From Supersport 600s to the Sport Bike Era
- Ben Grayson
- Jan 5
- 5 min read
When I was just a lad, passing your motorcycle test usually meant one thing: you went out and bought yourself a 600cc supersport to cut your teeth on.
We’re talking the glory days of the Kawasaki ZX-6R (G/J series), Suzuki GSX-R SRAD, Yamaha R6, and Honda CBR600F. Big bikes by today’s standards, pushing close to the 100bhp mark, and absolutely everywhere. They were fast, aspirational, and felt like the natural next step once you’d earned your licence.
The alternative was a grey-import Kawasaki ZXR400 or Honda VFR400 — light, nimble, and fantastic fun, but painfully small if you were anything over hobbit height.
The Golden Age… and the Turning Point
The early 2000s were a brilliant time for the supersport class. As racing in World Superbike and British Superbike gathered momentum, the bikes became smaller, lighter, sharper, and more aggressive. What was once a fast road bike slowly morphed into something far closer to a race replica.
And that’s where the problems started.
Over time, supersport bikes became too aggressive and too expensive for most riders. Younger riders couldn’t afford to buy or insure them, while more mature riders graduated to litre bikes and beyond. Slowly, the class began to shrink.
Manufacturers responded by quietly culling supersport models from their ranges. Today, most 600cc supersports live on the used market, holding decent residuals simply because there aren’t many alternatives. Who’s actually buying them new? I’m genuinely not sure.
The Last of the Supersports
Right now, there are only a couple of bikes I’d still call true supersport 600s:
Honda CBR600RR
Kawasaki ZX-6R
Yamaha’s R6 is now track-only, and Suzuki has dropped the GSX-R600 and 750 entirely. The bikes that remain are fundamentally the same machines they were over a decade ago, with incremental updates — better brakes, premium suspension, refreshed electronics — but nothing revolutionary.
They’re not being registered in meaningful numbers, and it feels inevitable that they’ll be phased out as we move fully into a new era.
Welcome to the Sport Bike Era
I call what we’re entering now the “sport bike era” — and it’s being driven as much by racing as it is by road riders.
This new class is based on production bikes that aren’t super in the traditional sense, but still look properly sporty. Pinpointing who kicked it all off is tricky. Honda has long offered softer sport bikes like the CBR650F/R, but the real shift arguably came with Yamaha’s R7.
The R7 was clever: a sport bike built on the MT-07 platform with revised geometry, different bars, and full fairings. Cost-effective to produce, affordable to buy, and far more usable on the road.
Then the floodgates opened.
Aprilia’s RS660, Triumph’s Daytona 660, Kawasaki’s Ninja 650 — suddenly we had an entirely new sport bike class. Lower price points, lower insurance groups, and most models capable of being A2-restricted.
Boom. We were back in business.
So What Are These Bikes Really About?
Here’s the funny thing: we’ve basically gone back to where we started.
These modern sport bikes are closer in spirit to the old G/J-series ZX-6R and GSX-R SRAD than the race-replica supersports that came later. Sub-100bhp, higher bars, more forgiving ergonomics — bikes you can actually ride every day.
They still look fast as hell sitting on the side stand, but they won’t destroy your wrists, back, or bank balance.
Today’s sport bikes are lighter, more reliable, and packed with creature comforts that make daily riding realistic: heated grips, Bluetooth, quickshifters, decent fuel economy. Seat heights hover around 810mm, bars are higher than supersport clip-ons, and the riding position is far more neutral.
Most use parallel-twin engines, a few go their own way, and crucially you can buy one new for under £10,000.
Sounds perfect, right?
Enter China
Not quite.
Chinese manufacturers are now pushing hard into this space — and whether you like it or not, they’re being taken seriously. Big distributors like MotoGB have helped establish footholds in the UK and Europe, and the rate at which new models are arriving is frankly relentless.
I won’t rehash my full thoughts on Chinese bikes here — I’ve written about them plenty already — but let’s focus on the real disruptor: CFMOTO.
Read my CFMOTO blog here.
Despite KTM’s recent financial issues causing some turbulence, CFMOTO is arguably one of the strongest players in this market right now. Their 675SR-R is a £6,999, 675cc, three-cylinder sport bike producing just under 100bhp, backed by a four-year warranty, and — crucially — it looks fantastic.
It’s not a copy or a rip-off. It feels genuinely well built. A brand-new sport bike for under £7k is mad.
The weak point right now is the dealer network — or lack of it — but that will improve. It always does.
Joining the party in 2026 are brands like Kove, Moto Morini, and Voge — all of which already have reasonable UK presence through smaller bikes and adventure models.
Should You Buy One?
Honestly? If you’re comfortable with some risk, yes — but go in with your eyes open.
Build quality on modern Chinese bikes is hard to fault. They’re competitively priced, well-specced, and look the business. But dealer knowledge can be patchy, parts supply inconsistent, and warranty support frustrating if your nearest dealer is 200 miles away.
CFMOTO owners have already seen price reductions affect resale values, and KTM’s issues as a distributor have left some riders angry — even if they’re happy with the bikes themselves.
Early adoption always comes with compromises.
Read my blog about Chinese Motorcycles.
My Two Stand-Out Picks (For Now)
If you want minimal stress, two bikes stand out in the current sport bike class.
The Honda CBR650R E-Clutch is superbly rounded. It’s well priced, well specced, A2-legal, can be lowered to under an 800mm seat height, has a six-year warranty, and arguably the smoothest four-cylinder engine you’ll find anywhere. Honda’s dealer network is vast and proven.
The second is the Triumph Daytona 660. It’s lighter than the Honda, slightly less well specced as standard, but has a great engine, clean design, and an established dealer network that knows how to look after customers.
Why This Class Matters
I can’t wait to ride more of these bikes in 2026, and I’d strongly encourage you to watch how this class develops in World Superbike and BSB. The racing is excellent, and you’ll recognise plenty of familiar names.
Most importantly, I’m glad manufacturers haven’t abandoned this segment. It’s how many of us learned to ride properly — and it’s one of the most attractive ways to bring younger riders into a UK industry where the average rider age is now 55.
If motorcycling is going to survive, it needs new riders, new ideas, and renewed enthusiasm.
And right now, the sport bike class might just be the best place to find it.
What was your first 'big bike' let me know in the comments!
Mine was a CB500! Loved it