About FIM World Sports Bike (WSPB)

About the Sportbike Class

The Sportbike class is a racing category featuring production-based motorcycles, designed as a platform for young riders to showcase their skills. Strict performance balancing is implemented to ensure parity between diverse machine concepts, maintaining a fair and competitive racing environment.

The key features based on the documentation are as follows:

1. Machine and Engine Specifications
・Equipped with 4-stroke 2-cylinder, 3-cylinder, or 4-cylinder engines, with a target maximum output set at approx. 90 Horsepower (HP).
・The installation of a Ride-by-Wire (electronic throttle) system is mandatory.

2. Strict Performance Adjustment (Balancing)
・Motorcycles with different displacements, cylinder counts, and basic concepts—such as the Yamaha R7, Aprilia RS660, Kawasaki 636, Suzuki GSX-8R, and Honda CBR600—compete together in the same race.
・To ensure fair competition, a “combined minimum weight including rider equipment” is established in addition to the vehicle’s minimum weight. Performance adjustments (Balance of Performance, BOP) are continuously implemented through torque limit maps, engine RPM limits, and the use of Concession Parts.

3. Age Limits Focused on Young Riders
・The standard minimum age is 16 (from 15 for certain cup winners).
・The maximum age for new entrants is 25 (up to 28 for riders with previous experience in classes like SSP300). These limits are designed to foster young talent and support their progression in the sport.

4. Modification Restrictions
・To prevent cost escalation and ensure safety, a policy is strictly enforced where “all modifications not explicitly permitted and specified by the regulations are strictly prohibited.” The basic structure of production motorcycles cannot be significantly altered.

5. Race Scale
・Races are contested over distances ranging from 40km to 70km. Each event accommodates up to 33 regular riders and 1 wildcard entry.

In short, it is a “strictly managed World Championship class where young riders in their late teens to early twenties compete using mid-displacement production sportbikes, performance-adjusted to approximately 90 HP, showcasing both their skills and the potential of diverse machines.”