Kyle Ryde to add star power to ASBK grand finale

Newly minted 2025 British Superbike champion Kyle Ryde will compete in the final round of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at The Bend from November 7-9.

And in a surprise move that’s set to cause a stir, the 28-year-old won’t be Superbike mounted but instead ride under the Robbie Bolger-run Stop and Seal Yamaha banner in the Kawasaki Supersport class, where he’s destined to have a major say on who wraps up the 2025 championship – with his ‘new’ teammates Jack Mahaffy and Archie McDonald the leading contenders.

Ryde was also a former World Supersport campaigner and British Supersport number two before he switched to Superbikes, so he’s certainly stepping back into familiar territory.

Ryde’s appearance will be his third in Australia, having competed in the 2015 and 2017 World Supersport rounds at Phillip Island, scoring a hard-earned fourth place in the latter on the tail of Aussie Anthony West.

The Bend will be a new frontier, but the Englishman knows all about dealing with pressure and expectation as a leading light in the world’s most competitive Superbike title competing against the likes of Scott Redding, Bradley Ray, Leon Haslam and Aussie Josh Brookes.

Only last weekend at Brands Hatch, Ryde (Yamaha) became the first rider to retain the British Superbike title since Shane Byrne in 2017.

He’ll now take advantage of the BSB recess and the lure of warmer weather to make his way Down Under for the two Kawasaki Supersport races at The Bend, with Mahaffy leading on 265pts from fellow Stop and Seal rider McDonald (241pts) and Oli Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki, 234pts).

To purchase tickets to the ASBK grand finale, click here.