The Best Sportbikes for 2023

Why We Picked It:

Suzuki, after many years of just churning out the same bikes, seems to have found a new lease on life. Over the past 3 years, more and more new bikes have been coming from them, and there doesn't seem to be any sign of them slowing down.

As part of this wave of new models, the GSX-S1000 GT hit the roads in 2022 and was a surprisingly capable and fun sport tourer. Most of that comes from its GSX-S1000 naked cousin, and the 999cc inline four at its heart that delivers 150 HP and 79.6 lbs-ft of torque. The big change between the naked and the sport tourer, however, is the reworked rear end.

A whole new frame assembly was made to be able to attach pannier lockers on, as well as bolster the rear suspension as a sport tourer will quite often be ridden two-up. The engine management system is different as well, giving the power curve a much more linear delivery instead of the sudden mid-rev surge that makes the GSX-S1000 so much fun.

The GSX-S1000 GT also gets all the electronic tech you could want, controlled through a 6.5 inch TFT dash. You have lean-sensing cornering ABS, throttle-by-wire interacting with the ride mode selected, traction control with five distinct settings, and an excellent bi-directional quickshifter. As well, as Suzuki built great relations with partners during their racing years, you get KYB suspension, Brembo front brakes, Nissin rear brake, and Dunlop tires as standard.

Why We Picked It:

Being flat out honest here, it was a very tight race between the Aprilia Tuono V4 and the BMW R1250 RS. In fact, it was the last bike we could agree on to be added to this list, and we realize that it might be controversial to place it here instead of going with the Aprilia. So, let us explain why we chose the new kid over the old favorite.

Firstly, the 1,254cc boxer engine is the exact same unit that is in the R1250 RT. The RT is widely regarded as having one of the smoothest engines of pretty much any dedicated touring bike, so it only made sense to make a sport tourer with a world-class engine.

Another reason we chose the BMW over the Aprilia is down to comfort. Both bikes are quite pleasant to sit astride, but the BMW puts its pegs a little bit more forward and lower down, making it that little bit more comfortable for taller riders. It also has an optional Premium Package that comes with heated grips, electronically adjustable suspension, frame prep for pannier lockers or saddlebags, and special touring riding modes above the standard "Road" and "Rain" selections.

The biggest reason that we chose the BMW, however, is that unlike the S1000RR that its borrows a lot of its fairings and frame from, it is not a violent track monster. Instead, it is a capable, comfortable sport tourer that has a gloriously smooth engine that will easily pull you up the steepest incline, and should you need to make a pass or just open the taps a little, will happily catapult you down the road in fine style with its meaty 105 lbs-ft of torque.

Why We Picked It:

Pretty much any of Kawasaki's line of sport tourers could have landed here: The fun and fast Ninja 400, the powerful but comfortable Ninja 650, or the surprisingly agile and distance touring capable Ninja 1000SX. But when it comes to the sport part of sport tourer, nothing can beat a 998cc supercharged inline-four.

The H2 SX SE+ is a bike that somehow exists. It's one of those bikes that sounds quite daft on paper, but works brilliantly in the real world. When you're cruising along, the supercharger is quiet and you have more than enough power to keep you going at 60 or 70 MPH, even in sixth gear. It's when you need to pass someone, or need to get a little burst of speed going for a long uphill section that the supercharger will spin up and then you have 197 HP and 101 lbs-ft of torque at your right wrist.

For 2023, the H2 SX SE has not had any major upgrades over the 2022 rework for cam timing, supercharger intake, and revised transmission, but does get a new automatic hi-beam sensor, as well as a new version of the hill hold assist that Kawasaki brands as "VHA: Vehicle Hold Assist," allowing for the rear brake to hold the bike when you shift into first on inclines of 20 degrees or more.

While there have been quite a few sport tourers appearing in the market recently, the H2 SX SE+ has yet to be beaten as the ultimate sport tourer.

Why We Picked It:

When the YZF-R6 was discontinued, it left a gaping hole in the hearts of many Yamaha riders. There were hopes that the newly announced R7 would be a 700cc class inline-four, but controversy erupted when it was announced that it was going to be a parallel twin, designed as the homologation bike for the YZR-R7 SuperTwin racer.

We know this pick will probably ruffle some feathers, but there were plenty of reasons that the R6 was discontinued, chief among them the inability to rework the engine enough to meet Euro5 emission regulations. Instead, Yamaha took the 689cc CP2 engine that was in their MT-07 naked, and planted it into a totally new, streamlined bike that was designed to go fast and corner hard.

