Sportbike Motorcycle Reviews: Sportbike Motorcycle Tests and Comparisons

Sportbike motorcycle reviews and comprehensive testing. We take the latest bikes through their paces and evaluate them on the street and on the track.

Sportbike Reviews

Sportbikes offer the most advanced motorcycle design technology available and are designed for optimum speed, acceleration, braking and maneuverability. They have a more aerodynamic design than other classes of bikes and are a thrill to ride for experienced motorcyclists, especially in high-performance situations such as a trackday down at your local racetrack. However, comfort and amenities usually suffer at an inverse proportion to how quick they are around a racetrack.

2009 Ducati 1198 and 1198S Preview

The poor man’s 1098R?

Ducati officially announced the introduction of the 1198 and 1198S at EICMA only two short weeks ago. Now we take a look at what have been scarcely-published details about this new Super Duc....

Read Full Story

2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Review

Middleweight Green Machine More Extreme

The new ZX-6R now turns in as quick as anything in its class, feedback is abundant, its brakes are stellar, and its engine seems to be up to the class standards. If you have another brand’s 600cc sportbike, keep an eye on your mirrors....

Read Full Story

2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Review - First Ride

Major improvement for the middleweight Ninja

We were impressed with the '08 middleweight Ninja, but it was let down by a relatively flat engine that had a hard time running with the best in class. Check out our initial testing of Kawasaki’s thoroughly revised ZX-6R on Japan’s Autopolis Raceway....

