Euro Suberbikes

[Brett Lane]

I'm in the Eastern Midlands of the UK until tomorrow, and got to watch the superbikes qualify for this weekends event. One word-SICK!

But it raised some questions. look at the pic, and you will see how close you can get to looking at one up close. Trailer closed. garage closed. Access only through a doorway and you have to be a team member.

From what I was told, they are all one liter motors. GSXR, Kawasaki ZX-10, Yamaha. Don't know about the other manufacturers for sure. I was also told they are all in the same HP range- about 220.

What I do know is the sound- nothing like I have ever heard before. Like they were nitro burning drag bikes, with almost the same acceleration(so it seemed on the straightaways)! Is it the ECU's, the way the engines are built(compared what we know as stock)? or both?. I just now know what a stock motor doesn't sound like. Most of them were backfiring on the upshifts! Boom! Boom! Boom! Incredible, and they all had mufflers.

I don't know if the Superbikes in the US are the same, but anyone in FB or DSR should not miss the oppurtunity to see these things if they are racing near you.

[allof6]

Cams,ECU, Exhaust are the three big items. Some head work is done and depending on the motor bottom end work but they are all balanced and such including increase compression.

There not stock by FB standards but the engine rules could be fitted to the FB with some limitations and you would never have to have another discussion about the next latest and greatest production engine, and truth be told at the end of the day less money would be spent.

[scotech1au]

The British super bike series uses a control ECU from MoTec.
MoTec is looking into providing AUS Formula 1000 with the same technology.
I am not sure how they cap the hp and speed across the engine manufacturers with the super bikes but it seems to work well.

We are looking forward to our inaugural year in 2013 with the AUS Formula 1000 category at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth.
We have a few bugs to iron out but engine parity seems to be the biggest.

I would be interested to hear what you would change in your rules if you had the chance.

Chris Scoble
AUS F1000

[ghickman]

A Euro Super Bike engine would live about 5 laps in an FB. Its one thing to put it in a sub 500lb bike and another to make it survive in a 1000lb car.

[Brett Lane]

I would be interested to hear what you would change in your rules if you had the chance.


Not so sure if you would- no one is agreeing on everything here. Not to open another can of worms here, it does bring up the possibilities of open ECU's for engine parity when the newer generation engines start showing up in numbers. As opposed to SIR's. That is the big debate. Hell- they're going to have to open ECU rules to accomodate the newer engines anyhow. I think...

Good luck on your new series. It would be interesting to hear how you guys work through these issues.