Now that lots of people's brains have exploded, here's the same rules with annotations in blue. (The blue bits aren't part of the rules - they help people understand the changes).
16.11 MACHINE ELIGIBILITY
16.11.1 Eligible Machines
16.11.1.1 Only machines conforming to the requirements set out in chapter 16 will be accepted for competition.
16.11.1.2 The onus of proof of eligibility shall rest wholly upon the rider or entrant of the machine. Service and parts manual publication dates are not proof of eligibility.
16.15.7 Acceptable machines and components:
All Eras: (this saves repeating a whole lot of stuff for every category)
a) Major Components are: Frame, swing arm, forks, wheel hubs, triple clamps, engine cases, cylinder(s), and cylinder head(s). A machine's era will be defined by its newest major component. (defining the major components is important - it makes the difference between "do I need to use old tyres?" and "can I fit the forks off my 2005 Honda?")
b) Any major component that is visually similar and operationally indistinguishable from the original will be accepted regardless of the date of manufacture. (I am not happy with "similar" - the word "identical" is too strict for minor differences like casting changes, but "similar" is too vague. Open to input on that one!
This bit also replaces the need to specifically allow identical carry-over models)
ba) Any major component that is visually similar and operationally indistinguishable from aftermarket components available in the era, will be accepted regardless of the date of manufacture. (As above)
c) Any modifications to major components must be using principles and techniques that were available in the era the machine is entered in. (just stops loop-holing tactics)
d) Rear shock absorbers will be in the original position(s), using the original mounting points. (As well as avoiding repeating the same thing over and over again, this kills the "single-shock to twin-shock Evo" bike argument dead)
da) Folding footrests must be fitted.
(I killed "exhaust must follow original lines" because it achieves nothing.
I killed the "must meet the noise test" stuff because its already in 16c)
Pre 60 Solo. This class is intended to represent the formative era of motocross. (Weakly worded - needs input from the old hands).
16.15.7.1 The pre 60 class is for machines that closely represent those built up to (and including) 1959 models.
16.15.7.3 Front wheel travel will not exceed 178mm (7 inches) rear wheel travel will be limited to 102mm (4 inches) measured at the axle.
16.15.7.4 Plastic and fibreglass is not permitted.
16.15.7.6 Period carburettors or Amal Mk1 Concentric.
16.15.7.7 Reed valves are not permitted. (Kind of redundant, but added for clarity)
Pre 65 Solo. This class is intended to represent the first generation of purpose-built motocross bikes. (Again, weakly worded pre-amble - input please)
16.15.8.1 The pre 65 class is for machines that closely represent those that were built up to (and including) 1964 models.
16.15.8.3 Front wheel travel will not exceed 178mm (7 inches) rear wheel travel will be limited to 102mm (4 inches) measured at the axle.
16.15.8.6 Carburettors of any type pre 75 round slide may be used.
16.15.8.7 Reed valves are not permitted. (as for Pre-60)
Pre 70. This class is intended to represent the era where 4-stroke machines lost their dominance and 2-stroke machines became dominant. (Ditto)
16.15.9.1 The pre 70 class is for machines that closely represent those built up to (and including) 1969 models.
16.15.9.2 Front wheel travel will not exceed 178mm (7 inches) rear wheel travel will be limited to 102mm (4 inches) measured at the axle.
16.15.9.4 Carburettors; any type of pre 75 round slide may be used.
16.15.9.5 Reed valves are not permitted.
16.15.9.9 Yamaha XS1 and XS650 engines are eligible.
16.15.9.10 Acceptable follow on models: AJS Stormer 250; Greeves griffon models; Yamaha AT1, DT1, CT1, RT1 without reed valve induction. (tightening up the wording slightly)
Pre 75 Solo. This class is intended to represent the last of the short travel suspension era.
16.15.10.1 The pre 75 class is for machines that closely represent those built up to (and including) 1974 models.
16.15.10.2 Front wheel travel will not exceed 178mm (7 inches) rear wheel travel will be limited to 102mm (4 inches) measured at the axle.
