Let's be clear: the fact that the Sportbike replaces the Supersport 300 in 2026 already works in its favor.
De Alessio Piana / Corsedimoto.com
The new entry-level category to the Superbike World Championship will make its debut on the world calendar next year, replacing the 300cc class which, based on recorded incidents and available data, proved to be a dangerous and ineffective training ground. The Sportbike class, on paper, looks promising, even if the 2026 regulations raise several questions.
33 registered for the Sportbike World Championship
Let's start with the positives: the inaugural season of the Sportbike World Championship will welcome 33 entries. That's not bad at all, with riders of varying skill levels and technical and competitive backgrounds, top-level teams, and also attracting the interest of manufacturers. Some of these manufacturers are already involved in the national championships that were the mainstays of the last few experimental seasons (British Sportbike, CIV Sportbike, MotoAmerica Twins Cup), even though the regulations for the World Series will be very different.
8 motorcycles allowed at the start
One of the first points concerns the list of motorcycles allowed to start. In total, 8: in strict alphabetical order, Aprilia RS 660, CFMOTO 675 SR-R, Kawasaki ZX-6R 636, KOVE 450RR, Honda CBR 600, Yamaha R7, Triumph Daytona 660 and Suzuki GSX-8R.
Five of them (Aprilia, CFMOTO extensionYamaha, Triumph and Suzuki) are essentially "pure sports motorcycles", while the others have been admitted even if they deviate from the original formula of 650cc (or almost) 4-stroke twin-cylinder engines.
The KOVE with a 450, but what's surprising is that the Honda CBR 600 (which won't be competing) and, especially, the Kawasaki Ninja 636 have been allowed. In fact, these are the same bikes as those in the Supersport World Championship, although they will have to comply with certain restrictions to equalize performance.
Target: 90 horsepower
Kawasaki and Honda, in fact, are Supersport bikes integrated into the Sportbike category. Although both, and in particular the "green" one, equipped with the Z650 engine (the benchmark in the Supertwin category in recent years, especially in road racing), can offer credible alternatives within a category which, by regulation, aims for a maximum power of around 90 horsepower.
For this reason, the FIM and DWO have planned several corrective measures: in order to balance the performance of the motorcycles, adjustments will be applied to the minimum weight, the engine, the maximum revs (and therefore the torque), via a Balance of Performance (BoP) system quite similar to that used in recent years in Superbike and Supersport.
This principle will also be applied to the new Sportbike category, with evaluations and adjustments made every three rounds, on a three-round cycle.
Huge differences
From the outset, there will already be distinctions between the different motorcycles in terms of minimum weight (motorcycle only and motorcycle plus rider). The "heaviest" will be the Suzuki GSX-8R, the "lightest" the KOVE 450RR.
The disparity in minimum weight and other limitations will result in three different "subclasses": motorcycles from 400 to 600 cc, from 601 to 799 cc, and 800 cc and above. Quite a mix.
Single-brand elements
Regarding tires (Pirelli) and electronics (Mectronik MKE7 unit, version WSS600_A, the one initially used in the Supersport World Championship), all will start on equal footing. In the latter area, corrective measures will also be taken to equalize performance, given that the first races will be run almost without prior knowledge of the competition. Some motorcycles are expected to start with an advantage on paper, due to their inherent nature and the technical specifications of the production model.
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Alessio Piana
Sportbike 2026
