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Aside from the given fact that, unless something pretty catastrophic happens between now and the races themselves on Sunday, Troy Bayliss is going to take the WSB crown this weekend, things are hotting up all over the place in the big bike class.

We're getting towards the end of the silly season now and riders are being confirmed for teams and factories all over the place. As I am writing this column news has just come through that AMA triple champion Ben Spies has literally just signed on the dotted line for Yamaha to partner our own Tom Sykes, which will make a young, strong team with everything to prove on the world stage - a very exciting prospect indeed.

We've also had, over the past couple of days, confirmation that double British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne (pictured) has completed his contract negotiations and will be riding for the Sterilgarda Ducati squad next season.

Plus we've been given the news that Johnny Rea has indeed signed for the 2009 season in WSB with Ten Kate. The Dutch squad originally brought the youngster into the WSS championship last year with an option to take him to WSB if he impressed enough.

He's impressed plenty this year with a stunning string of rides and plenty of professionalism to go with them. JR will be part of a three-man line-up in 2009 alongside Carlos Checa and Riyuichi Kiyonari. Plenty of Fireblades out there next year.

There's another Brit in with a shout of riding in the class too, Leon Haslam is currently in talks with the Stiggy Honda squad for a deal that looks likely to put him into WSB on another Fireblade next year.

So that means that we already have confirmed Tommy Hill on the Althea Fireblade, Tom Sykes on the Yamaha, Rea on the Ten Kate bike, Byrne on the Sterilgarda Ducati and more than likely Haslam riding for Stiggy.

That's definitely four riders for next season in WSB, possibly five. Who said that the UK was lacking in talent?

In WSS we've also had it confirmed that Cal Crutchlow will be riding the factory Yamaha in 2009 and at the moment there's a lot of rumours that Eugene Laverty (who impressed so much last time out at Vallelunga on the Yamaha as a stand-in rider, bagging a third place finish whilst dealing with a broken left foot) will ride the Parkalgar Honda next season too.

Which takes the total up to a fast seven across the two championships, and we've still got time for another couple to find their way into the party too before all the rides are snapped up.

Incredible stuff for any British motorcycle racing fan. I can hardly wait.

There was a good chance we could have seen Haslam out in WSB this weekend too. Kiyonari fell during tests at Magny Cours last week and has broken his collarbone.

The injury is severe enough to need plating and Kiyo was whisked back to Japan for the necessary surgery, ruling him out of Magny Cours (time will tell if he will race at the final round in Portimao).

For a week or so it's been unclear who, if anyone, would replace Kiyo on Sunday. During the Silverstone round of the British Superbike championship Halsam was much hyped as the man likely to get the ride. But this morning the Ten Kate team have said that double German Superbike Champion Martin Bauer will get the shot instead. Frustrating from a British point of view, but it will be interesting to see what Bauer will be able to do on the quick Honda.

So he's one to watch on Sunday, as are Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga.

Haga is off to Xerox Ducati next year as replacement for Bayliss off course, but in the past week it's been confirmed that Corser has completed his contract negotiations and will ride the all-new BMW superbike next year as team-mate to Ruben Xaus.

So both Haga and Corser are settled for next year, which means that the pressure is off and they can both just get out there and race - and anytime that happens with either of those riders it always delivers spectacular action.

Bayliss will be King this weekend, but already the eyes are focussing on the thrills to come next year.

See you on Sunday, live as usual from 9.30am on British Eurosport.

Tony Carter / Eurosport