16.15.10.4 Carburettors; any type of pre 75 round slide may be used.
16.15.10.5 XS1 and XS650 engines are eligible.
16.15.10.9 Acceptable follow on models pre 75:
Honda CR125M1, XL250K1, XL350K1, MT250 (all) and MT125 (all)
Yamaha YZ360B, DT250B,
Suzuki TS400 (all).
Pre 78 Solo and Women's Pre-78. This class is intended to represent the transition era between the short travel Pre-75 machines and the long travel Evo machines.
16.15.11.1 The pre 78 class is for machines that closely represent those built up to (and including) 1977 models.
16.15.11.2 Front wheel travel will not exceed 229mm (9 inches) rear wheel travel will be limited to 229mm (9 inches) measured at the axle. (I want to change this to 10", but in the spirit of not changing the regs, I have resisted...)
16.15.11.4 Carburettors; any type of pre 78 round slide may be used.
16.15.11.8 Acceptable follow on models pre 78
CZ 125 1978, CZ400 1978,
Montesa VB, (ditched the "must comply with suspension limits bit" because the bike has to comply with 16.15.11.2 and 16.11.1.1)
Yamaha TT500 1978 (is this correct?)
Evolution. This class is intended to represent the era of long suspension travel, before water-cooling, disc brakes and linkage rear suspension became dominant.
16.15.12.1 The Evo class is for machines that use drum brakes, air-cooling and non-linkage rear suspension, as was commonplace until 1981. It also allows for later machines up to (and including) 1985 models that retained this technology. (yes, 1985. Locking Evo into an era kills off the SexMax and any variation of it, without harming any of the 'real' Evo bikes. It still allows the later Evo Huskies, later CZs, and DT175s(!) )
e) Evolution class bikes must have No linkage suspension, No disk brakes, and Air cooled motors.
16.15.12.4 Carburettors; period flat slide carburettors and any round slide carburettor may be used.
16.15.12.9 The handlebars must be equipped with a protection pad on the cross bar. Handlebars not fitted with a cross bar must be equipped with a protection pad located in the middle of the handlebars covering the handlebar clamps. (not sure if this is supposed to be on the older eras too? Just repeating what's in the current rules).
f) Front forks must be of the non-USD type, where the fork seal(s) move with the front axle. (stops Simmons USDs and 84 KTM USDs).
(I've written this using Dave Tanner's interpretation which was basically 'we don't care if it came from a linkage/water-cooled/disc braked bike, provided the end result has drums, air and no link'. I don't personally agree, but its the closest we've got to an answer to that long running question, so I used it).
Pre 85 Solo This class is intended to represent the era of the first generation of disc front brakes, water cooling, linkage rear suspension and exhaust power valves became commonplace.
16.15.13.1 The pre 85 class is for machines that closely represent those built up to (and including) 1984 models.
16.15.13.2 Carburettors; pre-85 flat slide carburettors and any round slide carburettor may be used.
16.15.13.7 The handlebars must be equipped with a protection pad on the cross bar. Handlebars not fitted with a cross bar must be equipped with a protection pad located in the middle of the handlebars covering the handlebar clamps.
Pre 90 Solo This class is intended to represent the era where rear disc brakes, upside down forks, and the second generation of exhaust power valves became common place. (by second generation PVs, I'm talking about the multi-element ones like KIPS and HPP, rather than YPVS and ATAC).
16.15.14.1 The pre 90 class is for machines that closely represent those built up to (and including) 1989 models.
16.15.14.2 Carburettors; period flat slide carburettors and any round slide carburettor may be used.
16.15.14.7 The handlebars must be equipped with a protection pad on the cross bar. Handlebars not fitted with a cross bar must be equipped with a protection pad located in the middle of the handlebars covering the handlebar clamps.
(I know sod-all about sliders and sidecars, and there doesn't seem to be much stress around them, so I assume the rules for those are pretty well right?)
16.16 SLIDERS
16.16.1 Slider Frames
16.16.1.1 The frame must:
Have a conventional swing arm rear suspension with twin shock absorbers,
Have a front wheel diameter of 23”,
Have a rear wheel diameter of 19”,
Have rear tyres with a maximum tread pattern depth of 8mm,
Not be fitted with leading-link front forks.
