As vintage bikes set one record after another at auctions all over the world, sportbikes prices have remained fairly stable, even some rare, exclusive models.
This stands to reason as the whole concept of a sportbike is a fairly new one, sure, in the past there were race bikes but beyond that there were technically just regular road going motorcycles. Different classes of motorcycle were born after dirt bikes got more popular, then gradually motorcycles got put into different classes. Sportbikes only really caught on as a term in the late 80s, meaning to say most of them are still freely available on the used market and are not exactly collectors items just yet.
The exception to that rule are these bikes, bikes that are already incredibly rare and valuable even though they may not be all that old.
8 Bimota Tesi H2: $75,700
Bimota went back to their roots in frame design for their latest creation, by taking the astonishing supercharged 230 horsepower Kawasaki H2 engine and giving it a home in an improved chassis with hub steering, in-so-doing they created one of the most incredible modern motorcycles.
Although the hub steering adds a substantial amount of weight, it is offset by the lighter aluminum alloy chassis. Only a limited number of these bikes will be made, but it is currently still on offer, we are not sure for how much longer though considering the KB4 has just been released.
7 Ducati Desmosedici RR: $85,000
When it was launched it was the first of its kind, not a homologation special, but a full on MotoGP bike made road legal and available to the public.
As far as limited edition bikes go, this has a healthy sort of production number. 1,500 of these incredible machines were made, all of which sold rather quickly even though they cost around $70,000 new. Today they are still relatively affordable all things considered, with some bikes selling for around $50,000, but one bike with no mileage on it recently set the high watermark.
6 Ducati Panigale V4 Superleggera: $100,000
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You wouldn’t think this would be more expensive than an actual MotoGP bike, but it most certainly is.
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The most exclusive motorcycle currently on sale is very much a homologation special of sorts, with Ducati able to get an edge on their SBK rivals by cladding this machine in more carbon fiber than the average racing car.
5 Honda RVF750R RC45: $106,144
Only around 200 of these incredible homologation machines were made, not only were they rare but their internals didn’t share any parts with other production bikes, so if one is still running it is worth a mint.
As the years go by and these bikes get even more rare, we suspect their value will actually increase exponentially.
4 Honda VFR750R RC30: $121,000
It is hard to say whether this or the 85 gixxer was the first modern sportbike, if you value availability then it should be the gixxer, but on looks and performance this has to be it.
The RC30 is an incredible machine, even though it is now over 30 years old it can still mix it up with modern sportbikes. It also won two SBK titles for Honda, which gives it a certain prestige.
3 Honda NR750: $181,500
Honda can be pretty shrewd when it comes to racing, and this was a fine example of how they worked their way around the homologation rules of the time.
They effectively produced a 750cc V8, with 4 oval pistons that acted like two pistons in one. It was heavily over-engineered, even with the astronomical $60,000 price-tag Honda still lost money on each bike they sold. Today they are worth a bit more than that.
2 Honda RC213V-S: $237,700
Other than the aforementioned Ducati, this is the only other street legal MotoGP bike. Honda also kept this one a little more exclusive, only producing 250, all of which are spoken for, all of which cost in excess of $180,000 new.
80% of the bike is the same as the one Marc Marquez rode to victory just a few short years ago, even the new 2022 bike shares more than just a passing resemblance. If you consider how much development money gets poured into these machines, the $230,000 somebody paid for one at auction doesn’t seem so bad.
1 Tamburini T12: $350,000*
Not a lot is known about this, other than the fact that it is Massimo Tamburini’s parting gift to the world. It is powered by a BMW inline-4 engine that makes 230 horsepower, and all the bodywork is sculpted carbon fiber.
Even the price is not made public, most quote the $350,000 figure, but that is very much an unofficial figure, it could be anything, as we all know once an artist passes away his work is worth substantially more.