With a general feeling that the Grand Prix racing circuit will overshadow the World Superbike championship from the year 2002 onward (due to the rule permitting four-strokes to compete in GPs), WSB may respond by allowing 1000cc bikes of all configurations (not just v-twins, as the current rules allow) to race against one another. Such a rule would allow Yamaha’s R1 and Suzuki’s GSX-R1000, for example, to race against Ducati’s 996R.
Would such a change keep WSB fans from defecting? Perhaps, more importantly, would this lead to manufacturers’ support of WSB teams? Only time will tell, but the rule change should occur as early as the 2003 season.
