Ducati – Best of Italian Performance

Someting about Superbike World Championship

The motorcycles that race in the
championship are tuned versions of motorcycles available for sale to the public, by
contrast with MotoGP where purpose built machines are used.
MotoGP is the motorcycle world’s equivalent of Formula 1 racing, whereas
Superbike racing is similar to Touring Car racing.

Europe is Superbike World Championship’s
traditional centre and leading market. However, rounds are also held in Qatar, Australia, South Africa, and the United States (in 2008, for the first time since 2004). An Indonesian race was also proposed for the 2008
season, but this was later canceled by the FIM.

The championship is regulated by
the FIM, the international 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 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.

Formula TT a racing class for motorcycles from 1977
to 1989 as the official World Cup under the umbrella of International Motorcycling Federation. Once the Superbike World Championship
proved popular and commercially successful, it was decided to end the Formula
TT at the end of the 1990 season.

From 1993 to 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.

Carl
Fogarty has won the
Superbike World Championship a record 4 times with 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 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.

If you feel like you don’t want to miss on that one, take the opportunity to go personally to see what Superbike is all about. www.simplysportstickets.com

About the Author

Bar Hodgson’s 1974 Ducati 750 GT custom FOR SALE