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2017 WSBK Season (Spoilers Inside)

21K views 303 replies 18 participants last post by  sbk1198 
#1 ·
Rider line up for the 2017 season of WSBK:

WSBK Feature - 2017 WorldSBK - Rider line-up so far

Kawasaki Racing Team
Jonathan Rea, 2015-2016 Champion
Tom Sykes

Aruba.it Ducati
Marco Melandri
Chaz Davies

Honda World Superbike Team
Nicky Hayden
Stefan Bradl

PATA Crescent Yamaha
Michael van der Mark
Alex Lowes

Althea BMW
Markus Reiterberger
TBC

Milwaukee Aprilia
Eugene Laverty
Lorenzo Savadori

IodaRacing Aprilia
Alex de Angelis
TBC

MV Agusta Reparto Corse
Leon Camier

Puccetti Kawasaki Racing
Randy Krummenacher

Grillini Kawasaki Racing Team
Ayrton Badovini
TBC

Team GoEleven Kawasaki
Roman Ramos

Guandalini Yamaha
Riccardo Russo

Team Toth Yamaha
Imre Toth
TBC

Barni Ducati
TBC

Pedercini Kawasaki
TBC

VFT Ducati
TBC

------------------------

A new class will participate in the 2017 season: the SSP 300 class. Provisional rulebook here: http://www.fim-live.com/en/library/download/59638/no_cache/1/
 
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#5 ·
Why is Hayden and Honda still working on the 2016 model CBR I'd be working on that new one already? What's the purpose if you aren't going to be on it next year?
 
#9 ·
Isn't Nicky injured... Don't think he's testing anything for awhile...
 
#10 ·
FIM Superbike World Championship Releases Provisional 2017 Schedule

Looks like Portimao's back on the calendar! One more event is yet TBD, but I'm guessing it's either going to be Jerez or Sepang that are not going to make the cut. I guess it probably depends on if they want to keep as many rounds in europe as they did last year, in which case since they added Portimao, they'll probably drop Jerez. But if they don't care to keep the same number, then who knows...
 
#11 ·
Great 2017 line-up. I cant wait to see what Michael van der Mark can do on the Yamaha. I'm a Yamaha fan so seeing the bike on top of the podium will be great. I love Rea but someone needs to step up and dethrone him. Hopefully Davies can do it for 2017 with Van der Mark and Hayden stealing a few podiums to keep things interesting. Tom is a 2nd place kind of guy so that's where I see him again in 2017. I used to love Melandri on the R1 and he's been so close to getting that title but I just don't see him being competitive after being out for so long.
 
#12 ·
I like Yamaha, but I'm not quite convinced of that new R1 yet. One single podium (3rd place) this year, which came right at the end, from a guy who's a WSBK champion. And Lowes, a BSB champion....crickets. I think they have to improve the bike a bit more. I don't see VDM as being any better, but he'll do well at Assen and probably a couple of other tracks.

I'm hoping for a Davies, and Laverty 1-2 finish at the end of the championship. The Panigale has to win a championship! It's the only Ducati superbike that hasn't won a championship yet in the history of WSBK, and next year might be its last year before a new model comes out.

Rea is just so damn consistent though, it'll be hard for anyone to dethrone him. Even Davies couldn't with 2 more wins than Rea!
 
#13 ·
The only reason i think VDM will do well is because of what happened when Rea left Honda. I think that Honda limits riders potentials and it force people to ride it very aggressive to be competitive. I believe VDM will win some podiums on the R1. Lowes problem is he can't seem to keep the bike on two wheels. They put someone like Cameron from AMA on that bike i think you ill see that bike start to excel.
 
#15 ·
R1 won the BSB championship in 2015 the first year it came out... so it is obviously capable...
 
#16 ·
I suppose in the end it's mostly about the rider. Josh Brookes won the championship last year. Second Yamaha was down in 21st place at the end. Still a bunch of Kawasakis and BMW's in between with the occasional Honda and Suzuki. Ducati was also way down in 17th, and then this year they won...pretty much because of Shakey Byrne, since the next one was down in like 12th place or so.

I'd still go for an R1 before a ZX10R or S1000RR though just because it sounds and looks cooler IMO :D

Surprised there are no Aprilias in BSB though.
 
#18 ·
WSB Champ Rea Beats MotoGP Pole Time During Jerez Test

A Winter test session at Jerez ended earlier this week with Kawasaki WSB champ Jonathan Rea setting a lap time on his superbike that was quicker than the lap that took pole during the MotoGP race earlier this year. The MotoGP pole was awarded to Valentino Rossi aboard his Yamaha, but Rea eclipsed that lap time during the Jerez test that just ended. Rea was using a WSB qualifying tire when he set the fastest lap.

This was a joint test involving WSB riders and MotoGP riders, although the very top MotoGP riders were missing (Repsol Honda, Factory Ducati and Factory Yamaha). Rea’s lap time is not the fastest-ever lap at the circuit … Jorge Lorenzo holds that record – set on his Yamaha MotoGP bike during the Bridgestone tire era.

