Sport bike
Encyclopedia
A sport bike, also written as sportbike, is a motorcycle
optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy
in comparison to less specialized motorcycles. Soichiro Honda
wrote in the owner's manual of the 1959 Honda CB92 Benly Super Sport that, "Primarily, essentials of the motorcycle consists in the speed and the thrill," while Cycle World
's Kevin Cameron says more prosaically that, "A sportbike is a motorcycle whose enjoyment consists mainly from its ability to perform on all types of paved highway – its cornering ability, its handling, its thrilling acceleration and braking power, even (dare I say it?) its speed."
Motorcycles are versatile and may be put to many uses as the rider sees fit. In the past there were few if any specialized types of motorcycles, but the number of types and sub-types has proliferated, particularly in the period since the 1950s. The introduction of the Honda CB750
in 1969 marked a dramatic increase in the power and speed of practical and affordable sport bikes available to the general public. This was followed in the 1970s improvements in sport bike suspension and braking commensurate with the power of the large inline fours that had begun to dominate the sport bike world. In the 1980s sport bikes again took a leap ahead, becoming almost indistinguishable from racing motorcycles. Since the 1990s sport bikes have become more diverse, adding new variations like the naked bike and streetfighter
to the more familiar road racing
style of sport bike.
resting inside a lightweight frame
. High tech and expensive materials are often used on sport bikes to reduce weight.
Braking systems combine higher performance brake pads and disc brake
s with multi-piston calipers that clamp onto oversized vented rotors. Suspension
systems are advanced in terms of adjustments and materials for increased stability and durability. Front and rear tires are larger and wider than tires found on other types of motorcycles to allow higher cornering speeds and greater lean angles. Fairings
may or may not be used on a sport bike; when used, fairings are shaped to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible and provide wind protection for the rider.
The combination of rider position, location of the engine and other heavy components, and the motorcycle's geometry
help maintain structural integrity and chassis rigidity, and determine how it will behave under acceleration, braking, and cornering. Correct front-to-rear weight distribution is of particular importance to the handling of sport bikes, and the changing position of the rider's body dynamically changes the handling of the motorcycle. Because of the complexity of modeling all the possible movements of different sized riders, to approach perfect tuning of a motorcycle's weight distribution and suspension is often only possible by having a bike customized or at least adjusted to fit a specific rider. Generally, road racing style sport bikes have shorter wheelbases than those intended for more comfortable touring, and the current trend in sport bike design is towards shorter wheelbases, giving quicker turning at the expense of a greater tendency for unintentional wheelie
s and stoppie
s under hard acceleration and braking, respectively.
(AMA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
(FIM) set rules that only apply those who choose to participate in their competitions. Nonetheless, by present day standards in Europe, North America and the rest developed world, sport bikes are usually divided into three, four, or five rough categories, reflecting vaguely similar engine displacement
, horsepower
, price and intended use, with a good measure of subjective opinion and fudging for the sake of simplicity. Marketing messages about a model from the manufacturer can diverge from the consensus of the motorcycling media and the public. Sometimes the classes used in motorcycle racing
are approximated in production models, often but not always in connection with homologation
.
The sport bike classes in common usage are:
The terms supersport and superbike are sometimes applied indiscriminately to all high performance motorcycles. Categorization by engine displacement alone is a crude measure, particularly when comparing engines with different numbers of cylinders like inline or V fours
with parallel and V twins, not to mention the greater power for a given displacement of two-stroke engines over four strokes.
In the less developed world, smaller engine sizes are the norm, and relative terms like small, mid sized and large displacement can have different meanings. For example, in India in 2002 there were about 37 million two-wheelers, but as of 2008, there were only about 3,000 motorcycles, or fewer than one in 12,000, of displacement 1000 cc or more. Similarly, the perception of relative sizes has shifted over time in developed countries, from smaller to larger displacements. When the original superbike, the Honda CB750
, appeared in 1969, it was called a "big four," while today an inline four of 736.5 cc would be classed in the middle range.
Besides having product lines
that span from entry level through high end sport bikes, many manufacturers add depth to that line by having pairs, or several pairs, of similar sport bikes aimed at riders of different levels. These are designed to appeal to riders seeking more or less extreme performance features. The more expensive model will be in the vein of a race replica, offering the latest technology updated with frequent design revisions, while the lower cost model typically relies on older technology, can have a more relaxed riding position, and is generally more practical for non-road racing tasks such as urban commuting and carrying passengers or baggage, and offering lower fuel, insurance and maintenance costs. Examples of these paired models are Buell
's Firebolt and Lightning, Ducati's 916
/748
through 1198
/848
paired series, Honda
's CBR600RR
and F4i
middleweights and RC51
and CBR1000RR
liter-class, several different concurrent models in Kawasaki
's Ninja
line, and Yamaha
's R6
and 600R.
motorcycles share many features of sport bikes, but they are generally considered a class all their own. These are mid- to large-sized motorcycles that offer more carrying capacity, more relaxed ergonomics, and more versatility than specialized sport bikes, while being lighter and more agile than touring motorcycle
s.
