Over the past two decades, all of the major motorcycle brands have become bolder and more creative. Technology in the motorcycle industry has come a long way and sports bikes always seem to be improving.
The old cliché that Italian bikes are the most stylish is no longer obvious. Other European brands have become more daring, defying various design themes, traditionally toned down Japanese designs have also given way to beautiful heirloom editions and futuristic concepts. All of this forced Italian motorcycle manufacturers to improve in every way, no longer relying solely on design for sales.
Since the dawn of the sportbike era in the 1980s, Italian manufacturers have led the way in design, performance and innovation, making some of the most incredible machines along the way.
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Ducati Desmosedici RR
It was the first of its kind when it launched as a limited edition MotoGP machine for the streets. This wasn’t just another fancy decal kit, it was the real deal.
It also came out at the right time, as Ducati won their first (and only) MotoGP championship. So it was not just an opportunity to own a real GP bike, but the title winning GP bike. Needless to say, they had no difficulty moving the 1,500 units, even though their price was around $ 70,000.
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Aprilia RSV Mille
After making a few smaller-displacement Rotax-powered machines, that was their biggest bet. At the time, this was such an unknown amount (even for Aprilia) and wasn’t selling as well as it should have.
20 years later, looking back, we all know Aprilia can make a decent literbike, and that was their genesis. For now, it remains an underrated classic that packs a punch in V.
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Ducati 999/749
Few motorcycles divided opinion like the 999 and 749. It was an unusual departure from what was then an established and beloved design language.
The passion for the previous generation was so deep that it was simply impossible to convince everyone. One thing that cannot be denied is the great leap forward these motorcycles have made, they are the first modern Ducati sports motorcycles and, for better or worse, they have been a huge commercial success.
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MV Agusta F4 Senna
With Senna’s passing still fresh on the minds of family, friends and fans, anything done in bad taste would have been castigated.
As it turns out, it will go down in history as one of MV Agusta’s greatest hits, a decent little power boost and Tamburini’s exclusive bodywork make it one of the most incredible (now in the spotlight) sports bikes. limit of the classic).
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Ducati 900 MHR
Mike Hailwood completed one of the most incredible comeback stories when he led his 900 to victory in the 1978 Isle of Man TT, more than 11 years after his previous race there.
It would also mark the first time that a Ducati machine could be considered a household name around the world. The air-cooled Desmo V-twin put out around 80 horsepower, in a bike most people could buy and most importantly afford to run on their own.
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Aprilia RSV4
Although the RSV4 has been around for a while now, the bike is hardly dated. With a few special editions here and there to keep it relevant, the 200 horsepower is more than enough to keep pace with newer bikes.
With sharp angles and a minimalist fairing similar to half-fairing options from other manufacturers, there are very few better looking bikes on the market today.
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Ducati 916
Simply; the 916 is the most beautiful sports motorcycle ever made. The taste is subjective, but few would disagree with the fact, even fewer would be willing to make any credible argument for another bike.
Many modern sport bikes incorporate basic elements of this design language as the ultimate form of flattery. Not only does it have an exquisite design, but the performance was also best in class at the time, that is really all you would expect from a sports bike.
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Bimota SB2
All Bimota motorcycles, except one shocking failure, use engines from other motorcycles. In the case of the SB2, it derives its inline four from the Suzuki 750, it was an exclusive machine, if not necessarily a fine performance machine.
What sets this motorcycle apart from the growing crowd of sport bikes are its handling characteristics that no production machine could match at the time.
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Ducati 900 SS
After the 750 SS got off to a rough start, Cagiva (then parent company) quickly got things right by stiffening the chassis and giving the bike the engine it desperately needed; the famous Pantah 900.
It was a pivotal moment in SS history as the bike began to sell well, well enough that they began to expand their model line. It paved the way for many other Ducati sports motorcycles and has since become a classic.
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Bimota Tesi H2
Not necessarily the most beautiful, but undoubtedly the most striking. With exclusive pricing, it’s not a machine you’ll likely see on the road, but it’s definitely a benchmark machine.
Bimota took the amazing 230-horsepower Supercharged Kawasaki H2 engine and gave it a home in an upgraded chassis with hub steering. The added weight from the hub steering is offset by the lighter aluminum alloy chassis, it’s simply an engineering marvel.
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