What is a Sport Motorcycle?

Conventional wisdom defines a sport motorcycle as being in the 600 cc class, weighing less than 500 pounds, designed with short handle bars and with rear mounted foot controls, subjectively classified quick acceleration and steering, reasonably controllable handling and brakes, along with flashy paint and bodywork.

Myself, I tend to define a sport motorcycle as one that is most enjoyably ridden while looking through the butterflies, rather than one most enjoyably ridden while looking at the butterflies!

600 cc’s

Driven by international competition rules and the retail market, realities have caused manufacturers to concentrate heavily on product development that produces 600 cc motorcycles that win races. It is the old adage of “win on Sunday – sell on Monday” that makes this the premier sporting class. 600 cc motorcycles can be produced in quantities that return economies of scale to manufacturers and sold at prices well within the budgets of younger market segments. In other words, the market has defined the classification. This is more conventional wisdom.

But can one really limit the classification to 600 cc’s? Let your eyes wander through the offerings on Speed Channel and you will see many big bikes that meet, or exceed, all but those first two criteria. These motorcycles fall quickly into meeting my own definition of a sport motorcycle. Maybe the amount of sport should be measured by the number of butterflies ridden through. The butterfly factor.

Big Stuff

This is where the heavy weights step into the ring. Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, and even BMW offer motorcycles with high butterfly factors. Other than the design factors of acceleration and handling, there are easily noticed wear factors that aid the uninitiated in identifying a sport motorcycle. Most notably, these are foot pegs that have been worn down from the underside, and a very thin “chicken strip” (the “chicken strip” is the amount of tire not scuffed along its outer tread). These factors become present when the motorcycle is leaned over in curves farther than their less sporty stable mates.

Preparing for the Bottom Line

A sport motorcycle identification can be attached to any motorcycle designed to facilitate the release of that restriction from excitement you learned from either your parents or during driver training.

Yes, if sliding a leg over the saddle makes you want to look through the butterflies rather than at the butterflies, then you have found a sport bike!