Next year's MCE British Superbike series will stick with the same size 16.5in Pirelli tyres with new compunds but will then switch to more production-friendly 17in items for 2014.
Mirroring World Superbikes which swaps to the newer size tyres to fit road wheels as opposed to specially-manufactured wheels this year, the domestic series will also get this year's WSBK-spec Pirellis which will have different compounds likely to be more friendly to our colder track temperatures. That will probably bring a smile to some Honda riders' faces.
"Next year BSB riders will have at their disposal the latest tyres which have been developed by Pirelli during the 2012 WSBK season and we will be able to provide them with a customised range of tyres particularly suitable for the British tracks and temperatures," said Pirelli boss Giorgio Barbier.
"The British Series will switch to 17in the following season meaning they will have a lot of different possibilities to buy material, like rims, from WSBK teams. Again they will have new solutions already tested in WSBK during the 2013 season.
"Moreover even if the transition to 17in tyres is a turning point, that doesn't mean we want to stop producing 16.5in tyres as we will go on supporting our customers around the world for track days but also for Endurance competitions, so for us BSB remains a very important background to develop our solutions at the highest level."
