Total Ducati dominance: manufacturers react – rules to be rewritten!

With the current Panigale V4R, Ducati has produced such an outstanding motorbike that all the balancing measures available to the organisers of the Superbike World Championship have proved ineffective and are failing. Nicolo Bulega has won 23 of this season’s 24 races; in his only second-place finish, in the first race at Donington Park, his Aruba team-mate Iker Lecuona triumphed. Of 72 podium finishes, only seven did not go to Ducati: four were claimed by BMW works rider Miguel Oliveira, two by Axel Bassani and one by Alex Lowes, both on a Bimota.

The move of world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu to MotoGP – Bulega’s only serious rival in the 2025 season – as well as predictable races are causing headaches for promoter Liberty (formerly Dorna). This is because spectator interest is waning and some manufacturers are questioning their involvement, as they are no longer competitive with their outdated motorbikes.

New rules for a better show

As reported by SPEEDWEEK.com on 8 July, representatives of the manufacturers have been discussing for months at meetings of the MSMA alliance how to find a way to satisfy all parties involved. On the one hand, the investments and outstanding performances of brands such as Ducati, BMW and Bimota should be recognised and reflected in the results. At the same time, however, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki should at least have a chance to compete at the front on a good day, without having to invest many millions in the development of new models that are now of little market relevance to them.

Decisions within the MSMA must be unanimous so that they can subsequently be discussed and adopted by the Superbike Commission, which also includes representatives of the promoter and the International Motorcycling Federation.

Combination of two familiar measures

On 31 July, it was officially confirmed: an agreement has been reached – the balance rules for the 2027 Superbike World Championship are to be rewritten! A prescribed maximum rev limit will be added as a second measure to the current limit on fuel flow rate per manufacturer .

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This has been done before, but the maximum rev limit alone was not sufficient as the sole balancing measure. The same applies to the permitted fuel flow rate. It is the hope of all parties involved that, when combined, they will be more effective.

The maximum rev limit can be adjusted up or down in increments of 500 rpm for each manufacturer every two rounds. The starting point depends on the maximum rev limit of the homologated production model.

Quieter motorbikes and standardised fuel

Also new for next season is a reduction in the noise limit by 3 dB to 112 dB. In addition to standard tyres (Michelin from 2027) and standard brakes (Brembo), standard fuel will also be introduced – presumably supplied by Petronas.

For 2028, the assessment system for obtaining Concession and Super-Concession parts will be revised. These are modifications to the engine and chassis that are not permitted under the standard regulations, and which are only granted to manufacturers who are lagging far behind technically.