World Superbike racing

[Lee Rusty]

Does anyone else think that the SUperbike series should be canned. With only Ducati fielding factory bikes, it is pretty one sided.
I feel sorry of Hodgson who will be crowned a World Champion Superbike rider in due course but he has no real competition, so is a pretty hollow win.
Perhaps it should be reformatted as an all Ducati Series with factory bikes for all riders (or at least all equal bikes) then we would find out who is the best rider.
This was always going to be the inevitable outcome of the new format of MotoGP with 4 stroke bikes included.

Or perhaps superbikes could go to production bikes, no factory specials, road tyres, no engine mods etc, to bring it back to having some relevence to the everyday rider. The super stock 600cc series provides great racing.

As it is now it is pretty hard to justify staying up late enough to watch the Superbikes.

ON the other hand MotoGP is becoming a really good series.

What do you reckon.

[SPman]

There is still some good racing in there. Should be better next year when the factories bring in their 1000 fours etc. - just look to BSB to see where it should be at!

[Coldkiwi]

I agree with Sp-Man... there is still some great racing.. its just not at the front!

I'm looking forward to a real series next year, hopefully with Aprilia returning and Suzuki, Yamaha picking up their game more. I'd really love to see Kawasaki get back into it for a good push. Anyone else heard rumours about a new ZX-10? Would the CBR 954 be competitive as well?

[SPman]

Originally posted by Coldkiwi
  Would the CBR 954 be competitive as well?

The new CBR1000RR will!

"So this is IT then, The Fireblade replacement the CBR 1000RR, Inside sources at Honda claim the 998cc in line four cylinder engined Superbike is rumored to be putting out 165 bhp and weighs in at a positively anorexic 364 Lbs or 165kg, lighter even than the current CBR600RR. Notice the lack of the legendary FIREBLADE decals.

The CBR1000RR (US) or RCV1000 (Europe and Japan) currently undergoing tests in Japan, as this picture shows from AUTO-BY magazine above, will use a completely new engine and chassis, with hybrid RCV-CBR600RR styling. The bike will carry the hopes of Honda in World Superbikes in 2004, when the firm will return to make the most of new rules which will be more favourable to multi-cylinder 1000s, (18,000 rpm in GP race mode) or (14,500 rpm in street howling trim) using a balanced shaft. The new CBR has been developed over the last two years, but the latest design shows changes to the styling, including changes to the ram-air intakes and the shape of the tank. Twin Spar aluminum frame based on the RCV211V GP Bike and the CBR900RR-2. The main alteration is a swing arm pivot not the "semi-pivotless" swing arm hanging from the back of current blades. The engine is a 998cc fuel injected. Firing order will be revised for the road but factory insiders believe the finished article should be good for about 165 bhp. The emission system are based on under seat Geometry and other details are a bit hazy still with the boys at HRC."