(Photo: Brian J Nelson)

What Would It Take To Make A Reality?

The most fundamental hurdle to ever realizing such an event is the prerequisite for a global set of shared Superbike regulations. That is, one common rules set for World Superbike, AMA Pro Superbike, British Superbike, and all the rest.

In some ways it all sounds so simple. All of the series face similar economic and competitive challenges. And for the first time, they are, more or less, free from the shackles of overbearing interference on the part of the manufacturers in the rule-making process. That is, manufacturers who would push to impose regulations that serve their interests even if not particularly well suited to fostering a competitive environment, restricting costs, or improving the overall strength of Superbike racing.

The panacea of a common set of rules has long been pursued, and at one point during the height of WSBK wild cards, more or less realized. Much debate and numerous sit-downs on the subject have taken place over the years. However, even though the championships are broadly moving in similar sorts of directions with their regulations, they are doing so in greatly varied ways.

While they rely on related concepts for improving the racing and keeping costs in check, they each have their own particular ideas on how to best get there. Each organizer is convinced they have hit on an ideal solution and are likely all too proud to just back down and accept another's vision over their own. And everyone thinks they know best when it comes to their own particular situation, and while that is likely true to a very real degree, there are overarching benefits associated with everyone coming together.

World Superbike utilizes the most open regulations, and as a world championship, Flammini see that as only right. However, even at the top level of the sport various cost cutting measures are being considered, such as moving to one-bike-per-rider rules next season.

British Superbikes are split into two classes -- WSBK-spec Superbikes and Superstock-like Evo bikes further restrained by control ECUs. The Brits already use a one-bike-per-rider rule, and next month's announcement concerning the shape of the '12 regulations is likely to see the 'full Superbikes' move a bit closer to Evo-spec in some ways, perhaps with limited electronics via a modified control ECU.

AMA Superbike utilizes heavily restricted homologation-based regulations with relatively low costs -- other than the loophole that allows for wide-open and massively expensive electronics. Meanwhile, two bikes per rider is relatively commonplace in the AMA Pro paddock, even though the one-bike-per-rider rule might make a great deal of sense in the current AMA Pro Superbike landscape where there are numerous talented riders available to teams at bargain basement prices.