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Superbike World Championship (also known as SBK) is the premier worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in 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
Europe is Superbike World Championship's traditional centre and leading market. However, rounds are also held in Qatar and Australia. In 2008 the championship will also return to the United States for the first time since 2004.
The championship is regulated by the FIM the governing body of motorcycle racing and managed and promoted by FGSport.
The Superbike World Championship began in 1988, being open to modified versions of road bike models available to the public. For many years, the formula allowed for machines with 1000cc V-twin engines (principally Ducati, but later Aprilia and Honda) to go up against the 750cc four-cylinder engines (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki). For the first few seasons Honda with the RC30 was winning but gradually the twins got the upper hand. Having 250cc advantage benefited Ducati and it was able to dominate the championship for many years. From 1993 to 1999 Carl Fogarty and Ducati dominated, Fogarty won the title a record 4 times and finished runner up 2 times
Realizing that they couldn't overcome the 250cc advantage, Honda introduced its own v-twin powered motorcycle the VTR1000/RC51 in 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 2001 with Troy Bayliss. Colin Edwards won the title back in 2002 in what is likely the most impressive comeback in the history of motorcycle racing. During these years the Superbike World Championship reached the zenith of its popularity, with full of factory support and global fan support.
Lorenzo Lanzi riding the Ducati 999F07
Max Biaggi riding the Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7
oriyuki Haga riding the Yamaha YZF-R1
MotoGP with the world’s top riders racing 800cc prototype machines at leading venues around the world is the number one itinerary in a fan's diary.
Grand Prix racing was first introduced in 1949, when the sport’s governing body created a championship for 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and sidecar machines. Over the years the 350cc, 50cc and sidecar classes have been dropped, with others modified slightly to reflect changes in technology.
rom the mid 1970s Grand Prix racing was predominantly for two-strokes, which offered a higher specific output than even the most technically advanced four-stroke engines. The main change came in 2002, when the 500cc class was replaced by MotoGP – a formula that allowed the factories to enter four-stroke machines with capacity up to 990cc. This move rejuvenated the class, allowing manufacturers to showcase and develop technology more relevant to the machines they sell for public road use. The new format also offered a technologically fascinating series, with all four Japanese manufacturers and Italian company Ducati entering the championship with various different engine configurations – Yamaha and Kawasaki using in-line four-cylinder engines, Ducati and Suzuki opting for V4s and Honda entering a V5. For 2007, the maximum engine capacity regulations were changed, when the 2006 limit of 990cc was reduced to 800cc – offering further scope for cutting edge development in engine and chassis design, as well as exploring the fast-growing possibilities of electronics.
There have also been rule changes regarding the maximum fuel capacity, which has been reduced from 22 litres to 21 as officials look to further reduce power output of the new machines in the interest of safety. Meanwhile, modified tyre rules should level the playing field for the leading rubber suppliers, who will be limited to 31 slick tyres (14 front and 17 rear) per Grand Prix weekend, to be inspected by the Technical Director on the day prior to official practice. It means that teams will no longer be able to make overnight tyre orders during a Grand Prix and should give Dunlop, who are exempt from the restrictions until they have won two MotoGP races in dry conditions, an important opportunity to close the current gap on their competitors Michelin and Bridgestone. There are no restrictions on the use of wet tyres.
Whilst the earliest championships took place over six rounds in Europe, modern day MotoGP, promoted by Spanish company Dorna, is a truly global show and in 2007 will feature 18 races across four continents - the biggest Grand Prix schedule in the sport’s 58 year history. The circuits themselves have also evolved, from long and often dangerous road circuits to state of the art short circuits offering first class facilities for fans and competitors alike.
The MotoGP World Championship takes place between March and November with starting grid positions for each race decided by one 60-minute qualifying session. Each MotoGP race lasts around 45 minutes (approximately 30 laps of a 4km circuit) and is watched by a global television audience in excess of 320 million people. Riders compete for championship points, with the rider gaining the most points declared world champion at the end of the season. Each race offers 25 points for the winner, 20 for second and 16 for third, going down to a single point for 15th position.
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