Some sport bikes are marketed as race replicas, implying that the model sold to the public is identical to the one used in racing, or at least is closer to the racing version than non-replica models. Suffixes R or RR applied to model codes can be interpreted as standing for replica or race replica. The term race replica can also be used to distinguish the period of sport bike production from Japan and Europe since the mid 1980s, representing an evolution from the superbike period that began in 1969. The sport bike, or race replica, era began with the 1984 Honda VF750F and the 1985 Suzuki GSX-R750
and featured full fairings
, but sport bikes with small or no fairings have proliferated since the mid 1990s. These are called naked bikes or streetfighters, and they retain many of the performance features of other sport bikes, but, besides abbreviated bodywork, they give the rider a more upright posture, by using, for example, higher handlebars
instead of clip ons. The streetfighter name, associated with motorcycle stunt riding
and perhaps hooliganism on public roads, can imply higher performance than the sometimes more tame naked bike, which in some cases is a synonym for a standard motorcycle. Others define naked bikes as equal in power and performance to sport bikes, merely absent the bodywork.
The same period that saw the naked and streetfighter variants of the sport bike theme also had a resurgence of the versatile standard in response to demand for a return of the Universal Japanese motorcycle. Supermoto
-style street bikes, constructed with a completely different set of priorities than a road racing style sport bike, have also entered the mainstream, offering another option for riders seeking a spirited riding experience. The nickname muscle bike has been applied to sport bikes that give engine output a disproportionate priority over braking, handling or aerodynamics, harking back to the Japanese superbikes of the 1970s. A similar sensibility drives the so-called power cruiser motorcycles, based on cruiser
class machines but with horsepower numbers in league with superbikes.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
in comparison to less specialized motorcycles. Soichiro Honda
Soichiro Honda
was a Japanese engineer and industrialist, and founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..Honda was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan on November 17, 1906. He spent his early childhood helping his father, Gihei, a blacksmith, with his bicycle repair business. At the time his mother, Mika, was a weaver. At...
wrote in the owner's manual of the 1959 Honda CB92 Benly Super Sport that, "Primarily, essentials of the motorcycle consists in the speed and the thrill," while Cycle World
Cycle World
Cycle World is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the U.S. and is now the largest motorcycling magazine in the world...
's Kevin Cameron says more prosaically that, "A sportbike is a motorcycle whose enjoyment consists mainly from its ability to perform on all types of paved highway – its cornering ability, its handling, its thrilling acceleration and braking power, even (dare I say it?) its speed."
Motorcycles are versatile and may be put to many uses as the rider sees fit. In the past there were few if any specialized types of motorcycles, but the number of types and sub-types has proliferated, particularly in the period since the 1950s. The introduction of the Honda CB750
Honda CB750
The Honda CB750 is a motorcycle built in several model series between 1969 and 2003 and 2007 that is recognized as a milestone for Honda's successful introduction of a transverse, overhead camshaft inline four-cylinder engine that has ever since been the dominant sport bike configuration...
in 1969 marked a dramatic increase in the power and speed of practical and affordable sport bikes available to the general public. This was followed in the 1970s improvements in sport bike suspension and braking commensurate with the power of the large inline fours that had begun to dominate the sport bike world. In the 1980s sport bikes again took a leap ahead, becoming almost indistinguishable from racing motorcycles. Since the 1990s sport bikes have become more diverse, adding new variations like the naked bike and streetfighter
Streetfighter
A streetfighter is a sport bike that is customized by removing the fairing, and making other changes that result in an overall more aggressive look. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the streetfighter look are a pair of large, round headlights, tall, upright...
to the more familiar road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
style of sport bike.
