Next to a chapter on competition, there annual press conference organized by the French Motorcycling Federation (FFM) on January 9, 2004 at the Gaîté-Lyrique in Paris allowed its president Sébastien Poirier to approach the challenges societal aspects of motorcycle riding, starting with THE subject that concerns each of us, the arrival of technical inspection scheduled this year.
Sébastien Poirier : "She obviously work with Vincent Thommeret for the CSIAM (bedroom union de industry auto Moto) et the FFMC, pwhiskey us we have always price the vacuum cleaner for the FFMit's sure ce topic "voie public insurance". On éwas en meeting with the FFMC, on s'is beaten to sides for the FFMC, for port voice as quoi ce control technical be used forit à nothing et did not have no direction, to to get a derogation. I think that we did the maximum of ce that we could make. Le Council of State a of completely modifya rule Game en disant "here, soft I estimate it need a control technical, vYou reprise the theme of the do not have no choice, penalty payments, et cetera, et cetera". So we have eu the occasion with the FFMC to try de us solutions intermediate leagues. I would be attempted to say that for motorcycle sport we found a very solution interesting and very rewarding, since with a sports license annual training ou competition, THE pilots enduro and trials, et en tout case ceux , here will on a machine enduro ou de trial, will derode à this obligation to control technical. So on a tried, we have forbidden our sports our activities sports, our lidismissed, we a got this derogation, Onne could to get it without a minimum of criteria, and we have successful. And j'in am very very iron, Parts and accessories je considered that the Federation FFrench Motorcycling, her role, it is de defend proven fired, et so us have forbidden the interests de our dismissedand en obtaining this derogation. Anear, il will obviously that we returns about arrangements practice, , here ne will obviously not simple, but in all the case, is thought which it is a good thing for les endurists et les trialists French."
But the issuessocietal spend also by a reduction in emissions sound, and there, the president appears all the more intransigent as it is perhaps the easiest point, at least the least technically difficult, to appropriate. The FFM is therefore totally involved in this sense and even poses as a leader in the experimentation of dynamic control...
“I spoke about it last year, at length, and with Jean-Marc Desnues we are definitively setting out the project to reduce noise emissions, so you were able to see the standards which will be applied from 2024 on our disciplines, and those which will be applied in 2025, particularly in motocross because the FIM has postponed the implementation of this new standard for one year. So we, the French federation, made the choice to focus on the FIM implementation, otherwise, it would have been extremely complicated. And above all, speed is the real subject for us, with Patrick Coutant, where we start with a reduction in sound emissions. But above all we are starting with a new control measure which will be a dynamic control. It was not the easy solution, the easy solution is to do a static control, as we have been doing for 30 years. We have all known it for 30 years, there is a difficulty in controlling statically, or even sometimes modern tools which make it possible to pass a technical inspection perfectly, including a federal technical inspection. So here we are going to look for the noise, we will control the motorcycles dynamically, at full load, and so there is real work that was carried out for 2 years with acoustic experts, because it is extremely technical, complicated, scientific.
We also worked with all the French circuits, and we will introduce these new regulations in 2024, circuit by circuit. We have new officials who will be trained to deal exclusively with this dynamic control, just as the FIM has officials to control the crossing of curbs on the circuits. We will have officials trained specifically to ensure compliance with this rule. So we have, we are very pretentious, because for the moment, to my knowledge, there is no federation in the world which is committed to this dynamic control. The FIM is watching us with great attention. I am convinced that we will succeed, because today we have the circuits, we have the software, we have the service provider, we will have the officials tomorrow, there is a desire to do so on the part of the circuits, we will all succeed together. I know that if we reduce by 3, 4 or 5 decibels, we will reduce the sound intensity of the motorcycles and we will save the circuits. This is what we must remember and we will succeed by controlling at full load, by sanctioning those who make noise and not those who do not pass the noise check. And that is fundamental for me! So obviously, there will be a little work, Mr. Coutant and all your teams, but that's what makes federal projects so charming. It's an ambitious project. We have to succeed, and I know we will succeed together. And if we succeed together, I can assure you that we will save the circuits, we will free them from a load, from a fear which is linked to this noise control. We have a collective and individual responsibility, and we must salary.
succeed
together. "
Finally, jointly with the FFSA (French Motorsport Federation), the FFM commissioned a study on the aspect environmental, which complements the economic aspect studied recently, just to know what we’re talking about…
“I really associate the FFSA because I think that we have done a lot of work, and our teams as well, which has lasted, which has taken place over time since I believe that this study began 18 months ago, 24 months. It was not easy because in fact, we had an ambition which was not to control a sporting event, but to control an entire industry. So you're going to tell me what's the point of going and creating the sticks to get you beaten? No, we are not on the defensive: in a very positive way. we wanted to say what we represented in terms of carbon footprint, and in a very, very proactive way. Once again, we have an opportunity, it is that we are a place of innovation and research, and we must position motor sports in this space of innovation, of research. So on the economic barometer, we updated it.
Some key figures. I would not like to repeat what was said at the press conference with Nicolas in mid-December, but perhaps recall this figure of 3 billion in turnover across the entire motor sports sector, therefore our 1900 competitions. 3 million spectators also, that is to say that between cars and motorcycles, there are 3 million people, 3 million French people, who have traveled to attend a motorcycle or car competition. And then the 3rd point, in quotes, is the fact that we are the 3rd economic sports sector in France. We are still presenting something, and obviously a sector that cannot be relocated, with great French companies, and some obviously are represented here. So there you have it, a good point of pride.
And then the other figure that I wanted to highlight this evening in relation to the economic part, is the fact that 64% of our car and motorcycle events are organized in towns with less than 5000 inhabitants, that is to say that we are really in the heart of rurality. We go to small towns, villages, and we bring entertainment. We also bring economic activity and sometimes 13th or 14th months for small traders. So that’s our economic contribution, if we had to remember 2 key figures.
So on the environmental part now, I would not like to be too long because it is really very technical, and we will have the opportunity, we, the French Motorcycle Federation, and this was agreed with the FFSA, to develop figures specifically motorcycle. We will therefore communicate a specific document on this, but some figures that I can already express to you this evening: 4%!
4% on an event, using motorcycles represents 4% of the carbon impact (of the demonstration). Only the driving time, only in competition, we are on less than 5%, we are around 4%, that is to say nothing, in a competition.
2nd number, and it’s an important number: the 258 kilos of CO2 equivalent, that corresponds to the carbon impact in kilos of our NCO licensees who compete, on average, all disciplines combined.. This represents 258 kilos of CO2 equivalent over a competition season.
In itself, that doesn't mean anything as a figure, but if we compare it to key figures, and there are a certain number of them, generally we compare it to return trips from Paris to Something, but I don't know if you have followed the news in terms of carbon impact, we have a representative of the IPCC who assessed the carbon impact of a domestic animal, cat, dog: one ton per year! One ton per year, the impact of an animal dog, cat. We draw the conclusions we want to draw from it, but in any case, it takes perspective, and the other comparison, a horse: a horse, 3 tonnes per year, on average we are on 3 tonnes!
So it's still important to have this key figure, not to say that we have nothing to do, that's not the message, especially not that. The message is just to say what we represent, what does a competitor represent within the French Motorcycle Federation who participates in competitions, who is NCO licensed. Well it's on average 258 kilos of CO2, so it's still important to put it into perspective.
And then the last number is the famous 0,001%, this corresponds to the share of competitive driving in the country's total greenhouse gas emissions., so we represent 0,001% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
