The biggest headline for the Supersport class is that Ducati are back in the class. With different engine configurations, capacities and weights, the balancing will be closely monitored to ensure that the Supersport class is competitive. In recent years, the ever-changing landscape of the road bike market, which sets the basis for all bikes in the WorldSBK paddock, has limited the opportunities for teams to run a diverse set of bikes in the intermediate class. The successful use of performance balancing in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship has given the FIM experience of how best to allow each manufacturer to have a chance to compete for a World Championship on a level playing field. The FIM have introduced new regulations that will allow the twin-cylinder Ducati to compete alongside the Triumph and MV Agusta triples and the four-cylinder offerings from Yamaha and Kawasaki. With five manufacturers on the grid, and bikes from Suzuki and Honda also homologated, parity is the watchword in the intermediate class. After recent years of consistent Yamaha success, the class is now set to become one of the most hotly contested series in the world with the return of manufacturers and new bikes taking to the field in 2022. The biggest shake-up in the history of the FIM Supersport World Championship is on the horizon.
