I do indeed have the balls to say what I think of you in English. Freakshow. I called you a tool and told Shoey that you annoy me. I knew you'd look it up.

That' OK, you don't like me but please don't confuse me with someone who gives a toss. My friends and loved one like me, that's all I need.....
Now that that the formalities are out of the way, I'd fully expect half of the forum to disagree with what I have to say, I'm fine with that. That's democracy in action and that's what debate is about. I'd be a little disapointed if it was any other way. Remember though, that if half disagree with me, the others must agree

I didn't start this thread and have only added my ideas, as have a number of other forum members. It's not me calling the shots here, I'm just agreeing or disagreeing with other points of view and contributing my own slant on it. I may not always be right but I've got as much a right to an opinion as you "dude".
If the newbie remark offended you, so be it. If you want to be treated seriously, contribute sensible argument and don't ask dumb questions. There's no problem with newcomers asking questions, but for a bloke who's so into these bikes your knowledge base is strangely basic. Many forum regulars have a great old head shake at some of your questions and statements. So, you don't like being called a newbie?? Well stop acting like one. Everybody is a newbie at some time, but the key to any new person getting on in any sport, job or activity is to listen to people who've been there and done it before you. Who knows Freaky, some of it may just sink in.
As far as your spelling and grammar, you have proved in the past that you can actually put a post together that's articulate but you continue to post badly produced crap. That my friend is an insult to all that have to read your rubbish. If you can't take the time to produce a well spelt and thought out post, why should we be burdened with trying to work out what you're trying to say? It demonstrates a pure lack of respect for your reader. That Freaky is what gets up my nose. If you hadn't produced good stuff in the past, I'd put it down to dyslexia or that you jigged school during the English lessons and ignore it but the laziness in your posts is an insult to other forum readers.
Now..to the subject at hand. If the pipe rule was removed wholly it would leave it to open slather and before long there would be all sorts of non period and visually inapropriate pipes that would detract from the period integrity of what our sport is about. I see the vintage movement as celebrating various periods in motocross (or dirt track) history and by allowing open slather on pipes, which are a visually prominent part of the bike, we'd lose much of the unique look of bikes of the period.
I like the following excerpt from the AHRMA handbook covering pipes..........
"Any replacement of the original expansion chamber must be of period design, with only two cones maximum of constant angle. The center section must be of constant diameter and the head pipe must be of constant diameter until it meets the opening cone. Fitting a more modern expansion chamber will move the machine to the Sportsman class".
Perhaps we could change that last paragraph to "Fitting a more modern expansion chamber will move the machine to the next division eg pre 75 up to pre '78"." It's not perfect but it gives us a basis to work from.
The debate should only be ensure the rule states one basic thing, any pre 75 exhaust can be any thing and any lines you dam well please so long as it was available prior to 75 or what ever you cut off is.
I agree, that's what I've been saying all along. The following excerpt from the AHRMA handbook covers it, in my opinion. By all means use a fat pipe but you'd better have some sort of photographic evidence that the design was around prior to 1975.
"
No major components may be later than 1974 (i.e., frame, forks, engine, gearbox, wheels, etc.) The burden of authenticating is on the rider. Press clippings and photos with identifiable dates may be helpful. Period modifications are allowed on all standard legal frames. However, no parts of later-period frames may be used for those modifications".......The Spanish
was a bit of a wank but Shoey and I were having a bit of fun with each other...It's an old private joke and maybe we shouldn't have burdened you all with it. I enjoyed the opportunity to drag out some old backpacker Spanish though.