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History=The World Superbike Championship got under way in the late '80s (more accurately in 1988) as an alternative to the more competitive FIM World Championship – later known as MotoGP. What differed the two competitions were the technical details imposed by the FIM. The World Superbike was running machines based on standard production models and implemented strict regulations towards maximizing low costs. These were not prototype bikes, like in the FIM World Championship, but models that one could purchase at any local dealer – the mechanics were basically allowed to change anything but the frame. Therefore, the teams concentrated on increasing the safety for their riders and creating faster bikes. Suspensions, brakes, swing arm and wheels were subject to modifications in the Superbike competitions.
The first season saw 1000cc V-twin engines and 750cc 4-cylinder ones battling for supremacy. Honda used their RC30 model to win head-to-head titles in 1988 and 1989, as American Fred Merkel scored 5 wins and 10 podiums in both seasons for two world crowns of his own. The '90s were about to become a fruitful decade for the 1000cc bikes and the manufacturer ready to profit from it was none other than Ducati.
The Italians actually began running their V-twin 4 valves 851 model in 1988, but it took them 3 years of hard work to become a World Superbike competitor. After a miserable start in 1988 (penultimate spot in the Manufacturers' Standings), Ducati hit back and opened the '90s with a Riders' title and a runner-up finish in the Constructors' Classification. Raymond Roche scores 8 wins en route to his first WSBK title, while Ducati missed out on their world crown for only 6 points (behind rivals Honda).
By 1991, it was pretty clear that the 4-cylinder bikes would not stand a chance and that their 250cc disadvantage would prove decisive in winning – or, in this case, not winning – races. Unfortunately, manufacturers like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki or Suzuki took more that a decade to realize it and Ducati did not wait for a second chance. The Bologna-based team grabbed no less than 8 Riders' & 8 Manufacturers titles throughout the '90s and became the winningest outfit in World Superbike history.
After Roche ended Fred Merkel's winning streak in 1990, Doug Polen came into play. The Michigan-born rider equaled his countryman's record of two consecutive world crowns and won everything there was on the table in 1991 and 1992 on his brand new Ducati 888 (in both Riders' and Constructors' classifications). Scott Russell's title in 1993 was nothing but a sweet consolation for Kawasaki, as the American rider silenced all critics by competing on a 4-cylinder ZXF750 model.
It was time for the new Ducati 916 to step in and make his mark inside the World Superbike Championship. British rider Carl Fogarty broke 'the American supremacy' and followed the tradition of winning back-to-back titles every 2 years, as he reigned over the 1994 and 1995 championships in style (bringing home both riders' and manufacturers' crowns).
Again, as soon as a rider had won back-to back titles in the championship, there was always someone to end that streak. In 1996, that someone was Troy Corser. He became the first Australian to win a world title in Superbike and brought Ducati their 6th consecutive winning season in history. But not even a future champ like Corser could have fought the tradition – no rider had previously won consecutive titles immediately after ending someone else's winning streak. American John Kocinski sure took care of that, as he also interrupted Ducati's supremacy in the Manufacturers' championship. The Arkansas-born rider won 9 races and made 7 podium appearances to grab the 1997 title, while his Honda RC45 produced a stunning performance and beat the Ducati 916 for the Manufacturers title.
In a time that most constructors were thinking about switching to 1000cc bikes, Ducati ended the decade with their hands full. The Italians returned to the top of the table in the late '90s (1998 & 1999) with their brand new Ducati 996 model. And Fogarty was right there to deliver another couple of Riders' crowns for his team, as he became the first 4-time winner of the World Superbike Championship.
Honda finally woke up to reality and launched a brand new 998cc, V-twin liquid-cooled powered RC51 in 2000, in order to challenge their Italian rivals for the championship. Colin Edwards stepped up to the challenge and won 8 races en route to his first ever Superbike crown. Honda also put an end to Ducati's winning streak and started out the new millennium with a powerful morale.
