There’s much more to the NZSBK Championship than just the ‘big boys’ of the Superbike class. With six championship classes plus development and support classes at each round, top-class race action and entertainment is guaranteed all weekend long.
Superbike is the top race class in the NZSBK Championship. Open to all manufacturers of motorcycles sold in New Zealand, this class gives distributors of sports production machinery the opportunity to showcase their machines in a competitive environment.
The appearance from both front and rear and the side profile of Superbike motorcycles must conform to the homologated shape (as produced by the manufacturer). Some modifications to machine set-up are allowed, with engine capacity of:
• 800-1300cc, 4-stroke, 2-3 cylinders max
• 750-1000cc, 4-stroke, 4 cylinders max
This class allows for New Zealand distributors of supersport machinery an opportunity to showcase their machines in a competitive environment, with some freedom for machine set up but within the confines of rules to suit New Zealand market conditions. As the name Supersport implies, the machines used are allowed limited modifications.
The appearance from both front and rear and the side profile of Supersport motorcycles must conform to the homologated shape (as originally produced by the manufacturer). Supersport engine capacity:
• 501–600cc 4-stroke 4 cylinders max
• 601–675cc 4-stroke 3 cylinders max (also including 750 V-Twins)
This class of motorcycle requires a MNZ Homologation, with a minimum of 30 units sold of that mass-produced motorcycle. Machines must be street type, road registerable, available and originally sold new in New Zealand. In special cases approval may be granted by the Road Race Commissioner on an individual basis for riders from 13 years of age to ride in this production class.
This class has a restricted rider entry age of between 13 and 21 years old as of January 1st for that competition year. In special cases, approval may be granted by the Road Race Commissioner on an individual basis for riders from 12 years of age to ride in this production class. Riders must not have been placed in the top five finishing positions in any national road race championship (other than Supersport 150 or GIXXER Cup 150) prior to the start of the current national championship.
This class of motorcycle requires an MNZ Homologation with a minimum of 10 units sold of that model per year. Only minor modifications are permitted to these twin cylinder, 4-stroke, up to 660cc machines. The most popular model has been the Suzuki SV650 V-twin but the class also includes the Kawasaki ER650 parallel twin and Aprilia SV550.
In New Zealand sidecars run as Formula 1 (up to 1300cc) or Formula 2 (600cc 4-stroke) with no restriction on engine design. With three wheels and streamlined body shells very close to the ground, it is said these modern machines owe more to open wheel race car design than that of a motorcycle.