16.16.2 Slider Solo Engines
16.16.2.1 The slider engine must:
Be a single cylinder,
When four stroke be 2- valve push rod operation,
Have a single spark plug,
Be vertical in the chassis,
Be fitted with a round slide carburettor, or
Be a period two stroke compatible with class entered.
16.16.3 Slider Gearbox: Classic Long Track
16.16.3.1 The gearbox must have at least two gears.
16.16.4 Slider Sidecar Frames
16.16.4.1 Conventional type frames as used prior to 31st December 1976 must be used.
16.16.5 Slider Sidecar Engines
16.16.5.1 Engines must have been manufactured before 31st December 1976.
16.17 SIDECARS
16.17.1 All Classes
16.17.1.1 Left -hand and right -hand sidecars may compete against each other in Classic Motocross.
16.17.2 Frames and Parts
16.17.2.1 For the Pre-1975 classes, all performance parts except frames must be manufactured before 31st December 1974 and must comply with the following:
Wheel track measurement, taken between the longitudinal centres of the rear and sidecar wheels must be between 810mm and 1100mm,
The minimum ground clearance must be 175mm unladen,
The maximum lean of the motorcycle at saddle height mustbe 50mm,
The dimensions of the sidecar baseboard in plain view, taken from a line drawn no further rearwards than the lowest point of the front down-tube to the forward most point of the sidecar wheel tyre and terminating no further rearwards than a line drawn at right angles to the machine from the rearmost point of the rear tyre, must be:
At least 760mm long adjacent to the sidecar wheel,
At least 300mm wide with at least 25mm radius to all corners.
There must be no more than 50mm between baseboard and motorcycle and between baseboard and sidecar wheel. The baseboard must be arranged so as not to allow the passenger’s feet to be trapped,
There must be no less than 4 sidecar attachment points,
Stirrup fitting for the passenger’s feet are not permitted,
Handholds:
Must be finished with a loop of at least 100mm,
Must not project beyond a line taken with the outer edge of the sidecar mudguard or bodywork,
Adjacent to the nose section of the sidecar and less than 200mm from the track surface must be at an angle of at least 45° from the horizontal.
The rear end of the rear wheel mudguard must terminate not more than 65° above a horizontal line drawn through the rear wheel axle and be valanced to baseboard level on the inside,
The sidecar mudguard must cover at least 135° of the periphery of the wheel and be valanced to baseboard level on the inside,
No machine may be fitted with scoop or paddle tyres,
Suspension travel must not exceed:
152mm (6”) 178mm (7”) measured at the front axle,
102mm (4”) at the rear axle.
Rear tyre width must not exceed 135mm (5.3”),
Brakes:
Front – single caliper, single disc may be fitted provided they were manufactured before 31st December 1974,
Rear – rear disc brakes may be used provided they were fitted as standard equipment for that particular combination.
Only round-slide carburettors manufactured within the relevant period may be used,
Engine capacity must be up to 1300cc.
16.17.2.2 Pre-1985 is for sidecars constructed with motors manufactured before 31st December 1984.
16.17.2.3 A lanyard operated ignition cut-out switch, operating on the primary circuit, must be fitted to the following with a maximum length of one metre:
DISCIPLINE
MACHINE
Motocross Sidecars
Dirt track Sidecars
16.17.2.4 Pre-1968 will be for sidecars constructed from road going frames and all major components are those commercially available within the period.
16.17.2.5 The following table sets out the machines and components which eligibility scrutineers may use as a guide in determining eligibility. Entrants must prove eligibility of machines not listed below.
MAKE
MODEL(S)
Wasp All up to and including RT2, RT8 and RT14
Hagon All up to 31st December 1974
Yamaha XS 650 all models
Honda Any K series
Norton All 750, 850 to Mk2 only
Westlake All up to 850cc and 31st December 1974
Triumph All up to T150
CCM All BSA B50 based models