Ducati Domination in the WSBK.

[Speeddemon555]

So far, Ducati has won ten straight in a row this year of the World Superbike Championship. Neil Hodgson won nine races and recently James Toseland winning race 2 in Germany. The other manufacturers such as Suzuki, Yamaha and others can't catch up with the Italian brand.

[Rambo]

Honda won the championship last year, but they are conspicuous by their abscence. Kawasaki haven't had a new bike since the last ice age. Yamaha don't have a works team. Aprillia have abandoned SBK for yet another attempt to break into the top bracket of GP racing. The Foggy thing has too small a motor and is still being developed as a brand-new machine. Suzuki aren't doing too badly - and this is the first year of the new rules. Next year, when everyone should be running air restrictors, things might be a bit closer.

Honda keep winning every Moto GP race - why aren't people whining about that? Honda has totally dominated the top GP class for as long as the Duke's have reigned in SBK.

[f1manoz]

Suzuki are still developing their 1000cc machine so it's not completely up to pace yet. But Lavilla has been strong at times throughout the year.

I think Honda will eventually return. Kawasaki and Aprilia probably can't afford both operations, while Yamaha just appear to have little interest.

[wreckless]

I wont believe it if yamaha never return, they have that R1 just waiting to race.

[gomick]

all manufacturers (bar ducati) are weak as ****.... in oz superbike they run factory gsxr1000's, r1's and cbr 954's - aswell as privateer aprilia mille's and a ducati.....

why does pedercini run ducati 998 and not last years aprilia

why hasnt flammini allowed japanese manufacturers an incentive to run there big bore bikes..... the racing, bar monza, is ordinary..... no offence to neil hodgson, he deserves the success he is getting now - but like colin edwards/troy bayliss of 2002 - token champions

[Rambo]

Monza is like Thruxton - just one bid draft and being in the right place at the right time. Like restrictor-plate racing in NASCAR. Neil Hodgson deserved to win at Monza years ago when he was first in SBK when he was mugged (it was Monza and not Hockenheim, wasn't it?) and you see the same thing happening every year in one class or other. The best man doesn't always win - it's exciting, but the best races are where riders can show their skill. Assen, Laguna Seca, Donnington - Brands Hatch, Philip Island - they've all provided excellent racing in the past - but even a modern track like Oschersleben I was surprised to see this year giving good racing betwen Neil, Chili and Toseland.

It's not about machinery or the tracks - Biaggi last year on a Yamaha had some fantastic fights with rossi on the superior Honda. Haga should have beaten Edwards' V-twin Honda with the R7. Walker on a Kawasaki and a Suzuki took the BSB championship down to the wire - the Walker/Hodgson battles on different machinery were as good as the MacKensie/Hislop Mackensie/Whitham or Hislop/Reynolds battles where the machinery was identical. Edwards and Bayliss, with Hodgson hanging on to their heels - had some good batles last year. Look at F1, or Touring cars - the best years are where there are great rivalries. SBK has no great rivalry this year. That's why the racing isn't so good.

[f1manoz]

I'm hoping this is one of only a couple of lean years for the WSB until it can once again come back to the fore and equal the racing and excitement of the mid-1990s when we had 5 manufacturers going for race wins - Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha.

I have to concur with gomick - the local scene in Australia is, sadly, ignored nowadays but there is still tremendous interest from manufacturers in providing bikes to our local lads.

[racer69]

Originally posted by f1manoz
I have to concur with gomick - the local scene in Australia is, sadly, ignored nowadays but there is still tremendous interest from manufacturers in providing bikes to our local lads.

Agree with that, there was a time when being Australian Superbike Champion guarenteed you an international ride the next year.

1991 Aaron Slight (Kawasaki) - WSB in 1992 with Kawasaki
1992 Mat Mladin (Kawasaki) - GPs with Cagiva in 1993
1993 Troy Corser (Winfield Honda) - AMA's in 1994 with Ducati
1994 Anthony Gobert (Winfield Honda) - WSB in 1995 with Kawasaki
1995 Kirk McCarthy (Winfield Honda) - WSB in 1996 with Suzuki
1996 Peter Goddard (Suzuki) - World Endurance Championship in 1997 & some GPs with Suzuki
1997 & 1998 - Marty Craggill (Kawasaki) - BSB in 1999 with Suzuki
1999 Steve Martin (Ducati) - Nothing till WSB in 2001

Originally posted by gomick
why hasnt flammini allowed japanese manufacturers an incentive to run there big bore bikes.....

They did, just that they had to run air restrictors. If Suzuki had gotten their act together sooner then 3 weeks before the season began, then the Suzuki would be doing much better than it is.

It will be better next year because all the bikes will be using air restrictors, not just the 4 cylinder 1000s.

[wreckless]

Originally posted by f1manoz
the local scene in Australia is, sadly, ignored nowadays but there is still tremendous interest from manufacturers in providing bikes to our local lads.

It isnt totally ignored, Robbie baired is in canada and ama to be. kev kurtin would have been on a supersport this year if his team didnt fall out, Dan staufer is now on the factory yoshimura supersport machine in the ama. and they all raced in oz last year

[ATF]

At least at Silverstone, we will have some factory Suzukis and who knows JR just may challenge for a win. And I'm sure the WSBK and BSB Suzuki teams will have a few setups to share!

[gomick]

jamie is on the yoshi suzuki - daniel nursing broken bones in oz