Not everyone wants a sports bike. Over the last decade, sales of sports bikes have tailed off, with customers favouring the refinement and comfort of tourers and adventure bikes. Sports bikes are singled-minded of purpose. You spent your time hunched over a tank with your knees around your ears and your bum in the air. However, when the weather is right, when the roads are clear, and when you really want to feel a raw, visceral sense of excitement, nothing comes close. While the big manufacturers have shifted focus to more comfortable, liveable machines, the sports bike is far from forgotten. Let's take a look at the ten best choices on the market today. So, in no particular order, because we don't want to start any fights, here we go...
Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP
Starting from £23,499
It was this bike's great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather which started it all, but things have moved on a lot since its modest 893cc beginnings. However, the Fireblade received arguably its largest overhaul in 2020, transitioning from a reasonably friendly machine to the snarling beast it is today.
Now packing 214bhp and a riding position slightly less comfortable than the seat on a budget airline, the current generation Fireblade, particularly in top-of-the-tree SP guise, is a force to be reckoned with. It's one of the best handling bikes on our list, and with its vast array of electronic trickery working away in the background, 214bhp has never been more accessible. It also helps that it looks stunning in its tricolour HRC livery.
The asking price of £23,499 for the SP is a bit punchy, but you get what you pay for. However, if the price is still a bit too rich for your blood, it's also worth considering the 2017-2020 SP, which can be picked from about £10,000. Everyone, at some point, should own a Fireblade.
Honda CBR650R
Starting from £8,499
If the Fireblade feels like a step too far in terms of price or performance, it's baby brother may be a suitable alternative. With 94bhp on tap, it's not going to set the world on fire, but it is going to provide you with most of the thrills, especially if you do most of your riding on public roads. If you're not able to be quick with 94bhp, you're unlikely to be much quicker with double that.
Power aside, the CBR650R handles like a dream. While it may not be as sharp as its more potent sibling, it fulfils the important needs of balance, stability, agility and engagement. It rides well without being jarring or terrifying, and even novice riders should be able to bend their will without issue. Clear instruments, simple controls and its feeling of accessibility make for a true gateway drug to sports bikes. Honda will even supply one in 35kW A2-friendly form, too.
At £8,499, the CBR650R is a veritable bargain and something new riders should certainly consider if they're leaning towards sports bikes. For an additional £162, you can fit the OEM quickshifter kit, which is not only a bargain compared to most other OEM quickshifters, but also adds an element of fun and performance. Make sure you add it when you buy one.
Yamaha R1
Starting from £18,800
Arguably the most famous letter and number combination in the history of motorcycling. R1. Along with the Fireblade, the R1s roots stretch back 25 years to 1998, and although it's evolved and transformed over that time, regenerating as frequently and variedly at Doctor Who, the R1 has always been a top competitior.
Now in its 7th generation, the R1 packs nigh on 200bhp and is stuffed full with electronics to keep everything under control. However, it's the sound of an R1 which really sells it. As opposed to the whining drone of most inline-four engines, the R1's cross-plane motor and its unique 270°, -180°, -90°, -180° firing order provide a distinct, meaty growl, distinguishable from several miles away.
Furthermore, if you pay a little more cash, you could opt for the R1M, which features semi-active Öhlins suspension, data-logging and full carbon-fibre bodywork (which you probably don't want to damage and that's not going to be a cheap fix). If you absolutely have to have the best, the R1M is worth a peep.
Yamaha R7
Starting from £8,900
As the CBR650R is to the CBR1000RR, the R7 is to the R1. It's another gateway bike, providing new riders with sports bikes thrills, but in a more gentle, welcoming package. Based on the award-winning MT-07 naked - which really is a hilariously fun machine, go and try one - the R7 has the looks of a junior R1 with the accessibility of the MT-07.
Powered by a 106bhp parallel twin, the R7 was designed to cater for racing in the Super Twins category, meaning that if you're buying an R7, you're at least buying something you can genuinely say was designed for racing.
It's slim, light, aerodynamic and with enough grip, dynamism and electronic safety nets to stop new riders from getting into too much trouble.
Suzuki GSX-R1000
Starting from... no
I wasn't sure whether or not to include Suzuki's sports bike. Mostly because it's been discontinued in Japanese and European markets since the end of last year. However, there are still a few new bikes available for sale, so you may need to be quick if a GSX-R tickles your fancy. Alternatively, you could important one from north America or, for some reason, the Philippines.
As Suzuki looks to concentrate its efforts in other areas, it's a tragedy that the GSX-R will become a rarer sight with each passing year. The GSX-R has always been a sort of 'no frills, all the fun' machine, providing a bulletproof rev-happy motor in a sharp but approachable frame.