Design elements
With the emphasis of a sport bike being on speed, acceleration, braking, and maneuverability, there are certain design elements that most motorcycles of this type will share. Rider ergonomics favor function. This generally means higher foot pegs that move the legs closer to the body and more of a reach to a lower set of hand controls, such as clip on handlebars, which positions the body and weight forward and over the tank. Sport bikes have comparatively high-performance enginesMotorcycle engine
A motorcycle engine is an engine that powers a motorcycle.Motorcycle engines may be two-stroke or four-stroke, reciprocating or Wankel, single-cylinder or multicylinder , or single-rotor or twin-rotor . The engine typically drives the rear wheel, but some small bikes such as the Velosolex have a...
resting inside a lightweight frame
Motorcycle frame
A motorcycle frame includes the head tube that holds the front fork and allows it to pivot. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing, stressed member. The rear suspension is an integral component in the design. Traditionally frames have been steel, but titanium, aluminium, magnesium,...
. High tech and expensive materials are often used on sport bikes to reduce weight.
Braking systems combine higher performance brake pads and disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s with multi-piston calipers that clamp onto oversized vented rotors. Suspension
Suspension (motorcycle)
A motorcycle's suspension serves a dual purpose: contributing to the vehicle's handling and braking, and providing safety and comfort by keeping the vehicle's passengers comfortably isolated from road noise, bumps and vibrations....
systems are advanced in terms of adjustments and materials for increased stability and durability. Front and rear tires are larger and wider than tires found on other types of motorcycles to allow higher cornering speeds and greater lean angles. Fairings
Motorcycle fairing
A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, with the primary purpose to reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induced hypothermia and of the engine...
may or may not be used on a sport bike; when used, fairings are shaped to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible and provide wind protection for the rider.
The combination of rider position, location of the engine and other heavy components, and the motorcycle's geometry
Bicycle and motorcycle geometry
Bicycle and motorcycle geometry is the collection of key measurements that define a particular bike configuration. Primary among these are wheelbase, steering axis angle, fork offset, and trail...
help maintain structural integrity and chassis rigidity, and determine how it will behave under acceleration, braking, and cornering. Correct front-to-rear weight distribution is of particular importance to the handling of sport bikes, and the changing position of the rider's body dynamically changes the handling of the motorcycle. Because of the complexity of modeling all the possible movements of different sized riders, to approach perfect tuning of a motorcycle's weight distribution and suspension is often only possible by having a bike customized or at least adjusted to fit a specific rider. Generally, road racing style sport bikes have shorter wheelbases than those intended for more comfortable touring, and the current trend in sport bike design is towards shorter wheelbases, giving quicker turning at the expense of a greater tendency for unintentional wheelie
Wheelie
In vehicle acrobatics, a wheelie is a vehicle maneuver in which the front wheel or wheels come off the ground due to extreme torque being applied to the rear wheel or wheels. Wheelies are usually associated with bicycles and motorcycles, but can be done with other vehicles such as cars, especially...
s and stoppie
Stoppie
The stoppie , is a motorcycle and bicycle trick in which the back wheel is lifted and the bike is ridden on the front wheel by carefully applying brake pressure. It is also sometimes called a front wheelie.-General description:...
s under hard acceleration and braking, respectively.
Classes
There is no universal authority defining the terminology of sport bikes or any other motorcycle classes. Legal definitions are limited by local jurisdiction, and race sanctioning bodies like the American Motorcyclist AssociationAmerican Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
(AMA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
(FIM) set rules that only apply those who choose to participate in their competitions. Nonetheless, by present day standards in Europe, North America and the rest developed world, sport bikes are usually divided into three, four, or five rough categories, reflecting vaguely similar engine displacement
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
, horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
, price and intended use, with a good measure of subjective opinion and fudging for the sake of simplicity. Marketing messages about a model from the manufacturer can diverge from the consensus of the motorcycling media and the public. Sometimes the classes used in motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
are approximated in production models, often but not always in connection with homologation
Homologation (motorsport)
In motorsports, homologation is the approval process a vehicle, race track or standardised part must go through to race in a given league or series. The regulations and rules that must be met are generally set by the series' sanctioning body...
.
The sport bike classes in common usage are:
- Lightweight, also called entry level, small or beginner bikes. Some two strokes in this class have dramatically higher performance than the four strokes, being likened to miniature superbikes. Sport bikes with engine displacements of up to about 500 cc are usually in this class.Middleweight, mid-sized, mid-level, or supersport. Some of the models in this range qualify for racing in the classes AMA Supersport ChampionshipAMA Supersport ChampionshipAMA Supersport is the 600cc class for AMA motorcycle racing, held from 1988. The current national champion is Graves Motorsports' Ben Bostrom who succeeded the younger brother of Nicky and Tommy, Roger Lee Hayden....
