The 2004 Superbike World Championship was the seventeenth FIMSuperbike World Championship season. The season started on 29 February at Valencia and finished on 3 October at Magny-Cours after 11 rounds. The traditional Japanese round at Sugo was replaced with a new Canadian round which was scheduled for 4 July at the Mont-Tremblant, near Quebec. Though no explanation was given for the change, it was seen as some form of revenge after the refusal of the Japanese manufacturers to back the 2004 rules.[1] The Canadian round was eventually canceled after a circuit inspection determined that the amount of work necessary to bring the venue up to WSBK standard could not be carried out in time for the proposed date.[2]
2004 was the first season all bikes had to use control tyres, provided by Pirelli.[3] Partly because of the control tyre rule, no factory bikes were entered by Japanese manufacturers.
James Toseland won the riders' championship and Ducati won the manufacturers' championship.