2009 World Superbike Comparison

Exiting the final fourth-gear, 120-mph corner at the Algarve circuit in Portimao, Portugal – strapped to a 200-plus-horsepower Yamaha YZF-R1 World Superbike, bars twitching and snapping, the rear tire spinning and bucking, all while climbing up the completely blind and massive front straightaway – two things suddenly become crystal clear: Ben Spies’ championship-winning SBK isn’t for sissies, and