Superstock
1000cc production-based machinery, as close as you can get to what you can buy from your local dealer
With road-going 1000s becoming more and more advanced, the gap between these standard bikes and highly-tuned superbikes has narrowed. In fact, with some teams opting not to stress their engines, there’s often not too much difference in the power of the two classes. So it’s perhaps not surprising that Ian Hutchinson’s 1.33.098mph lap record isn’t so far off the 133.962mph set by Michael Dunlop on a full-fat BMW superbike.
LAST YEAR
The Superstock class is another that has been dominated by Hutchinson with the 38-year-old winning every Superstock TT since 2015, which meant he clocked up his 16th TT victory in 2017.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2018
Whether Hutchinson can continue his superstock dominance is up for debate this year. Not only is he riding after making a remarkable comeback, but the switch to Honda machinery could also hold him back in the production-based class. While the Honda superbikes are in no way short of power, the standard engine is lacking a good 10bhp (or more) to the BMWs which locked out the Superstock podium last year.
The only firm to get close to the BMWs in recent years has been Kawasaki with the Superstock class proving to be a strong hunting ground for Silicone Engineering’s Dean Harrison in recent years.