The 10 Cheapest Used Superbikes With More Than 120 Horsepower
Between the 80s and 00s, performance was everything in the motorcycle industry. Top level superbikes were selling phenomenally well, and pretty much every major manufacturer was getting in on the act. Today, several of these superbikes have become more accessible than ever before on the used market. It is, however, fair to say that all is not equal in the world of cheap superbikes.
In some cases, there really is such a thing as “too cheap.” If one of these powerful motorcycles is in poor condition, it is a genuinely dangerous machine. As such, the prices indicated here represent bikes that are in good running order, with the mileage, and cosmetic blemishes associated with their age. All these bikes make well in excess of 120 horsepower, and you can have any of them for less than $5k!
Buying a used motorcycle always has an element of risk attached, so please do your research, and proceed with caution. The motorcycles on this list go from oldest to newest.
10
1989 Yamaha FZR1000
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
While the other Japanese manufacturers were all obsessed with building the fastest motorcycle on the planet, Yamaha were still interested in building a superbike that could handle. The FZR1000 was easily the lightest and most dynamic liter-class superbike back when it came out, largely thanks to its aluminum Deltabox frame. Its 20-valve Genesis engine also packed a meaty 150 horsepower punch.
9
1990 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
With a top speed of over 170 MPH, the Ninja ZX-11 was easily the fastest production motorcycle upon its release back in 1989. It also remained the fastest production motorcycle until 1996, when a certain Blackbird swooped in to steal its crown. With 145 horsepower, it offers incredible bang for your buck, but with a wet weight of around 600 pounds, it will be more at home on the highway than a canyon road.
8
1994 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
While Kawasaki were winning the speed war back in the 90s, Honda’s FireBlade was making waves for breaking away from the established 750cc sport bike class. It offered the same level of dynamism as the other 750cc bikes, and the power of the liter-class alternatives. Kawasaki’s response was to simply throw more power at the problem. Unfortunately, all that did was give us a more dynamic version of the ZX-11, but it couldn’t really hold a candle to the contemporary Honda.
7
1996 Honda CBR1100XX
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
With a top speed of 177 MPH, the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird was crowned the fastest production motorcycle in 1996, usurping the aforementioned ZX-11. Over the years, these bikes have proven to be incredibly durable, with all their parts engineered to withstand the rigors associated with sustained speeds of over 150 MPH. As a result, most people use them as sport tourers and consistently rack up over 100,000 miles.
6
1999 Suzuki Hayabusa (1st Generation)
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
The first generation Hayabusa infamously brought the curtain down on the speed wars. Its top speed of 194 MPH scared the daylights out of regulators all over the world, and helped usher in the “Gentleman’s Agreement” which stipulated that all motorcycles needed to be restricted to 186 MPH going forward. Just like the other two speed queens, it makes for a fine sport tourer.
5
2000 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
We have no doubt that if the Gentleman’s Agreement had not come into effect, this would have been the first 200 MPH motorcycle. With the optional ram-air fitted, these bikes made 190 horsepower. That’s 17 horses more than the Hayabusa it was taking on! Today, these bikes offer unbeatable bang for the buck on the used market, but it is important to remember that any level of neglect makes these bikes exponentially more dangerous.
4
2002 Honda RC51 (SP2)
Price Range: $4,000 – $6,000
These bikes won’t stay this affordable for much longer. It is the least powerful bike on this particular list with 133 horsepower, but power works a little differently with V-twin sport bikes. Even by modern standards, this is a quick bike. It is also by some margin the most affordable homologation special! Honda quite literally developed this to beat Ducati, which is exactly what they did, winning two WorldSBK titles in 2000 and 2002.
3
2002 Yamaha YZF-R1
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
Up until 2002, the R1 was making use of a similar Genesis engine to that found in the aforementioned FZR1000. The big news in 2002 was that the 20 valve lump was getting fuel injection for the first time, without sacrificing power. Of which it still had more than enough. Although 150 horsepower might seem paltry compared to modern 200 horsepower sport bikes, without any rider aids, it certainly feels like a lot more in a bike as light as this.
2
2004 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
Price Range: $4,000 – $6,000
150 horsepower really is a lot for a bike that weighs less than 500 pounds, and no rider aids. The Ninja ZX-10R had more power and less weight. By 2003, the Ninja ZX-9R had very much hit its performance ceiling, and could no longer keep up with the competition. Instead of simply throwing more power at the problem, Kawasaki gave us a superbike that made north of 170 horsepower, and, thanks to a brand-new aluminum chassis, weighed just 430 pounds! It was, and still is, a “scary fast” motorcycle.
1
2009 Buell 1125R
Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000
As you may have noticed, every other bike on this list is Japanese. There is a very simple reason for this: they built affordable, mass-produced high-performance motorcycles. The European bikes from this era either made less than 120 horsepower, or have become pretty expensive by comparison. The one and only outlier is not European, but rather American. Buell was finally allowed to build a proper liter-class sport bike in the late 00s. Unfortunately, while good, it was only into its second year of production when Harley unceremoniously dumped the company. So, these bikes are raw and imperfect, but well worth a look if you are after something different.
Source: KBB
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