WSBK needs re-inventing. It's an odd halfway house to MotoGP, but with none of the fanbase. The costs need slashing, because Dorna will never have that series overtake MotoGP.
The costs are too high and so is the complexity. Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday...sell what? Not one of us believe JR's bike is anything like what we'd get from the dealers.
It's kinda stupid that the WSBK spec HP4-RACE is illegal due to its *base price* (and carbon wheels) when pretty much out of the factory you could race one at the sharp end without messing about with it, ultimately spending less...
WSBK bikes should have a very small list of parts that can be changed out of the factory. Springy bits, triple clamps, fuel location, swingarm pivots, brakes, bodywork, exhaust. That's it. The concession rules in MotoGP are a success...they could do the same for WSBK.
Standard Factory ECU, tested at each round, to make sure it runs a factory fresh normal bike on a dyno, FIM controlled, no additional sensors. Base price no more than €25k. (35k was silly for a base)
Such small changes would reduce the cost to be competitive. Might even push the manufacturers to make €25k limited editions, which would improve the base bikes for BSB, SuperStock, RoadRacing etc.
What they could then introduce is a tyre war...and get rid of the silly Saturday race, which my BT box refuses to record FFS.
Not jealous at all [emoji23]
