The WorldSBK 2018 season will be updated with new rules such as allowing teams to use ‘aerodynamic components’ on their race motorcycles.

There is a catch however as any of the aerodynamic components must first be made available to the homologated motorcycle.

The world of production superbikes in 2019 will be quite interesting if WorldSBK pick up this new ruling seriously considering how a big of an advantage ‘aerofairings’ can be especially seen in MotoGP.

The FIM World Superbike Championship has been introducing a lot of revolutionary changes and updates for 2018 to make the motorsport more exciting and appealing to fans around the world. Despite some setbacks laid out for some manufacturers such as limiting engine RPMs to make the field more evenly competitive, the Superbikes commission will now allow the use of ‘aerodynamic components’ come 2018.

This seems to be a very weird yet exciting move for WorldSBK considering that MotoGP themselves have already banned the use of winglets. With MotoGP teams having tasted the huge advantages of using aerofairings, the rules were reconfigured for 2017 where bikes raced using internal winglets housed within the smooth fairings with no outer protrusions.

We’re guessing that the same set of rules will be applied to the World Superbike Championship for 2018 BUT according to a report made by Asphalt & Rubber, there will be a huge catch. According to the new ruling, “Teams and manufacturers may fit aerodynamic components (e.g. winglets) to their superbikes so long as the winglets are fitted to the homologated motorcycle.”

This means that any winglet of aerodynamic component must come from production models first and not some prototypes fitted to the WorldSBK race bikes. If manufacturers are seriously considering the benefits of aerofairings, the must first make them available on production models.

So far, only Aprilia and Kawasaki has introduced superbikes with winglets in the form of the track-only 2018 Aprilia RSV-4 RF Factory Works and Kawasaki H2R. Since both of these bikes are technically not legal production superbikes for the streets, there is still no news on which brand will pick this rule up seriously and introduce a brand new street-legal superbike fitted with ‘aerodynamic components’.

To know more on the 2018 Aprilia RSV-4 RF Factory Works, CLICK HERE.

Brace yourselves, the production motorcycle’s arms race for the ultimate aerodynamics is coming.