WSBK: Blighty 1 (Spoilers)

World Superbikes will gain more popularity in Italy as their former MotoGP network (Mediaset) have just signed a three year contract.

Sky purchased exclusive rights to MotoGP which means they will be charging viewers to watch races. Only eight out of the eighteen races will be televised free-to-air.

Previous WSBK broadcaster LA7 (owned by Telecom Italy) currently average between 1.1 to 1.5 million viewers per race weekend.

I wouldn't be surprised by Rossi's comments about World Superbikes, that he maybe making the switch over. Especially to contend against his archnemesis Biaggi.

Not sure which is more far fetched, these guys having a beer together and making nice. Or the notion that Rossi would be anywhere near the Repsol team at the last corner.

And if this time around he got beaten by Max, then what..?

Don´t forget that he already had Max beaten in GP for several years, in fact Vale is probably the biggest reason, why Max never won a world title in 500cc/MotoGP. Hard to see the point, why Rossi would now have to beat him in WSB.

This reminds me of few years ago, when people were saying, that Rossi should go ride Superbikes, to compete against Bayliss, to "prove something". Maybe they forgot, that those two already were in MotoGP at the same time... and during those years Bayliss (no disrespect to him at all, though!) managed to finish one race on a higher position than Rossi (Valencia 2006, that Bayliss won).

Now that's funny! Well done.

If all motogp bikes go the way of CRT then why race in motogp? Seriously all the the action will be in SBK. I wish they had a video subscription service like motogp does.

Ding Ding! We have a winner!

And I wish SBK had a sub service as well.

The problem is that MotoGP and SBK are owned by the same guys.
Last week they met to discuss the issue of the closeness of the WSBK machinery to the CRT stuff, apparently one proposal was to downgrade the SBK tyres to less fast ones to widen the gap between the classes.
Its all bullshit really as Yamaha have pulled out of the WSBK this year anyway to concentrate on MotoGP.
I like the SBK racing but hate the way its been manipulated.
British Superbike racing is showing the way it should be run with no electronic rider aids.

it is

I read today that they are considering road tyres in SBK to slow the lap times. Pirelli would be happy.

A slightly strange suggestion is to have cut-outs of the road bike headlights on each bike..which is purely a marketing thing, obviously.

BSB proves how exciting racing can be without over inflated budgets and ridiculous manipulation of rules.

Gee, I missed this round. I was driving my son's truck/trailer home from the Mexican 1000.

Quite the Superbike round, but I don't think motorcycle racing is intended to be a contact sport. Congrats to BMW, though...They must've finally dropped some of their proprietary initiatives that held them back. The bikes were fast right to the bloody last turn!

I'd like to see the Pocket Rocket have better luck. He's a fun guys to watch. Surely he'll start getting on the top step now.

With Casey Stoner retiring from MotoGP and commenting that the series is "going backwards", that will only gain more popularity to WSBK.

Now THAT is nutty, he was just telling the press that the retirement rumor was just a rumor...then he announces his retirement? :huh

Either way, that will be a loss for the sport. That guys got some stones......sad to see him go.

Your getting soft in your old age Pantah, there wasn't that much contact.

Indeedy! Considering the changing places, speed of the circuit, Italian rivalries, and a heap of other stuff, it all turned out rather swimmingly! Fantastic racing. AND there's still 9 rounds/ 18 races to go! BRING IT ON!

(Really, even including the last two desperate,& fatigued, corners, it was pretty clean racing. IMHO)

You're right. I'm an old softy. Bashing fairings and hitting rear wheels doesn't seem to me the way it should be. :eek1

Oh Stop It!

Please say more about this? Thanks!

I think he means BMWs previous policy of using in-house ECU and programing/tech support. Instead of going with a known product like Magneti. And using almost entirely BMW based techicians. But that's a guess at what he was saying.

Hey Okie.

Thought this one deserved a bump.