That is the other major reason we have the R7 on this list, as it is the road-going version of a capable and race winning supertwin bike. You don't get much more race-bike-for-the-road than here, as the only real difference is that the R7 uses pump gas, doesn't have the race-grade, not street legal internals from the race bike, and has mirrors and a license plate. That's it.

This is evident when you decide to show the R7 some corner, as it leans in eagerly, bites its tires hard into the tarmac, and lets you pip the apex perfectly, every time. It has all of the racing manners of the R6, but with a parallel twin engine and a narrower, more aerodynamic body. It also doesn't hurt that it is also very beginner friendly, for those looking to start attending track days on a modern bike that is meant to be there.

Why We Picked It:

Aprilia took one hell of a gamble when they made the RS660 and released it in 2021 as a 2022 model. This is mostly thanks to the rise of Twins (known as SuperTwins in North America) racing around the globe, and being a manufacturer that has their toes solidly in both MotoGP and WSBK, they wanted to get in on the action. Yet, for the road-going RS660, they made something rather special that resonated very well with interested riders.

Put simply, the RS660 combines the best parts of a sport tourer and a supersport. It edges ahead of its nearest competitor, the Yamaha YZF-R7, by having a 660cc parallel twin pushing out just about 100 HP, dancing perfectly on the line between being an absolute weapon in the hands of a veteran rider, and a stable, suitable bike for a newer rider.

That balance is shown in a 5 option ride mode select with options ranging from touring mode to pure race mode, multimap ABS with cornering and lean sensing that is tied into those ride modes, and the fact that the bike's handlebars are place precisely between touring bars and racing clip-ons. Aprilia themselves state that "a sporty ride doesn't necessarily have to be uncomfortable." It's a supersport with super road manners, that also loves to get a little track time in, and is one of the best supersport-class bikes to arrive in a long time.

Why We Picked It:

Yes, a Gixxer makes it onto the list, and no, it's not the GSX-R1000R. Don't get us wrong, the R1000R is an awesome superbike, but it is a pure, hardcore, take-no-prisoners race bike with a number plate and mirrors. The much more recently reworked GSX-R750 definitely deserves its spot on this list, and we'll explain why.

It is by far not a beginner bike, but it is a great second bike if you want a supersport that is actually useable on the roads. The older GSX-R750's were much like their liter-bike brother, racing bikes with mirrors and a number plate, but the 2022 and later R750 has been restrained just enough. It still sports a 750cc inline-four that revs to the stratosphere and screams out 148 HP, and it will still absolute catapult you down the front straight at your local track, but it also calms down into an agile but rideable street bike when you aren't cranking it open to full throttle.

It is also not a bike for those wanting ABS or traction control, as neither are on the bike. From a certain point of view, that is a choice born from experience, as most race bikes don't have either system onboard. As we pointed out, it is restrained just enough, but it hasn't been muzzled. It will still happily fling you off into a highside if you push beyond its limits, and will definitely chuckle a little if you try to back it in to a corner a little too hard, but if you respect those limits and stay within them, there are few bikes under $16,000 that can even come close to a GSX-R750 around a track.

Why We Picked It:

Kawasaki has racing pedigree coming out of every pore, as is shown with their already well respected and legendary line of ZX-R bikes. It is only their fastest, most hardcore, most powerful and track-worthy bikes, however, that ever earn the RR designation... which is why the 2023 ZX-4RR is a bit of an enigma.

The biggest surprise is, again, the displacement. Most of the purely track-focused bikes are 600cc inline fours, but the ZX-4RR comes with a tiny 399cc inline-four that reportedly revs so hard and fast that you'll be hitting the 12,000 RPM redline faster than you think. No one really knows how much horsepower will come from it, but it is known that it generates nearly 30 lbs-ft of torque, so between 60 to 80 HP is not out of the question.

It will also be aimed at newer riders, or veterans with a soft spot for 400cc's, as many of us started out learning on 300 and 400cc displacement machinery. It comes with all the rider aids you would want on the street as well, such as an assist and slipper clutch, dynamic electronically controlled throttle valves, traction control,. cornering ABS, and a full up/down quickshifter.

What sets this bike apart from its Ninja 400 cousin, however, and what makes it our #1 supersport pick, is that it brings a proper supersport four-banger down into the beginner friendly market. The Yamaha YZF-R3 also exists here, but that bike is a parallel twin, and as those that have ridden an inline-four know, four cylinders build power in a much different way than two cylinders.

