What Bikes Are Legal

Paul Carruthers | December 18, 2008
The following is from AMA Pro Racing…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 18, 2008) – Ensuring that competitors will be able to continue to race motorcycles from a large pool of proven products and models, AMA Pro Racing announced today that all currently approved motorcycles from this past road racing season will remain certified and eligible for competition in 2009. The continuation is part of AMA Pro Road Racing’s overall 2009 motorcycle approval procedure which was opened for applications last week.

The grandfather clause applies to motorcycles that were previously approved for Formula Xtreme and SuperSport competition and which are now eligible in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike and AMA Pro SuperSport championships. Previously approved Superbikes are also automatically eligible for AMA Pro American Superbike competition.

No renewal applications or fees are required for currently approved makes and models to remain eligible, but all motorcycles must be brought into compliance with current 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing specifications for their respective classes. This rules compliance also applies to any after-market parts on the current-specification motorcycles that may or may not be eligible within the new regulations.

“AMA Pro Road Racing will always be an arena available to manufacturers to showcase their latest and most exciting products,” said AMA Pro Racing President Roger Edmondson. “It is equally important, however, that our teams and riders have unhindered access to a broad pipeline of competitive and contemporary motorcycles, and our 2009 homologation and motorcycle approval policy meets those objectives.”

New or previously uncertified motorcycles may now be submitted for homologation. Manufacturers or distributors interested in submitting a motorcycle for approval for competition in any of the three AMA Pro Road Racing classes can download all of the required forms, guidelines and applications at www.amaproracing.com/prorace/forms.asp. A $500 homologation fee for new or previously unapproved motorcycles submitted for approval in each of the three series must accompany all applications.

All eligible motorcycles must be four-stroke production models certified for street use in the United States. Approval is required for every new model year even if the current motorcycle in production is identical to a previous year’s model. All submitted motorcycles must also be available in sufficient quantities at U.S. retail dealers at the time each make and model enters competition.

The online forms provide detailed lists of the various parts and components that must be delivered with all submitted motorcycles, in addition to required photographs, factory service manuals, parts lists and sales brochures. All submitted motorcycles and the related parts and information must be received in AMA Pro’s Daytona Beach headquarters no later than 30 days prior to the first event in which the new model will compete.

Inquiries about the 2009 motorcycle homologation process may be sent to homologation@amaproracing.com.

The 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing season begins at Daytona International Speedway the first weekend in March and will feature the first Daytona 200 by Honda under the lights, Friday, March 6. The opening weekend at Daytona also features American Superbike and SuperSport races in addition to other AMA Pro Road Racing series.

Paul Carruthers | Editor

Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America's Daily Motorcycle News Source.