Among the different types of motorcycles, sportbikes are some of the most powerful and beautiful bikes made. Essentially pocket rockets, these amazing two-wheelers come with massively powerful engines that are bolted to very light frames, allowing them to have the speed and acceleration to match or exceed the best supercars.
Despite the many models and brands, you see today, the origins of the modern sportbike is actually fairly recent. 1984 is considered the genesis of today's sportbike when Kawasaki launched the GPZ900R “Ninja.” with its water-cooled DOHC engine that made 113hp, allowing the Ninja to be be the world's first production bike with a top speed over 150mph.
As fun and exciting rides, it is no surprise that sportbikes have continued its rise in popularity with more and more people buying and riding them. Alongside this, the aftermarket modification for these cool bikes have also increased, resulting in many already great stock bikes, turned into awesome custom rides. This article takes a look at several of these awesome modified sportbikes we'd love to ride on the track.
10 Ducati 899
Launched by Ducati in 2013 as the successor to the great 848, the 899 Panigale was an immediate hit among sportbike enthusiasts. With its fresh styling and more powerful engine than it's predecessor, the Panigale (named after a small manufacturing town in Italy) gave Ducati their biggest success in recent years.
The 899 pictured above is painted in a sky blue custom color that accentuates the fairings and cowl of the bike in a distinct but way from that the standard red that Ducati's are most associated with.
9 Suzuki Hayabusa
Taking the motorcycling world by storm when it was released to the market in 1999, the 1st generation Hayabusa still retains its title as the fastest production motorbike owing to the restrictions that all bikes made after 1999 must comply with.
The above example is a thorough modification to this amazing bike makes it look even cooler. Big, fat rear tires, a detailed paint job and chrme rims make this a one of a kind Hayabusa that's perfect for some drag racing.
8 CBR 1000RR
The Honda CBR1000RR, also known as the Fireblade, is the flagship bike of Honda. Recognized by riders and critics, the CBR has received numerous bike/sportbike of the year awards as well as being a nine-time winner of the Suzuka 8 hour endurance race.
The example above is an awesome mod done to the CBR - by removing its fairings and cowl, this CBR now looks like a factory produced streetfighter bike.
7 BMW S1000RR
One of the most powerful and fastest bikes ever produced, the BMW S1000RR is a show-stopping bike that was far advanced compared to its contemporaries, when it was released in 2011. A regular superbike competitor/winner, the racing version is almost identical to the road-going unit, with only minor changes done to make it road legal.
The example shown above is S1000RR that has been modified as a drag bike together with the paint and fairing customization that makes the already mighty BMW astoundingly even better.
6 MV Agusta F3 675
This above photo is of a modified MV Agusta F3 675 from Tricana Motorcycles that made the aggressive-looking F3 into a more refined version of itself. Looking like a cross between a sport and café racer bike, the mods done to this MV Agusta retain the key design strengths of the F3 while improving and polishing it to an almost OEM level that would make the manufacturer proud.
5 Ducati V4S
The V4 is the ultimate evolution of the 899. Now powered by a detuned version of the MotoGP Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, making the bike Ducati's first large-production street bike that uses a V4 engine.
The Panigale pictured above is the V4S, which is an even more extreme, performance-oriented version that has been vinyl wrapped in white and dayglo orange racing livery that points to the MotoGP heritage of this stunning Ducati.
4 KTM RC390
While not as powerful as the other bikes on this list, this RC 390 is a great 300cc plus sportbike that is quite popular in Europe and Asia. Positioned by KTM as an entry-level racer for the lower Superbike Race Series, this Austrian bike is capable of giving the Big 3 Japanese manufacturers a run for their money.
In this example, the standard white, orange of KTM is replaced with a matte black coat that highlights the signature orange trellis frame and wheels, making the RC390 look meaner and cooler.
3 Yamaha R6
Made by Yamaha as the supersport version of their halo R1 superbike. Sitting in the middle slot of entry and literbikes the R6 is a popular bike for amateur racers and modders as seen in the cool example above where the gold-painted rims, chains and engine provide a contrast to the white and blue design of the body.
2 Suzuki GSXR1000
Launched in 2001, the GSX-R 1000 to replace the older R1100, this CBR and Ninja fighter from Suzuki actually had a smaller displacement than it's predecessor, but was faster owing to the improved engine. The bike shown above is another drag bike customization that is not as radical as most, as it retains the same fairing and tank design, making for a clean and simple look.
1 Suzuki Katana Gundam
A great example of a themed sportbike is the Icon Suzuki Katana Gundam, which takes its visual inspiration from the popular anime mecha series Gundam.
While a standard Katana is not particularly powerful, Icon motorsports tuned this bike to give it a performance boost worthy of it's Gundam name that includes better suspension, rotors, exhaust, and racing fuel ports, which in addition to its mecha correct color scheme, makes this a very cool looking bike.