Superbike John
Superbike John
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How This Bike CHANGED Motorcycle Racing FOREVER | WSBK Chronicles E1
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When watching a recent Superbike race, I wondered: When did bikes become ‘superbikes’? What bike would be considered the first superbike, and how did these bikes give birth to the World Superbike championship?
To answer that, we must look at the history and evolution of sports bikes and how they transformed into the superbikes we recognise today.
One of the first motorcycles called a "superbike" was the Honda CB750, introduced in 1969. It featured a 750cc engine, considered very large and powerful at the time, and advanced features like a front disc brake. But to me, it doesn’t have the DNA of the current crop of superbikes. The sit-up and beg riding style and big comfy seat don’t scream superbike.
Next up was the Kawasaki Z1, a mean old thing with a 900cc engine. Again, I’m seeing a quick bike for its time, not a superbike.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that the motorcycle industry evolved rapidly, so more contenders started to appear. The Kawasaki GPX900R was released in 1984, and it was widely regarded as the first ‘Sportbike.’ Made famous by Tom Cruise in Top Gun in 1986, it was the first liquid cooled 16 valve motorcycle engine ever produced, so the DNA of modern bikes was in it. However, the rest of the bike used fairly standard technology elsewhere, and it still had a steel tubular frame. It was quick, but I still think it looks like a sports tourer rather than a superbike.
The Ducati 750F1 was released in early 1985, but it was essentially a race bike converted to road use, and it still used a steel tubular frame and swing arm. The engine was from the Ducati Patah, released years before, originally developed in the late 1970s. It was not exactly a user-friendly motorcycle, and with a price tag of more than $6500, it was not within reach of your average biker, so I’m not calling that the first Superbike either.
Then we came to late 1985, when Suzuki unveiled the GSX-R750 at the Cologne Motorcycle Show.
Enthusiasts wanted bikes that were not only fast and powerful but also closely resembled the 500GP machines seen on racetracks, and the Gixer did that to perfection. When the GP team unveiled the RGV500 a couple of months later, you could see that there was more than a passing resemblance to the GSX-R.
To me, GSX-R750 was the first proper superbike, as we would recognise today. It featured key innovations such as an aluminium frame and an oil-cooled inline-four engine. These advancements made the GSX-R750 incredibly fast in its day, agile, and easy to handle.
The GSX-R750 produced 100 horsepower and could hit 150 mph. These figures seem incredibly tame today, considering the current GSX-R1000 is pumping out 200bhp, but they were remarkable figures for their time. Its success set a new benchmark for performance and design in the sportbike category, which soon became known as the Superbike.
The success of the GSX-R750 prompted other manufacturers to get their act together and develop high-performance sports bikes as well. Between 1985 and 1988, several notable models were introduced:
The Yamaha FZR750 (1987) Featured the new Genesis engine with a unique five-valve-per-cylinder configuration and an aluminium Deltabox frame.
The Honda VFR750R (AKA the RC30) (1987) was known for its V4 engine with gear-driven camshafts and single-sided swingarm, aimed squarely at racing success.
The Ducati 851 was released in 1987 and featured a booming 4-valve per cylinder, fuel-injected V-Twin.
So, how did these new superbikes give birth to the WSBK championship?
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ความคิดเห็น

  • @whiteguardist
    @whiteguardist 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    If Toprak becomes Motogp champion in 2027, you will have made the worst aging video on youtube.

  • @ROBERTSMITH-io7tb
    @ROBERTSMITH-io7tb 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Well Dorna is a Spanish organisation, coupled with Italian motorcycles means MotoGP is Dominated by Spanish and Italian riders, then of course there's always a token Japanese rider and then we're are just relying on KTM to throw in the odd wild card International, it really is a centralised European championship and even Britain have been kept well out of it, Nicky Hayden was the last American to win a GP title almost 20 years ago and with only 2 race wins in 2006 and only 3 GP career wins in total, I'm not trying to take anything away from Nicky Hayden but but did he really win the championship or did Rossi and Yamaha just lose it?

  • @johnbunkoski6671
    @johnbunkoski6671 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    He got SCREWED !!!!!!!

