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New rules have been created to stop sportbikes from climbing Pikes Peak!
These regulations were in place back in 2010, which stated that only bikes with a one-piece handlebar would be allowed on the Peak.
The rule goes as follows:
Only motorcycles manufactured with one piece handle bars as original equipment will be permitted. Only OVM one-piece handlebars will be permitted. This Rule does not apply to bikes in the Pikes Peak Challenge Sidecar Class.
As far as context, the last two events have featured one death each. Bobby Goodin was killed after crossing the finish line in 2014 in a Triumph Daytona 675R, and Carl Soresen drove his Ducati 848 off a cliff last year.
The move to ban certain bikes using the criteria of handlebars seems arbitrary, and has been the subject of much debate in the racing community. Jeremy Toye, the 2014 champion, was quite vocal about this.
"The handlebars didn't cause those deaths, and the handlebar isn't going to reduce speed," Toye told RoadRacingWorld.com. "A motorcycle produced with a one-piece handlebar isn't designed for optimum handling, shall we say, and the conditions at Pikes [Peak] are pretty intense so you need the best-handling situation you can get whether it's the handlebars or an air bag or a fuzzy seat. I think it's ridiculous. The handlebar has nothing to do with [safety]."
Source: AutoBlog
