Superbike World Championship

Superbike World Championship (also known as SBK) is the premier worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in SBK|1988. The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities. Each round has 2 races and the results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for riders and one for manufacturers.

The motorcycles raced in the championship are tuned versions of motorcycles available for sale to the public, by contrast with MotoGP where purpose built machines are used.

Europe is Superbike World Championship's traditional centre and leading market. [http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~5~id~6435.htm 2005 to mark WSBK revival?] crash.net retrieved on September 11 2007] However, rounds are also held in Qatar, Australia, and the United States (in SBK|2008 ,for the first time since SBK|2004). [http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~5~id~153296.htm WSBK to USA.] crash.net retrieved on September 11 2007] A meeting in Indonesia was also proposed, but this was later cancelled by the FIM.cite web |url=http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wsbk/news/160434-0/sentul_bites_the_dust.html |title=Sentul bites the dust. |accessdate=2008-03-08]

The championship is regulated by the FIM the governing body of motorcycle racing and managed and promoted by FGSport.

History

The Superbike World Championship began in SBK|1988, being open to modified versions of road bike models available to the public. For many years, the formula allowed for machines with 1000 cc V-twin engines (principally Ducati, but later Aprilia and Honda) to go up against the 750 cc four-cylinder engines (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki). For the first few seasons Honda won with the RC30, but gradually the twins got the upper hand. Using 1000 cc V-twin engines benefited Ducati and it was able to dominate the championship for many years. From SBK|1993 to SBK|1999 Carl Fogarty and Ducati dominated, Fogarty won the title a record 4 times and finished as runner-up twice on factory Ducatis. Troy Corser also won the 1996 title and finished as runner-up in 1995, both times on a Ducati.

Realizing that 1000 cc V-twin engines suited the superbike racing formula more, Honda introduced its own V-Twin powered motorcycle the VTR1000/RC51 in SBK|2000. The result was clear right away as Colin Edwards won the championship in the bike's first year of competition. Ducati regained the title in SBK|2001 with Troy Bayliss.

2002 - Edwards vs Bayliss

Colin Edwards won his 2nd championship in what was arguably the most impressive comeback in the history of motorcycle racing. The season started with Troy Bayliss winning the first 6 races and by the end of race 1 at Laguna Seca he had 14 wins and was leading the championship by 58 points. Race 2 at Laguna Seca was the start of Colin Edwards' comeback, he went on to win all 9 remaining races and (aided by a race 2 crash for Bayliss at Assen) Edwards won the championship at the final race of the season at Imola. The final race of the season saw both riders fighting wheel to wheel for the entire race. The race is known by fans as the "Showdown at Imola".

The manufacturer's championship was won by Ducati. During these years the Superbike World Championship reached the zenith of its popularity, with global fan and full factory support. [http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=313 WSC In Turmoil With New Rules Package] motorcycle-usa.com retrieved on September 11 2007]

2003 - 1000 cc engines

In SBK|2003 the FIM changed the rules to allow 1000 cc machines (either twins, triples or four-cylinder) to race. The recent rule changes in MotoGP to allow 4-stroke engines meant that the Japanese manufacturers focused their resources there, leaving the Superbike World Championship with limited factory involvement [http://www.motorcycledaily.com/26jan011000ccsuperbikes.html 1000 cc Superbikes May Save World Championship] motorcycledaily.com retrieved on September 13 2007] (only Ducati and Suzuki).

SBK|2003 also saw the entry of Carl Fogarty’s Foggy Petronas FP1. The bike was developed under the previous regulations and was powered by a 3 cylinder 900cc engine. As a result of most of the field being Ducati motorcycles the championship was given the derogatory title of "the Ducati Cup". [http://www.speedtv.com/articles/moto/worldsuperbike/24961/ World Superbike: Time for More Rule Tweaking? (Part 1)] speedtv.com retrieved on September 11 2007] The factory Ducati Team entered the only 2 Ducati 999's in the field, taking 20 wins from 24 races in a season where all races were won by Ducati. Neil Hodgson won the title on a factory Ducati.

