ThundersportGB boss Dave Stewart will introduce a Golden Era Superbike class next season aimed squarely at Superbikes made before the Year 2000 and electronics, slipper clutches and the like are banned.

Legends including the Honda RC30, Yamaha's OW01, the Kawasaki ZX7-RR and other homologation specials, plus Ducati's 916 and the YZF750 are all eligible to enter where the only modern upgrades allowed are tyres.

"None of those bikes were particularly good road bikes, but when you stripped all the clunky and ugly road bike detritus off of them and they stood there in their race prepped glory, just waiting to be spanked around the race track, their true purpose was revealed," said Stweart.

"At world level they were seemingly ridden by a highly talented and committed bunch of axe wielding maniacs and the racing was simply fantastic. Marco Simoncelli would have looked like a girl scout compared to that lot and the appeal of Superbikes was infectious and spread far beyond motorcycle fans.

"Indeed it was the very popularity of Superbike racing in the 1990s that brought about the ‘born again biker’ phenomenon. In the UK market Grand Prix were in decline with a low point of just six bikes on the premier class grid and a crowd figure reputed to be less than 10,000 for the British Grand Prix.

"Superbike racing was where it was at and the crowds flocked to both Donington Park and Brands Hatch to watch Scott Russell, Giancarlo Falappa, Yasutomo Nagai, Colin Edwards, Aaron Slight, Carl Fogarty, Anthony Gobert and a host of other riders who didn’t complain about a bit of fairing bashing, they actually expected it and so did the fans."

Regulations will be “Open Class” with no tuning restrictions, but restricted to parts that were available before 2003 (except tyres). Interchanging parts between compatible models will be allowed as will any suspension and any wheels. Period engined specials will be catered for on a case by case basis with a view to accepting models that fit in with both the time period and the spirit of the rules (NR750 oval pistoned bikes need not apply).

Eligible bikes are:

Ducati 888 all models (926 & 955 kit permitted)

Kawasaki ZXR750 all model years (840 kit permitted)

Yamaha OW01 all model years (840 kit permitted)

Suzuki GSXR 750 SRAD all model years

Honda RC30 all model years (810cc kit permitted)

Kawasaki ZX7R and RR all model years

Yamaha YZF 750 all model years

Yamaha OW02 R7 both model years

Honda RC45 all model years

Ducati 916 all model years

Ducati 996 all model years inc 996R

Aprilia RSV Mille & Mille R up to 2003

Suzuki TL1000S & TL1000R up to 2003

Honda VTR 1000 SP1

Triumph T595 up to 2001

MV Augusta F4 750 Oro & S models to 2002