The 1989 World Superbike Championship season was the second season of the World Superbike Championship, the highest level of FIM-Sanctioned, Highly modified production Motorcycle racing.
The inaugural World Superbike champion, Australian Mick Doohan, left the series to join Honda Racing Corporation's factory team in the 500cc World Championship, meaning a new champion will be crowned. The biggest news of the offseason sees British manufacturer Norton enter the series for the first time, using their Groundbreaking, Wankel Rotary-engined RCW588, with the FIM granting an exception for the Birmingham outfit, allowing them to use the engine.
They weren't the only new bike on the 1989 grid, however: Japanese brand Kawasaki will enter its radical ZXR-750, replacing the GPX750R used in 1988. Finally, all other manufacturers from 1988 came back with updates to their current models, with Yamaha, unsatisfied with their less than ideal 1988 season, equipping their FZR750R with a new engine rumoured to be among the most powerful on the grid. 1988 manufacturers champions Bimota, eager to defend their title, will equip their bikes with the new Yamaha powerplant.
Teams and riders
All teams and riders used Michelin tyres
Calendar
Championship Grands Prix
|
Event
|
Track
|
Date
|
Race
|
Pole position
|
Fastest lap
|
Winning rider
|
Team
|
Manufacturer
|
1
|
Template:GBR Round of Donington
|
Donington Park
|
1-2 April
|
1
|
Template:FRA Alex Vieira
|
Template:FRA Raymond Roche
|
Template:GBR Carl Fogarty
|
Team Rumi RCM
|
Honda
|
2
|
Template:FRA Raymond Roche
|
Template:GBR Carl Fogarty
|
Template:GBR Carl Fogarty
|
Team Rumi RCM
|
Honda
|
2
|
Round of Hungary
|
Hungaroring
|
29-30 April
|
3
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Team Rumi RCM
|
Honda
|
4
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Doug Chandler
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Team Rumi RCM
|
Honda
|
3
|
Round of Germany
|
Hockenheimring
|
7-8 May
|
5
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Team Rumi RCM
|
Honda
|
6
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Team Rumi RCM
|
Honda
|
4
|
Template:AUT Round of Austria
|
Österreichring
|
13-14 May
|
7
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
8
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
5
|
Round of Canada
|
Mosport Park
|
3-4 June
|
9
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
10
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
6
|
Template:USA Round of America
|
Road America
|
17-18 June
|
11
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
12
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
7
|
Round of Italy
|
Imola
|
1-2 July
|
13
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
14
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
8
|
Template:FRA Round of France
|
Paul Ricard
|
22-23 July
|
15
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
16
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
9
|
Round of Spain
|
Jarama
|
29-30 July
|
17
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
18
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
10
|
Round of Portugal
|
Estoril
|
5-6 August
|
19
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
