By the early 00s, the liter-class sport bike represented the pinnacle of performance. These bikes offered a combination of dynamic handling and scarcely believable straight-line speed. While the early machines were raw and punished any errors severely, over the years electronic rider aids were gradually introduced, and today, these monsters are more approachable than ever before.

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These modern sports bikes deliver serious speed and handling without sacrificing comfort, usability, or everyday rideability.

What is great about the Ninja ZX-4R is that it offers us access to the whole liter-class experience, just scaled down to a size that actually works out in the real world, where speed limits exist. Its little inline-four is an absolute peach. In other markets, it makes closer to 80 horsepower, but with a bike like this, more power is not expressly necessary. It already has a great chassis, and its screamer just makes you feel like you are going a whole lot faster than you actually are.

The global version of the CBR600RR recently made a triumphant return to the European market (pictured above), and it has been heavily revised. The US market still has the previous generation bike, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but you will have to make do without all the fancy modern electronics. On the plus side, it is lighter, and you get the authentic supersport experience. Which also means no ABS on the base model ($11,499). If you plan on using this as a street bike, you need to spend the extra cash.

Usually, we would begin by waxing lyrical about how reliable Japanese inline-fours are, but out of all the bikes on this list, the ZX-6R is the only one currently getting recalled because of an engine issue. Naturally, this is the exception to the rule, and the recall only came about because of over-torqued crankshaft bolts. Anyone thinking of getting one now can rest assured that all the new bikes will not have any such issue. The ZX-6R is also the only 600cc supersport that has been consistently updated through the years, and is a thoroughly modern motorcycle with all the same electronic rider aids you get with the liter-bike.

A massive recall has been issued, but Kawasaki has no remedy yet

Out of all the latest, more sensible, parallel-twin supersports, the RS 660 is by some distance the most interesting. With just over 100 horsepower, it has what can be deemed “enough” power for a sport bike, but what makes it such an attractive option is the fact that it offers a genuinely dynamic riding experience thanks to its lightweight twin-spar aluminum chassis. With a wet weight figure of just 403 pounds, it is the lightest bike on this list.

With the untimely demise of the YZF-R6, a massive void was left in Yamaha’s sports bike lineup. While the R7 is a great little sport bike, the gap between it and the R1 started to look more like a chasm. The R9 was, to say the least, a highly anticipated model. It is an advanced, modern supersport that rather effectively balances tech and weight. While it might not be as dedicated as the old R6, it is far more effective in the real world.

As an aside, the GSX-R600 is also still around, but in our opinion, the 750 is the bike to have. With a wet weight of just 419 pounds, it weighs as much as the 600cc supersports yet makes 148 horsepower. It rather effectively splits the difference between the supersport and liter-bike classes, but this is a bike that requires an experienced rider at the helm. With no modern rider aids, overenthusiasm will be punished severely.

With everything that has been going on with KTM over the past few years, it is a small wonder that this bike came out at all. While it is not the first KTM sport bike to come out, it is the first street-legal supersport to come from the brand, and by all accounts seems to be the real deal. Like pretty much everything KTM makes, it offers an impressive array of tech features, a "ready to race" attitude, and a bold, distinctive design.

The Norton Manx R is arguably the most exciting fresh superbikes we've had in recent times, and it delivers on nearly all the promises it makes

Much can be said of the potent triple, but the F3 R is not a bike you would be buying for its engine. With this being the “base model”, you will have to make do without all the fancy carbon fiber bits and fancy Swedish suspension componentry, but you still get what is arguably the best chassis on the market. The unique combination of a steel trellis and aluminum side plates offers the best of both worlds in terms of handling, with just the right amount of rigidity, and just the right amount of flex where you need it.

The Panigale V2 has a brand-new twin that ditched Desmodromic valves in favor of modern variable valve timing. It is a thoroughly modern lump that may seem a little down on power compared to the previous generation twin, but it more than makes up for that with punchy midrange performance and a whole lot less weight. The overall weight of the bike has also been reduced, and Ducati claims that it weighs less than 400 pounds, but once fueled, it will tip the scales at around 430 pounds.

We thought the electric revolution would be upon us by now, but the uptake has been slow in the motorcycle industry, and it is pretty easy to see why. Both price and range are still big issues, and the more battery power you add, the heavier and more expensive the bike gets. This is a particularly telling equation when it comes to sport bikes, but Zero finds a pretty decent balance with the SR/S, and it is, in our opinion, the only electric sport bike worth considering.

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Source: https://www.topspeed.com/sports-bikes-make-more-sense-than-liter-bikes/