '42 & so breaking their rule.
ALSO under FIM a manufacture cannot control racing in their country NOR can any motorcycle organization control the racing of ANOTHER country as well.
Still HD controlled racing in the States AND Cdn even though we had organized the Canadian Motorcycle Assoc that actually belonged to the FIM.
An American top notch racer wanting to compete in Europe needed to have an Expert license through that countries racing organizatin that was part of the FIM & in that way ALL went by the same rules & regulations.
Some of us Cdns belonged to the AMA AND CMA so we could compete in both countries & were often banned in the States due to our combined membership.
Americans that often went over to Europe to compete in the Isle of Man TT or such would join up with the CMA, obtain their Expert license & THEN apply to race over in Europe.
So one needs to study this situation a bit deeper ----- presently I feel the AMA is correct, but----------------..