2009 World Superbike Championship: season preview and predictions

At Portimao, Nakano finished with the 17th best time, a mere 2/100ths of a second faster than Biaggi but a good 2 seconds off the frontrunning pace.

This is shaping up to be a tough season for Aprilia, but the V4 engine configuration is a proven winner at all levels of the sport, and Aprilia's history of massive success in the smaller two-stroke GP classes shows the company knows how to make a bike handle. One to watch with technical rather than competitive interest this year, but with riders like Biaggi and Nakano on board, there's always the chance that something special could happen.

Honda: 8 bikes, but who's the #1 rider?

The revised (and by all accounts excellent) 2008 CBR1000RR was a huge step forward from the 2007 roadbike - the first major redesign since 2004 saw the Honda lighter, more powerful, better handling and absolutely dominant in roadbike reviews. But the 2007 Honda had a James Toseland on it, who took 8 race wins and the title. The entire 2008 squad of 8 CBR riders only managed 5 wins between them.

The top Honda jockeys and only Honda race-winners in 2008 were Spaniard Carlos Checa and Japan's Ryuichi Kiyonari, both of whom remain in the squad for 2009. They are joined by a couple of young British stars keen to make their mark in the Superbike class. Jonny Rea comes to SBK fresh from a second-place finish in last year's World Supersport, and a second place in British Superbikes in 2007. Leon Haslam, son of 'Rocket' Ron Haslam of GP fame, returns to WSBK after dipping his toe in the series in 2004 to take 8th place with Ducati. In the intervening years he's been a top competitor in BSB despite failing to win a championship, and in a wildcard appearance at Portimao last year he managed to finish third in a World Superbike race.

Checa managed fifth fastest at the Portimao test, with Rea 9th and Haslam 10th. Kiyonari was 14th and the remainder of the Honda fleet (Lavilla, Hill, Rolfo and Iannuzzo) were all well off the pace at the bottom of the table.

Having 8 bikes on the track, but no standout superstar rider, shows Honda's racing philosophy to a 'T' - the Japanese behemoth is famous for treating riders 'like light bulbs - when one breaks, you screw another one in.' But at this level, on these motorcycles, the human factor is a very powerful element. Checa and Kiyonari have shown they can fight for SBK wins, Haslam hasn't shown us his best yet. Could Rea be the dark horse in the Honda stable? He's made smart choices in his team selection so far in his career, and he'll be on the same Hannspree Ten Kate-prepared bike as Checa, which should be the pick of the bunch. Has he got what it takes to put together a championship tilt at this level?

Kawasaki: team green making up the numbers

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