Super Bikes: A Preview

Published May 20, 2009
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As a part of our special coverage on the Honda CB1000R, we delve into the unique and interesting culture of naked bikes - where it started from and where it has come today

Mid-1980s. Motorcycling has come a long way from being the bare-basic and efficient mean of transport that it started out as. The quest for speed and thrills has reached its peak, so much so that race-replicas, virtually indistinguishable from track-racing machinery, have started flowing onto public roads and being lapped up by the wannabe Freddie Spencers and Eddie Lawsons of the street. This is the dawn of the new age of sportbiking.

Thanks to all this, the bikes of that time were starting to look unlike conventional motorcycles rapidly. Beginning with the Suzuki GSX-R750 in 1985, full-faired race replicas soon became the norm for most sport bikers. The bikes, however, came with their own set of problems in the real world. The fairings that gave great aerodynamic efficiency and top-speed on the track also made for very expensive repairs and replacements for the everyday Joe in case of a street-crash. Within a couple of months, riders began stripping their bikes down to the bare basics. The naked bike was born.

Even though the reasons for the stripping were practical, the large-engined bikes, their mechanicals showing through with pride invoked a sense of rebellion and hooliganism like none other. The street-only use and in-your-face image gave the segment a new name - streetfighters. The traits have become firmly ingrained in the culture these bikes have spawned, and not surprisingly, most are used for pushing the radical limits of motorcycle stunting.

Manufacturers were quick to gauge the potential of this segment, and in 1988 Honda became the first major bike maker to launch a factory prepared streetfighter - the now iconic Honda Hawk GT NT650. Other manufacturers followed suit, with Suzuki launching the GS500S in 1989, Ducati launching its Monster in 1993 and Triumph with the Speed Triple in'94 - all of which have grown into legendary brands today.

Once the segment was formed and cemented with growing sales especially in Europe, manufacturers began pushing their bikes further in terms of design and power with every model year. The segment sees its peaks every year - the latest one is the Ducati Streetfighter based on the track scorching 1098S Superbike.

The return to a bare basic structure for the motorcycle was an interesting phenomenon - a spiritual return to the no-frills all-fun concept that lies at the root of bikes. Only this time, it was with a lot more style, character and power. Think of it as the functional lack of clothing in the stone ages, the rise of elaborate garments in the middle ages and our age's return to minimalism with head turning bikinis. Here's to a lot more of years of shedding clothes - all in the spirit of freedom and a whole lot of hooliganism!

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