All sports motorcycles are classified into the street category. The design meets the high demands for performance, which corresponds to the way the features optimization takes place, usually at the expense of the rider’s comfort. The story of sports motorcycles begins with Vincent Motorcycles, a company that back in the 50s produced motorcycles that could reach very high speeds for those times. The first real sport bike was produced by Honda in 1969. And sports motorcycle have been acclaimed ever since as the most sophisticated bikes of all.

With its first sports motorcycles Honda opened the door to innovative technologies that relied on 4-cylinder engines and front disk brakes. Then followed Kawasaki Z1 that fired competition among Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. At the international level, the Japanese ‘bike war’ put a stop to the expansion of the British motorcycling industry, and changed the market dominance. Japanese sports motorcycles thus became known as the best in the world, and they still maintain this reputation.

With sports motorcycles, the rider is interested in bike maneuverability, speed, acceleration, braking and cylinder capacity. The design matters too, but the highest emphasis falls on the high performance of the engines the quality of the breaking systems and the suspensions that provide durability and stability. In comparison with other bike categories, sports motorcycles use larger tires so that they can corner and lean at high speeds. Moreover, wind protections and external panels are meant to reduce the aerodynamic drag.

Normally, sports motorcycles are used for racing, and they are less practical for street use as compared to other bikes. They have no large windshields, center stands or saddle bags. Weight distribution and aerodynamics matter more than ergonomics and the rider’s position. It suffices to say that most of the rider’s body weight needs to rest over the tank and you can understand that the position is not exactly one to assume for long rides.

Designs differ and so does technical specificity. Sports motorcycles can have a cylinder capacity between 125 cc and 1300 cc. The smaller the bike, the easier it is to maneuver it; consequently, do not overestimate your riding capacity. Buying a 1200 cc sports bike is foolish for a beginner, because such a motorcycle is too difficult and even dangerous to ride.