Alvaro Bautista is preparing this weekend to complete his third season in a WSBK which will launch his hostilities of the year on the side of Aragon. Formerly of MotoGP, the Spaniard whom Honda chose to develop its project in the category, thus poaching him from Ducati which had given him the chance to bounce back his career, can make comparisons between the two worlds of motorcycle speed. And it’s interesting…
Alvaro Bautista could have become World Champion WSBK when in 2019, he launched the adventure of Panigale V4R in the discipline. But he weakened even though he had everything under control, which is something you should never do in front of a Jonathan Rhea leader of the category with its Kawasaki. Despite his 16 victories, the one who came from MotoGP had to lower his flag, even going so far as to leave the brand which had offered him this opportunity to take up the cause of Honda.
In 2021, Baptist attacks his second year of contract with the winged coat of arms. What do his two employers have in common? They are also involved in MotoGP. A category that is never far away when we talk about WSBK. The teammate of Leon Haslam says thus: “ until 2019, the Superbike World Championship was practically made with production machines », noted the pilot of 36 years. “ Then there was a step forward, now we are somewhere between a normal production bike and a MotoGP machine ».
An approach that we owe to Ducati, never stingy with innovations and that Honda tries to follow. But you can also succeed without doing MotoGP at the same time. So, BMW et Kawasaki also have new models approved for 2021. Both have fins on the fairing and the engines run at significantly higher revs than the previous model.
The Ducati Panigale V4R will be allowed to take a maximum of 16.100 rpm at the start of the season in Aragon this weekend. The Honda 15.600. At BMW, the new M will be entitled to 15.500 and the latest from Kawasaki will be 14.600.
Bautista: “Superbike today is like MotoGP four years ago”
« Technically there is never a stop ", said Baptist in an interview given to speedweek. " Superbike today is like MotoGP four years ago, it's going in the same direction. Ducati, Honda and Yamaha have the advantage in the Superbike world championship of having MotoGP as a reference. It is easier for these manufacturers to develop in the direction of MotoGP. Developments in MotoGP are very expensive, you can't do that with superbikes. But you can follow the direction. This is why in four years we will see superbikes that look like today's MotoGP machines. That's how it works ».
No doubt, but it's all the same Kawasaki, who is not entered in MotoGP, who dominates the WSBK series with a Jonathan Rhea who will attempt to win their seventh consecutive crown this year…