Read Full Story

Sportbike Reviews

View all ReviewsSportbike REVIEWS

BMW introduces new models at Intermot A heavily updated trio of K1300s, plus an earl...
2009 Buell 1125CR Review Das Ist Good!
2009 Honda Motorcycles Released Lineup includes company firsts and updates to old fa...
2009 Suzuki Dealer Show Report Suzuki comes clean and comes out swinging for 2009
2009 Buell Motorcycles Unveiled Highlights include improved fuel economy and the rel...
2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 Unveiled in Paris New Gixxer and SV 650 spin-off, the Gladi...
2009 Kawasaki Motorcycles Released First look at the 2009s
2008 Suzuki B-King Review No cartoon character
Roehr Motorcycles 1250sc Review America Roehrs!
2009 Yamaha Motorcycles Released In addition to an all-new R1, Yamaha releases a new...
2009 Yamaha R1 Unveiled! Yamaha reveals the evolution of their revolutionary superbi...
2008 Ducati Desmosedici RR Review Baddest production sportbike ever!
2008 Aprilia Dorsoduro Review Supermoto Style Done Just Right
2008 Aprilia 850 Mana U.S. Introduction Techy, tricky Twin!
2009 Triumph Models Line-Up New 1600cc cruiser introduced
2009 Buell 1125CR Introduction Streetfighter twist on 1125R highlights updates to 20...
2009 Ducati Desmosedici Monster Concept A streetfighter Casey Stoner would ride!
2008 MV Agusta F4 1078 RR312 Review Faster than the rest
2008 MV Agusta Brutale 1078RR Review Max Brutale
2008 Suzuki GSX650F Review This is no one-trick pony
2009 Yamaha RD350 Concept Could this be the return of the two-stroke sportbike?
2008 Bimota DB7 1098 Review Brute force à la carte
2009 Yamaha R1 Preview New Yamaha Literbike Ready to Launch!
2009 BMW S1000RR Preview Stunning New Literbike Challenger
2008 Triumph Urban Sports Review Triple Threat
2008 Suzuki GSX-R600 Review America’s favorite sportbike, only better
2008 Ducati 1098R Review Your Superbike is now ready!
2008 KTM RC8 1190 Review Launching the orange torpedo
2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Review Revvy and racy in a bite-sized package
HP2 Sport At Daytona BMWs enter AMA competition
Hyosung GT650R Review Can Korea Compete With Japan Inc?
2008 Honda CBR1000RR Review Faster and Easier
2008 Ducati 848 Road Test Class In a Class of its Own
2008 BMW HP2 Sport: First Ride An Exclusive Club
2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R Review Will This Be the Literbike Leader of 2008?
2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R Preview Spin Control: a pre-ride inspection
2008 Kawasaki ZX-14: First Ride The Magic of Fewer Emissions With More Power
2008 Yamaha R6 - First Ride The Screamer Gets Some Grunt
2008 Ducatis: First Look New Middleweight Marauder, An Entry-level roadster and a Su...
2007 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S Devil On Your Shoulder
First Look: 2008 BMW HP2 Sport BMW's high-performance family grows to three
2008 Suzuki Hayabusa First Ride
First Look: 2008 Suzuki GSX-R600/GSX-R750 Almost identical twins get gussied up for ...
First Look: 2008 Honda CBR1000RR More than just another pretty face.
2008 Kawasakis: First Look
2008 Yamaha Street Preview Revised R6 and Supermoto, Too!
2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R First Look Tweaked to deliciousness
First Ride: 2008 Buell 1125R 25 Years In The Making: The Buell (Most) Everyone Wants
Buell 1125R First Look Buell Storms The V-Twin Sportbike Market
2007 Kawasaki Z1000 Mad power that looks the part
2007 Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special Review Black as night, mean as hell
2008 Suzuki - First Look
2007 BMW K1200R Sport - Quick Take The Gorilla Gets A Top Hat
Ducati 1098S – Italian Rocket Revival
2006 Kawasaki ZX-10R
2007 Ducati Multistrada 1100 The new 1,100cc size offers a very unique mix
Firebolts, Lightnings and an XB-RR: Buells in Bakersfield 2007 Buell Model Line-up P...
2007 KTM Street Bike Intro What's Angry, Orange, and Fun to Ride?
Ducati Sport 1000S Love Hurts
2007 Triumph Daytona 675 Review This isn’t your grand pappy’s Triumph
2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Full Report Stay On the Gas!
2007 Suzuki GSX-R 750 Review A Gixxer Christmas in SoCal
2007 Honda CBR600RR Intro Report
Yamaha R1 First Ride
Perfection Comes In Small Packages
2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 Model Introduction
2006 Ducati Sport Classic Paul Smart 1000LE
2006 Honda CBR 1000RR
Short Take: MZ 1000SF Does the world need another factory streetfighter? Apparently,...
2005 BMW K 1200 S "Second Time Around" The '05 K1200S: Version 1.1?
Triumph Speed Triple 1050
Graves AMA SuperStock Yamaha R1 Track Test
First Ride: 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R
2005 BMW R 1200ST and R 1200RT
2005 Ducati 999
2006 Aprilia Tuono
2005 CBR600RR Street Test
2005 Yamaha R6 Track Test
2005 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 MV Agusta F4-1000 S
2005 Yamaha R6 Intro
2005 BMW K 1200 S The '05 K1200S: Revolutionary!
2004 XB12S: Cheddarheads Strike Again
2004 Suzuki GSX-R600
2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R
2004 ZX-10R Track Test
