ASBK ban use of Mectronik ECU in Supersport
Today, Motorcycling Australia finally ended the recent furore concerning the use of the Mectronik ECU in the Australian Supersport Championship.
A number of Supersport competitors recently lobbied M.A. for a ban on the use of the Mectronik ECU in ASBK. This request had been lodged under the ‘Performance Balancing’ clause in the ASBK Sporting Regulations.
The Stop & Seal Yamaha YZF-R6, raced by Tom Toparis, was fitted with a Mectronik ECU for this season.
The category rules stated that the use of the Mectronik YMER6WSS ECU is allowed on 2017-18 model bikes, as Yamaha had nominated the Mectronik unit as their ECU for that season. Cru Halliday raced with the Mectronik ECU in his championship-winning 2018 season.
Since then, the Mectronik ECU has also been used sporadically, but it was mainly done under the radar, with riders and teams playing their cards close to their chests. However, this year, the use of the Mectronik ECU has been met with much teeth-gnashing and conflict in the pits.
That is what led to a petition seeking to ban the use of the Mectronik ECU in the 2024 Australian Supersport Championship. Ultimately, that petition was successful, and the Mectronik ECU is now banned, effective immediately.
Motorcycling Australia Rationale
“The Rules and Technical Committee in consultation with the Australian Road Race Commission have decided to rescind the homologation of the Mektronic YMER6WSS Yamaha R6 ECU and remove it from the approved Manufacturers Nominated Kit ECU list. It was determined by the Rules and Technical Committee that the ECU in question has features that provide an advantage and in the interest of fair and even competition that the ability to use this ECU has been removed.”
Stop & Seal Team Owner Robbie Bolger told MCNews.com.au he is not taking this decision lying down. At the most recent ASBK round, Stop & Seal entered five bikes in Supersport and a Superbike. Stop & Seal also sponsors a number of other riders across the various categories.
Robbie Bolger
“I find it unbelievable that M.A. has changed these rules during the middle of the season, their own rules, that we built and spent endless hours and a whole of money developing a bike to suit.
“All this has stemmed from a protest in response to a complaint made by the father of the rider currently leading the Australian Supersport Championship by a huge 27 points as soon as he started losing races.
“I really don’t believe this is right. If I have to seek a court injunction preventing the next round from going ahead, I will, as I stand up for what I believe in. I firmly believe that Motorcycling Australia is very much in the wrong for changing these regulations during the middle of the season, effectively making us start from square one again with bike development.
“I also firmly believe that Tommy (Toparis) would win on any bike currently in the Supersport field, but it incenses me that M.A. can be so weak and backward in regards to their rules.
“If any of these riders want to make it overseas, they need to have knowledge of the Mectronik ECU, as that is what is used across the board in every bike on the World Supersport grid. That is why we adopted the use of it here, not only because it was within the rules to do so, but because that is just plain common sense that if a rider wants to progress further overseas, that is what they will be using and will need experience of.
“If ASBK wants to run their own rules completely different than anywhere else outside in the world, the least they could do is write them properly in the first place.
“Something needs to be done to bring the sport in this country into the modern world, as the current regimen we operate under makes us a laughing stock around the world while doing absolutely nothing to help progress the development of our young riders.
“To be honest, it makes me want to walk away from the sport here and take my investment overseas, but instead, I will battle with all the means at my disposal to try and correct this wrong. I am only just getting started.”
The next round of the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, is scheduled for the weekend of July 12-14 at Morgan Park.
Supersport Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Jonathan NAHLOUS | Yamaha | 130 |
| 2 | Olly SIMPSON | Yamaha | 103 |
| 3 | Jake FARNSWORTH | Yamaha | 102 |
| 4 | Tom BRAMICH | Yamaha | 102 |
| 5 | Archie McDONALD | Yamaha | 99 |
| 6 | Tom TOPARIS | Yamaha | 97 |
| 7 | Marcus HAMOD | Honda | 76 |
| 8 | Corey TURNER | Yamaha | 71 |
| 9 | Jack FAVELLE | Yamaha | 71 |
| 10 | Jack MAHAFFY | Yamaha | 64 |
| 11 | Mark CHIODO | Honda | 64 |
| 12 | Brandon DEMMERY | Kawasaki | 60 |
| 13 | Jacob HATCH | Kawasaki | 60 |
| 14 | Glenn NELSON | Yamaha | 58 |
| 15 | Hayden NELSON | Kawasaki | 53 |
| 16 | Cooper ROWNTREE | Yamaha | 28 |
| 17 | Declan VAN ROSMALEN | Yamaha | 26 |
| 18 | Corey SNOWSILL | Yamaha | 24 |
| 19 | Luke SANDERS | Yamaha | 24 |
| 20 | Scott NICHOLSON | Yamaha | 24 |
| 21 | Sean CONDON | Yamaha | 23 |
| 22 | Sam PEZZETTA | Yamaha | 18 |
| 23 | Brendan WILSON | Yamaha | 15 |
| 24 | Hunter FORD | Yamaha | 12 |
| 25 | Zach JOHNSON | Yamaha | 12 |
| 26 | Luke JHONSTON | Yamaha | 10 |
| 27 | John QUINN | Yamaha | 9 |
| 28 | Noel MAHON | Yamaha | 9 |
| 29 | Simone BOLDRINI | Yamaha | 4 |
| 30 | Kristian O’DONNELL | Kawasaki | 1 |
2024 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar
Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 23-25Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 22-23Round 3: Queensland Raceway, QLD Apr 26-28- Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, QLD Jul 12-14
- Round 5: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC Sept 7-8
- Round 6: One Raceway, NSW Oct 4-6
- Round 7: The Bend Motorsports Park, SA Nov 8-10