But Ducati couldn't admit defeat – not for too long, anyway – and made a strong comeback the very next season with the same 996 model. Troy Bayliss won his first title in career and, more importantly, helped World Superbike attract a huge amount of fans in the grandstands. His spectacular riding, along with Colin Edwards' uncommon personality – as well as the fact that all teams were somehow equal and many riders were fighting for the title – brought World Superbike on the same level with the MotoGP (especially since the Mick Doohan supremacy provided no spectacle for the MotoGP fans).
Edwards managed one of sports' greatest comeback in 2002, as he took advantage of Bayliss' crash at Brands Hatch and recovered a huge point-deficit to grab his second world title in career. It was basically WSBK's last season of glory, as FIM's regulations in 2003 switched all the attention back to the MotoGP. The ruling body allowed all Superbike teams to use 1000cc machines (any number of cylinders from 2 to 4), but also implemented a 4-stroke engine policy inside the MotoGP. The results were disastrous for the World Superbike: the championship became a second-hand competition for all manufacturers, as most of them preferred to guide their resources towards the FIM World Championship.
Less competitive bikes meant less competitive riders and less spectacle. Ducati powered through with their brands new 999 model, taking advantage of their rivals' poor development programs. It was one of the most boring seasons in the history of racing (bikes, cars, open-wheel, you name it!), as Ducati won 24 out of 24 races (20 of which were taken with the 999) and produced a new world champion: Britain's Neil Hodgson.
It was becoming pretty clear than something had to be done in order to bring back greatness inside the World Superbike. So the FIM decided to even things up by allowing only one tyre manufacturer to participate in the championship. As if that decision wasn't controversial enough, the company chosen to equip the WSBK teams with control tyres was Pirelli (at that time, the 3rd manufacturer in Superbike in terms of performance). The Motorcycle Sports Manufacturer Association (MSMA) made the first step and announced that no factory-bikes will enter the championship in 2004.
Later on, Ducati decided to use 2004-spec bikes that year and, needless to say, there followed another 22 races to forget for the Superbike fans. With another world crown up for grabs, the Italian team delivered a new champion, James Toseland, and added another manufacturer title under its belt. Australian Chris Vermeulen was the only privateer to move a finger in the championship (riding for Honda-powered Ten Kate team), as he won 4 races and scored 5 more podium finishes to rank 2nd overall.
And that proved to be just enough for the Japanese manufacturers to come back into the game the next season. Suzuki brought in the brand new GSX-R1000 K5 and used all of Troy Corser's experience to grab their first ever world title in Superbike. The Australian wins 8 races and scores 10 more podium finishes (ranks 3rd or best in season first 16 races, 8 wins included) to take his second World Superbike crown in career. Ducati pays tribute to their lack of competitiveness – after 2 seasons in which they had no rivals to push them forward in developing a much faster bike – and rank a disappointing 3rd place in the Manufacturer Classification.
Just like it happened before, Ducati succeeded in not letting any manufacturer clinch back-to-back titles in the championship and made a strong comeback the next season. Troy Bayliss returned to WSBK after some unfortunate years inside the MotoGP and won 12 races en route to his 2nd world title in career (while also bringing home another crown for Ducati). He also became the oldest rider to win the World Superbike, at the age of 37, 6 months and 1 day.
The 2007 season marked the return of Honda inside the WSBK, while also welcoming MotoGP star Max Biaggi in the championship. Also, MotoGP's new regulations (stepping down to the 800cc engines) made World Superbike the most powerful racing series in the FIM schedule. There were no less than 4 title contenders (Bayliss, Toseland, Haga and Biaggi) riding for 4 different manufacturers (Ducati, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki) and that spiced things up for the fans. As the MotoGP was becoming more and more a Ducati deal (Casey Stoner cruising to the 800cc title), World Superbike suddenly became more interesting. Haga and Biaggi trailed James Toseland for the title until season's very last round, the British rider winning it by only 2 points from the Japanese. Yamaha clinched their first manufacturers' title in World Superbike, thanks to the efforts of Haga and Corser throughout the year.
