Down to the millimetre: how the FIM catches potential cheats in the World Superbike Championship

The Superbike World Championship is a production-based world championship. This means that only motorbikes approved for road use in Asia, Europe or the USA may be used. This applies to all categories, including the Supersport and Sportbike World Championships.

Before the bikes can be entered in races, manufacturers must apply to the FIM for homologation of their models, for which certain requirements must be met, such as a minimum number of units produced. This is to prevent manufacturers from gaining an advantage with disguised prototypes.

Modifications to the motorbikes are permitted only to a limited extent and are described in detail in the regulations. State-of-the-art methods are used during inspections, for example to check compliance with the dimensions of the fairing. In principle, the fitted parts must correspond to the production model in terms of shape and dimensions; a deviation of up to 15 mm either way is permitted. The definition in the regulations is more comprehensive.

Since the 2026 Superbike World Championship, the FIM has been able to check fairings on-site for compliance using a seven-axis measuring arm with laser measurement. This simplifies and speeds up the homologation process.

New from Magny-Cours: Ludovic Reignier will be checking compliance with the regulations at the remaining race weekends. The Frenchman has been responsible for the Superbike series as Technical Director at the FIM since 2023. The world governing body uses a product from Hexagon for the measurements.

“It’s exciting to see that digitalisation isn’t just benefiting the FIM – the increasing use of precise 3D models is also helping motorbike manufacturers to develop more competitive bikes more quickly, without breaching the FIM’s technical regulations,” said Stephan Amann of the global market leader. “It contributes to the professionalisation of the entire digital development process – from design through to manufacturing, testing and homologation – whilst ensuring fair competition at FIM events. For Hexagon, this close collaboration with the FIM and the motorbike manufacturers means we can continue to improve our products and meet the high demands of this fast-paced and precise sport.”