  • @scottanderson4175
    @scottanderson4175 10 วันที่ผ่านมา

    MotoAmerica focuses on Baggers and hooligans instead of bringing riders through to the world stage 🤦🏻‍♂️

  • @G-Man01
    @G-Man01 17 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Imagine your golden child Muckez on one of these? His already huge crash record would increase exponentially.

  • @TheJoker-gg8hc
    @TheJoker-gg8hc 17 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Literally makes no sense that a rider can handle a liter bike with no big deal, but you put them on an 800 and suddenly it's too much? Since fucking when did a smaller bike equal "too hard to ride ):". If they can't handle it, they should quit, and let somebody that isn't a pussy hop on the bike.

  • @busyguy925
    @busyguy925 20 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Same reason there are no or few Spanish NBA players , priorities

  • @nickbrowning6652
    @nickbrowning6652 25 วันที่ผ่านมา

    wrong , ask doohan about his pre big bang 500cc honda

  • @emask4725
    @emask4725 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Americans are set to focus back in racing after sorting out the gender definition issue.

  • @dougiequick1
    @dougiequick1 หลายเดือนก่อน

    " Super" bike ; car ; man ; computer ;star etc etc whatever generally means simply superior "super"IOR in every way other than perhaps affordability or attainability. A super man would have "abilities far beyond" average human and same with super car vs average car which would out perform in every way important on a track for example hence a "superBIKE" need not LOOK any particular way nor be of any particular discplacement or configuration so long as it could completely STOMP performance wise any typical design of the day....Hey if something that looked like a scooter and had only 100cc of discplacement could out accelerate outbrake and turn faster lap times than any current production motorcycle? Well it might offend one's sensibilities and might be HATED even but it would FULLY qualify as a superbike in my eyes....AND to my eyes it would instantly BECOME beatuiful and yes I would WANT it! ESPECIALLY perhaps if its looks were loathed! Because then it would be SO SO very FUN to beat the pants off the haters! To make them slink away in shame or hide in fear! LOL

  • @dougiequick1
    @dougiequick1 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Your accent is so much I cant understand sometimes I'll give benefit of the doubt but it sounds like NINETY when you are saying eighty....or else you messed up I dont know but you need to enunciate

  • @AlonsoRules
    @AlonsoRules หลายเดือนก่อน

    This race looks like it's one and done

  • @stephengibbs4372
    @stephengibbs4372 หลายเดือนก่อน

    What about Vincent twins? Norton commandos would eat 750 Honda 4’s for breakfast especially round corners😂

  • @MrMarksdaniels
    @MrMarksdaniels หลายเดือนก่อน

    The 1985 GSXR750 was the first.

  • @madb132
    @madb132 หลายเดือนก่อน

    CB750, Shortly folowed by the Z900, End of. Your opinion is irrelevantt reguarding the history of motorbikes and or where something started. I can assure you a cb750 was night and day compared to the compitition at the time. The Z900 was on another level.👍

  • @MatsModén
    @MatsModén หลายเดือนก่อน

    You forget Honda vfr 750 !

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      VFR 750's were somewhat pedestrian compared to the CB1100R's that were released a few years earlier.

  • @robertwhite2032
    @robertwhite2032 หลายเดือนก่อน

    If I remember correctly, "superbike" originally meant a bike that could do sub 13 second and over a hundred miles per hour quarter mile times.

  • @tonybranthwaite4428
    @tonybranthwaite4428 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You don't have one clue about bikes.

  • @Jim-qo3gj
    @Jim-qo3gj หลายเดือนก่อน

    The 1975 Ducati 900ss bevel was the 1st superbike

  • @AndrewWalkear
    @AndrewWalkear หลายเดือนก่อน

    Honda CB1100R should be on the list.

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      At the very top actually, CB1100RB's were released in 1980 and they were based on the RCS 1000's

  • @fabbri4497
    @fabbri4497 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The 1984 GSXR can't look like motoGP's RGV500 (1988). But looks like a 24 hour endurance bike. To resemble the GP there was the RG500 Gamma which took the style of the RG XR40. The aim of the endurance “copies” was to be able to enter more competitive motorcycles since they must have come from the series. Even if it means ending up with motorcycles that had nothing to do on the road (driving position and performance). The first “delirium" comes from Honda with the RC30. The headlong rush had begun...

