By Dan Moakes
June 20 2003

Will the Japanese makes return to World Superbike?
We hear that some of the Japanese makes may commit to World Superbikes again next year. Surely this is what the series desperately needs?

Over the last fifteen years, Ducati’s 888, 916, 996 and 998 twins have been the dominant force in World Superbike racing, and the current 999 is continuing the tradition. To date, Ducatis have won 205 of 375 races, which equates to a 55% success rate. Between them, the four big Japanese manufacturers have won just 41% of the races (Bimota and Aprilia account for the rest), often because the technical rules seemed to disadvantage their favoured four-cylinder engine layout.

Ducati’s riders have won the World Championship on nine occasions. However, both Honda and Kawasaki have carried off the title, their best men also reaching second or third more than once. In 1989, 1997 and 2000, Honda even managed to win more races than Ducati, helping them to three of their five riders’ crowns. Two of their successes have, of course, come after switching to the V-twin route with the VTR model. Yamaha riders - Fabrizio Pirovano (twice) and Noriyuki Haga - have three times been second in the points. Suzuki’s best result was when Frankie Chili came fourth in 2000, riding the GSX-R750.

From these figures, it would seem that the Japanese makes are not as concerned with achieving Superbike success as their main Italian rival. And a look at their Grand Prix records confirms where the energies of Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki have been directed for many years. Indeed, all the Japanese factories have taken advantage of the GP rule changes, and their four-stroke experience, to fully commit to the latest 990cc formula. In each case, this has resulted in no official works Superbike presence, and only one competitive non-Ducati in regular competition!

But the World Superbike rules have also been updated for 2003, with four-cylinder engines permitted an extra 250cc of capacity. Admittedly, the fours are still fitted with air restrictors, and this means the series has not reached the competitive level seen in British Superbikes. But Gregorio Lavilla’s Dunlop-shod Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 has shown that a single-litre four can match Ducati’s pace, and Yamaha’s YZF-R1 has shown similar signs in the UK.

The current championship is showing us a good amount of excellent racing, it’s true, but at this point the works Ducati 999s are effectively leading last year’s works 998s, and then all the main privateer 998s are next. Lavilla is the only other man to have penetrated the top ten, thanks in part to five podium results. The variety is not there, and this includes the fact that Aprilia have gone to GP, and the new Foggy team has not got its 900cc triple on the pace yet.

The Japanese obviously put a lot of work into their domestic Superbike championship - one of the best in the World - but they are sorely needed in WSB, and don’t seem to be that interested. Having said that, there are now rumours that some of them will be coming back in for 2004, possibly, which is a good sign. With all due respect for their achievements, let’s hope that next year’s title isn’t going to be between whichever rider pairing gets onto the works Ducatis.

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Honda’s World Champions
Fred Merkel, USA - 1988, 1989 (RC30)
John Kocinski, USA - 1997 (RC45)
Colin Edwards, USA - 2000, 2002 (VTR SP)

Kawasaki’s World Champion
Scott Russell, USA - 1993 (ZXR750)