Superbike racing had firmly planted itself in the world of international motorcycle sport by 1994; the introduction of Japan's national Superbike championship and the changing of the Suzuka 8 Hours to a superbike-based event gave the Japanese contingent of manufacturers two huge reasons to invest. Honda brought in their brand new RC45 - designed specifically to win the World Championship and mostly sold to the public out of necessity - but their competitors at Ducati did the exact same with the new 916. Honda had also poached Aaron Slight from Kawasaki, and he quickly inserted himself into the Fogarty/Russell fight that continued from 1993. All three had their share of misfortune: Fogarty missed the 2nd round with a broken wrist, Russell crashed in both Spanish races, and Slight lost a vital 2nd-place finish when his team was supplied with illegal race fuel. The nail-biting finish promised in 1993 finally happened at Phillip Island in October; Fogarty's hard-earned first championship was secured by a puncture for Scott Russell in the final race.