The final generation of the GSX-R1000 is able to put our just shy of 200bhp and featured enough electronic wizardry to keep up with its rivals. We'll mourn its demise.
BMW S 1000 RR
Starting from £17,150
The S 1000 RR came as a bit of a surprise when it launched in 2009. When we heard the first rumours that BMW was making a sports bike, many imagined their traditional boxer engine hammered into a recycled frame and with some cheap plastic fairings. They couldn't have been wrong. I don't believe any motorcycle has ever taken the world by storm as much as the S 1000 RR.
It originally launched with 199bhp, which, although fairly normal today, was completely ground-breaking in 2009. However, in 2023, the S 1000 RR is now squeezing 210bhp out of its inline-four at 13,750rpm. It's packed with every feature you could possibly need from a sports bike—including heated grips and cruise control if you so desire.
Not only is the BMW's sports bike one of the most competent all-rounders on this list, it's also one of the best in terms of value for money. Starting at a little over £17,000, it's hard to argue against its value for money. However, if you have a little more cash on the hip, you can select the optional £4,480 M Package with carbon-fibre wheels. An extra £1,400 will give you electronic suspension and a host of riding modes.
There are certainly worse places to put your money.
Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Starting from £24,799
If green is your thing and the common-or-garden ZX-10 isn't enough for you, and you spend a lot of time on the track, it's more aggressive, more potent, and more green RR brother may be just the ticket. With titanium conrods, shorter, lighter pistons and high-lift cams, the ZX-10RR is designed as a peaky track machine built on the already excellent ZX-10R.
As you'd expect, the extra engine trickery comes at a price, at £7,300 more than its slightly less-focused brother, but if you play for team green and you absolutely, positively must have the best of the best, you'll want the RR. However, if that's all a bit too much to countenance, the R still offers fantastic value for money, being one of the quickest, most agile litre sports bikes on sale today.
Ducati Panigale V4 S
Starting from £27,495
It used to be the case that riding a Ducati sports bike was an exercise in folding yourself up into the most uncomfortable position possible and then embarking on a ride where you'd be far too hot and sweaty after seven minutes of riding. And that was if the bike started in the first place. However, these days, modern Ducatis are pure dream machines; a fantasy in red, a crimson joy.
The Panigale V4 S has everything. 215bhp in 175kg, arguably the best electronics package available today, and looks to make a grown man cry. It's style, it's speed, and these days, it's reliability and comfort. To be honest, it's hard to find fault with the Panigale, and unless your bank manager is likely to suffer from a hideous cardiac episode at the thought of buying one, there's no reason not to go for it.
If you're really flush with cash, you might want to consider the V4 SP2 with its host of fancy extras. Moreover, if you want the best of the best, the 172kg, 238bhp V4 R is available for an almost coma-inducing £38,995.
Ducati Panigale V2
Starting from £16,795
If the V4 S is a bit too much of a wallet-punch, there's a cheap alternative. Sure, you won't get the MotoGP-esque V4 soundtrack, but the V2 provides a lot of the thrills for more than £10,000 less than its big brother.
With 155bhp on hand from its 955cc twin, the V2 isn't exactly lacking in power and it has the looks, style and sophistication many people want from a sports bike. In fact, in many ways the V2 might be the better option, particularly if you're an infrequent visitor to race tracks, and I wouldn't mind better than the V2 wouldn't be far behind its V4 brethren across the country's B-roads on a sunny Sunday.
I wouldn't go as far to claim the V2 is as new-rider-friendly as the CBR650R above, but if you got into the world of motorcycling with Ducatis in mind, it may not be the worst choice in the world, if your budget allows for it.
Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100
Starting from £21,500
Sticking to Italy for the moment, there's another choice if you want Italian drama and flair, but for some reason you're not keen on a Ducati. The RSV4 Factory 1100 is pure Italian dream machine with chassis featured taken straight from the RS-GP MotoGP machine. With 214bhp on tap, it's right up there in terms of power, happily matching the Panigale, but with the added benefit of being a more comfortable ride for taller riders.
However potent the RSV4 may be, it's a surprisingly accessible machine with a plush and compliant ride, but that's not to say it won't take off like a stabbed rat with a suitable twist of your wrist. At the end of the day, it's a 214bhp motorcycle, so you'll always need to have your wits about you when you're taking it for a spin.
As with a lot of the other bikes on this list, there is a more wallet-friendly version available. The RSV4 1100 (minus the 'factory' bit) starts at £17,000 and should be more than enough for most. However, there's nothing quite the lure of a Factory, so if you can, you should.
