After being absent for 24 years, World Superbike (WSBK) is finally back in Indonesia. Here are five things you need to know about WSBK.
The final or closing series of the 2021 WSBK will take place at the Mandalika Circuit, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), for three days, namely Friday (19/11) to Sunday (12/11).
This race will determine the title of the season, which is contested by Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea. Currently, Toprak leads with 531 points or 30 points ahead of Rea in second place.
Unlike MotoGP as the world's most elite race, WSBK has its own style and character. The following are five things about WSBK 2021 that you need to know.
1. Age Limit
WSBK has three race categories. The three races are superbike, supersport, and supersport 300. From these three categories, Dorna as the race operator sets the age limit for the racers.
For the superbike category, the age limit is the same as for MotoGP, which is a minimum of 18 years. As for Supersport, the minimum age limit is 16, while for the lowest class Supersport 300 the minimum age is 15 years.
The maximum age limit for WSBK drivers is 50 years. In the 2021 WSBK at Mandalika, the oldest racer is Leon Haslam (38 years) from the Honda Racing Team, followed by Tom Sykes (36 years) from BMW Motorrad WSBK.
2. Superpole Race
Unlike MotoGP, WSBK has four free practice sessions before the race on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the four sessions, there will be a superpole qualification to determine the grid, followed by a superpole race
The result of the superpole on Saturday morning for 25 minutes will determine the starting position on Saturday afternoon. Furthermore, there is a superpole race on Sunday morning which will determine the starting position for Sunday afternoon's race.
Interestingly, the results of the superpole race get points. The nine best drivers in the superpole race session will get points 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
3. Motorcycle Modification
In modifying and compounding the WSBK motorcycle engine, Dorna makes restrictions concerning exhaust, engine management, suspension, brakes, and some engine parts. Apart from that everything should be the same.
The minimum weight of the WSBK motorbike is 168 kilograms and is allowed to have power in the range of 750cc to 1200cc. It depends on the number of cylinders used, from two to four.
Therefore the Kawasaki ZX-10R, BMW S1000RR, and Aprilia RSV4 RF are competing in modifying these things. Although seen as a class below MotoGP, the WSBK race still promises great speed.
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