Proving that time changes everything, the FIM have issued rules for their new E-power bike race series that don't actually ban FFs!

They don't mention them either, include a diagram of a motorised bicycle, and require the rider to be completely visible from the sides - possibly ruling out any sort of bucket seat. The bodywork behind the rider must be less than 500mm wide, rendering it essentially pointless - but these new rules are notable for being very minimal indeed. Nothing to stop a wildly dangerous dustbin fairing with no tail at all - or a full on FF with open sides (what's that about?) and enclosed wheels.

All it needs now is some imagination on the part of entrants - could be an issue there...

What brought this on? Certainly not the efforts of various FF proponents, it'll be lobbying by people like Honad and BMW,(specifically) having discovered that their large R&D deppartments are novices in E-power, that most of the relevent IP is owned by people like Siemens (already in a deal with Mercedes), that motorised bicycles with batteries are Really ridiculous - and they'd better get their fingers out and get with the future.

I'd have been excited by these regs. twenty years ago, but in terms of current PTW aerodynamics they're already obsolete.

Read the regs at < http://www.fim-live.com/fileadmin/alfresco/6510008_eng.pdf >