2004 - control tyres

In an effort to create a more competitive field in SBK|2004 organizers announced a series of changes to the championship. The most significant of the changes was that from SBK|2004 the teams have had to run on Pirelli control tyres. The decision to award the control tyre to Pirelli was controversial. The Pirelli tyres were nowhere near the present standard of Dunlop and Michelin that most of the teams had been using. Dunlop looked to take legal action against the decision [http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~5~id~72727.htm Dunlop plans legal action over rule changes.] crash.net retrieved on September 11 2007] while Pirelli claimed that Michelin and Dunlop were also asked if they would be interested in the one-make tyre rule contract. [http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~5~id~103060.htm Pirelli: All the manufacturers were approached.] crash.net retrieved on September 11 2007] Partly as a result of the control tyres, Motorcycle Sports Manufacturer Association (Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha) announced that no MSMA teams would participate in the Superbike World Championship, later modifying their statement allowing Ducati to participate. [http://www.speedtv.com/articles/moto/worldsuperbike/24961/ World Superbike: Time for More Rule Tweaking? (Part 1)] speedtv.com retrieved on September 11 2007] [http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=313 WSC In Turmoil With New Rules Package] motorcycle-usa.com retrieved on September 11 2007]

A few privateers choose to run Japanese bikes in SBK|2004. Ten Kate Honda with Chris Vermuelen as its rider, won races and actually contended for the title that eventually was won by James Toseland and Ducati.

2005 - Japanese return

Following Ten Kate Honda's success Japanese motorcycles made a return in SBK|2005 with major teams from all four Japanese manufacturers run through teams ran by European importers. Troy Corser won the SBK|2005 championship, giving Suzuki its first Superbike World Championship title.

2006 - Bayliss back on superbikes

SBK|2006 saw the return of Australian Troy Bayliss in Superbike World Championship after 3 years in MotoGP. The combination of Bayliss and Ducati proved unstoppable and they dominated the season winning 12 races. Honda-mounted James Toseland and Yamaha's Noriyuki Haga battled for second with the British rider coming on top. Defending champion Troy Corser on a Suzuki was 4th. SBK|2006 gave the feeling that the Superbike World Championship was “back” following the years of decline in SBK|2003 and SBK|2004.

2007 - Superbike return to glory

With MotoGP machines reduced in capacity from 990 cc to an 800 cc maximum displacement, 1000 cc Superbikes, both at World Championship and top national championships (AMA Superbike and British Superbike) become the most powerful racing bikes being road raced in SBK|2007. While superbikes remain two or more seconds per lap slower than MotoGP bikes at most tracks they have equal or even more power. [http://www.speedtv.com/articles/moto/worldsuperbike/35637/?page=1 WSBK: Superbikes Now the Most Powerful Racing Bikes in the World] speedtv.com retrieved on September 11 2007] [http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/34988/ Collision Course: MotoGP and World Superbike] speedtv.com retrieved on September 11 2007]
Troy Bayliss attempted to defend his title, riding once again a Ducati 999. Even though production of the 999 ended in 2006 and the bike was replaced by the Ducati 1098, Ducati produced 150 limited edition 999s to satisfy homologation requirements. Bayliss' main rivals in his title defense included former MotoGP rider Max Biaggi riding a Suzuki, 2004 champion James Toseland riding a Honda and Noriyuki Haga riding a Yamaha

The combination of some uneventful races in MotoGP [http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~6~id~153939.htm Poncharal apologises for boring race.] crash.net retrieved on September 13 2007] [http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2007/september/sep10-16/sep1207motogpvalentinorossiadmitsmotogpalittleboring/ Valentino Rossi admits MotoGP is a ‘little boring’] motorcyclenews.com retrieved on September 13 2007] and some thrilling races in SBK saw the championship's popularity increase even more.

The championship was won by James Toseland in the very last race of the season. His 415 points put him 2 points ahead of Noriyuki Haga with former Grand Prix winner Max Biaggi following with 397 points on a Suzuki.

