An ambitious 16-round calendar was announced for 1992 but the success of the World Championship fuelled the promoters' insistence on higher hosting fees and more riders' travel money paid by each circuit, eventually costing them the American and Swedish rounds of the championship. Still the grids were bigger than ever - helped significantly by the FIM's decision to merge the separate European Superbike Championship into the World Championship's European stops. Entry lists of nearly 100 riders and sometimes 70+ trying to qualify meant that there were enough non-qualifiers to fill a grid of their own; 1992 was the only season where consolation races were a staple of the weekend's timetable. Ducati dominance again defined the season with Polen and Roche top-2 in the standings once more, albeit by a much smaller margin this time from Phillis. Several new names became regular features at the front of the grid in the most competitive season to date, and with the top 2 riders announcing their departure from the championship at the end of the year the new generation of riders would lead the way into 1993.