2004 Ducati ST3 The ST3 was supposed to be a sort of a Ducati black sheep
2004 Yamaha R1 Street Test
2004 Honda CBR 1000 RR Back in the saddle again...
Living with the VFR
2004 Yamaha FZ6
2003 CBR 600 Track Test
'03 Triumph TT600 -- England Knocks off a Japanese Bike
2003 Mondial Piega In which Our Man in Italy approaches a very sharp bend...
2003 GSX-R1000: Dis be de one, Huck
First Ride: 2002 Triumph Speed Triple All the sport without the plastic.
'03 Kawy ZX-6R Kawy Brings a Gun to the Knife Fight
Getting That Factory Ride - Part Two "The Storm"
Aprilia US Track Fest A Day at the Track with 5 of Aprilia's Finest
Ducati 749: Small But Whirry
Tuono Means Thunder! One Weekend is Just That, One Weak End
Aprilia MilleR Factory Track Test
'03 Ducati SuperSports Ducati Applies the Spin in Spain
2003 CBR 600 RR -- Part One: On Paper
2003 YZF-R6: Not To Be Outdone...
'03 R6: How To Find Your Inner Redline
2003 Buell XB9S Lightning Savage Pekingese!
2003 DUCATI 999
First Ride: 2003 Buell XB9S Lightning America's First Modern Streetfighter
First Ride: Triumph Speed Four Stripped down and loving it.
Yamaha Diversion 900 Bored? You Don't Need a Hobby, You Need a Diversion
Attack Suzuki GSX-R1000 Attack of the Killer Formula Xtreme Champion
First Ride: 2002 Kawasaki ZX-12R Has Kawasaki's largest sport bike finally seen the ...
2002 Ducati 999 Comes to America
First Ride: Aprilia Tuono A Camouflaged Interceptor Jet
2002 Aprilia Mille R The cure for the common Open-Class Sportbike
2002 Ducati 998
SRX! Further Adventures of Senor X
First Ride: 2002 Yamaha YZF-R1 Jin Sato Bai!
First Ride: 2002 Triumph Speed Four Prototype A naked little hauler from Hinckley.
First Ride: 2002 Honda VFR Interceptor More than just a face-lift for the perennial ...
First Ride: 2002 Triumph 955i Daytona
2002 Buell XB9R Part One: Deciphering the Trilogy
2001 Yamaha FZ-1 Hop-up The FZ-1 Yamaha should have built
First Ride: 2001 Triumph TT600 Hinckley Shoots for the Heavens
2001 GSX-R1000 Street Ride An Atomic Bomb in the Openbike Wars
2001 Kawasaki ZRX1200S Seventies on Steroids
First Ride: Buell XB9R Firebolt The Trilogy on Two Wheels
2001 Yamaha Fazer 1000 A New Breed of Muscle Sport?
First Ride: 2001 Honda CBR600F4i The "i's" have it!
First Ride: 2001 Yamaha YZF-R6 Sheer Madness...
Project: 2000 BMW R1100S Slammin' Salmon
2001 Yamaha Fazer 1000 (2) An upright R-1
Ride Report: 2000 BMW R1100S The Ultimate Sleeper bike?
First Ride: 2000 Honda RC-51 A Terror of a Twin to Tame the Tracks (and other allite...
2000 Triumph Sprint RS Vee-Fer Stalker
Year 2000 Honda RC-51 Street Ride ... but can it go 55?
2000 MV Agusta F4 Strada Long-Term Test
2001 Suzuki GSX-R600 A chocolate starfish in hot-dog flavored water
First Ride: 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Exquisite Agony
2000 Kawasaki EX500 Just like a REAL motorcycle.
2000 Kawasaki EX250 The little green bike that could.
First Ride: Year 2000 Ducati 748
Project BMW R1100S Slammin' Salmon
2000 Aprilia Falco SL1000V A Mille Coupe
First Ride: Year 2000 Kawasaki ZX-6R Completely new. But is it the one for you?
First Ride: Year 2000 Kawasaki ZX-9R The Final Open Class Contender Checks In
Buell Blast A Better Beginner's Bike?
First Ride: Y2K Yamaha YZF-R1 Better Than Ever?
First Ride: 2000 Honda CBR929RR The Empire Strikes Back
1999 Triumph Sprint ST The Perfect Compromise?
2000 Laverdas The Affordable Exotic
1999 Buell Lightning X1 A Different Way to Dance
1999 Yamaha YZF-R7 OW-O2
First Impression: 1999 Ducati Supersport 900
Ducati Supersport 750
1999 Buell Motorcycles
First Ride: 1999 Honda CBR600F4 Little, Yellow, Different
First Ride: 1999 Yamaha YZF-R6
Honda VTR1000F Super Hawk Big Red Introduces Their Sporting V-Twin to America
Custom Bike: California Superbike School's Lean/Slide Bike
1998 Kawasaki ZX-6R The Rain in Spain is Mainly a Big Fat Pain
1998 Honda VFR800FI Interceptor Back to the Future
1998 Honda CBR 900 RR What Took You So Long?
First Impression: 1997 Kawasaki ZX-6 Urban Assault Weapon
First Impression: 1997 Kawasaki ZX-7R Steady Refinement is Kawasaki's Key to Success
BMW K1100RS And K1200RS Go Toe to Toe We were wrong on all counts
First Impression: 1997 Ducati 748
Kawasaki Ninja 250R .25 Caliber Top Gun
First Impression: 1997 Triumph T595 Daytona
1996 Honda CBR600F3, Still No. 1
Honda RS500R Track Test
Italian Stallion: Yamaha YZF1000R THE ULTIMATE ROAD WARRIOR
Triumph Daytona 900
The Grand Prix Fantasy Yamaha RZ500
Yamaha TRX 850 Japan's Other Twin
Middleweight Messiah: Riding the GSXR-750
MachineArt MK9 Grace and Beauty From New Jersey --For $10,000, Would You Buy One?
Track Test: Harley Davidson VR1000
First Impression: Aprilia RS250 Be Like Max
Honda Lite: 1996 CBR900RR Riding Impression
1996 Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace Fireblade on Steroids
Long-Term Evaluation: Triumph Sprint 900
First Ride: Suzuki RF600
First Ride: 1995 Suzuki GSXR1100 The Big Lean: Suzuki's 1995 GSXR1100 Drops Weight, ...
OVER Racing Project
Road Test: 1995 Kawasaki GPz1100
1995 Buell S2 Thunderbolt
1995 Honda CBR600F3 Introduction:Small Improvements, Big Gains
Road Test: 1995 BMW R1100RS Blue Beemer on the Backroads

