Some MotoGP & World Superbike Info For You

Your Complete Guide To Understanding MotoGP And World Superbikes

We run you through the differences between the globe’s best motorbike championships – MotoGP and World Superbikes

Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the governing body of motorbike racing, organises and runs the two categories, but they are both very different. Here’s how they compare.

MotoGP

It’s seen as the ‘Formula 1’ of motorbike racing, the pinnacle of two-wheel competition. Previously known as the 500cc class, numerous changes over the years mean the current MotoGP engine displacement is 1000cc. It remains one of the most exciting motorsport championships in the world and the racing is always insane.

This MotoGP season has 18 rounds, with each weekend featuring three 45-minute practice sessions; a rider’s time counts towards whether he will take part in the first qualifying segment or the second. The 10 fastest go to QP2, while the rest compete in QP1, and the fastest two progress to the second round.

The bikes are essentially prototypes, not like the ones seen on the road. This means that budgets in MotoGP for developing bikes and for the teams and riders are much higher.

World Superbikes

Compared to MotoGP, World Superbike machines are slower, heavier and much more like the bikes you see on the road. The series regularly races at the same tracks as MotoGP, providing us with a good comparison of lap times. At Motorland Aragon, for example, this year’s WSB pole position for race two was a 1:49.884, compared to 1:46.635 for MotoGP.

The WSB series uses slightly modified versions of production bikes, with production-spec machinery and electronics. It has to be a homologated version of any production-spec superbike available to buy around the world and there is little scope for innovation or changing the bikes themselves; the rules are much more restricted.

(CarThrottle.com)