Calling all MOMs anoracks !

[evo550]

So, I just finished a 3 day, level 2 MA officials course ( Level 1, Steward, CoC, Race sec and Scrut).
The first two days where for the key officials and today was set aside for the scrutineers course.
Throughout the whole course it was constantly drummed into us the the rule book was gospel and that if it's not in the MOMs it's not a rule, and the role of the official was to enforce the rules.
All was going well until the scrutineering today which called for us all outside going over some bikes and quads, the presenter first did a check on a bike which he found a few faults that he would want to be fixed before riding, 1 being a worn/torn grip where your thumb sits and 2 a sloppy rear wheel bearing. This is where I got a bit confused, no where in the MOMs does it mention anything about grips or wheel bearings as a rule. We then had to do some other bikes, one of the other guys had a bike missing plugged bar ends to which the presenter said he would let that through, but would advise the rider to make sure it was fixed before the next meet??? WTF thats a black and white rule. When questioned about the contradictions he said there was a rule that stated all machines needed to be in good condition.....just coukldn't find it right now.
Question is can anyone else find it
He also said that 2013 will require all forms of bikes to have a lanyard style kill switch fitted, anyone else heard this?

[SON]

Welome to MA.
a contradiction in itself.

[GD66]

He is wrong, plugged handlebar ends are noted in All Disciplines, rule 12.8.6.1.

Can't say I've come across the rule decreeing that all bikes need to be "in good condition"...

Regarding the grips and wheel bearings, while not being in the interest of having a good, well-presented safe machine, neither would compromise the safety of the bike to impact on other competitors, so the bike would pass scrutineering but the scrutineer should draw these items to the competitor's attention and is within his rights to suggest or request that these items be rectified.

[evo550]

He is wrong, plugged handlebar ends are noted in All Disciplines, rule 12.8.6.1.

Can't say I've come across the rule decreeing that all bikes need to be "in good condition"...

Regarding the grips and wheel bearings, while not being in the interest of having a good, well-presented safe machine, neither would compromise the safety of the bike to impact on other competitors, so the bike would pass scrutineering but the scrutineer should draw these items to the competitor's attention and is within his rights to suggest or request that these items be rectified.

Exactly what I thought. Check what the rule book says to check and leave the rest. No wonder scrutineers are different from one to the next.

[micks]

MoMs is printed in black and white but there is a lot of grey in it.
good one evo550 for having a go, you and your club will be better off for it.

[pancho]

 Hello micks where yu bin?

[micks]

witness protection  pancho

[pancho]

 Come in from the cold micks, you'll be right!

[Sorelegs11]

Hey Evo,
Whats your enterpratation of the rules regarding "bark Busters" in dirt track, as far as I can read into it they are permitted but I have seen a bit of a kerfuffle at the track beetween riders and some scrutineers.
I love the alloy ones but I have been told they must be able to shatter.

[Montynut]

Hey Evo,
Whats your enterpratation of the rules regarding "bark Busters" in dirt track, as far as I can read into it they are permitted but I have seen a bit of a kerfuffle at the track beetween riders and some scrutineers.
I love the alloy ones but I have been told they must be able to shatter.

Having seen two riders in 2012 still suffering the after effects of hideous broken wrists 12 months on I would agree that bark busters should be and are outlawed in dirt track and MX. Give me a broken lever everytime

[GD66]

   I love the alloy ones but I have been told they must be able to shatter.

Not really, mate.
Re Track : MOMS 21.3.0.6 If hand protectors are used, they must be of a shatterproof material.

Re MX: MOMS 17.2.1.1 Hand lever protectors
   (a) Must be single mounted for motocross and supercross
   (b) May be double-mounted on machines in club and inter-club natural terrain motocross events.

I can see how that could get ugly very quickly when you go over the top on your tracker. Yeowch !
 

[firko]

Having seen two riders in 2012 still suffering the after effects of hideous broken wrists 12 months on I would agree that bark busters should be and are outlawed in dirt track and MX. Give me a broken lever everytime

I can see how that could get ugly very quickly when you go over the top on your tracker. Yeowch !

I'd never ever considered bark busters being unsafe but once I think about I can see why they might cause some damage. I used to have bark busters on my enduro bikes that doubled up for dirt track duty but never had any problems during my numerous crashes, lucky I guess. It's one of those things I'd never have thought of .

[GMC]

It all comes down to how you set your bark busters up.
I see a lot of guys have them pointing upwards in order to get around there levers but this is when they are at there most dangerous.
You really need them pointing downwards slightly so if you go over the bars your hands go over the top of them.
Typically it’s easier to ban something rather than work out how to avoid the problem.

[Freakshow]

We don't let bb on the track other than enduro meets, too many risks in arm getting caught and really there for trees not for much else.  The rule of thumbs is if it looks unsafe it is, the grips is a crock of shit and I'd  fight it if I presented a bike. The bar end plugged though is a must. Five cent piece fix it who secs.
Don't get draw into the whole micro management thing. The bikes first and foremost should be visually safe and entered in the right class. Your role should be to check they havent forgotten to put somthign back or tighten something on, usually after working on them, your another set of eyes.   Taking screwdriver to the spokes and all that other over the top stuff is crap and only done by scrutinisers that don't know better.  It's like valve caps should be fitted but would you send one home or would you tell them to grab one off there car ?  its not life threatening.  You also need to be very sure of your legal obligation, your only checking safely from a track point of view to others in the first instance ? And if you see something that could creat injury you need to explain it. All the rest is generally up the the anality of the scrutiner but don't get caught up in that puffery.   Kill switches are not in the rules but you Would probally explain the effect of a chainsaw and ask for one to be fitted please... The biggest grief you Need to work out is your own interpretation of a chain guard and also sprocket guard, I still have guys on modern with open case savers fitted that think its ok, that one you get every other week....  Again I'd forget half of what the guy is telling you and focus on what rules are important to safety and what focus the bikes particularly in there discipline to be sure they are entered in the correct class. If its not right point it out to the race sec or Coc, your also there to catch the dumb forks who can't enter a bike in the right class.  And if your doing vintage check they have a round slide .

[Freakshow]

And three days..... What could they possibly talk about for three days?