Sportbike COMPARISONS

2008 Oddball Literbikes Comparison: Benelli Tornado Tre 1130 vs. Buell 1125R vs. Ducati 1098S
2008 Supersport Shootout: CBR600RR vs Daytona 675 vs ZX-6R vs R6 vs GSX-R600
2008 Literbike Shootout: ZX-10R vs CBR1000RR vs GSX-R1000 vs YZF-R1
2008 Hayabusa vs. ZX-14R Shootout Japanese hyperbikes American style
2007 Liter Bike Shootout Honda CBR 1000RR : Kawasaki ZX-10R : Suzuki GSX-R1000 : Yam...
Three Naked Euros Aprilia TuonoR :: BMW R1200R :: MVAgusta Brutale 910S
Choose Your Weapon: Best of the Best, 2006 2006 Suzuki GSXR-1000 v. 2006 GSXR-750 v....
It Ain't The Tool: Revisited
2006 Rocket Tour - World's Fastest Imbeciles 2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 and the 2006 Suzuki...
2006 Middleweight Supersport Shootout Honda CBR 600RR : Kawasaki ZX-6R : Suzuki GSX-...
2006 Open Superbike Shootout Honda CBR 1000RR : Kawasaki ZX-10R : Suzuki GSX-R1000 :...
2006 Suzuki SV650S v. 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R To SV or not SV, that is the question...
2005 Best of the Best: R6 v. GSX-R1000
The B-Team: Value Supersport Shootout 2005
Hyosung GT650 vs. Suzuki SV650
It Ain't The Tool Shootout The Canyon Carving Shootout
2005 Open Supersport Shootout Honda CBR 1000RR : Kawasaki ZX 10R : Suzuki GSX-R1000 ...
Sit Up or Lay Down? 2005 Yamaha FZ-1 v. YZF-R1
2005 Middleweight Supersport Shootout Honda CBR 600RR :: Suzuki GSX-R 600 :: Kawasak...
2004 Open Class Shootout Aprilia RSV R; Ducati 999; RC51; CBR 1000RR; ZX 10R; GSXR 1...
2003 Funky Twins Comparo BMW R1100S Replika :: Buell XB12R :: Ducati Multistrada
2003 Best of the Best Aprilia Mille R :: Kawasaki ZX-6R :: Suzuki GSX-R1000
2003 Six Hundred Shootout Part II: On the Dirty Boulevard Beauty is in the Crotch of...
2003 Six Hundred Shootout Part I: Pure Prurient Performance Is 636cc Cheating? Kawas...
Thrillo at Willow Mille R Ali vs. Smokin' Bruce's RC51
Honda CBR1100XX vs. Kawasaki ZZ-R1200 Break out the Good Silverware
What Size Victory? 600? Openbike? Twin? 600? Literbike? Twin? How many horsies can y...
Buell XB9R vs. Ducati 900SS The Italian Campaign and other Amazing Revelations
2002 Open Twins Shootout
Two Unlikely Bedfellows Inline-four vs V-four Sport Touring
2001.5 Supersport Comparo The Best of the Rest
2001 Open Class Shootout Four Big Devils in the City of Angels
2001 World Supersport Shootout World SuperSport Shootout, Part I
Year 2000 Twins Comparo Big Jugs
2000 Openbike Shootout Thank you, may I have another?
Year 2000 World Supersport Shootout 600(4)+748=Fun
Overlooked and Underrated We Are Worthy
1999 Top Speed Shootout Birds of Prey
1999 600cc Supersport Shootout Head-On Collision
The Best of the Best: Part III The Super Bowl
The Best of the Best: Part One
Open Superbikes, 1997 Power Trippers!
Sport Twins 1997 Where's the Duck?
Top 600s, 1997 1997 600cc Sportbike Shootout
Value 600-Class Sportbikes, 1997 Budget-Value 600s: Yamaha FZR600 Vs. Suzuki GSX-600...
Two for the Real World
Matchup of the Heavyweight Contenders

FIND A NEW Sportbike

Choose your bike to build, configure or compare

Looking for a specific make, model or year of motorcycle, and how it compares to the competition? Looking to design your own? Use our Bike Finder, below, to get everything you need.