Superbike - 2004 World Championship Official Book

The 2004 World Superbike Championship will certainly go down in the history of this series as the first of the 'new era.' After sixteen seasons in fact, the World Superbike Championship technical regulations were revised, with the introduction of an across-the-board 1000cc capacity limit for all engine layouts. This change brought Superbike more in line with high-powered streetbike market trends and leveled off the performance equation between two, three and four-cylinder bikes. It is not just the technical regulations that have given the World Superbike Championship a fresh injection of energy; the introduction of the one-make tire rule, which wiped out any performance imbalance between different types of rubber, also helped to boost the sporting and competitive nature of the series. Five riders fought it out for the title right down to the bitter end and the world champion was only crowned at the checkered flag of the last race at the end of a season that left both competitors and fans breathless. 23-year-old James Toseland is a rider with a brilliant present and future, exactly like the World Superbike Championship. After almost 20 years of unrivalled excitement, World Superbike looks forward to the challenges of the future, more attractive and spectacular than ever before. As it moves into the second century of its existence, the FIM can therefore boast, amongst its many other successes, the consolidation of a passionate championship, one that is full of significance on a technical, sporting and promotional level.Porrozzi, Claudio is the author of 'Superbike - 2004 World Championship Official Book', published 2004 under ISBN 9788887110494 and ISBN 8887110492.