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World Superbike
AMA SBK: Broke! - Whaddya Mean, ‘Real Superbike’?
Call them Superstock machines if you like, but today's 200mph, 200-horsepower Superbikes are as intimidating racebikes as the class has ever seen.
Martin Cardenas finished fourth in his rookie Superbike season. (Photo: Evan Williams)
During SPEED.com's 'Broke!' series, we've repeatedly suggested that global Superbike racing, and AMA Pro Superbike in particular, needs to seriously consider further economizing Superbike regulations for the betterment of the sport.
Not surprisingly, there has been a knee-jerk reaction against this idea from certain segments of the fanbase who fear a continued 'Superstockization' of the class, claiming that Superbikes will no longer be quite so super as a result.
This was not unexpected. As Evan Williams explained in his previous piece, it's not uncommon for people to get some static definition of exactly what comprises a Superbike stuck in their heads despite the fact that the category has been completely overhauled several times throughout its history in order to better suit the times and remain relevant.
Whenever it happens, a number of interested parties will lament the loss of 'real' Superbikes. And the next time a significant change is required, they again cry out about the loss of 'real' Superbikes.
In fact, it turns out that when viewed with a bit of perspective, 'real' Superbikes are simply whatever the rulebook says they are, at least once they've had a couple years to settle in and become accepted by the teams, racers, and fans.
You could argue that each time the class has been rethought it has been neutered in a sense. But each time the class' reputation not only healed relatively quickly, it was enhanced, at least in some manner, once the new status quo took hold.
Not surprisingly, there has been a knee-jerk reaction against this idea from certain segments of the fanbase who fear a continued 'Superstockization' of the class, claiming that Superbikes will no longer be quite so super as a result.
This was not unexpected. As Evan Williams explained in his previous piece, it's not uncommon for people to get some static definition of exactly what comprises a Superbike stuck in their heads despite the fact that the category has been completely overhauled several times throughout its history in order to better suit the times and remain relevant.
Whenever it happens, a number of interested parties will lament the loss of 'real' Superbikes. And the next time a significant change is required, they again cry out about the loss of 'real' Superbikes.
In fact, it turns out that when viewed with a bit of perspective, 'real' Superbikes are simply whatever the rulebook says they are, at least once they've had a couple years to settle in and become accepted by the teams, racers, and fans.
You could argue that each time the class has been rethought it has been neutered in a sense. But each time the class' reputation not only healed relatively quickly, it was enhanced, at least in some manner, once the new status quo took hold.
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