Learning safely on a lower power, smaller displacement bike before jumping headlong into the higher displacement supersport arena is exactly what the ZX-4RR is for, and we all need to thank Kawasaki for making it.

Why We Picked It:

The Kawasaki ZX-10R is one of the greatest superbikes ever made. There, we said it, now to explain why. First of all, starting in the mid-2010s, Kawasaki rose from being a mid-field team to dominating World SBK racing, with 7 back to back championships from 2015 to 2021. The bike that got them those 7 trophies, and rider Jonathan Rea 6 championships from 2015 to 2020, was the ZX-10RR, the race version of the ZX-10R.

From the race bike to the street bike, the only real changes have been adding Kawasaki's awesome 6-axis IMU stability and traction control, dual zone ABS, and cornering management system that is making tiny adjustments hundreds of times per second. Add in electronically variable throttle valves, a full launch control system that is included as standard, and the same anti-squat, anti-wheelie, and rider mode select that the special edition road version ZX-10RR bike in 2021 did, and you can see why the ZX-10R has a place in third on our list.

It also doesn't hurt that the 998cc inline-four that chucks out 203 HP is an absolutely beautiful bit of kit. It is one of those bulletproof engines that you can absolutely beast around a track, and all you might need to do is change the oil a little earlier than scheduled. As well, being a Kawasaki, it is seriously underpriced, as it should be up above $21,000 and would still sell the volumes it does, but it comes in at $17,399!

Why We Picked It:

When you think about superbikes, Ducati is on the tip of everyone's tongue. When they reach a straight at any MotoGP race, it is almost impossible to believe just how much faster they are than pretty much any other bike on the grid. The same is true in World SBK, which uses bikes that are just a few bits and pieces removed from the street versions.

The Ducati Panigale V4 R is just about as close to a World SBK race bike as you can get without being a factory rider for the Italian team. To keep it within 1 liter homologation rules for World SBK, the 1,103cc engine from the V4 S and SP is replaced with the 998cc Demosedici Stradale R, which revs to 16,000 RPM and absolutely howls out 221 HP. If you add in the optional (and expensive!) race kit, that power soars up to 234 HP while dropping the bike to a scant 379 lbs soaking wet. That gives it the best power to weight ratio of any bike on this list at 1.4:1 (if considering the dry weight of 365 lbs).

To control the beast, you get every bell and whistle Ducati has: dual zone ABS with cornering and lean sensors, wheelie control, slide control, engine brake control, on-the-fly selectable ride modes, power modes, semi-active Ohlins adjustable suspension, Brembo brakes... and that's just the stuff you interact with! It does sprout winglets for downforce and stability, but when you're able to hit 100 MPH using the launch mode in 5.5 seconds, you begin to appreciate why they're there.

The Ducati Panigale V4 R comes in second on our list for being pretty much the ultimate superbike you can buy... if you can afford the steep $40,000 USD MSRP.

Why We Picked It:

The BMW M1000 RR is a collection of numbers in an ultra-sleek, carbon fiber faired motorcycle that somewhat defies belief. 205 HP driving only 423 lbs. 83 lbs-ft of torque that doesn't sound like much, yet the bike will be north of 100 MPH in just a hair over 5 seconds from standstill. A redline for a 999cc inline four at nearly 16,000 RPM, all while having variable engine intake and timing to deliver the most power all the time.

Another number that staggers is its price at just under $38,000, which is a pretty steep increase of $12,000 over its S1000 RR progenitor. What you get for that extra spending, however, is what makes the M1000 RR our pick for the top superbike of 2023.

Titanium engine components and lightweight allows developed for BMW's racing bikes get added to the M, as well as BMW Motorrad's Race ABS and ABS Pro systems, one for the track and one for the street. Seven ride modes including race and three race pro settings, a pit limiter thumb button, dynamic racing stability and traction control, launch control, anti-wheelie and anti-slip control. BMW literally took every racing system they had, dialed it down to consumer levels, and shove them into the bike.

But, being a BMW, it also has cruise control, throttle-by-wire, hill start assist, heated grips, TFT dash, and LED headlights, tail lights, and signal lights... all as standard. With all of the work done to the S1000 RR to turn it into an M1000 RR, this is one of the best track superbikes you can own, and it just so happens that it's street legal too.