20
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
11
|
Round of Japan
|
Sugo
|
26-27 August
|
21
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
22
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
12
|
Template:AUS Round of Australia
|
Oran Park
|
9-10 September
|
23
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
24
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Standings
Riders' Championship
Position
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
8th
|
9th
|
10th
|
11th
|
12th
|
13th
|
14th
|
15th
|
Points
|
20
|
17
|
15
|
13
|
11
|
10
|
9
|
8
|
7
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Manufacturer
|
GBR Template:GBR
|
HUN
|
GER
|
Pts
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Honda
|
9 |
8
|
1 |
1
|
1 |
1
|
95
|
2
|
Template:FRA Raymond Roche
|
Ducati
|
3 |
4
|
2 |
4
|
2 |
3
|
90
|
3
|
Template:GBR Carl Fogarty
|
Honda
|
1 |
1
|
Ret |
3
|
5 |
4
|
79
|
4
|
Davide Tardozzi
|
Bimota
|
4 |
Ret
|
3 |
2
|
3 |
2
|
77
|
5
|
Fabrizio Pirovano
|
Kawasaki
|
11 |
2
|
7 |
6
|
4 |
6
|
63
|
6
|
Template:USA Doug Chandler
|
Kawasaki
|
10 |
5
|
5 |
5
|
6 |
7
|
58
|
7
|
Template:USA Doug Polen
|
Suzuki
|
Ret |
3
|
4 |
8
|
7 |
5
|
56
|
8
|
Template:FRA Alex Vieira
|
Bimota
|
2 |
6
|
9 |
9
|
Ret |
10
|
47
|
9
|
Template:GBR Rob McElnea
|
Suzuki
|
5 |
10
|
8 |
10
|
9 |
9
|
45
|
10
|
Template:BEL Stéphane Mertens
|
Ducati
|
14 |
13
|
6 |
11
|
8 |
8
|
36
|
11
|
Template:FRA Dominique Sarron
|
Yamaha
|
8 |
7
|
Ret |
15
|
10 |
15
|
25
|
12
|
Template:GBR Roger Burnett
|
Yamaha
|
15 |
9
|
11 |
7
|
20 |
24
|
22
|
13
|
Template:USA Bubba Shobert
|
Honda
|
7 |
Ret
|
23 |
13
|
14 |
13
|
17
|
14
|
Template:GBR Darren Dixon
|
Norton
|
12 |
18
|
10 |
22
|
12 |
23
|
14
|
15
|
Anders Andersson
|
Kawasaki
|
6 |
20
|
14 |
16
|
19 |
17
|
12
|
16
|
Template:GBR Terry Rymer
|
Norton
|
19 |
Ret
|
18 |
14
|
11 |
11
|
12
|
17
|
Giancarlo Falappa
|
Bimota
|
13 |
14
|
Ret |
23
|
13 |
12
|
12
|
18
|
Fabio Bilotti
|
Ducati
|
17 |
12
|
13 |
27
|
29 |
21
|
7
|
19
|
Shinichi Itoh
|
Honda
|
25 |
23
|
12 |
20
|
Ret |
14
|
6
|
20
|
Template:GBR Kevin Mitchell
|
Yamaha
|
Ret |
11
|
Ret |
25
|
16 |
22
|
5
|
21
|
Template:AUS Malcom Campbell
|
Yamaha
|
16 |
Ret
|
Ret |
12
|
21 |
26
|
4
|
22
|
Baldassarre Monti
|
Bimota
|
24 |
15
|
15 |
18
|
17 |
18
|
2
|
23
|
Aaron Slight
|
Yamaha
|
21 |
26
|
16 |
17
|
15 |
16
|
1
|
24
|
Massimo Broccoli
|
Ducati
|
26 |
16
|
17 |
26
|
26 |
25
|
0
|
25
|
Zoè Ferrer
|
Honda
|
Ret |
17
|
21 |
21
|
28 |
27
|
0
|
26
|
Template:BEL Rene Delaby
|
Honda
|
18 |
25
|
26 |
Ret
|
31 |
20
|
0
|
27
|
Template:FRA Pierre Bolle
|
Bimota
|
22 |
Ret
|
22 |
Ret
|
18 |
33
|
0
|
28
|
Template:GBR Paul Iddon
|
Kawasaki
|
30 |
22
|
19 |
19
|
23 |
28
|
0
|
29
|
Michael Galinski
|
Kawasaki
|
Ret |
19
|
28 |
24
|
24 |
19
|
0
|
30
|
Jari Suhonen
|
Suzuki
|
20 |
21
|
25 |
Ret
|
30 |
31
|
0
|
31
|
Cees Dorakkers
|
Ducati
|
28 |
24
|
20 |
29
|
27 |
30
|
0
|
32
|
Violetta Cacciatorri
|
Honda
|
23 |
Ret
|
30 |
32
|
22 |
29
|
0
|
33
|
Template:SUI Nicholas Schmassmann
|
Bimota
|
31 |
28
|
24 |
30
|
32 |
Ret
|
0
|
34
|
Template:GBR Andy McGladdery
|
Bimota
|
27 |
27
|
27 |
28
|
25 |
32
|
0
|
35
|
Karel Vandroogenbroeck
|
Ducati
|
29 |
29
|
29 |
31
|
Ret |
34
|
0
|
|