What is Sports Bike?

A Sports bike is a type of motorcycle which falls under the performance-bike segment. The manufacturers optimize the sports bikes for acceleration (pick-up), speed, braking, and cornering abilities. However, these performance parameters come at the cost of comfort and fuel economy compared to other motorcycles. So, generally, most of the Sports motorcycles around the world have varying sizes and prices than other bikes.According to Soichiro Honda, Founder of Honda, the Super Sports bikes primarily offer ‘the speed and the thrill.’ However, many believe that the sports bike’s enjoyment comes mainly from its ability to perform on paved highways. The characteristics of sports motorcycles include cornering on paved roads and handling. They also deliver adrenaline acceleration, braking power, and record top-speed.

Design of a Sports Bike:

Traditionally, Sports bikes have narrow and hard seats. In these bikes, the riding position allows the feet to rest at the rear while the hands bend in the elbows. Thus, it forces the rider to lean forward; as if virtually sleeping on the bike. This helps to reduce the aerodynamic drag. So, the spine remains bent forwards while riding a sports bike. The cornering ability in these is immense because of the low center of gravity and low ground clearance. Hence, the sports bikes are designed to use for a short distance but at high-speed such as during racing events.Furthermore, the sports bike features low and narrow handlebars, which provide an awkward riding posture. It does not provide comfort to the rider. The footpegs are placed at the rear near the exhaust or the rear mono-shock. Hence, they are very close to the rider’s body. While cornering, the rider has to lean sharply, almost touching the knees to the ground. Thus, it further reduces the riding comfort.

Other Qualities:

Riding a Sports bike requires the highest concentration. So, the ideal ride is for a short distance and time. There is so much strain on the rider’s body & muscles, and his/her mind with not so good riding posture and high speeds.Sports-bikes are good to ride when ridden at high speeds. However, riding for long periods at high speeds can cause exhaustion and discomfort. Riding the bike with bent hands causes strain on the forearm muscles. Additionally, the legs and thigh muscles often experience cramps after a few hours of riding.Characteristics of a Sports Bike:

Sports bikes are the ones which most people use for short-distance or in the sporting event/racing. The distance ranges from 70 km to 200 km or so in a day. They feature a high-revving & smooth engine, which makes the sports bikes sprint faster than other types of bikes.

According to their usage, the sports bikes have four main categories: Lightweight, Middleweight and Super Sports, and Hyper sports bike. These are further divided into Naked, Dual-Sports, Sports Touring, and Adventure Sports sub-categories. So, depending upon the application, the manufacturers offer different engine capacities for these bikes.Thus, some entry-level Sports motorcycles are those with engine capacities of 300-500cc and power output below 50bhp. However, the mid-level Sports motorcycles offer engine sizes between 500-750cc, which offers more power. Some high-end bikes offer engine capacities above 750cc up to 1000cc.

However, the manufacturers offer more variations according to the local regulations and market. One of these upmarket Hyper Sports bikes, such as the Kawasaki Ninja H2, delivers a power output of a whopping 310bhp. It recently broke the record of top-speed at a mind-boggling 400 Km/h.Often, Sports motorcycles are sleek with complex design and many premium features. They also have a low center of gravity, which gives better handling and control. So, technically, they are expensive to manufacture than commuter bikes. They have less comfort and low mileage, and high maintenance cost. Primarily, their focus is on cornering ability, pick-up, and top speed.

These bikes use lightweight materials such as cast aluminum to reduce weight and improve handling. A few of these bikes have dual exhaust pipes that deliver a deep, rumbling exhaust sound. They also offer premium features such as the Motorcycle TCS, ABS, wider tires, high-performance front & rear suspension, and alloy wheels to improve the performance.