Star-studded Superbike lineup for ASBK opener as Waters begins title defence

Huge grids, multiple manufacturers, seasoned champions, teenage stars, fearless rookies and potential flashpoints at every turn: round one of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Phillip Island from February 21-23 already has the hallmarks of an instant classic.

The season opener will not only showcase the booming SW-Motech Superbike class but also the perennially entertaining Kawasaki Supersport and Race and Road Supersport 300 categories.

And with extremely healthy grids – 27 in Superbike, 24 in Supersport and 41 in Supersport 300 – riders are going to have to be on their games from the outset to maximise their chance of success.

The start of every ASBK Championship always arrives with huge anticipation, and so it is again in 2025 as Victorian Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) begins his title defence of the Superbike crown, while new champions will be crowned in the Supersport and Supersport 300 classes.

The ASBK opener will maintain its traditional late February alliance with the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship, where Luke Power (MV Agusta) and Oli Bayliss (Triumph) in WorldSSP and Remy Gardner (Yamaha) in WorldSBK will lead the Aussie charge in the international categories.

There will be 14 races across the three days – nine in ASBK and five in WorldSSP and WorldSBK – with super screens strategically placed around the 4.448km circuit so spectators don’t have to miss a moment of the action.

Off-track, the popular WorldSBK Expo will be in full swing with the latest motorcycles and accessories on display, while the visitor centre includes the fascinating history of motorcycle museum.

Buy tickets to WorldSBK here.

SW-MOTECH SUPERBIKE PREVIEW
Waters is a juggernaut around Phillip Island, seemingly impervious to pressure and rarely lowering his colours in recent years – a recent exception when Harrison Voight bested him in an intra-team battle at last September’s ASBK round.

However, there is another potential opening for Waters’ opposition heading into 2025, with the veteran breaking his left collarbone in a crash at Phillip Island in early January.

The injury was plated by renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Steve Andrews on January 10 – a guru whose other clients have included Toby Price, Chad Reed and Daniel Sanders – which means it will be six weeks from Waters’ crash until the ASBK opener.

The injury has scuppered Waters’ ability to contest pre-season events in NSW and Vic, where most of his opposition have been completing their 2025 preparations.

Despite the asterisk next to his name, the Mildura ace is confident he’ll rise to the occasion at Phillip Island.

“There’s no doubt that the start of 2025 hasn’t been the easiest for me, and I’ve really only done one day of riding since I won the 2024 title at The Bend in 2024,” said Waters.

“However, I will still be pushing as hard as I can at Phillip Island on the Ducati – a circuit and bike I am more than familiar with – and there will also be a lot of pressure on the other riders to perform because of my injury woes.

“The last two years have been great for me, especially sharing the winning feeling with my family and friends in 2024, and I’m looking forward to getting started again in 2025.”

While the likes of Waters, reigning No. 2 Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team, Qld), Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati, Qld), Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha, Qld) and South Aussie Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) remain with the same teams in 2025, there have been some major movements elsewhere.

Max Stauffer (NSW), Cru Halliday (Qld), Cameron Dunker (NSW) and Glenn Allerton (NSW) are all checking into new homes, while Tom Edwards (NSW) returns home after two seasons in World Supersport. Troy Herfoss (Qld) will also compete on a Ducati, but under a new sponsorship umbrella.

After a few fleeting Superbike outings in 2024, Tom Toparis will be a permanent rider in the premier class for Stop and Seal Yamaha, while full-blown ASBK rookie status belongs to reigning Supersport champion Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV Yamaha, NSW) and Jack Favelle (Favelle Enterprises Yamaha, NSW).

Nahlous, Favelle, West, Allerton and Dunker all completed impressive Phillip Island ASBK shakedowns at the recent Victorian Road Race Championship, which included spicy battles with fellow Aussie and former ASBK champion Josh Brookes.

The quintet all impressed, but they know the stakes will be higher, the spotlight much brighter and the tempo raised during the three 12-lappers at Phillip Island on February 22-23: one race on Saturday and two on Sunday.

Waters won all three races in last year’s corresponding round after searing battles with teammate Voight and Herfoss in what was a Ducati podium lockout. The clean sweep set up Waters for a landmark season which saw him become the first four-time ASBK Superbike champion.

Voight, who holds a new national Superbike record of 1m30.790s, will also return for the opening ASBK round in 2025 as he gets local track time ahead of another European Moto2 campaign. At a recent night event at Sydney Motorsport Park, Voight routed the field – an ominous sign that he will be hard to beat at Phillip Island.

Could three-time champion Herfoss be the potential fly in the McMartin Racing ointment? The three-time Superbike champion is a consummate professional, and his combative instincts can never be discounted.

The 27-rider Phillip Island ASBK field also includes impressive Queenslander John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha), veteran Western Australian Adam Senior (Senior Engineering Yamaha) and ASBK stalwart Matthew Walters (Newcastle Hino Aprilia, NSW), while Mohamad Aizuddin (Portbike Racing BMW, Vic), Mitchell Carr (Campbell Road Automotive Honda, WA) and Japanese visitor Kota Higuchi (HLO Racing Suzuki) will make it six manufacturers on the grid.

Next up we’ll take a look at the Kawasaki Supersport and Race and Road Supersport 300 Phillip Island form guides.