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
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
|
AUT Template:AUT
|
CAN
|
USA Template:USA
|
ITA
|
FRA Template:FRA
|
ESP
|
POR
|
JPN
|
AUS Template:AUS
|
Pts
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
Davide Tardozzi
|
Bimota
|
4 |
Ret
|
3 |
2
|
3 |
2
|
4 |
2
|
3 |
1
|
1 |
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
177
|
2
|
Template:FRA Raymond Roche
|
Ducati
|
3 |
4
|
2 |
4
|
2 |
3
|
1 |
1
|
1 |
Ret
|
Ret |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
170
|
3
|
Template:GBR Carl Fogarty
|
Honda
|
1 |
1
|
Ret |
3
|
5 |
4
|
2 |
Ret
|
2 |
6
|
3 |
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
155
|
4
|
Template:USA Fred Merkel
|
Honda
|
9 |
8
|
1 |
1
|
1 |
1
|
8 |
3
|
5 |
Ret
|
5 |
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
151
|
5
|
Template:USA Doug Chandler
|
Kawasaki
|
10 |
5
|
5 |
5
|
6 |
7
|
6 |
4
|
8 |
5
|
11 |
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
114
|
6
|
Template:FRA Alex Vieira
|
Bimota
|
2 |
6
|
9 |
9
|
Ret |
10
|
Ret |
Ret
|
6 |
2
|
2 |
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
107
|
7
|
Fabrizio Pirovano
|
Kawasaki
|
11 |
2
|
7 |
6
|
4 |
6
|
5 |
4
|
10 |
Ret
|
4 |
Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
106
|
8
|
Template:BEL Stéphane Mertens
|
Ducati
|
14 |
13
|
6 |
11
|
8 |
8
|
3 |
Ret
|
Ret |
3
|
9 |
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
86
|
9
|
Template:GBR Rob McElnea
|
Suzuki
|
5 |
10
|
8 |
10
|
9 |
9
|
18 |
7
|
4 |
Ret
|
10 |
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
81
|
10
|
Template:USA Doug Polen
|
Suzuki
|
Ret |
3
|
4 |
8
|
7 |
5
|
7 |
Ret
|
Ret |
8
|
7 |
Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
79
|
11
|
Template:FRA Dominique Sarron
|
Yamaha
|
8 |
7
|
Ret |
15
|
10 |
15
|
11 |
10
|
15 |
4
|
6 |
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
66
|
12
|
Template:GBR Roger Burnett
|
Yamaha
|
15 |
9
|
11 |
7
|
20 |
24
|
14 |
6
|
12 |
11
|
17 |
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
13
|
Template:GBR Darren Dixon
|
Norton
|
12 |
18
|
10 |
22
|
12 |
23
|
15 |
12
|
9 |
7
|
11 |
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
44
|
14
|
Template:USA Bubba Shobert
|
Honda
|
7 |
Ret
|
23 |
13
|
14 |
13
|
17 |
9
|
7 |
Ret
|
8 |
Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
41
|
15
|
Shinichi Itoh
|
Honda
|
25 |
23
|
12 |
20
|
Ret |
14
|
9 |
8
|
16 |
9
|
Ret |
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30
|
16
|
Template:AUS Malcolm Campbell
|
Yamaha
|
16 |
Ret
|
Ret |
12
|
21 |
26
|
10 |
13
|
13 |
10
|
13 |
13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
17
|
Anders Andersson
|
Kawasaki
|
6 |
20
|
14 |
16
|
19 |
17
|
28 |
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23
|
18
|
Template:GBR Terry Rymer
|
Norton
|
19 |
Ret
|
18 |
14
|
11 |
11
|
13 |
17
|
Ret |
14
|
Ret |
Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
19
|
Giancarlo Falappa
|
Bimota
|
13 |
14
|
Ret |
23
|
13 |
12
|
16 |
11
|
17 |
19
|
Ret |
Ret
|
DNS |
DNS
|
DNS |
DNS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
20
|
Aaron Slight
|
Yamaha
|
21 |
26
|
16 |
17
|
15 |
16
|
27 |
14
|
11 |
13
|
18 |
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
21
|
Template:GBR Kevin Mitchell
|
Yamaha
|
Ret |
11
|
Ret |
25
|
16 |
22
|
12 |
21
|
14 |
16
|
14 |
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
22
|
Fabio Bilotti
|
Ducati
|
17 |
12
|
13 |
27
|
29 |
21
|
25 |
16
|
Ret |
17
|
24 |
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
23
|
Baldassarre Monti
|
Bimota
|
24 |
15
|
15 |
18
|
17 |
18
|
31 |
18
|
25 |
12
|
16 |
22
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
24
|
Violetta Cacciatori
|
Honda
|
23 |
Ret
|
30 |
32
|
22 |
29
|
33 |
Ret
|
19 |
Ret
|
15 |
16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
25
|
Cees Dorakkers
|
Ducati
|
28 |
24
|
20 |
29
|
27 |
30
|
26 |
22
|
18 |
15
|
20 |
24
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
26
|
Template:GBR Paul Iddon
|
Kawasaki
|
30 |
22
|
19 |
19
|
23 |
28
|
21 |
15
|
24 |
24
|
Ret |
19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
27
|
Massimo Broccoli
|
Ducati
|
26 |
16
|
17 |
26
|
26 |
25
|
20 |
20
|
21 |
18
|
23 |
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
28
|
Zoè Ferrer
|
Honda
|
Ret |
17
|
21 |
21
|
28 |
27
|
23 |
19
|
22 |
20
|
Ret |
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
29
|
Jari Suhonen
|
Suzuki
|
20 |
21
|
25 |
Ret
|
30 |
31
|
24 |
24
|
23 |
21
|
Ret |
17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
30
|
Template:BEL Rene Delaby
|
Honda
|
18 |
25
|
26 |
Ret
|
31 |
20
|
32 |
27
|
27 |
23
|
21 |
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
31
|
Template:FRA Pierre Bolle
|
Bimota
|
22 |
Ret
|
22 |
Ret
|
18 |
33
|
19 |
23
|
20 |
25
|
19 |
27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
32
|
Michael Galinski
|
Kawasaki
|
Ret |
19
|
28 |
24
|
24 |
19
|
30 |
Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
33
|
Template:SUI Nicholas Schmassmann
|
Bimota
|
31 |
28
|
24 |
30
|
32 |
Ret
|
22 |
26
|
Ret |
26
|
25 |
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
34
|
Karel Vandroogenbroeck
|
Ducati
|
29 |
29
|
29 |
31
|
Ret |
34
|
34 |
Ret
|
28 |
27
|
22 |
23
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
35
|
Template:GBR Andy McGladdery
|
Bimota
|
27 |
27
|
27 |
28
|
25 |
32
|
29 |
25
|
26 |
22
|
Ret |
Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
|