Everything You Need to Know About Sport Bikes

If you’ve been looking for a whole new type of riding experience, a sport motorcycle can definitely fit the bill. Offering high speeds and racing-inspired performance, sport bikes are truly in a class of their own. To learn more, contact Virgil Naff’s or stop by our location in Lynchburg, Virginia, also serving Roanoke and Charlottesville.

What Is a Sport Motorcycle?

Sport motorcycles originated in Japan and were a relatively late entry to the North American motorcycle market. In fact, the sport bike industry is still mostly dominated by major Japanese brands like Kawasaki® and Yamaha®. 

Compared to other motorcycle styles, sport bikes are designed almost purely with performance in mind. These bikes usually combine a powerful engine with a lightweight frame to provide ultimate speed, power and performance. The design of the bike also encourages a more aggressive riding style and allows for much tighter turning and more nimble handling than most other bikes. 

Sport Bike Specs and Features

Sport bikes are available with a wide range of engine sizes. At the lower end of the range are bikes with a smaller 300 to 400cc engine, while the higher end bikes can have engines up to 1,000cc. These more powerful sport bikes are mostly designed for racing or track riding and require an extremely experienced rider in order to handle all of that speed and power. For this reason, most sport bikes you’ll find for sale tend to be around the 600 to 650cc range. These mid-range sport bikes still provide plenty of speed, but are easier to handle. 

Sport motorcycles are all about going fast. As a result, the design usually focuses much more on safety and performance than it does on comfort or convenience. High-performance suspension systems, powerful brakes and quick acceleration are some of the things that set sport bikes apart. Many higher-end sport bikes also feature numerous safety features like anti-lock brakes and traction control. Still, what you won’t find is much of anything in terms of comfort.   

Advantages and Drawbacks of Sport Motorcycles

Generally speaking, sport bikes are usually only recommended for more experienced riders. Their lightning-quick acceleration, extreme speeds and incredibly responsive handling allow for amazing performance, but these same factors can also make them extremely dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. In fact, many sport bikes can easily exceed most speed limits while still in first or second gear.

One thing that you should definitely know about sport bikes is that they are not designed for long trips. The aggressive riding posture means that they tend to be uncomfortable to ride for longer periods. Still, most people who buy sport bikes do so because of the speed and performance, not because they plan on riding cross country. 

There is no doubt that sport bikes can be a fantastic choice for anyone looking for an exhilarating, high-speed thrill ride. In fact, no other type of motorcycle can even begin to compete with a sport bike in terms of pure power and performance. For more information on sport bikes, contact Virgil Naff’s. We are located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and also serve Roanoke and Charlottesville.