  • @madhatter9622
    @madhatter9622 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Why would you leave out the katana?

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      They were a GSX 1100 engine with different cams. Suzuki's four stroke race bikes at the time were based on the 2 valve GS 1000 engine.

    • @spudgunn8695
      @spudgunn8695 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@madhatter9622 because it was a sports tourer, not a superbike.

  • @brentbauer8258
    @brentbauer8258 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Ummmm the honda 1983 vf750f was the first super bike design…

    • @jamsstar2010
      @jamsstar2010 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Goldwing you mean 😂

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      CB1100RB's came a few years before the VF was released.

    • @jamsstar2010
      @jamsstar2010 หลายเดือนก่อน

      this is actually tricky , now I think weren't the vfs the first proper superbike in AMA

    • @jamsstar2010
      @jamsstar2010 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Or was it a cb750?

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@jamsstar2010 VF's were the first factory produced superbike that was based on a roadgoing bike. They were actually 860cc and the bloody things were damn near unbeatable for a couple of seasons here in Australia. Prior to that there was a range of performance parts available from Yoshimura or Moriwaki, it wasn't that difficult for a privateer to turn a road going bike into a very competitive race bike.

  • @spudgunn8695
    @spudgunn8695 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I was a teenager in the '80's and loved my bikes. Never saw a Kawasaki GPX 900. Sure you didn't mean the GPZ 900R? Won't bother subscribing, you don't seem to know what you're talking about.

    • @juliomanalo7074
      @juliomanalo7074 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I had exactly the same bike as Tom Cruise in 1986. It was a GPZ900R.

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@juliomanalo7074 l bought my GPz900R at the end of 1984

    • @Stuart-er8qz
      @Stuart-er8qz หลายเดือนก่อน

      Definitely GPX600, GPX1000 never a 900!ATB👍👍

  • @boris2997
    @boris2997 หลายเดือนก่อน

    When Ducati dropped the 916 in the mid 90s to me that was the first super bike,

  • @Ray916MN
    @Ray916MN หลายเดือนก่อน

    Your perspective is biased to the notion that superbikes came about with the advent of World Superbike racing, when they actually arrived years earlier. Superbike racing started in America with standard motorcycles with fairing, clip ons added and engine, braking and suspension performance modifications. The first pure race model superbike was the 1982 Kawasaki KZ1000S1, which came from the factory with total loss ignition, dual plug heads, magnesium wheels, AP brakes, braced swingarm and a bunch of other factory race parts. Because of your bias, you not only omit the KZ1000S1 in your video, but you also miss the 1983 Honda VFR750, which not only introduced the perimeter frame, but also introduced the water cooled V4 DOHC engine configuration which Ducati currently uses in MotoGP and WSBK. The VFR750 dominated the American superbike series from 1984 to 1987 and was the predecessor to the RC30 which won the first 2 WSBK championships. While the 1st generation GSXR had an aluminum frame, its oil cooled inline 4 engine was old school at birth and it was not successful in superbike racing.

    • @MatsModén
      @MatsModén หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Ray916MN that was the truth story !

    • @dougiequick1
      @dougiequick1 หลายเดือนก่อน

      A bike is only as good as its performance specs....looks? dont mean SQUAT if it cant deliver ...

  • @rolanddring-sandberg4432
    @rolanddring-sandberg4432 หลายเดือนก่อน

    IT's a Kawasaki GPz900R, not a GPX900R 🙃

  • @larskessel3949
    @larskessel3949 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I think you want to say 1986 but keep on saying 1996. Very confusing...

  • @stefanhansen5882
    @stefanhansen5882 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This was super interesting. I'm a new motorcycle rider, and this was super fascinating. Thanks!

