BLEED FOR SPEED; SUPERBIKE IS SUPER FAST, AND SUPER COOL, FOR BOSTROM BROTHERS.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

Zooming through turns at 180 mph and jockeying for position against 30 other motorcycle racers, AMA Superbike competitors Ben and Eric Bostrom of Granada Hills never worry about risks.

They're too busy having fun.

``I wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world. I couldn't imagine a better life,'' said Ben, 25, the defending AMA Superbike champion who along with brother Eric will compete in the World Superbike Championship at Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey at 11 a.m. Sunday.

``As far as fun goes, it's super cool,'' said Eric, 22.

Ben was sidelined for three months after tearing a tendon in his hand during a 170-mph crash in December. Eric, who broke his leg in March, said injuries ``are all part of the challenge.''

``I think an injury like Ben suffered might have been career ending or at least career limiting,'' crew chief Jim Leonard said. ``Ben's a tough little guy. The doctors hadn't yet scheduled him for a skin graft and he was talking about getting back on the bike to test. That's guts.''

Surprisingly, Ben said he usually doesn't realize how fast he's really going.

``Yes, we're going 185 miles per hour, but it's all relative,'' he said. ``It's hard to describe, but in some ways it feels the same way being in a car on the freeway going 65 because we're all going the same speed.''

Eric also downplays the physical challenge of controlling a two-wheeled vehicle with a ratio of almost one horsepower per pound.

``Racing is very mental,'' Eric said. ``You have to be on. If you're just a little bit off, you're going going to be in a lot of trouble.''

Eric competes for team Ducati and Eric for Honda. The brothers have raced head-to-head 12 times, and Eric, now in his first full-time season, has beaten his older brother twice.

Eric said the 100-kilometer Laguna Seca race will be the most competitive he's faced in his career because every contestant is considered world class.

``There's more fast guys in this race than I've ever seen before,'' Eric said. ``The field has more depth.''

The brothers have been competing since they were 4 and 6 years old. The difference now is that the top racers in the world can make seven figures, and the motorcycles cost nearly half a million dollars.

``The good thing about racing against each other is that there's always been a real rivalry between us for as long as I can remember,'' Eric said. ``Now no matter who wins, we're just happy for each other because there's so many good racers. We have to worry about all 30 guys, not just each other. But going against each other and training together still raises our performance levels.''

Ben, the AMA Rookie of the Year in 1992, has progressed steadily. He placed fourth in the AMA 600 Supersport championship in 1996 and second in the AMA 750 Supersport Championship in 1997 before winning the Superbike title, which is the highest domestic division.

Eric turned professional at 16 and captured the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship in his third year, when he won nine of 11 races. He reached the elite Superbike level late last season and won two-of-four races and finished in the top five in the other two.

A CLOSER LOOK

Who: Ben and Eric Bostrom

What: World Superbike Championship

Where: Laguna Seca Raceway, near Monterey

When: Sunday, 11 a.m.

Fast facts: The Bostrom brothers, who live in Granada Hills, have been competing in motorcycle races since they were in kindergarten. The Superbike class is motorcycle racing's elite division. Ben, 25, was the AMA Rookie of the Year in 1992 and won the Superbike Series championship in 1998. Eric, 22, turned pro at age 16 and won two of four races last season. The two have gone head-to-head 12 times in their careers, with Ben winning 10 of the meetings.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1) Speed demons and adrenaline junkies like Granada Hills residents Eric, left, and Ben Bostrom will compete in the AMA World Superbike Championship.

Hans Gutknecht/Daily News

(2--3) Ben and Eric Bostrom

BOX: A CLOSER LOOK (see text)