In SBK, Honda has a long drought to break: are Chantra and Dixon the right choices?

What kind of Honda will we see in the 2026 Superbike World Championship? The Tokyo manufacturer is heavily invested in MotoGP, and a return to winning ways doesn’t seem close.

Next year the HRC team will have an entirely new line-up, with Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra arriving from the Grand Prix paddock. Both have already tested the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade in a session at Jerez, although it was just an initial shakedown—a first step in an adaptation process that will continue between January and February during the three SBK pre-season tests scheduled at Jerez, Portimão, and Phillip Island. It’s worth remembering that Jonathan Rea has been hired as a test rider and could be an excellent asset for development.

After missing out on the chance to sign a phenomenon like Toprak Razgatlioglu, Honda decided to bet on two rookies from the MotoGP paddock. We’ll see if they’re up to the task—if they can do better than predecessors Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona, who in 2022 arrived from Moto2 and MotoGP respectively, much like Dixon and Chantra now.

The CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP will be the same as in 2025, though it should be noted that the HRC team will continue to rely on the super concessions to improve it. Finding more grip on corner exit remains one of the targets to make the bike more competitive.

Honda returned as a factory outfit in the Superbike World Championship in 2020 and since then has scored only 6 podiums: 3 with Alvaro Bautista, 2 with Iker Lecuona, and 1 with Xavi Vierge. Their last win even dates back to 2016, when Nicky Hayden took his CBR1000RR SP to victory in Race 2 at Sepang (Malaysia). The 2006 MotoGP champion was the best of all in wet conditions.

There’s a real risk HRC could reach 10 years without a SBK victory. Chantra and Dixon will try to prevent that, though a bit of luck will be needed as well. As for the last world title won by the Tokyo brand, you have to go all the way back to 2007, when James Toseland was crowned world champion. Fighting for the world crown seems impossible, but we hope to see a more competitive Honda in 2026.