The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and WorldSBK have unveiled the new entry-level World Sportbike category, which will replace World Supersport 300 from 2026. Announced on May 15, 2025, this transformation aims to provide a smoother transition for young riders to World Supersport while attracting more manufacturers.
The Superbike World Championship is set to experience a major turning point in 2026 with the introduction of a brand new category called World Sportbike. This official announcement from the FIM and the WorldSBK organization marks the end of the current World Supersport 300, active since 2017 and recognized for its essential role in training young international talents.
Since its creation, the category supersport 300 saw the emergence of notable figures: Ana Carrasco, first female world champion on the circuit in 2018, Adrian Huertas, titled in 2021 then Supersport champion in 2024, Aldi Mahendra, first Indonesian to be crowned world champion in 2024.
With World Sportbike, the ambition is to create a more competitive and more educational level between the small cylinders and the Supersport category. It will offer a significant increase in power with motorcycles developing between 85 and 90 horsepower, against around 50 ch currently.
World Sportbike: a completely renewed grid
Exit the Yamaha R3, Kawasaki Ninja 400, KTM RC 390 R and other Kove 321RR-S… The World Sportbike will welcome mid-size models such as: Yamaha R7, Triumph Daytona 660, Aprilia RS 660, CFMoto 675SS, Kove 450RR, Kawasaki ZX-4R, Suzuki GSX-8R, Honda CBR650R…
The final list of approved motorcycles has not yet been revealed. As in Supersport, technical adjustments are planned to equalize performance between engine configurations, ensuring a balanced power/weight ratio for competitive races.
The introduction of this new class is seen as a strategic step in the evolution of the championship. This new category is a strategic step to continue promoting the development of young drivers and offer a more natural path to Supersport ", the organizers emphasize.
The complete technical specifications and sporting regulations of World Sportbike will be published in the coming months. In the meantime, the announcement is generating strong enthusiasm among teams, manufacturers and riders, who see this category as a new, stimulating and structuring playground for the next generation of World Superbike riders.