  • @ademozata1
    @ademozata1 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Toprak moto cross drift cars , ssp, wsbk . Demekki toprak başka seviye

  • @brazoon1
    @brazoon1 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Where does the 1996 GSXR 750 rank in terms of 'significance of advancement' in your opinion? I find a lot of these types of videos (not this one in particular) tend to gloss over it. It was a completely new redesign and weighed 60lbs less than the ZX7R and YZF750. For me, it was the bridge between first and second generation superbikes.

    • @peterfalconer-h3k
      @peterfalconer-h3k หลายเดือนก่อน

      The original GSX R 750 weighed 176 kg and that was at least 50 kg's lighter than it's direct competition. Defining bikes as belonging to any particular generation is an interesting question, l'd regard a CB1100RB as the first real superbike in that it was actually based on a race bike so maybe that's the first generation and given it's significant weight reduction, maybe the original GSX R 750 is the beginning of the second generation.

    • @dougiequick1
      @dougiequick1 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The guy screwed up by a DECADE

  • @yarab9525
    @yarab9525 หลายเดือนก่อน

    bike go zooom 🏍🌪

  • @youmeanbean
    @youmeanbean หลายเดือนก่อน

    the fumbling of your words really ruined the video

  • @DiagolonRider
    @DiagolonRider หลายเดือนก่อน

    listen to Casey Stoner talk about why it's hard to win on a modern day MotoGP bike. they're so full of 'rider aids' like Ride height device and all this other stuff that it's almost more about who can make the best use of the aids at the right time than it is rider skill.

  • @ZoneTelevision
    @ZoneTelevision หลายเดือนก่อน

    They're bringing back the 800cc in 2027 👎

  • @magnificentmoberley2333
    @magnificentmoberley2333 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wait and see the Toprak , he would get GP easily 18.08.2024 mark my word lol

  • @elliottbailey2522
    @elliottbailey2522 หลายเดือนก่อน

    @3:50 the REAL machine learning

  • @4tech69
    @4tech69 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    They're coming back in 2026 looks like.

  • @negoras
    @negoras 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    bring 500cc moto gp bikes back!

  • @charlesgraham9954
    @charlesgraham9954 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    i know people won't like this but go back to 500cc and make the riders do the controlling of the bike, no computers to help with traction and braking and so on. back to skill of rider and engine building.

  • @Boa74
    @Boa74 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    800cc was the finest of MotoGp era. Focus on cornering speed. The worst MotoGp are now. Dragsters that corner slow and insanely accelerate thanks to devices

  • @dmxwolf9126
    @dmxwolf9126 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Ducati forever ❤

  • @Scouse.Malinois
    @Scouse.Malinois 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    It's was so dumb. Nothing worse than decision making people in power, making decisions on things that make no sense. 800 or 1000 both bikes will do over 200mph, you just lose a tiny bit of acceleration with the 800.....100% not any safer at all. Not that the bikes were the problem to begin with anyway

  • @megarollxrgmbroadcasting91
    @megarollxrgmbroadcasting91 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    yamaha and the beamer are nice

  • @CRFLAus
    @CRFLAus 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    It's duct tape not duck tape. Nobody tapes ducks. Maybe they have but it might be one weird dude somewhere.

  • @itsmebatman
    @itsmebatman 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The 800s had their charm. I liked how they shook up the pecking order. The dangerous highside accidents were not really due to the bikes, but because of the tires. The tire manufacturers tried to make their rubber so they would be great in ideal conditions and last a race distance. But that meant they were dangerous in non-optimal conditions. And because they were meant to last it took the riders too long to get them warmed up. Can't blame that on the 800cc bikes.

  • @vxr753
    @vxr753 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Unfortunately Only Fan sponsored the American team

  • @megarollxrgmbroadcasting91
    @megarollxrgmbroadcasting91 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    as an american motogp fan for literally as long as i can remember, i find it’s such a shame the fall from grace this sport had in the country. thanks a lot for this video!

  • @juanmontoya6622
    @juanmontoya6622 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    From the start, WSBK was designed to eventually replace MotoGP as the Premier Class. It may be that MotoGP and WSBK will be deprecated in favor of a fortified Moto-E.

  • @guessundheit6494
    @guessundheit6494 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Your editing sucks. Learn to speak in paragraphs and use fade in/out.