The FIM brought in new rules for the upcoming season. Some of the most important modifications refer to engine power (allowing 1200cc V-twins starting 2008) and homologation requirements (minimum of 1000 produced bikes for 2008 and 2009, minimum of 3000 produced bikes from 2010 onwards).
The first season saw 1000cc V-twin engines and 750cc 4-cylinder ones battling for supremacy. Honda used their RC30 model to win head-to-head titles in 1988 and 1989, as American Fred Merkel scored 5 wins and 10 podiums in both seasons for two world crowns of his own. The '90s were about to become a fruitful decade for the 1000cc bikes and the manufacturer ready to profit from it was none other than Ducati.
The Italians actually began running their V-twin 4 valves 851 model in 1988, but it took them 3 years of hard work to become a World Superbike competitor. After a miserable start in 1988 (penultimate spot in the Manufacturers' Standings), Ducati hit back and opened the '90s with a Riders' title and a runner-up finish in the Constructors' Classification. Raymond Roche scores 8 wins en route to his first WSBK title, while Ducati missed out on their world crown for only 6 points (behind rivals Honda).
By 1991, it was pretty clear that the 4-cylinder bikes would not stand a chance and that their 250cc disadvantage would prove decisive in winning – or, in this case, not winning – races. Unfortunately, manufacturers like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki or Suzuki took more that a decade to realize it and Ducati did not wait for a second chance. The Bologna-based team grabbed no less than 8 Riders' & 8 Manufacturers titles throughout the '90s and became the winningest outfit in World Superbike history.
After Roche ended Fred Merkel's winning streak in 1990, Doug Polen came into play. The Michigan-born rider equaled his countryman's record of two consecutive world crowns and won everything there was on the table in 1991 and 1992 on his brand new Ducati 888 (in both Riders' and Constructors' classifications). Scott Russell's title in 1993 was nothing but a sweet consolation for Kawasaki, as the American rider silenced all critics by competing on a 4-cylinder ZXF750 model.
It was time for the new Ducati 916 to step in and make his mark inside the World Superbike Championship. British rider Carl Fogarty broke 'the American supremacy' and followed the tradition of winning back-to-back titles every 2 years, as he reigned over the 1994 and 1995 championships in style (bringing home both riders' and manufacturers' crowns).
Again, as soon as a rider had won back-to back titles in the championship, there was always someone to end that streak. In 1996, that someone was Troy Corser. He became the first Australian to win a world title in Superbike and brought Ducati their 6th consecutive winning season in history. But not even a future champ like Corser could have fought the tradition – no rider had previously won consecutive titles immediately after ending someone else's winning streak. American John Kocinski sure took care of that, as he also interrupted Ducati's supremacy in the Manufacturers' championship. The Arkansas-born rider won 9 races and made 7 podium appearances to grab the 1997 title, while his Honda RC45 produced a stunning performance and beat the Ducati 916 for the Manufacturers title.
In a time that most constructors were thinking about switching to 1000cc bikes, Ducati ended the decade with their hands full. The Italians returned to the top of the table in the late '90s (1998 & 1999) with their brand new Ducati 996 model. And Fogarty was right there to deliver another couple of Riders' crowns for his team, as he became the first 4-time winner of the World Superbike Championship.
Honda finally woke up to reality and launched a brand new 998cc, V-twin liquid-cooled powered RC51 in 2000, in order to challenge their Italian rivals for the championship. Colin Edwards stepped up to the challenge and won 8 races en route to his first ever Superbike crown. Honda also put an end to Ducati's winning streak and started out the new millennium with a powerful morale.
But Ducati couldn't admit defeat – not for too long, anyway – and made a strong comeback the very next season with the same 996 model. Troy Bayliss won his first title in career and, more importantly, helped World Superbike attract a huge amount of fans in the grandstands. His spectacular riding, along with Colin Edwards' uncommon personality – as well as the fact that all teams were somehow equal and many riders were fighting for the title – brought World Superbike on the same level with the MotoGP (especially since the Mick Doohan supremacy provided no spectacle for the MotoGP fans).
