MX1, MX2, MXOpen and MXGP: which class is which?
Two motorcycles can both carry a “250” badge yet belong in different world championship classes. Understanding why means separating engine design, changing names and national regulations.
What does the name actually tell you?
When “MX2” appears on a calendar, context comes first. Motocross is the discipline: motorcycle competition on a closed off-road course. A technical class defines which motorcycles are eligible. A championship connects events through common entry requirements, scoring and a title. These are three separate questions: what kind of racing is it, what machinery competes and which title is at stake?
ADAC MX Masters illustrates the naming problem particularly well. The name identifies both the complete racing series and its largest class. The programme also includes the Youngster Cup, Junior Cup 125 and Junior Cup 85. Read the class heading alongside any results list. Winning a championship and winning one race are different achievements.
[1][2]Why does a 250 not automatically mean MX2?
Two-stroke and four-stroke describe the operating cycle: two or four piston strokes. The FIM assigns different displacement windows to each design. Under the 2026 world championship rules, a 250cc four-stroke fits MX2, whereas a 250cc two-stroke fits MXGP. A 350cc four-stroke also fits MXGP. Displacement eligibility implies neither a particular power output nor complete permission to enter.
[3]How 125 and 250 became MX2 and MX1
The old displacement labels reflect the championship’s development. The 500cc competition gained world championship status in 1957, followed by 250cc in 1962. A 125cc world championship arrived in 1975, with Gaston Rahier taking its first title. Those three displacement names remain essential when reading historical results.
The 2004 change was more than replacing a sign above the same number. The former 125cc category became MX2, accommodating 250cc four-strokes. Ben Townley won the inaugural MX2 world championship on a KTM 250 SX-F. Comparing that motorcycle with an old 125cc results sheet therefore connects two generations of regulations. A championship’s historical lineage does not imply an unchanged displacement rule.
[4][5][6]Which rules apply to MXOpen?
“Open” needs an organiser attached to it. The DMSB’s 2026 motocross regulations use more than 100 up to 650cc for both two-strokes and four-strokes. That is a different technical field from MXGP. A national class label therefore cannot be transferred into a world championship entry form without checking its rules.
The titles are separate too. The ADAC MX Masters class awards the International German Motocross Champion title, while DM Open awards German Motocross Champion Open. Similar motorcycles, or even the same circuit, do not turn these competitions into the same championship.
[7][8]How do individual races make a race weekend?
The 2026 Grand Prix programme includes free practice, timed practice, a qualifying race lasting 20 minutes plus two laps, and two main races of 30 minutes plus two laps each. Qualifying also has a direct sporting value: its first ten finishers earn world championship points. One fastest lap therefore cannot explain a complete Grand Prix result.
DM Open instead specifies two races of 25 minutes plus two laps. ADAC MX Masters schedules three scoring races. Before the first start, spectators should therefore open the actual timetable: a “motocross weekend” does not describe one universal format.
[9][8][10]What does this mean if you want to enter?
The correct displacement class is only part of entering. ADAC requires suitable national or international motocross licences; it explicitly says a FIM or FIM Europe licence alone is insufficient for its Masters series. Foreign riders without a DMSB licence also need international starting permission. Begin with the event regulations, then check class, licence and entry. A championship listing likewise provides no evidence of public practice sessions.
[10]Classes compared
| Class / 2026 regulations | Two-stroke | Four-stroke | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX2 · FIM world championship | over 100 up to 125cc | over 175 up to 250cc | [3] |
| MXGP · FIM world championship | over 175 up to 250cc | over 290 up to 450cc | [3] |
| Open · DMSB | over 100 up to 650cc | over 100 up to 650cc | [7] |
| Masters · ADAC MX Masters | over 100 up to 650cc | over 100 up to 650cc | [2] |
How the names developed
- 1957
500cc world championship
The 500cc championship gains world championship status, before the later MX class names exist.
[4] - 1962
250cc world championship
The 250cc category also becomes a world championship, named directly after its displacement.
[4] - 1975
125cc world championship
Gaston Rahier becomes the first 125cc world champion, completing the three classic displacement categories.
[5] - 2004
MX2, MX1 and MX3
125 becomes MX2 and 250 becomes MX1; the former 500cc category becomes open-class MX3. This is the historical reorganisation, not today’s definition of Open.
[9] - 2014
MXGP replaces the MX1 world championship name
The premier world championship category adopts MXGP. National series can continue using MX1 in their own context.
[11]
Look more closely
“MX1 is another current world championship alongside MXGP.”
In this world championship lineage, MX1 is the former name of today’s MXGP category. Seeing MX1 on a national programme does not establish a second world championship.
[11]“Open means there are no technical limits.”
The DMSB displacement limit alone disproves this. Open identifies a regulated field. Other federations and competitions require their own definitions; an apparently suitable class name cannot replace a technical check.
[7]Original sources & regulations
- DMSB Motocross: Disziplin und offizielle Regelwerke ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- ADAC MX Masters Serienreglement 2026, Art. 6 (Fassung 01.04.2026) ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- FIM Motocross Technical Regulations 2026, Art.01.07 (18.02.2026; offizielle SMF-Veröffentlichung) ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- FIM History & Heritage: From 1904, Short History ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- MXGP: Belgian Legends – Gaston Rahier und der erste 125cc-WM-Titel ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- MXGP Vintage Bike: Ben Townley 2004 KTM 250 SX-F ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- DMSB Motocross-Reglement 2026, Art. 2.3 Klassen (07.01.2026) ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- DMSB Prädikatsbestimmungen Motocross 2026, Art. 6 und 9 (13.04.2026) ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- MXGP Official Guide 2026, S. 137 (Klassengeschichte), 154 (GP-Programm) ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- ADAC MX Masters: Infos für Fahrer 2026 – Lizenzen, Klassen und Läufe ↗Checked: 2026-11-07
- MXGP: Simpson and Pocock sign for 2014 – zeitgenössischer Beleg der MX1/MXGP-Umbenennung ↗Checked: 2026-11-07