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World Superbike
AMA SBK: Uprising
The modern era of motorcycle racing has created an opening for newcomers to step into the limelight.
Team Amsoil/Hero EBR's Geoff May (Photo: Evan Williams)
It’s the Month of the Interloper, as least as far as manufacturers in motorcycle racing go. BMW won at Donington. Triumph won in Sonoma, and EBR finished on the Superbike podium twice. Even KTM had their best result yet in California.
2012 has seen an uprising from companies out of the racing game for a long time. And it has happened in the brutal world of production bike racing.
The racing scene has long been dominated by the Big Four Japanese makers and Ducati for decades. Since the economic collapse, the perch at the top has gotten even narrower, with just Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati competing with factory teams in MotoGP.
A few years ago, production racing was arguably even tougher for those on the outside looking in. The Fab Five were already up to speed in regards to the track. Their production models had been honed by racing and the related technology. Look at Triumph. They’ve been making serious, quality sport bikes for a decade or so and it’s taken them this long to really catch up on the track with their 675R model Jason DiSalvo and Dustin Dominguez used to win at Infineon Raceway for Castrol Latus Motors Triumph.
When the Japanese manufacturers were heavy into 600cc racing in the U.S., they signed up all the good wrenchin’ and ridin’ talent, too. Anyone who could win a pre-DSB-era Supersport race had a factory deal and any whippersnapper that might have a shot at winning in the coming seasons was already on a support deal.
A plan for an outside maker to win back then would have taken a very long time and truckloads of money -- and even that was no guarantee of success. Consider Harley-Davison's history in AMA Superbike. Or MV Agusta's for that matter. Or Bimota's attempted comeback in World Superbike. Or the failed attempts to break in by the likes of Petronas and Benelli.
When they Big Guys started abandoning the paddocks, it all changed.
The light came back on for manufacturers who wanted to race, but didn’t have the resources to compete on the level things were in the ‘90s or ‘00s.
It’s been a tough road for BMW in World Superbike and they have worked very hard to get their great S 1000 RR streetbike to an equal level on the track. It doesn’t go without notice, though, that the man who finally won on that bike (Marco Melandri) lost his last gig when Yamaha pulled out of the series.
2012 has seen an uprising from companies out of the racing game for a long time. And it has happened in the brutal world of production bike racing.
The racing scene has long been dominated by the Big Four Japanese makers and Ducati for decades. Since the economic collapse, the perch at the top has gotten even narrower, with just Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati competing with factory teams in MotoGP.
A few years ago, production racing was arguably even tougher for those on the outside looking in. The Fab Five were already up to speed in regards to the track. Their production models had been honed by racing and the related technology. Look at Triumph. They’ve been making serious, quality sport bikes for a decade or so and it’s taken them this long to really catch up on the track with their 675R model Jason DiSalvo and Dustin Dominguez used to win at Infineon Raceway for Castrol Latus Motors Triumph.
When the Japanese manufacturers were heavy into 600cc racing in the U.S., they signed up all the good wrenchin’ and ridin’ talent, too. Anyone who could win a pre-DSB-era Supersport race had a factory deal and any whippersnapper that might have a shot at winning in the coming seasons was already on a support deal.
A plan for an outside maker to win back then would have taken a very long time and truckloads of money -- and even that was no guarantee of success. Consider Harley-Davison's history in AMA Superbike. Or MV Agusta's for that matter. Or Bimota's attempted comeback in World Superbike. Or the failed attempts to break in by the likes of Petronas and Benelli.
When they Big Guys started abandoning the paddocks, it all changed.
The light came back on for manufacturers who wanted to race, but didn’t have the resources to compete on the level things were in the ‘90s or ‘00s.
It’s been a tough road for BMW in World Superbike and they have worked very hard to get their great S 1000 RR streetbike to an equal level on the track. It doesn’t go without notice, though, that the man who finally won on that bike (Marco Melandri) lost his last gig when Yamaha pulled out of the series.
WSBK: Monza Race 0513
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