The Auto-Cycle Union will introduce fuel testing into the MXGB series from 2027, alongside lower sound limits, as part of the national governing body’s commitment to developing national championships that prepare riders for international competition.

Testing will take place at randomly selected events to check compliance with FIM fuel regulations, bringing the championship into closer alignment with the technical requirements of the sport’s leading international competitions.

The move complements the ACU’s work to reduce sound levels at motocross events, following reductions already made by the FIM. Together, the measures will provide greater consistency for riders and teams competing at both British and international level.

For the ACU, that consistency is an important part of creating pathways through the sport. Riders progressing from domestic competition to European and world championship events should be able to do so with a clear understanding of the technical and sporting standards expected of them.

MXGB series manager Paul Irwin said: “It takes us another step closer to the FIM World Championship. We need to be closely aligned if we’re encouraging riders to progress and challenge themselves at those events.”

With British riders regularly competing in the continent, the intention is to make international requirements a familiar part of their domestic racing programme, while ensuring the national championship’s regulations can be supported by testing.

Announcing the changes well ahead of the new season also gives teams and riders time to account for fuel requirements and sound limits as they prepare their motorcycles, including mapping their engines, for 2027.

Irwin added: “With bikes already being prepared for the 2027 season, we wanted to get this announcement out early so riders and teams have time to adjust to the new requirements.”

Sound reduction is a central part of the planned adjustments. The ACU is working towards FIM sound limits, with fuel regulation forming part of the wider technical approach to achieving that objective.

ACU technical director Andy Summers, who recently stepped down as FIM technical director but remains a member of its Technical Bureau, brings extensive international experience to that work, having been involved in five sound reductions worldwide.

“We’re looking at reducing the sound so we have parity with other international competition,” Summers said. “We’re going to follow the FIM sound limits.”

Summers believes a consistent approach will also make life easier for competitors moving between championships, allowing them to prepare around the same fuel requirements and exhaust sound levels.

“If you have several riders that want to run in MXGB and then at MXGP events, if they’re running on the same fuel with the same dB level on the exhaust, it becomes a whole lot easier for sound testing,” he explained.