Edwards managed one of sports' greatest comeback in 2002, as he took advantage of Bayliss' crash at Brands Hatch and recovered a huge point-deficit to grab his second world title in career. It was basically WSBK's last season of glory, as FIM's regulations in 2003 switched all the attention back to the MotoGP. The ruling body allowed all Superbike teams to use 1000cc machines (any number of cylinders from 2 to 4), but also implemented a 4-stroke engine policy inside the MotoGP. The results were disastrous for the World Superbike: the championship became a second-hand competition for all manufacturers, as most of them preferred to guide their resources towards the FIM World Championship.
Less competitive bikes meant less competitive riders and less spectacle. Ducati powered through with their brands new 999 model, taking advantage of their rivals' poor development programs. It was one of the most boring seasons in the history of racing (bikes, cars, open-wheel, you name it!), as Ducati won 24 out of 24 races (20 of which were taken with the 999) and produced a new world champion: Britain's Neil Hodgson.
It was becoming pretty clear than something had to be done in order to bring back greatness inside the World Superbike. So the FIM decided to even things up by allowing only one tyre manufacturer to participate in the championship. As if that decision wasn't controversial enough, the company chosen to equip the WSBK teams with control tyres was Pirelli (at that time, the 3rd manufacturer in Superbike in terms of performance). The Motorcycle Sports Manufacturer Association (MSMA) made the first step and announced that no factory-bikes will enter the championship in 2004.
Later on, Ducati decided to use 2004-spec bikes that year and, needless to say, there followed another 22 races to forget for the Superbike fans. With another world crown up for grabs, the Italian team delivered a new champion, James Toseland, and added another manufacturer title under its belt. Australian Chris Vermeulen was the only privateer to move a finger in the championship (riding for Honda-powered Ten Kate team), as he won 4 races and scored 5 more podium finishes to rank 2nd overall.
And that proved to be just enough for the Japanese manufacturers to come back into the game the next season. Suzuki brought in the brand new GSX-R1000 K5 and used all of Troy Corser's experience to grab their first ever world title in Superbike. The Australian wins 8 races and scores 10 more podium finishes (ranks 3rd or best in season first 16 races, 8 wins included) to take his second World Superbike crown in career. Ducati pays tribute to their lack of competitiveness – after 2 seasons in which they had no rivals to push them forward in developing a much faster bike – and rank a disappointing 3rd place in the Manufacturer Classification.
Just like it happened before, Ducati succeeded in not letting any manufacturer clinch back-to-back titles in the championship and made a strong comeback the next season. Troy Bayliss returned to WSBK after some unfortunate years inside the MotoGP and won 12 races en route to his 2nd world title in career (while also bringing home another crown for Ducati). He also became the oldest rider to win the World Superbike, at the age of 37, 6 months and 1 day.
The 2007 season marked the return of Honda inside the WSBK, while also welcoming MotoGP star Max Biaggi in the championship. Also, MotoGP's new regulations (stepping down to the 800cc engines) made World Superbike the most powerful racing series in the FIM schedule. There were no less than 4 title contenders (Bayliss, Toseland, Haga and Biaggi) riding for 4 different manufacturers (Ducati, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki) and that spiced things up for the fans. As the MotoGP was becoming more and more a Ducati deal (Casey Stoner cruising to the 800cc title), World Superbike suddenly became more interesting. Haga and Biaggi trailed James Toseland for the title until season's very last round, the British rider winning it by only 2 points from the Japanese. Yamaha clinched their first manufacturers' title in World Superbike, thanks to the efforts of Haga and Corser throughout the year.
The FIM brought in new rules for the upcoming season. Some of the most important modifications refer to engine power (allowing 1200cc V-twins starting 2008) and homologation requirements (minimum of 1000 produced bikes for 2008 and 2009, minimum of 3000 produced bikes from 2010 onwards).
