The 2025 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) produced an enthralling season of racing, with an assortment of standout moments delivered across the eight rounds. With the series now complete and champions crowned, CycleOnline looks back at the Top 10 moments throughout the season.

Image: Foremost Media.

1. Waters sweeps the opener:
A clean-sweep of the season-opener at Phillip Island for reigning ASBK champion Josh Waters was effectively all we needed in terms of what to expect from the 38-year-old this year. Talk about starting a series on the right foot, the now five-time champ qualified fastest, before going on to win each of the three encounters at the picturesque Victorian venue. The performance set the tone, and the rest became history.

2. Missing McDonald in Queensland:
Conflicting racing commitments kept Supersport title contender Archie McDonald from competing at the third round at Queensland Raceway, which added a huge dent to his national title aspirations. He conceded 38 points to eventual champion Jack Mahaffy at that event and lost the title by 12 markers. There’s no asterisk on Mahaffy’s triumph, though, because he controlled the points lead throughout the season to end up with the number one plate. McDonald’s absence, however, certainly had an impact.

3. Allerton wins in the rain:
A second race victory at QR snapped a nine-year winless streak for three-time ASBK champion Glenn Allerton, which is a long time between drinks! The victory reflected an improved season overall for the 44-year-old, with a switch to the ultra-competitive Ducati Panigale V4 R yielding fifth in the standings – which is five places higher than his 2024 result. That victory was one of the feel-good moments of this year, showing that he is still plenty capable of running with the best on any given day.

Image: Foremost Media.

4. YRT and Stauffer split:
This was a shock, as the Yamaha Racing Team announced a split with Max Stauffer after just five races into their partnership together. The 21-year-old was drafted in to replace the outgoing Cru Halliday at the end of 2024, with the pair racing to fourth overall at the season opener, before recording a 10-6-9-7 scorecard across the four rounds that followed. That drew an end to their official pairing, with Stauffer contesting select rounds since as part of the Stop and Seal Racing team. YRT, on the other hand, brought in Troy Herfoss for an end-of-season stint in blue.

5. Ryde dominates The Bend:
It’s always neat when world-class talent arrives in Australia and contests the domestic series, which is exactly what took place at the season-finale at The Bend, where this year’s British Superbike champion Kyle Ryde contested the Supersport division. The Englishman was the benchmark in South Australia, racing his way to double victories in what was a convincing display as part of the Stop and Seal team.

6. Late-season form of Jones:
It was the case of a bit too little, too late for Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones, but at the same time, it is better late than never. He was supreme during the latter stages of the series, powering to victory at both One Raceway and The Bend, however, by that point, Waters had streaked away, which was too much for Jones – himself a triple ASBK champion – to make a serious dent in. He still wound up the series in P2, and can take confidence into next year knowing he was the rider to beat at the conclusion of 2025.

Image: Foremost Media.

7. Waters makes history:
Another point on Waters, but he was in exceptional form this year, and ultimately delivered what was a record-setting five ASBK class championships. Waters’ first crown came all the way back in 2009 – 16 years ago now! – so it’s quite the achievement, and the level of competitiveness both he and McMartin Racing displayed had his competition scratching their heads at various points of 2025. History has been made, and it was done in brilliant style.

8. Rookie standout Nahlous podiums:
A telling part of the rookie contingent in 2025, JJ Nahlous capped off what was a strong campaign by earning third overall at The Bend thanks to a 2-2 scorecard. That sees him complete this year in sixth position, which you’d have to think makes him a hot prospect in the rider market for 2026. He, too, was part of the riders who made a bike switch during the season, swapping Yamaha equipment for a Honda CBR1000RR at both One Raceway and The Bend. His form was ultimately strong on each machine, showing that as a rider, he has made strong gains in his young career.

9. Halliday makes Ducati switch:
Cru Halliday was very vocal exiting Queensland Raceway, where emotions boiled over after what was an ultra-challenging weekend of racing marred by electrical gremlins on a Michelin-shod R1M. He also underwent a significant overhaul after that round, with the Stop and Seal team acquiring a McMartin Racing-prepared Panigale V4 R for the experienced longtime factory Yamaha rider to contest the remaining rounds on. Sixth overall at One Raceway was a good result, although the switch probably didn’t yield all the gains anticipated – nevertheless, it was a big mid-season moment.

10. Mahaffy is the Supersport champion:
Victorian standout Jack Mahaffy balanced both outright speed and consistency this year to earn the Supersport category championship. He was all class this season, scoring a strong haul of points at each round and demonstrating the traits of a true champion. It was a well-earned title, and one that both he and the team can be proud of.