Superbike 2026: Ducati and BMW penalized equally

Superbike World Championship teams and riders will gather at Jerez de la Frontera, the venue for the penultimate round of winter testing before heading to Australia. Weather permitting, these will inevitably be important tests for those already in 2026 configuration. Fuel flow meter values included, with Ducati and BMW once again penalized equally as at the end of the 2025 season.

This year Ducati will begin a new era with the all-new Panigale V4 R 2026, and in some ways BMW Motorrad will too in the “post-Toprak” era, with Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira on the two factory M 1000 RRs. A new bike in one case, new riders in the other. Nonetheless, the starting values will essentially be those defined based on last season’s rulings, with 1 kg/h less fuel flow than the minimum set by the regulations.

If in 2025 the initial mass (not volumetric) value was 47 kg/hour, for 2026 it is set at 46, dropping to 45 in 2027. Performance equalization aids and reductions are excluded, clearly, as are session-by-session adjustments during race weekends based on weather conditions. That said, Ducati and BMW will arrive at Phillip Island having to comply with the 45 kg/h limit, which is 1 kilogram per hour less fuel flow than the “base” limit of 46. This is the result of the corrective measures introduced over the course of 2025, which will also carry over into the opening rounds of 2026.

As for the other Superbikes on the grid, Bimota and, logically, Kawasaki will start at 46 kg/h, while the limit is set at 46.5 kg/h for Yamaha and Honda. The latter will also benefit from super-concessions in a 2026 that is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for the CBR 1000RR-R project.

As a side note, the company supplying the system to all Superbike World Championship teams (ALLENGRA) will also be the sole supplier of the flow meter in Formula 1 starting this year. In this respect, at least, production-derived motorcycle racing has been ahead of the curve, even anticipating the pinnacle of motorsport.