WITH a host of new or facelifted sportsbikes to choose from this year, the options for the best machine of 2020 are varied and exciting.
With everything from V4s to singles, this is the list of the best sport bikes you can go out and buy in 2020. We’ll be covering everything, from CBT friendly 125s, A2 challengers, mid weights and the 1000cc and over machines too.
Quick Specs - Kawasaki Ninja 125
- Price £4,399
- Engine 125cc 4-stroke Single
- Weight 164kg
- BHP 14.8
With its big-bike looks and team-green paintjob, the Ninja 125 is about as much bike as you can get on a CBT. With its punchy motor, head-turning looks and handling to match, Kawasaki have created a fun and easy to ride learner legal motorcycle.
Quick Specs - Honda CBR500R
- Price £6,099
- Engine 471cc 4 stroke parallel twin
- Weight 192kg
- BHP 46.2bhp
Honda’s sweet handling CBR500R is a jewel of a bike, that really shouldn’t be overlooked in favour of bigger machinery. It’s comfy, quick, and enthralling to ride. Add to that Honda’s legendary reliability, cheap insurance and those baby-Blade looks – there really is very little to dislike about this bike!
Quick Specs - Kawasaki Ninja 400
- Price £5,499
- Engine 399cc Parallel Twin
- Weight 168kg
- BHP 44.4bhp
Taking a leaf out of the H2’s book and wearing a slinky trellis frame, the Ninja 400 looks every inch the supersport machine. Only the riser bars and low-set, comfortable footpegs give a clue that this Ninja is not just a one trick pony. Once the weekend is over, the Ninja makes a surprisingly good commuter too.
Quick Specs - Honda CBR650R
- Price £7,729
- Engine 649cc 4-stroke In-line 4
- Weight 207kg
- BHP 94bhp
Like the CBR500R only a tad heavier, twice as much power and the same eye-catching looks. The launch of the CBR650R was in Almeria, just north of the circuit. The mix of fast straights, sweeping bends and grippy tarmac made for a very memorable experience indeed.
Quick Specs - BMW S1000RR
- Price £15,290
- Engine 999cc 4-stroke In-line 4
- Weight 197kg
- BHP 207bhp
For 2019, BMW’s flagship superbike has ditched the boss-eyed styling and slimmed down to make the S1000RR a much more svelte and slicker looking package that gives the Bavarian marque a very attractive range-topper. For only a second-generation model up against a host of seasoned pretenders to the sportsbike throne, the BMW S1000RR makes a very compelling argument.
Quick, slick to ride and desirable, whilst there are still some kinks to iron out in the package - which will no doubt come in time - the BMW S1000RR holds its head very high in accomplished competition.
Quick Specs - Yamaha R1
- Price £16,799
- Engine 998cc 4-stroke In-line 4
- Weight 201kg
- BHP 200bhp
The new 2020 Yamaha R1 may looks familiar from the outset to its predocessor but the Iwata marque has worked hard on the oily bits to fine-tune what was a strong, if dated package. Indeed, the changes have brough the R1 right back up into contention with its main rivals with an updated electronics package that makes excellent use of the power in real-world situations - whilst sharpening its edge on the track - and endowing it with a soundtrack this side of a MotoGP machine.
Quick Specs - Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R SE
- Price £18,949
- Engine 998cc 4-stroke In-line 4
- Weight 208kg
- BHP 203bhp
The top-spec Ninja gets a raft of electronic goodies for 2019 including, electronic steering damper, IMU, quickshifter, race-style – cassette transmission and finger followers to help boost top end. With 213hp at full chat – yes that frontal airscoop actually increases the bhp at speed – the new Ninja is surely one of the most formidable superbikes of 2019
Quick Specs - Ducati Panigale V4R
- Price £34,995
- Engine 1103cc 4-stroke 16v
- Weight 172kg
- BHP 234bhp
We're already a huge fan of the Ducati Panigale V4 but the 'race-ready' Ducati Panigale V4R is a special way to really emphasise the superbike's thoroughbred DNA into a road-going package. It's blisteringly fast and emits a soundtrack that makes the hairs on your neck stand on end, with the 16,500rpm redline goading you into getting the full effect from that marvellous V4.
Born from the desire to give its WorldSBK riders the best possible chance to compete with Kawasaki on the racing stage, the Ducati Panigale V4R has thus sprouted wings which do their bit in keeping the power (relatively) tamed and while it thus loses some of the standard V4S' friendlier torque and more compliant ride, this is the Superbike that really emphasises what these road-to-track machines are about.
Quick specs - Honda CBR1000RR-R SP
- Price £23,499
- Engine 999cc 4-stroke 16v
- Weight 201kg (wet)
- BHP 214bhp
With the focus for this bike being to put Honda back on the top step in championships like the BSB and WSBK there are some features which the casual road rider will need to either forgive or learn to live with. It’s not that the bike is more focussed or harder to live with day to day than other top-flight sportsbikes. It’s just that for so long riders have looked to the Fireblade as a bastion of ease of use and of levels of comfort you can’t find elsewhere in the superbike market. This latest Fireblade isn’t like that, but it is so much better in many ways.
