BSB 2025: Can the Old Guard Still Beat the Young Guns?
The British Superbike Championship has always been a proving ground for raw speed, grit, and more than a little madness. In 2025, though, it feels like we’re watching a heavyweight boxing match with two very different corners: in one, the seasoned veterans — riders with more miles in their leathers than most of us have on our odometers; in the other, the young chargers, bristling with talent, fearlessness, and a tendency to bounce back from crashes faster than you can say “sponsorship deal.”
So, the question is simple: can the old guard still take the fight to the new wave?
The Icons Refusing to Step Aside
Take John McGuinness, for starters. At 53, he’s already proven himself immortal on the Isle of Man TT, but here he is in BSB’s National Superstock, still clipping personal best lap times at Brands Hatch. You’d think he’d be polishing trophies by now — instead, he’s polishing off another set of knee sliders.
Then there’s Josh Brookes, who at 42 has the kind of race craft you don’t get from gaming simulators. He’s been there, done it, and probably wheelied out of the gift shop. Brookes has weathered rule changes, team swaps, and enough close calls to make younger riders sweat just watching the highlight reels.
These are riders who don’t just bring experience — they bring aura. When McGuinness or Brookes rolls into pit lane, you can feel the respect in the air. The younger lads might have faster reflexes, but the veterans carry an entire sport’s worth of knowledge in their throttle hands.
The Hungry Young Guns
But BSB isn’t sentimental. It’s a blood sport for podiums, and the new generation are circling like sharks. Riders like Rory Skinner, Jack Kennedy, and Storm Stacey are throwing down lap times that scream, “your time is up, grandad.”
They’re not weighed down by legacy. They don’t carry the scars of 20 years of 200-mph corner entries. They’re fearless, aggressive, and they’ve grown up with data analytics, rider aids, and social media hype. In many ways, the modern superbike suits them better — it’s less about endurance and more about maximising a bike’s full potential from the very first lap.
Brains vs. Bravado
Here’s the real battle: experience versus explosiveness. The old guard knows how to conserve tyres, how to set up a pass over six laps, how to play the long game in a championship fight. The young guns, meanwhile, ride like it’s the last lap from the green light.
Sometimes, it’s the head that wins. Sometimes, it’s the heart. And sometimes — in true BSB fashion — everyone ends up in the gravel and we’re left debating it in the pub afterwards.
Why We Love This Clash
The truth is, British Superbikes wouldn’t be half as exciting if it wasn’t for this clash of eras. Watching McGuinness carve out a PB at 53 is every bit as thrilling as watching a 20-year-old throw a factory bike into Paddock Hill Bend like he’s got nothing to lose.
It’s not really about old vs young. It’s about the fact that motorcycling, unlike most sports, still allows both to exist on the same grid. You don’t see 50-year-olds running onto a Premier League pitch or lacing up for an Olympic sprint. But in BSB, the old guard can still scare the living daylights out of the next generation.
And that, in 2025, is why we’ll keep watching. Because the old dogs might not always win the fight — but they’re damn sure not going down without it.
Final Lap
So, can the old guard still beat the young guns?
On any given Sunday, yes. That’s the beauty of BSB — it’s unpredictable, unforgiving, and refuses to write anyone off.
Whether it’s McGuinness proving he’s still got it, Brookes showing us that craft trumps chaos, or a fearless youngster taking their first scalp, 2025 promises one thing above all: fireworks.