In the revamped World Superbike Championship, with a permanent field of 30-riders, a host of 1000cc four-cylinder machines will try to emulate the success enjoyed in the 2004 season by Ten Kate rider Chris Vermeulen, who took the then all-new CBR1000RR Honda to four wins, including an outstanding double at Laguna Seca.

Finishing overall fourth in the 2004 SBK series, 2003 World Supersport Champion Vermeulen has the most CBR1000RR saddle time of all his fellow 2005 supported riders, who will blaze a Honda trail five machines wide.

The 2004 World Supersport Champion, Karl Muggeridge is moving up to the join Vermeulen in the Winston Ten Kate Honda set-up, and has already shown class and pace on his CBR1000RR.

In the Klaffi Honda team, youth meets experience, as Max Neukirchner (21) joins SBK legend Pierfrancesco Chili (40) in a two-man assault on the championship. Chili's career in SBK is over ten seasons long and 17 wins deep, thus 2003 World Supersport 'Rookie of the Year' Neukirchner is well placed in his debut SBK season.

SBK racing's very own prodigal son, Ben Bostrom (30) has elected to return to the unfinished business he has on a global stage, and has teamed up with serial 2004 Superbike race winners, Renegade. The Anglo-Italian team has already won six SBK races in a single year of SBK competition, and in Bostrom they have a seven times WSB race winner and former AMA Superbike Champion.

Preparations have been unexpectedly handicapped for the Winston Ten Kate Superbike wing of Ten Kate's impressive thrust, largely due to illness experienced by each of their riders, Vermeulen and Muggeridge.

"Some riders have done well over 100 laps at last week's tests, but I've barely done 40," affirmed Vermeulen, fighting off a severe bout of flu. "I've struggled to do even that many, to be frank. I know there's more to come but only when I'm feeling better. The circuit's good and the bike has had a lot more to offer than I could use at the Doha tests. It'll be different when we're back there on Thursday for first qualifying."

Muggeridge, a new rider to the class, is especially conscious of losing valuable testing time, even if he has already shown great aptitude in his switch from 600cc to 1000cc machines.
"It's frustrating because we lost a lot of testing time because I've been feeling so rough and that's not what you need when you're getting used to a new bike and a new circuit," said Muggeridge. "But it's race weekend that matters and that's what we'll be working towards - after I spend the next couple of days in bed."

Chili, a man with enviable experience of every type of machine from 125GP bikes to full on factory Superbikes, intends to meet his latest new challenge head on.
"We were running only a first stage engine at the tests so I did not have the power to push hard," stated Chili. "We spent time getting used to the bike and the track. We have higher spec race engines coming for the race itself, so I will be looking forward to that."

Neukirchner, who finished his rookie WSS season in ninth place overall, finds himself ready for more power in more ways than one. "The engine we used in the Losail test was completely standard but the team is good and worked very hard to help me," said an appreciative Max. "We have a better engine for the race so maybe I'll win my first points at the first attempt! This year will be harder than Supersport was last year, with so many good bikes and riders in Superbike."

Bostrom, still at the early stages of getting used to his 2005 bike and team, nonetheless is looking to a restart in Superbike.
"It's nice in this team, very personal. It feels good to be back, and I've been smiling the whole time I've been here. It's been fun tuning the bike to a new team and the boys had to work through the night to get us here in time. The bike feels better every single hour that passes, so that's the best thing of all."

Two World Superbike races, and one Supersport race, each of 18-laps duration, will take place at Losail on Saturday 26th, and each championship comprises 12-rounds this year, sited from Europe to Australia and the middle east. The championship denouement takes place at Magny Cours, France, on 9th October, some nine months hence.