, British Supersport ChampionshipBritish Supersport ChampionshipBritish Supersport Championship is a support series to the British Superbike Championship , British Supersport runs one round a weekend at each BSB event. The BSS championship is seen as a stepping stone for the younger talent to go up to the British Superbike Championship...
and the Supersport World Championship, but many middleweights do not have a significant presence in racing. Displacements of 600 cc are typical.Superbike, liter-class, or literbike, i.e 1000 cc. As with supersport, many of the models in this class compete in superbike racingSuperbike racingSuperbike racing is a category of motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles. Superbike World Championship is the international superbike championship, and national superbike championships are held in many countries as well, including the United Kingdom, the United States,...
.- Open class, hypersport or hyperbike are terms sometimes used in lieu of superbike as a catch-all for everything larger than middleweight. Alternatively, these terms mark a class above the superbikes for the largest displacement sport bikes with the highest top speeds, with weights somewhat greater than the superbike class.
The terms supersport and superbike are sometimes applied indiscriminately to all high performance motorcycles. Categorization by engine displacement alone is a crude measure, particularly when comparing engines with different numbers of cylinders like inline or V fours
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a V form engine with four cylinders and three main bearings.-Automobile use:Lancia produced several narrow-angle V4 engines from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda, Augusta, Artena, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia....
with parallel and V twins, not to mention the greater power for a given displacement of two-stroke engines over four strokes.
In the less developed world, smaller engine sizes are the norm, and relative terms like small, mid sized and large displacement can have different meanings. For example, in India in 2002 there were about 37 million two-wheelers, but as of 2008, there were only about 3,000 motorcycles, or fewer than one in 12,000, of displacement 1000 cc or more. Similarly, the perception of relative sizes has shifted over time in developed countries, from smaller to larger displacements. When the original superbike, the Honda CB750
Honda CB750
The Honda CB750 is a motorcycle built in several model series between 1969 and 2003 and 2007 that is recognized as a milestone for Honda's successful introduction of a transverse, overhead camshaft inline four-cylinder engine that has ever since been the dominant sport bike configuration...
, appeared in 1969, it was called a "big four," while today an inline four of 736.5 cc would be classed in the middle range.
Besides having product lines
Product lining
Product lining is the marketing strategy of offering for sale several related products. Unlike product bundling, where several products are combined into one, lining involves offering several related products individually. A line can comprise related products of various sizes, types, colors,...
that span from entry level through high end sport bikes, many manufacturers add depth to that line by having pairs, or several pairs, of similar sport bikes aimed at riders of different levels. These are designed to appeal to riders seeking more or less extreme performance features. The more expensive model will be in the vein of a race replica, offering the latest technology updated with frequent design revisions, while the lower cost model typically relies on older technology, can have a more relaxed riding position, and is generally more practical for non-road racing tasks such as urban commuting and carrying passengers or baggage, and offering lower fuel, insurance and maintenance costs. Examples of these paired models are Buell
Buell
Buell may refer to:* Abel Buell, was a goldsmith, and counterfeiter, in the American colonies* Augustus C. Buell, fraudulent author* Bebe Buell, model* Buell Elementary School, the site of a school shooting in 2000* Buell Motorcycle Company...
's Firebolt and Lightning, Ducati's 916
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is an Italian sports motorcycle manufactured by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. In contrast to Japanese inline four-cylinder competitors of the time, its V-twin engine produced less outright power, but a more even torque spread...
/748
Ducati 748
The Ducati 748 was the smaller version of the Ducati 916, an Italian sports motorcycle manufactured by Ducati from 1994 to 2002. It was succeeded by the Ducati 749.-Design:The Ducati 748 is identical in almost every way to the 916...
through 1198
Ducati 1198
The Ducati 1198 is a sport bike made by Ducati since 2009. For the 2011 model year there are two models: the 1198 and 1198SP . The 1198 shares design elements with its predecessor 1098, but has more power and torque, redesigned wheels, lighter headlights, traction control, and lighter fairings ,...
/848
Ducati 848
The Ducati 848 is a V-twin sport bike manufactured by Ducati. It was announced on November 6, 2007 for the 2008 model year and replaces the 749, although the 848 model name was already listed on the compatible parts table for the 1098 fuel tank, giving away the secret a few months early. The 848...
paired series, Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
's CBR600RR
Honda CBR600RR
The Honda CBR600RR is a sport motorcycle that was introduced by Honda in 2003 as a race replica version of Honda's CBRFx series motorcycles. It won every Supersport World Championship title from 2002 to 2008.- Racing roots :...
and F4i
Honda CBR600F4i
The Honda CBR600F4i was a sport bike produced by Honda from 2001 to 2006.-History:For the 2001 model year Honda released an upgraded version of the popular CBR600F4 with intentions of becoming more competitive in the middleweight sport bike class...