WSB Champ Rea Beats MotoGP Pole Time During Jerez Test « MotorcycleDaily.com ? Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews


Makes you wonder how Rea would have done in MotoGP......
 
#19 ·
I can't wait for the season to start.

Go Laverty! . . . and Melandri too with his "dirty" riding. Much fun to watch then duke it out and I like them both, but then again I pretty much like every rider in that series.

 
#22 ·
#20 ·
https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/11/28/jerez_test_analysis_would_jonathan_rea.html

I love how these graphs allow you to imagine a hypothetical situation where there would be a WSBK machine and rider vs that of MotoGP. I mean, I have to think of something racing related now that the season is over.








TL;DR version:

Price of machines (min): WSBK €300,000 vs MotoGP €2 million.

Reasons why SBK bikes were faster: Testing conditions at Jerez (cold) favored Pirelli when compared to minimum operating temps of Michelin.

Race distance for WSBK is 1/3 less than MotogGP (20 vs 27) accounting for the difference in race simulation pace.

Rea and Davies are beasts.
 
#23 · (Edited)
PJ Jacobsen signed to MV for 2017... To be expected as Honda shelved the 600rr and Ten Kate is figuring things out with the new Fireblade.... Wonder where Jules went or was it Lorenzo that left hmmm
 
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#24 ·
PJ Jacobsen signed to MV for 2017... To be expected as Honda shelved the 600rr and Ten Kate is figuring things out with the new Fireblade.... Wonder where Jules went or was is Lorenzo that left hmmm
Awesome. I was rooting for Jacobsen but it looked like his bike was outclassed. Hopefully he can be more competitive on the MV.
 
#30 ·
Not a fan of this in any way! I love the 600 class super sport! It seems to be much more competitive than WSBK at times. Maybe add it to the schedule at certain tracks at first to see if it even will get attention.
 
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#35 ·
WHATTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!

WSBK News - World Superbike announces radical grid shake-up

The starting grid for race two of each World Superbike weekend will no longer be based on the results of the Superpole qualifying session.

Instead, the starting order will be decided by the results of race one.

Superpole results will define the grid positions for riders who finished 10th or lower in the first race.


This does not mean that the tenth place rider in Superpole will start tenth in race two, but that the highest placed Superpole rider outside the top nine will start in tenth.


For example, the rider starting on pole in race one might fail to finish and therefore start tenth in race two.

The top nine grid places will then be allocated using the following (rather complex) system:

* The top three riders in race one will move back to row three, and see 1st and 3rd reverse their positions. So the 1st place rider will start from 9th, 2nd place from 8th and 3rd from 7th.

* Riders who finished in 4th, 5th and 6th will be promoted to the front row. So 4th will start from pole, 5th from 2nd and 6th from 3rd.

* Riders who finished in 7th, 8th and 9th will start from the second row. So 7th will start from 4th, 8th from 5th and 9th from 6th.

All clear?!

In other news, World Supersport will adopt flag-to-flag racing in 2017, meaning races will no longer be stopped due to weather changes and riders will instead - as in WorldSBK and MotoGP - be able to change tyres.
 
#38 ·
Not the best rule change but Dorna is desperate to get more viewers which is what is sure to happen from these changes. From the perspective of a racer, the changes are terrible and unjustified, however it will call for closer racing between the disadvantaged and front row.
 
#39 ·
This is true. I'm just thinking from the point of riders and teams, especially the guys that have worked really hard and have the talent. Basically penalizing a bunch of people because Rea was a beast and dominated 2 years in a row. Well Foggarty was pretty damn dominant in his day too, and there were way less viewers then...and things worked out just fine.

I have an idea on how to save some money. Fire Carmelo! He's worthless anyway and makes millions!
 
#43 ·
My thought is that they, Dorna, are trying desperately to differentiate WSBK from MotoGP with the target audience being people not familiar with the series (There really are too few of us that actually ride and are interested as well as knowledgeable when it comes to a particular racing series.) So far having two races and switching up the schedules, race on Saturday and Sunday, hasn't gotten the results that were expected.

I also think they are trying to find a "Rossi" figure in WSBK that will attract the sentimental and common fans. Not saying that Rossi isn't a great rider, because of course he is, but a lot of his "fans" really have zero knowledge of what MotoGP is or have never ridden a motorcycle.
 
#45 ·
Problem with that is it's hard to keep a "Rossi" like figure in WSBK because if they're really good they'll want to go into MotoGP. Bayliss was probably the last guy like that in WSBK who really did well and had lots of fans. Before that it was Foggarty.

It's sad though because a lot of times I enjoy WSBK more than MotoGP. Seeing what lots of money can do is cool, but none of us will ever have that because they're prototypes, so seeing what bikes like our own can do with some mods is more interesting to me.
 
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