Tips for Buying a Sportbike
So, you’re looking to spice things up in your life with something a little sporty? If you’ve been seduced by the sensual lines or promise of performance of a sportbike, then you’re in luck, because there’s a broad range of sports-oriented two-wheeled machines ready to quicken your pulse.
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Where to Begin?
Before deciding on a sportbike, it’s important to understand that the definition of a sportbike is a sliding scale. At one end, the class-defining legends that are race-ready replicas like the BMW S1000RR, Ducati Panigale, or Aprilia RSV4 closely resemble their track-ready counterparts, straight off the showroom floor. They’ve got big engines, big power, and big price tags, but they’re also no-nonsense, uncompromising machines. At the other end of the spectrum, bikes like the Honda CBR300R and KTM RC390 are compact, affordable, lightweight machines with small displacement single-cylinder engines that are manageable by most.
There’s a whole gray area in between that features other super sport machines in the 600 cc to 1000 cc range, while other bikes like the Honda VFR and Ducati’s confusingly named Super Sport models are more comfortable and better-suited for touring than the race-bike replicas. Even under the vaunted Ninja name, Kawasaki builds the beginner-friendly Ninja 400, race-ready ZX-10R, the Ninja SX1000 aimed at high-speed touring, or the wild H2 R with its supercharged engine.
All of this is to say nothing of the ‘naked’ bikes like the Aprilia Tuono, Yamaha MT-10, or BMW S1000R that are built on the same platforms and utilize the same engines as their super sport equivalents but without the full fairings or clip-on handlebars of the track-ready machines.
Experience and Purpose
With an understanding that there’s probably a sportbike suited for almost any rider, the next step is to determine just what type of rider you are. This means considering your riding experience, to start. If this is your first bike, be realistic about your choice. A 200-hp superbike is not only very costly and dangerous, but likely to be more hair-raising than fun to ride. Most experienced riders agree it’s more fun to ride a well-sorted, smaller bike fast than it is to hang-on for dear life with a machine that’s trying to pull your arms off. Zipping around town or on a track on a Ninja 400 is an incredible amount of fun and teaches a rider a lot more about learning how to actually ride a bike than a bigger, faster machine will.
For riders who are climbing the ladder of sportbikes, the jump from entry-level 300-cc sportbike to a repli-racer 600 cc machine is dramatic, with likely more than triple the power from double the engine. The jump from 600 to 1000 cc is equally dramatic, and in both cases, demands the rider’s respect.
Beyond experience, it’s important to be realistic about how you plan to use the bike. There are plenty of riders who love the image of an exotic, 200 hp Ducati, but whose only ambition is to show off at the local coffee shop. If this is the goal, know that the pretzel-like riding position and barely padded seat are meant for stints on the track, not cruising around.
What’s more, while incredibly stable and willing to lean deep into corners at speed, when tootling around at a walking pace in a parking lot, super sportbikes can be more challenging than less aggressive machines to maneuver. On the other hand, as a dedicated track bike, the KTM RC390 and Ninja ZX-4R are campaigned regularly in race series across the country, and have a wealth of aftermarket performance part backing, yet they’re fun to ride around town.
Riders looking to do trips or lengthy commutes on their high-performance machines will find sport touring or naked bikes far better-suited for those tasks, yet still capable of thrilling performance for an occasional track day session.
Budget
Even if your skills and purpose match the Kawasaki H2 R, you might not want to splash out the $59,000 that machine costs. Fortunately, most bikes—even very high-performance ones—don’t cost anywhere near as much as that Ninja. In fact, lightly used versions of great sport machines like the Suzuki SV650 or Yamaha R3 can be had for a few thousand bucks. Ten-to-twelve-year-old versions of the mid-sized Japanese super sports can be found for under $6,000 and offer track-ready exhilaration.
When factoring your budget, don’t forget to plan for maintenance and repairs. Typically, the top-tier super sport machines also come with top-tier parts that can get very pricey as consumables (like brakes and tires), or expect elaborate repairs in the event the bike goes down. And remember, on sportbikes, those sexy, faired bodies may look good, but they can be expensive to replace even if the bike tips over in a parking lot.
Insurance
Of course, the other potentially big-ticket expense is motorcycle insurance. Even very experienced riders with a pristine driving abstract can face very costly insurance rates in some jurisdictions—and in some cases, you may find that many companies will refuse to insure some models altogether. Doing careful diligence for insurance before buying a sportbike is absolutely crucial.
Marketplace Inventory
History
Finally, having narrowed down your search for your perfect model, a savvy shopper applies the same consideration when checking out a sportbike as you would for any other motorcycle. Get a sense from the seller how the bike was used, maintained, and cared for overall. Many sportbikes have lived a very hard life at the hands of enthusiastic riders—some of whom may not have all the skill or experience required to safely pilot or maintain them.
Look for crash damage (replaced fairing plastics, scuffed bar ends, and certainly engine casings), and for obvious signs of neglect (rust showing in joints, bolts, or fasteners; if the chain is in rough shape; if the bike is clean). If any of this is questionable, make sure you’re either getting a fantastic deal or get back on Cycle Trader to find a better choice.
The tires on a sportbike can also tell more than on some other bikes. If the surface looks like it has been melted down from edge to edge, there’s a good chance it has seen some track time. Similarly, the ‘feeler’ nubs on the foot pegs may be scrubbed down with time at the track. Note that a bike that’s had some track time isn’t necessarily a bad choice—but be comfortable about how it has been maintained and loved.
If everything else checks out, be sure the seller can provide a title for the bike, and that the vehicle information number (VIN) is intact and checks out.
The only thing left to do now, is hit the listings and get shopping!
Jeff Wilson
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