What is an ASBK Superbike?

They’re fast, they’re spectacular and they sound awesome, but they’re also very accessible.

Bikes very similar to the ones that compete in the Australian Superbike Championship Alpinestars Superbike class can be purchased off the showroom floor by members of the general public.

Engine capacities for the ASBK machines are restricted to 1,000cc and 168kg for four-cylinder bikes and 1,300cc and 172kg for two and three-cylinder machines.

Engine modifications for the race versions of superbikes are extremely limited and Yamaha Racing Team Manager, John Redding, says the engine is not an area of major focus when it comes to performance gains for the Superbike class.

“To get a performance improvement of 10 per cent over the standard output is about as much as you can expect,” Redding said.

“You can increase the compression ratio, fine-tune the degrees on the valve seats and adjust the cam timing for different tracks, but that’s about it.

“One of the advantages of keeping the engines relatively standard is they are cheap to maintain and last a while between rebuilds.”

With the engine and gearbox both being close to standard, teams have turned to other aspects of the Superbikes to improve their performance.

“Suspension has been a major area of development on the race-spec bikes,” Redding said.

“The suspension on a street bike is compromised for ride comfort, but on a racetrack, comfort isn’t a factor – it’s all about optimising the handling and the corner speeds that can be achieved. “Compared to the street version of the bike, the race bike will have different shock absorbers and fork internals, providing a much more adjustable setup.”

Another area of race bikes that has undergone significant innovation in recent years has been the electronic systems, which have been adapted to provide functions such as fuelling, traction control, engine braking and anti-wheelie control.

“Electronics are one of the most important areas of development and something that has become a critical factor in determining the speed that can be achieved by different bikes,” Redding said.

“There are significant advantages to be gained in having the best electronic set-up.”

The brakes on racing bikes are also upgraded, with items such as the master cylinder, brake lines, pads and discs all being replaced with race-specific items.

“In a race situation, maximum stopping power is a priority, but brake wear is much less of a consideration than it would be on a road bike, because components can be changed after every session,” Redding said.

Overall, Redding said the bikes in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, are much closer to road bikes than other Superbike championships around the world.

“The permitted modifications are much more limited here in Australia, which has the advantage of containing costs,” Redding said.