2008 - 1200 cc twins

After introducing the Ducati 1098 in 2007 powered by a 1099 cc v-twin engine Ducati requested that Superbike rules be changed to allow v-twins of up to 1200 cc compete against 1000 cc four-cylinder bikes. Ducati argued that they no longer produced a road-going 1000 cc V-twin superbike [http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2007/april/apr9-16/apr1107ducatigoesofficialwithwsbquitthreat/?&R=EPI-90430 Ducati goes official with WSB quit threat] motorcyclenews.com retrieved on September 11 2007] and that the level of tuning now needed to make their 999 competitive on the race track was too expensive. [http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~5~id~8999.htm WSBK responds to 1200 cc rumours.] crash.net retrieved on September 11 2007] Ducati said they would quit if the rules were not changed, while Alstare Suzuki team boss Francis Batta also said that his team would quit if the new rules gave Ducati an unfair advantage. [http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2007/april/apr2-8/apr0207biaggisteamthreatenswsbwalkout/ Biaggi's team threatens WSB walk-out] motorcyclenews.com retrieved on September 11 2007]

The FIM eventually included the 1200 cc displacement limit for twins in the SBK|2008 superbike rules. According to the new rules twin motorcycles will be 6 kg heavier than four cylinders (168 kg to 162 kg) and will also have a 50 mm air restrictor fitted. The weight limit and the intake-restrictor size of twin machines will be updated, if needed, during the Championship, by a system analysing the race points obtained. [http://www.worldsbk.com/pubb_EN/news_ext.php?id=1793&cat_id=1 Changes to the Technical Rules for 2008] worldsbk.com retrieved on September 11 2007]

The new rules also changed the minimum number of bikes required to acquire homologation. For 2008 and 2009, all manufacturers, regardless of total production numbers, must now produce a minimum of 1000 bikes to acquire homologation. From 2010 onwards, the minimum production number will be increased to 3000 bikes. In the past, smaller manufacturers were allowed to build as few as 150 bikes to meet the homologation requirements. Manufacturers took advantage of this by producing 'homologation specials'--highly tuned versions of their road bikes with performance parts designed especially for racing. [http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/Jun/e/n070616d.htm 1200 cc Is In, But What Does It Mean?] superbikeplanet.com retrieved on September 11 2007]

Riders

Riders from all over the world compete in the Superbike World Championship. The championship is perhaps most closely followed in Italy because of Ducati and the United Kingdom where superbike racing has been the most popular form of motorcycle racing. Riders from Australia and the United States have traditionally been successful in the championship - although no American rider has won a race since Colin Edwards won the 2002 championship, and no Americans competed between 2003 and 2007.

British rider Carl Fogarty is the most successful rider in the championship's history, winning the championship 4 times, and amassing a total of 59 race wins.

Many riders who have been successful in the Superbike World Championship have gone on to MotoGP, such as 2002 champion Colin Edwards, 2007 champion James Toseland, and 2005 runner-up Chris Vermeulen. The championship has seen several former Grand Prix riders move into it, usually after they had failed to earn competitive rides. The 2008 field includes five former Grand Prix winners - Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and Makoto Tamada all raced exclusively in Grands Prix before joining WSBK, while Troy Bayliss and Régis Laconi have had alternating spells in both.

Except for Frenchman Raymond Roche who won the championship in SBK|1990, all Superbike World Champions have been native English speakers. Italian riders Davide Tardozzi and Marco Lucchinelli won the first two races of the series, and Spaniard Adrian Murillas was also victorious in 1988; Germany had to wait for Max Neukirchner to achieve this in 2008, although Austrian Andreas Meklau was the first German-speaker to win a race, in 1994.

uperbike motorcycles

Superbike racing motorcycles are derived from standard production models. In the past, however, manufacturers took advantage of loopholes in the rules to create "homologation specials" — motorcycles with low production numbers made especially for racing.