middleweights and RC51
Honda RC51
The Honda RC51, also known as the RVT1000R or VTR1000 , is a V-twin motorcycle produced by Honda from 2000 to 2006.- Mechanicals and chassis :...
and CBR1000RR
Honda CBR1000RR
The CBR1000RR, also known as the Fireblade, is a liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder sport bike that was introduced by Honda in 2004 to replace the CBR954RR.-Racing roots:...
liter-class, several different concurrent models in Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
's Ninja
Kawasaki Ninja
Ninja is the trademarked name of a series of Kawasaki sport bikes, that started with the 1984 GPZ900R.-Standard series:* Kawasaki Ninja ZX-150RR* The Japan-only Kawasaki ZXR250 was sometimes rebranded as a Ninja ZX-2R by importers* Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R...
line, and Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
's R6
Yamaha YZF-R6
Yamaha's YZF-R6 is a 600 class sport bike motorcycle, first introduced in 1998, updated in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008 and revised in the years in between.-History:...
and 600R.
Variations
Sport touringSport touring
A Sport touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle that blends the performance of a sport bike with the long-distance capabilities of a touring motorcycle, while providing comfort and relative safety to the rider....
motorcycles share many features of sport bikes, but they are generally considered a class all their own. These are mid- to large-sized motorcycles that offer more carrying capacity, more relaxed ergonomics, and more versatility than specialized sport bikes, while being lighter and more agile than touring motorcycle
Touring motorcycle
A touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle designed for touring. Although any motorcycle can be used to tour with, manufacturers have brought specific models designed to address the particular needs of these riders...
s.
Some sport bikes are marketed as race replicas, implying that the model sold to the public is identical to the one used in racing, or at least is closer to the racing version than non-replica models. Suffixes R or RR applied to model codes can be interpreted as standing for replica or race replica. The term race replica can also be used to distinguish the period of sport bike production from Japan and Europe since the mid 1980s, representing an evolution from the superbike period that began in 1969. The sport bike, or race replica, era began with the 1984 Honda VF750F and the 1985 Suzuki GSX-R750
Suzuki GSX-R750
The GSX-R750 is a 750 class sport bike motorcycle from Suzuki's GSX-R series of motorcycles. It was introduced in 1985 and can be considered to be the first of the modern racer-replicas with many race-derived technologies and the looks of a Suzuki Endurance racer at an affordable price.-Air-cooled...
and featured full fairings
Motorcycle fairing
A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, with the primary purpose to reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induced hypothermia and of the engine...
, but sport bikes with small or no fairings have proliferated since the mid 1990s. These are called naked bikes or streetfighters, and they retain many of the performance features of other sport bikes, but, besides abbreviated bodywork, they give the rider a more upright posture, by using, for example, higher handlebars
Motorcycle handlebar
Motorcycle handlebar refers to the steering mechanism for motorcycles. Handlebars often support part of the rider's weight, and provide a mounting place for controls such as brake, throttle, clutch, horn, light switch, and rear view mirrors....
instead of clip ons. The streetfighter name, associated with motorcycle stunt riding
Motorcycle stunt riding
Motorcycle stunt riding, sometimes referred to as simply stuntriding, is a motorcycle sport characterized by stunts involving acrobatic maneuvering of the motorcycle and sometimes the rider. Common maneuvers in stunt riding include wheelies, stoppies, and burnouts...
and perhaps hooliganism on public roads, can imply higher performance than the sometimes more tame naked bike, which in some cases is a synonym for a standard motorcycle. Others define naked bikes as equal in power and performance to sport bikes, merely absent the bodywork.
The same period that saw the naked and streetfighter variants of the sport bike theme also had a resurgence of the versatile standard in response to demand for a return of the Universal Japanese motorcycle. Supermoto
Supermoto
Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that alternates between three types of track: flat track, motocross and road racing, using motorcycles designed for that purpose...
-style street bikes, constructed with a completely different set of priorities than a road racing style sport bike, have also entered the mainstream, offering another option for riders seeking a spirited riding experience. The nickname muscle bike has been applied to sport bikes that give engine output a disproportionate priority over braking, handling or aerodynamics, harking back to the Japanese superbikes of the 1970s. A similar sensibility drives the so-called power cruiser motorcycles, based on cruiser
Cruiser (motorcycle)
Cruiser is the term for motorcycles that mimic the design style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson. The market for models evocative of the early cruisers has grown to embrace 60 percent of the U.S...
class machines but with horsepower numbers in league with superbikes.