World Supersport Championship Archives

Bikes

Yamaha YZF-R6, Reporting for World Supersport Duty

By Jensen Beeler 11/07/2016 15 Comments

Yamaha is gearing up to go racing in the FIM World Supersport Championship, finally bringing back once again a factory team to the 600cc class, and it plans to do so with the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6.

At EIMCA today, Team Blue gave us our first glimpse of the bike that factory riders Lucas Mahias and Federico Caricasulo, and factory-supported riders Niki Tuuli and Sheridan Morais, will compete with next season in World Supersport.

World Supersport rules don’t allow much in the way of modification to the Yamaha YZF-R6, so while the bike you see here is still just a gussied-up production bike, the actually race bike that the teams will use will differ in only minute ways.

Changes made to the R6 shown here include a set of race fairings, an Akrapovi? Evo full titanium exhaust, 320mm Brembo T-drive front brake discs, 43mm forks with Öhlins cartridges, and Pirelli Diablo DOT race tires.

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Bikes

MV Agusta F3 RC Mega Gallery

By Jensen Beeler 09/21/2015 4 Comments

Debuting its World Supersport replica today, the MV Agusta F3 RC is a rolling tribute to the efforts of the Reparto Corse squad on the race track. Only 100 units of the race-legal 675cc machine will be made, compared to the 250 units of the track day weapon that is the F3 800.

Like its 1,000cc counterpart, the MV Agusta F4 RC, the Varese company’s paint scheme is very fetching, though the F3 models comes without the improvements found on the F4.

Some of that has to do with the more limited rules in WSS – and this being a race replica and all – but we still think MV Agusta could have massaged a few extra ponies into this “RC” model, and thus buck the trend of only liter-class bikes getting the über limited-edition treatment. Our tastes certainly are picky, no?

That all being said, we thought A&R readers didn’t quite get enough Italian for lunch today, so here is a mega gallery of the new MV Agusta F3 RC. Beware of clicking the photos, we spared no pixel, and some of these images are huge. Bring a napkin.

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Bikes

MV Agusta F3 675 RC – Italy’s WSS Replica

By Jensen Beeler 09/21/2015 11 Comments

The rumors were true, mostly, as MV Agusta has just released details on its World Supersport replica motorcycles, the MV Agusta F3 675 RC & MV Agusta F3 800 RC (mega gallery here). Unlike its four-cylidner compatriot, the MV Agusta F4 RC, the F3 675 RC is all show, with unfortunately no added go.

Changes, in addition to the paint job, include mirror block-off plates, Ergal clutch and brake levers with anti-break joints, a solo-seat cover, Ergal “running boards”, and a complimentary rear-wheel racing stand.

We doubt that will hurt sales much though, as the Reparto Corse branded F3 will be an exclusive affair, with only 100 units of the 675cc machine being produced, while 250 units of the 800cc variant will be released as well. There are surely 350 well-heeled collectors who would love to add this MV Agusta to their collection.

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Racing

Stiggy Honda Out of Racing for 2010

By Jensen Beeler 12/14/2009 No Comments

After having five strong years, Stiggy Honda has announced that it will be withdrawing from the 2010 World Superbike and World Supersport Championships. Despite the team’s successes, their financial situation is the cause of their undoing, with Stiggy squarely pointing the finger at partner S2 Racing.

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News

Moto2 and Supersport Have No Conflict According to Paolo Flammini

By Jensen Beeler 05/12/2009 1 Comment

Ever since the concept of the Moto2 class was announced, there has been some tension between the Flammini brothers and the Dorna for stating the Moto2 racing class. The Flammini brothers run the World Supersport class, which is sanctioned to be the only Production 600cc World Championship Series by the FIM. Moto2 has been accused by some for , and it would appear that Paolo and his brother Maurizio agree with us.

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Racing

Last Day of Testing at Phillip Island Ends with Ducati on Top

By Jensen Beeler 02/25/2009 No Comments

The last day of testing at Phillip Island has ended with Ducati on top of the time board. After losing Troy Bayliss to retirement last year, Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga have stepped up to show that they are ready to defend the Ducati crown. Fabrizio ended the day the fastest, with a time of 1’32.19 it was well under Bayliss’ winning lap time from last year’s race. Team mate Haga was not far behind, just fractionally ahead of new boy Ben Spies. The American took a second off his time from yesterday, on only the second day of riding at the track.

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Racing

Aprilia and Biaggi On Top of Phillip Island Testing

By Jensen Beeler 02/21/2009 No Comments

The first batch of testing has concluded at Phillip Island. As before, Aprilia stands on top of the unofficial podium, but this time the fastest lap of the day was posted by The Emperor himself, Max Biaggi. Following behind him, by just a hundreth of a second, was Ducati’s Regis Laconi. Topping the World Supersport bikes was a former Kawasaki rider Anthony West, who repeated his performance from yesterday by setting the fastest lap of the day on his Stiggy Motorsports Honda.

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Racing

Results From Phillip Island for World Superbike and World Supersport

By Jensen Beeler 02/18/2009 No Comments

With the Aprilia riders having an extra day of tests at Phillip Island, it should be no surprise that they sit on the top of the leader board for testing lap times. This extra day has cause some ire from other team managers who state that Aprilia’s actions are pushing up the costs of testing for everyone else. We think that’s a cheap excuse for the fact that Shinya Nakano leads Regis Laconi, who is back with Ducati, and that Aprilia’s Max Biaggi is in a not-so-distant third. Biaggi finished the day on a bit of a low note, having a relatively low-speed fall towards the end of the day. We’ll have to wait for the other teams to start their testing on Saturday before we can see how the grid is stacking up.

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Racing

Last Tests Before the World Superbike and Supersport Season Starts

By Jensen Beeler 02/17/2009 2 Comments

This week will be the last chance for teams to get some testing in before the World Superbike and Supersport Championship begins on March 1st. Accordingly, teams are flocking to Phillip Island for 4 days of testing, which will hold separate sessions for the two racing series.

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Racing

Anthony West We Hardly Knew Thee

By Jensen Beeler 10/25/2008 No Comments

In 2007 Anthony West replace Jaques Olivier on the Factory Kawasaki MotoGP team. After this Sunday at Valencia, Anthony’s year and a half will end. West has had a lackluster season this year, currently sitting 18th in the point standings with 50 points, which has caused many to call for his replacement. Italian Marco Melandri will join John Hopkins on the Kawasaki team for the 2009 season as West’s replacement.

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