Motorcycles that raced in the Superbike World Championship include:
* Ducati: 851,888,916,996,998,999,1098 (currently)
* BMW: S1000RR (from 2009 season)
* KTM: 1190RC (from 2010 season)
* Honda: RC30,RC45,RC51,CBR1000RR (currently)
* Yamaha: FZR750,YZF750,YZF-R7,YZF-R1 (currently)
* Kawasaki: ZXR750,ZX-7RR,ZX-10R (currently)
* Suzuki: GSX-R750,GSX-R1000 (currently)
* Bimota: YB4EI,SB8R
* Aprilia: RSV1000, RSV 4 (from 2009 season)
* Petronas: FP1
* Benelli: Tornado Tre 900
* MV Agusta: MV Agusta F4 1000

Lorenzo Lanzi riding the Ducati 999F07
James Toseland riding the Honda CBR1000RR
Max Biaggi riding the Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7
Noriyuki Haga riding the Yamaha YZF-R1
Fonsi Nieto riding the Kawasaki ZX-10R

Race weekend

*Friday
**"1st free practice" (60 minutes) and "1st qualifying" (60 minutes)
*Saturday
**"2nd qualifying" (60 minutes) and "2nd free practice" (60 minutes):The times of 1st and 2nd qualifying are combined and the 16 fastest riders qualify for Superpole. The rest receive a grid position based on lap time, starting with 17th. To qualify for the race, riders must record a lap time no longer than 107% of the time recorded by the pole-position rider.:*"Superpole":Riders go out one by one in reverse order of qualifying position; in Superpole, riders may use a qualifying tyre. If Superpole is declared wet, a 50-minute session takes place for all 16 riders to set timed laps; each rider may complete no more than 12 laps including in and out laps.
*Sunday
**"Warm-up" (20 minutes) "Race 1" and "Race 2":Race distance must be from a minimum of 90 km to a maximum of 110 km.

Point system

* For the Manufacturers' Championship, only the highest finishing motorcycle by a particular manufacturer is awarded the points for that position, as in MotoGP and most other forms of motorcycle racing.

upport classes

upersport World Championship

Supersport World Championship has been a support class to the Superbike World Championship since 1999

To be eligible for World Supersport,a motorcycle must have a four stroke engine of between 400 and 600cc for four cylinder machines, and between 600 and 750 cc for twins and must satisfy the FIM homologation requirements.World Supersport regulations are much tighter than in World Superbikes. The chassis of a supersport machine must remain largely as standard, while engine tuning is possible but tightly regulated. As in world superbike a control tyre is used, although supersport regulations dictate that the tyres must be road legal and therefore slicks are not allowed.

A World Supersport race takes place at every World Superbike round.

FIM Superstock 1000 Cup

The FIM Superstock 1000 Cup is a support class to the Superbike World Championship at the European rounds.Motorcycles with the same displacement as superbikes can run in superstock 1000 (though 1200 cc twins were allowed for 2007). Superstock rules are much more restrictive and most components on the bike remain stock. The bikes run on Grooved Pirelli tyres.The Superstock 1000 championship is open to riders up to 24 years of age.

European Superstock 600 Championship

The European Superstock 600 Championship is is a support class to the Superbike World Championship at the European rounds.The championship uses 600 cc production motorcycles and is reserved for riders between 15 and 20 years of age. Same rules as Superstock 1000 apply.

GSX-R European Cup

The GSX-R European Cup is a “one make” series running Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycles and supports the Superbike World Championship in 6 European rounds.Riders that did not turn 23 before the 1st of January and have no more than 3 years of professional racing career can take part.The cup is organized by Alstare and Suzuki and the cup winner gets a place at FIM Superstock 1000 Cup or European Superstock 600 Championship with the factoty Alstare Suzuki team.

Videogames

PlayStation and PC
*Superbike 2000 (EA Sports)

PC
*Superbike World Championship (EA Sports)
*Superbike 2001 (EA Sports)

PS2 and PSP
*SBK-07 - Superbike World Championship (Black Bean Games)

PC, PS2, PS3, PSP and Xbox 360
*SBK-08 - Superbike World Championship (Black Bean Games) (announced)

References

External links

* [http://www.worldsbk.com worldsbk.com] World Superbike Championship official website
* [http://www.gruppofg.com gruppofg.com] FGSport, Superbike World Championship promoters website
* [http://www.use-photos.com/Superbike/] Superbike Photos (Creative Commons License)