Top 5 Hot Superbikes in India

The bike segment in India is one of the best in the world. We have access to the best 100 CC  commuter bikes, the 250 and 600 CC beginner bikes and the full blown performance oriented litre class bikes. Every person getting a commuter or beginners bike has a feasible dream of upgrading to the next class due to the affordable pricing, when compared to the supercars. For example a person buying a CBR 250R can dream of one day owning a Fireblade whereas a person getting a BMW 3 series can never dream of owning an M5, because of the pricing difference between the two. So if you are one of those lucky souls having a Ninja 650 or a Yamaha R6, feast your eyes on what’s shown below, as they might be straddled between your legs in a few years time !

1) Yamaha YZF R1

The R1 is the iconic Japanese superbike, the one which started it all. It is at home at the track as well as for the daily commute. The R1 uses most of the technologies of its racing brother, the one Rossi uses in the MotoGP. In keeping with this machine’s exceptional cornering ability and crisp handling, the aluminum frame has been designed to offer phenomenal rigidity and balance. Suspension includes YHSJ (Yamaha Hydraulic Systems Japan) front forks which borrows one of the tricks developed for the MotoGP bikes: independent damping. The left fork takes care of compression damping and the right one handles the rebound damping. The addition of a traction control system makes the R1 a better daily commuter as it is more comfortable and smooth but fast enough to keep your dopamine levels high.The sound on the YZF-R1 is unlike any other 998 cc inline-four cylinder production bike with the revolutionary Crossplane crankshaft technology. The precise and throaty pulse of the exhaust note will have riders enthused every time the throttle is opened. The precise rigidity and balance of the bike gives the rider the full benefit of its handling and engine characteristics making it one of the most cherished bikes around the world.

2) Honda CBR Fireblade

The Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is the epitome of super sport motorcycles offering a perfect mix of agility, power and handling.

Since it was launched in 1992, the Fireblade has a huge fan following due its sporty character and the unique riding experience. It is one of the most user friendly bikes, you can use even use it for your daily commute. This mechanical beast is propelled by a Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 16-valve, DOHC, INLINE-4 with PGM-DSFI electronic fuel injection. The engine puts out a maximum power of 131kW at 12,000 rpm and 112Nm of torque at 8,500 rpm. To keep all this power in check and to make it more useable, Honda equipped its Fireblade with a set of sporty suspensions. With this the front wheel is kept in check by a telescopic inverted fork with an inner tube diameter of 43 mm, and a Big Piston Front Fork with preload, compression and rebound adjustment. On the other hand, out back there is a Pro-Link configuration with gas-charged HMAS damper featuring 10-step preload and stepless compression and rebound damping adjustment.

3) Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R

Kawasaki’s answer to its international as well as the local rivals is the Ninja ZX – 10R. Packing a lot of advanced features and modern technologies, the bike is fast enough to compete and shine against its chief rivals.Despite the fact that nothing changed for the 2013 model year, except for some color schemes, the Ninja continues to be ahead of the pack when it comes to sporty performances. The new Ninja is said to be one of the best rider friendly bikes, giving more room for driver error than its predecessors. This is mainly due to the advanced Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC) and an intelligent ABS system which comes as an option. Build on a nimble, lightweight chassis, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX – 10R  is well endowed in the power department too with a powerful stateof the art 998cc inline four engine which cranks out 197 hp at 11500 rpm. So it has the go as well as the looks making it one of the hottest new bikes in India.

4) Ducati 1199 Panigale

Italians are fabled for their gorgeous designs and the compact 1199 Panigale joins a select group of the most seductive-looking bikes on the planet. The aggressive race track-bred lines and fairing cloak a bike that pushes the envelope in terms of technology, performance and handling. Named after the region that is Ducati home ground in Bologna, the 1199 Panigale does not use Ducati’s traditional trellis tubular frame, instead borrowing the monocoque chassis on the factory’s MotoGP bike.In the front, adjustable upside-down front forks run up to the elegeantly cut-out and machined steering clamp, from where the frame reaches to the engine, alloy single-side swingarm and near-horizontal rear suspension.

If not the best, the Pannigale is easily among one of the best superbikes in the market today. It’s beautiful to look at; it’s rider friendly; and it is dynamically so well sorted that whether you are an expert or an average rider, the Pannigale proves to be greatly enjoyable to ride. It’s a bike that both appeals to your soul and delights you up every time you swing a leg over. Mostly though, you just can’t have enough of it, though at a premium, but totally worth it.

5) BMW S1000RR

The Bavarians are known more for their cars than their bikes. But in reality they produce the most technologically advanced state of the art bikes with features that can run circles around any offering from the land of rising sun. So it is useless to say that the 1000RR comes with a comprehensive list of high tech features that were carefully developed to maximize its high speed performances. Power without control is useless, therefore the BMW S 1000 RR Sport comes with standard Race ABS, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and Gear Shift Assistance. The bike doesn’t use a trellis or monocoque frame but a state of the art high tech aluminum bridge type frame that offers a perfect mix between light weight and rigidity augmenting the motorcycle’s handling abilities.The frame is supplemented by a 999 cc, water/oil-cooled 4-cylinder 4-stroke in-line engine with four titanium valves per cylinder and two overhead camshafts. This dazzling two wheel beast is without a doubt one of the most accomplished motorcycles both for the streets as well as the race tracks. It can deal effortlessly with windy roads, fast tracks and tight city streets, being the perfect bike for corner carving riders.

