Malaysian Superbike Championship 2025 Round 2

Sepang Circuit | Selangor | Malaysia

36°31'59.4"N 140°13'35.8"E

There are two constants in life: death, taxes, and the fact that Sepang will always try to roast you alive like a satay stick left on the grill too long. Round 2 of the Malaysian Superbike Championship landed smack in the middle of that classic equatorial furnace, and I was there, lenses fogging, sweat pouring, and heart racing just as hard as the bikes out on track.

Let me paint you the scene. You step out of the paddock into the pit lane, and it’s like opening the oven door at Christmas when the turkey’s in full swing. The heat doesn’t just hit you—it climbs inside your leathers, takes a seat, and refuses to leave. Photographers like me shuffle around with towels draped over our heads, lenses aimed at the tarmac, trying not to pass out before the lights go out. And yet, the riders? They thrive in it. Somehow.

The MSBK600: Young Guns, Hot Blood

If the 1000s are the kings of Sepang, the 600 class is where the gladiators sharpen their swords. These bikes might not pack the same sledgehammer punch as the superbikes, but what they lack in brute force they make up for in knife-edge racing. Close quarters, elbows out, slipstream battles down the kilometre-long straight — the kind of stuff that makes you hold your breath through the viewfinder.

From Turn 1 onwards, the 600 boys (and girls) were at it like a pub brawl, only with more horsepower and fewer pint glasses flying around. Sepang’s wide, sweeping bends give them room to dance, and dance they did. One would dive inside, the other would cut back on exit, and the pack behind would be licking their lips, waiting for someone to leave a door open.

It’s beautiful chaos. The 600s don’t just race — they swarm. Like bees, angry ones, if bees could pull 15,000rpm and leave Michelin rubber tattoos on the asphalt. You can see the future superbike heroes in these fights, riders testing their limits in the furnace, learning exactly how late is too late when braking into Turn 15. Spoiler: most of them still don’t know, and that’s what makes it brilliant.

The MSBK1000: Heavyweight Showdown

Then come the big boys. The MSBK1000 class is thunder on two wheels, pure theatre from start to finish. When those bikes fire up, the sound alone rattles your ribcage, and you know it’s about to get serious. These machines eat straights for breakfast and spit them out like burnt toast.

Watching a superbike come screaming out of Turn 2 and hammer down towards Turn 4 in the blistering heat is like watching a fighter jet skim the runway. There’s nothing polite about it — it’s raw aggression, speed, and physics stretched to the breaking point.

But here’s the thing: at Sepang, it’s not just about outright speed. The heat cooks tyres quicker than a roadside nasi lemak stall cooks eggs. By lap five, you can see the rubber shimmering, little black marbles littering the corners. That’s when the real skill kicks in — the dance of throttle control, conserving grip, riding the fine line between glory and sliding out into the gravel.

The 1000cc battles are more tactical than the 600s. Less swarm, more chess match — but played at 300 km/h. Riders sit in the slipstream, biding their time, waiting for the one mistake, the one twitch, the one chance to launch a move into Turn 9 or the hairpin at Turn 15. When it happens, it’s like an explosion — and you hear the crowd, small but passionate, erupt under the grandstand roof.

Heat, Sweat, and Shutter Speeds

Now, let’s not pretend I wasn’t suffering out there. Behind the camera, it’s its own kind of race. You’re running up and down Sepang’s endless straights, sprinting from one photo spot to the next, trying not to melt into the tarmac while carrying lenses the size of small children. My shirt could have been wrung out and sold as a sports drink by the end of the day.

And yet, through the haze, through the dehydration and sunburn, you get those shots. A superbike on the edge of a highside, rear tyre squirming, rider body English in full panic save. A 600 sliding gracefully through a corner, sparks flying, knees kissing the kerb. These are the moments that make Sepang worth every drop of sweat.

The Magic of Sepang

Here’s what makes Sepang special: it’s a track that punishes and rewards in equal measure. Wide enough for overtakes, technical enough to separate the brave from the cautious, and hot enough to make everyone question their life choices. Riders love it. Riders hate it. Usually both within the same lap.

Round 2 of the Malaysian Superbike Championship reminded me why I keep coming back. The 600s brought the chaos, the 1000s brought the thunder, and the weather made it all feel like racing at the gates of hell.

At the end of the day, I staggered back to the paddock, memory cards full, body empty, brain buzzing from too much heat and adrenaline. The riders, meanwhile, peeled off their leathers, steam practically rising, grins plastered across their faces. This is Malaysia. This is Sepang. This is racing where only the toughest survive.

And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So that’s Round 2 done and dusted — or more accurately, cooked and chargrilled. If Sepang was this intense, Round 3 promises to be just as mad, and I’ll be right there with my cameras, a gallon of water, and probably a dodgy sunburn. See you at the next round!

Scroll down for my full photo gallery