Could we see lower capacity bikes throughout MX1 in the future? Image: Ray Archer.

Youthstream president Guiseppe Luongo has revealed plans to propose a capacity reduction for the MX1 category in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

In an interview with leading European website MX Large, the Luongo confirmed that Youthstream is in favour of lower capacity engines in the premier class in a bid to make the transition up from MX2 an easier process.

“We see in the MX1, they come more and more like a class that is too much exclusive,” Luongo said. “Because the [450cc] bikes are too powerful, just a few riders are able to race with this bike.

“We have more and more difficulties for the MX2 riders when they come into MX1 to adapt. They lose a lot of time and also sometimes the motivation. We’ve seen the last two years many very good riders come from MX2 and struggle a little bit with MX1.

“It’s our goal to propose to the manufacturers, together with the FIM, to reduce the capacity of the 450 – maybe 380cc or something like this. When you reduce the capacity of the bike, it’s better because also in two or three years time the bike they continue to increase the quality.

“When we decrease the capacity it will be much easier for the riders to come from MX2 to compete and the race will be [closer]. It will be much easier to go from MX2 to MX1. Our goal is to promote the riders to go up.”

Italian Antonio Cairoli – a former two-time MX2 champion – has won the past three MX1 world titles aboard Red Bull KTM’s 350 SX-F against a fleet of factory 450s. Before that, Cairoli won the 2009 championship on a de-tuned version of the Yamaha YZ450F as a rookie.