Superbike racing

Superbike racing is a category of motorcycle racing that employs highly modified production motorcycles, as opposed to MotoGP in which purpose-built motorcycles are used. The Superbike World Championship is the official world championship series, though national Superbike championships are held in many countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Australia and Canada. Superbike racing is generally popular with manufacturers, since it helps promote and sell their product, as captured by the slogan "Win on Sunday; Sell on Monday".

Characteristics of Superbike racing motorcycles

Superbike racing motorcycles are derived from standard production models, so for a bike to be eligible, the manufacturer must first homologate the model and manufacture the required number of roadgoing machines. While rules vary from series to series, in general the motorcycles must maintain the same profile as their roadgoing counterparts, with the same overall appearance as seen from the front, rear and sides. In addition, the frame cannot be modified. Teams may modify some elements of the bike, including the suspensions, brakes, swingarm, and the diameter and size of the wheels.

Superbike racing motorcycles must have four-stroke engines of between 850 cc and 1200 cc for twins, and between 750 cc and 1000 cc for four cylinder machines.

The restriction to production models distinguishes Superbike racing from MotoGP racing, which uses prototype machines that bear little resemblance to production machines. This is somewhat similar to the distinction in car racing between touring cars and Formula One cars, though the performance gap between Superbike and MotoGP racing is much smaller.

The world's first 'Superbike' was built by brothers Ross and Ralph Hannan in the mid/late 1970s. First ridden successfully in Australia and overseas, including the Suzuka 8 hour and the Bol d'Or 24 hour endurance races, by Graeme Crosby who went onto International success and was eventually inducted into the NZ sports "Hall of Fame".

Superbike World Championship

Superbike World Championship (also known as SBK) is the premier international superbike Championship. The championship was founded in 1988. It is regulated by the FIM and managed and promoted by FGSport.

Once regarded as the poor cousin to the more glamorous MotoGP championship, the Superbike World Championship has grown into a world-class professional racing series. Many of the riders that competed in SBK over the years are household names among motorcycle racing fans. The most successful rider thus far has been England’s Carl Fogarty, who won the championship four times (1994–95, 1998–99). Ducati has been the most successful manufacturer in the series over the years, accumulating 15 manufacturer championships. Honda has won it 6 times, with Suzuki claiming one championship. Australia's Troy Bayliss won the 2006 and 2008 titles riding for Xerox Ducati and James Toseland, from the UK, was the winner of the 2007 championship riding for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda.

National Superbike series

National Superbike series vary greatly in challenge and popularity, the most popular being in Britain and North America. Both Japan and Australia have well supported national superbikes series, though they only run for short, 10-race seasons.

British Superbike Championship

The British Superbike championship (known to most as "BSB") is the leading motorcycle racing championship in the United Kingdom. It is managed and organised by MCRCB-Events. The commercial and television rights have been delegated to MotorSport Vision.^[1] Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki andYamaha all have well supported teams, while Honda has the only HRC supported superbike team outside of Japan. Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari won the 2006, 2007 and 2010 titles riding for HM Plant Honda.

AMA Superbike Championship

The AMA Superbike is the premier superbike racing series in the United States. It is part of the AMA Pro Racing series, and was managed by the AMAuntil 2009 when the AMA sold the series to the Daytona MotorSports Group. Originally launched in 1976, it is now the longest running superbike championship. The series allows more engine modifications than most Superbike championships. Australian Mat Mladin has dominated the AMA Superbike championship in recent years winning 6 titles since 1999. 2006 MotoGP champion American Nicky Hayden won the 2002 championship. Texan Ben Spies won the 2006-2008 championships riding for the Yoshimura Suzuki team, before moving on to the World Championship to ride for Yamaha.

All Japan Superbike Championship

The All Japan Road Race Championship, also known as MFJ Superbike is the premiere motorcycle road racing championship in Japan and is run by MFJ. The championship started in 1967 and has been running a superbike class since 1994. The series runs a small 7 round schedule but has a large field of Japanese riders and bikes. Atsushi Watanabe won the 2007 championship riding a Yoshimura Suzuki.

Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship

The Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship is the Canadian national Superbike series. The series runs from May to September and consists of six to eight rounds per season. Riders from the Canadian series often compete in AMA Superbike during the Canadian off-season. Jordan Szoke won his 8th title in 2012, riding a BMW S1000RR.

Other Series

• Moto 1000 GP (Brazilian national championship)
• Irish Road Racing Championship (Irish national championship on closed roads)
• Australian Superbike Championship (Australian national championship)
• Championnat de France Superbike (French national championship)
• China Superbike Championship (Chinese national championship)
• Campeonato Español de Velocidad (Spanish national championship)
• CIV Superbike (Italian national championship)
• IDM Superbike (German national championship)
• CitiBike Motorcycle Championship (South Africa)
• New Zealand Road Race Championship
• Dutch Superbike Kampioenschap