How much do WSBK riders and machines weigh at Donington?

WorldSBK combined machine and rider weight

Donington

In 2024, the FIM Superbike World Championship introduced rider matching and weight control into the category.

All motorcycles must have a minimum dry weight of 168 kg.

The reference weight for the racer in full racing gear is set at 80 kg.

Each rider weighing less than 80 kg when preparing to race must add 500 grams of ballast for each kilogram of weight under 80 kg when wearing the racing suit.

For example, a cyclist who weighs 70kg wearing leathers and full protective gear, including a helmet, would need to add 5kg to his bike.

The maximum ballast weight penalty has been capped at 10 kg.

Alvaro Bautista has dominated the 2023 World Superbike Championship and it seems the diminutive Spaniard’s dominance has been the catalyst for a rule change that has seen Ducati add six kilograms of ballast to Bautista’s V4 R.

In the first five rounds of 2023, Bautista has won every race he has entered. 14 wins out of a possible 15.

In the 2024 season, during the first five rounds, Bautista won only one race and scored a total of 186 points.

At this point in the 2023 season, Bautista has amassed 298 points from the opening five rounds before finishing the season with 628. Bautista achieved a perfect 62 points in seven of the 12 rounds last season.

Obviously there are many factors at play over the years, but it seems pretty clear that the weight penalty may have contributed to some degree to the 39-year-old’s change in form and results.

So I thought many of you might find it interesting to see the results of the latest weigh-ins held at Donington Park at the weekend.

Alvaro Bautista and his V4 R remain the lightest combination in the field. After the first race, the combined weight of machine and rider was 243.35kg at the end of race one and 240kg after race two.

At the other end of the scale, pun intended, is Scott Redding. The Briton and his BMW M 1000 RR weighed in at 264.4kg after the second race. So even with Bautista’s extra padding, the Briton and his BMW were still almost 25kg heavier.

The lightest person in the BMW team was Toprak Razgatlioglu, weighing 250.8 kg at the end of both races.

Garrett Gerloff weighed 252.6 kg on his M 1000 RR, while Michael van der Mark was recorded at 252.2 kg after the first race and 251.8 kg after the second race.

The heaviest Ducati pair were Danilo Petrucci and Barni Spark V4 R, weighing 259.7 kg after the first race and 259.4 kg after the second race.

Bautista’s teammate Nicolo Buelga finished 257.4 and 257.25 kg.

Andrea Iannone and the GoEleven Ducati weigh 257 kg.

Sam Lowes and Marc VDS Ducati weighs 251.6 kg.

Michael Rinaldi and Motocorsa Ducati were recorded at 249.2 kg.

The lightest Yamaha combination was Andrea Locatelli, who weighed 250.2kg at the end of the first race and 248.8kg at the end of the second, significantly lighter than teammate Jonathan Rea. The Northern Irishman weighed 258.6kg and 258.2kg at the end of the two races, making him the heaviest Yamaha rider.

Dominique Aegerter reached 254.2 kg while GYTR GRT teammate Remy Gardner reached 256.4 kg at the end of the first leg and 257 kg at the end of the second leg. Bradley Ray reached 254.4 kg.

Xavi Vierge and HRC Fireblade reached 249.6 kg. Teammate Iker Lecuona reached 256.8 kg after the first race and 257.6 kg after the second race.

Axel Bassani was Kawasaki’s lightest finisher at 550 pounds. Sam Lowes weighed in at 550 pounds at weigh-in.

Use the data as you wish.

WorldSBK will restart this weekend at Autodrom Most in the north-west of the Czech Republic.

WorldSBK Ranking 2024
After five rounds

WorldSBK 2024 Calendar