It began on 26 February at Phillip Island and ended on 7 October in Magny-Cours after 14 rounds.
The season saw the number of complete motorcycles in use limited to one per rider; this meant that the rules allowing bike changes during a race (flag-to-flag) were cancelled.
[1][2] Aprilia rider Max Biaggi clinched his second SBK championship, pipping Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes by just half a point.
The provisional race schedule was publicly announced by the FIM on 24 September 2011 with thirteen confirmed rounds and two other rounds pending confirmation.
[3] Russia appeared for the first time in the calendar with a round at the brand-new Moscow Raceway.