2015 World Superbike...

[gomick]

16 bikes in WSB at the moment :

Aprilia Racing
Eugene Laverty
Sylvain Guintoli

Alstare Ducati
Carlos Checa
Ayrton Badovini

BMW GoldBet Italia
Marco Melandri
Chaz Davies

Kawasaki Racing
Tom Sykes
Loris Baz

PATA Honda
Jonathan Rea
Leon Haslam

FIXI Crescent Suzuki
Leon Camier
Jules Cluzel

Red Devils Roma Aprilia
Michel Fabrizio

Althea Aprilia
Davide Giugliano

MR Ducati
Max Neukirchner

Grillini BMW
Vittorio Iannuzzo

Any news on Pedercini running a couple of bikes?

[gomick]

World Supersport entry list at 7/1/13...

PRORACE Honda - Gabor Talmacsi
PATA Honda - Lorenzo Zanetti & Michael van der Mark
PTR Honda - Nacho Calero, Matt Davies, David Linortner, Luca Marconi & Sheridan Morais
Rivamoto Honda - Eduard Blokhin & Jack Kennedy
Toth PTR Honda - Imre Toth
Intermoto Kawasaki - David Salom
Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki - Fabien Foret & Kenan Sofuoglu
Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki - Andrea Antonelli
ParkinGO MV Agusta - Christian Iddon & Roberto Rolfo
Team Suriano Suzuki - Mathew Scholtz & TBA
AARK Racing Triumph - Mitchell Carr
VFT Racing Yamaha - Fabio Menghi
Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha - Vladimir Leonov & Sam Lowes

[GORDON STREETER]

After watching some very quick KTMs testing at Almeria last week it's a pity they aren't in the hunt in WSB this year.

[gomick]

They should've entered years ago if they ever where going to...

[chunder]

They did, but at the time there was electronics and stuff and to be honest BSB is a far higher level than anyting running elsewhere other than WSB.

The KTM is totally uncompetitive as a Superbike as it is not powerful enough and not electronically capable enough.

It would have been great in the 2000's. but now as a rival to a Duke or something else it woud stand no chance.

Might be better when they make WSBK Superstock as in Germany its been competitive, but there is little decent opposition in Germany.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by chunder

The KTM is totally uncompetitive as a Superbike as it is not powerful enough and not electronically capable enough.

Well there was a Russian team with a couple of them and one of the riders made the rest of the riders on mostly 4cyl bikes look like they were standing still and my stop watch showed it would be competitive.
I often pop up the track if I'm down there and see a fair bit of winter testing of Moto GP/WSB/BSB so I have a good idea !

[chunder]

They havent really been that quick in any series worth a damn!! Thats all

They went OK occasionally in AMA, but in World, Superstock and BSB etc they have been nowhere.

OK, I dont think any team yet has done a proper go at it, bt lets face it KTM are not that well regarded after their Proton Roberts debacle.

And so far apart from Germany in briefly in AMA they have not whown much race frontrunning pedigree

[justracing]

But then again KTM pump a lot of money into other forms of bike racing - they are omnipresent at Dakar and do very well at it.

[chunder]

Indeed, but that is their main market and has been for years, if you ever go Enduro racing, you will see that the majority of bikes running are KTM, not Japanese stuff

Different in motocross, but still they have a decent presence, road racing is only really GP and the 1098, mnothing else

[gomick]

Day 2 of testing at Phillip Island...

Carlos Checa 1:31.059 Ducati
Marco Melandri 1:31.237 BMW
Leon Camier 1:31.243 Suzuki
Tom Sykes 1:31.261 Kawasaki
Michel Fabrizio 1:31.350 Aprilia
Jonathan Rea 1:31.356 Honda
Leon Haslam 1:31.396 Honda
Eugene Laverty 1:31.452 Aprilia
Davide Giugliano 1:31.640 Aprilia
Sylvain Guintoli 1:31.658 Aprilia

[formerf1champ]

Not much attention about the PI WSBK unfortunately? Even on SEN1116, which is a 24 hour sports station in Melbourne.

[chunder]

I'm afraid WSB is in the doldrums a little

Sad when yu considewr it is now owned by Dorna, the people that run GP?

Makes you realise that it seems theya re not that interested! Mayeb coz there are no Spaniards invovled other than Checa!

[formerf1champ]

Spain to motorbikes is becoming the India of cricket. But anyway, all of that has nothing to do with sports press completely ignoring the event.

[frostie]

Good opening day of practice by the sound of things, anyone know what broadcaster is showing the races in Germany?

[gomick]

Aprilia seems to be the bike to be on at Phillip Island...

Can Lowes beat Sofuoglu in Supersport this season?

[gomick]

Aprilia seems to be the bike to be on at Phillip Island - pity Checa crashed taking out Melandri...

Can Lowes beat Sofuoglu in Supersport this season?

[chunder]

Gotta say Kenan looked he was on a 650, that Kawasaki was so much faster than Lowes bike.

Such a shame when the rulesa re supposed to be fairly equal

[SALEEN S7R]

I was just looking at the Moto GP qualifying times compared to the WSBK Superpole times at Phillip Island and its pretty impressive that the pole time from this weekend would have been good enough for 3rd place in Moto GP qualifying at Phillip Island in 2012. I thought WSBK was meant to be a lot slower? As in 1 - 2 seconds a lap.

[chunder]

Track has been resurfaced though and the GP bikes will still be much quicker

Though I would imagine Superbikes will probably be quicker than CRT, and to be fair the factory Aprilia's are more powerful and higher tech than the Aprilia CRT bikes, but maybe tyres arent as good

[SALEEN S7R]

As I remember, the track had been re surfaced in time for the Moto GP, and I beleive track tempratures were warmer when Moto GP raced than WSBK are experincing now. Also, track re surfacing is only worth around half a second a lap on most circuits so the WSBK pole time would still be very competitve on the Moto GP grid.

Anyway, just nice to see that WSBK is closer in terms of performance than most people realise. Put Crutchlow or Lorenzo on a top WSBK machine and who is to say the WSBK pole time wouldn't have been faster than the Moto GP pole time from 2012 even?

[ghinzani]

Is the WSB series highlights going to be on any UK Terrestrial channels? My mate who cant get Sky was asking but I didnt know.

[Dani Filth]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

Put Crutchlow or Lorenzo on a top WSBK machine and who is to say the WSBK pole time wouldn't have been faster than the Moto GP pole time from 2012 even?

me?

anyway .. good to have the bike season start
racing was good-ish, shame for Checa
happy for Guinters.. first time out with a win
at the moment the factory Aprilia look good, lets see what Melandri can do and of course the Panigale

[chunder]

its been resurfaced since GP was there I am afraid, not before.

So much, much quicker now

[gomick]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

I beleive track tempratures were warmer when Moto GP raced than WSBK are experincing now.

Dont remember that, couldve been tho - 9.9 times out of 10, February will be much hotter than October at Phillip Island...

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by chunder

its been resurfaced since GP was there I am afraid, not before.

So much, much quicker now

Much, much quicker? Come off it, half a second to 1 second a lap maximum. Unless theres something unique to Phillip Island that makes it different to all the other tracks around the world? Lots of circuits are re surfaced every year and lap times dont improve that dramatically usually as a result. Tyres if anything are normally the biggest contributing factor in improving lap times for bikes.