What history teaches us about the Superbike World Championship in Asia

The 2026 Superbike World Championship will be the third consecutive season featuring just one overseas round. Whilst the round on the picturesque Australian island of Phillip Island is steeped in tradition and popular, an event on another continent is right at the top of the manufacturers’ wish list – Asia in particular, with its populous and emerging economies such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia, is an attractive market.

The last time the production-based World Championship visited an Asian country was in 2023, at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia. Further attempts to establish the Superbike World Championship there failed miserably. It wasn’t for lack of effort: no fewer than seven circuits in four countries made it onto the calendar.

Japan – Sugo

Sugo was the first circuit in Asia to host the Superbike World Championship – and it remains the circuit that has stayed on the calendar for the longest. From 1988 to 2003, the historic Japanese circuit was a fixture on the production-based world championship calendar. The Superbike World Championship visited the home of Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki 16 times. However, at 3.6 km in length, Sportsland Sugo is no longer up to modern standards.

Malaysia – Shah Alam

The Shah Alam Circuit in Malaysia was also one of the first venues for the Superbike World Championship in Asia. The production-based World Championship was still in its infancy when the races took place in 1990 and 1991 in this predominantly Muslim country. A return is out of the question: the circuit was demolished in 2003.

Indonesia – Johor

The races in Johor were an adventure. The track in Indonesia was too dangerous, even by the standards of the time. In the only two events held there, in 1992 and 1993, only Ducati riders won. The Johor Circuit is now closed.

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Indonesia – Sentul

Between 1994 and 1997, the Superbike World Championship moved on from Johor to Sentul. Safety concerns and the deterioration of the facility meant that its stint there was comparatively short.

Malaysia – Sepang

The state-of-the-art Sepang Circuit hosted the Superbike World Championship from 2014 to 2016. But although a fellow Malaysian, Ratthapark Wilairot, was competing in the Supersport World Championship, the gigantic grandstands were only sparsely filled by the second year.

Thailand – Buriram

The Chang International Circuit is one of the newest racetracks in Asia. The production-based World Championship was held at the Thai circuit for four years between 2015 and 2019. The decline in spectator numbers, since MotoGP also came to Buriram, heralded the end of the Superbike World Championship at the 4.5 km-long circuit.

Indonesia – Mandalika

Almost 30 years after Johor and Sentul, the Superbike World Championship returned to Indonesia, this time to the island of Lombok at the Mandalika Street Circuit. However, much like in Buriram, interest was not high enough to host races from both the premier class and the production-based World Championship at the same time. After three events (2021, 2022 and 2023), Mandalika was dropped from the calendar.

Looking back, it is clear that the Superbike World Championship, as a series, is not enough to generate sustained interest in a country or region. In European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, brand loyalists, competitive riders and an overall enthusiasm for motorbike racing ensure solid spectator numbers – just as was the case in Japan until the early 2000s. Today, however, European brands and riders dominate the scene, which is one reason for the waning interest there.

There are currently strong indications that China could, in the near future, take on a role similar to that once held by Japan. With Kove, a Chinese brand has already won a riders’ world championship – the Supersport 300 World Championship in 2025. This year, Kove is competing in the new Sportbike World Championship. In addition, two further brands – QJ Motor and ZX Moto – are represented in the Supersport World Championship. Thanks to Valentine Debise’s successes with ZX Moto (World Championship runner-up, six wins), interest in the Superbike series in China has soared. And should CF Moto go ahead with its entry into the Superbike category, there would be at least one manufacturer from China in every category.

The Ningbo International Circuit would be a suitable venue. Representatives from the FIM have already visited the circuit, which is owned by Geely Holding, on several occasions to identify the modifications required for homologation. The circuit is 4,015 metres long and currently holds FIA Grade 2 homologation.