Thursday, March 25, 2010

Characteristics Of Sport Bike Motorcycles


There are different types of motorcycles that are designed for high speed on the roads. Some of the most popular ones are sport bikes.

Sport bike motorcycles put emphasis on performance and speed. That means that the motorcycle’s riding comfort and luggage carrying capacity is sacrificed.

Sport bike motorcycles are fast and highly maneuverable. They can accelerate and decelerate quickly. The engines of these bikes are high performance and are placed inside lightweight frames.

This arrangement ensures that these vehicles have rigid chassis and good structural integrity. High performance braking pads and multi-piston calipers that are clamped into large vented rotors highly improves the motorcycles’ stopping power.

Sport bike motorcycles also have suspension systems that are made up of special, lightweight alloys and materials. The front and rear tires of sport bike motorcycles are wide and large. The tires enable them to handle high cornering speed at bigger leaning angles.

The fairings or covers of a sport bike motorcycle are designed to minimize aerodynamic drag but offer less wind protection for the rider. Such high performance bikes are so well designed that a rider can put one on the race track after buying them straight from the show room.

Although superbly designed and fine tuned, sport bike motorcycles are not recommended for riding in the street in comparison to other motorcycles. For example, the rider has to place his feet on higher foot pegs that move the legs closer to the body.

He has to lean low over the gas tank to grip the handlebars, giving him a lower profile to reduce drag. This places the rider’s crotch in close access with the fuel tank and the seat.

Due to this riding position, sport bike motorcycles are sometimes coined as “crotch rockets.” This position is quite uncomfortable after quite a while.

Also, sport bike motorcycles do not have enough room or features for rider comfort. For example, they do not have large windshields, center stands, fairings for protection against the rain or braces for saddle bags.

An offshoot of a standard sport bike is the sport touring bikes. Although sharing the same characteristics, they are endowed with more comforts than a typical sport bike.

For example, they have more comfortable rider ergonomics and added capacity for storage. However, they are heavier and are not as powerful as standard sport bikes.

The aerodynamic design for such a large, fast and powerful bike makes sports bike motorcycle visually appealing. Driving one will surely make you an eye turner.

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