There’s nothing quite like a track day for bikers. We know the bikes we ride are capable of breakneck speeds, heart-pounding acceleration, and lean angles that would make a Michael Jackson “Smooth Criminal” dancer jealous. We also know, or at least should know, that such things are illegal and unsafe on public roads.
Piloting a state-of-the-art supercar on a closed course is one of the most fun and exhilarating activities that anyone can experience, however, automobiles with these performance capabilities come at a price that only the elite and affluent few can afford. Motorcycles, on the other hand, offer a much more affordable way to get your speed and adrenalin fix without breaking the law or putting yourself in danger.
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If you think that motorcycles are becoming too expensive for the average person to purchase, then the rise in popularity of circuit-only track day bikes is taking things to a new level. These bikes are designed specifically for racing and cannot be ridden on the street. However, this is the point – these motorcycles allow manufacturers to showcase their innovation and instincts without having to worry about emissions regulations or wing mirrors.
A naked bike is on our recommended list for a track day bike for a variety of reasons. Many riders who attend track days haven’t been there before and are still exploring the world of competitive riding. Some riders may have just started their journey while others may have years of experience on the street but never on the track. Consequently, more often than not, those riders have a street bike with some sporting ability and they want to bring it to the track to get a feel for if they want to do track days. By having a naked bike on our recommended list, we can help those novice riders get a taste of what track days are like without being overwhelmed by a more complicated and powerful machine.
Race-Grade Runners
The 12 Best Track-Only Motorcycles
Now that you know what a track-only bike is and what to look for when shopping for one, it’s time to check out our picks for the best track-only and race motorcycles on the market. Here are our top 12 picks, based on factors like performance, features, and value.
1) 2022 Kawasaki Ninja 400
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The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is a great choice for a first track bike if you’ve already got some experience and want to get more involved in racing. Like the SV650 mentioned above, it’s a great beginner bike, however, the Ninja 400 is an out-and-out sportbike instead of a jack-of-all-trades naked.
The key difference lies in power delivery, where the Ninja 400 doesn’t really wake up as a track monster until you pass 6000 RPM. However, once into that powerband, and in the hands of an experienced rider, the Ninja 400 has been known to embarrass liter bikes.
The Ninja 400 is a great choice for beginner riders. The bike is very forgiving, with a lot of feel for what the tires are doing. The peg height is also high enough that you can lean the bike quite a bit without risking a fall.
You won’t be setting any lap records on this bike, but you will learn how to ride at the limit. And that’s much more valuable than any lap time.
2) 1993 Ducati Supermono
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Ducati’s 916 V-twin is a well-known racing bike, but less is known about its track-only, single-cylinder little brother, the 550cc Supermono.
The Supermono was built purely as a racer, with many of the innovations that featured on the 916. It was also ultra-light, thanks to the extensive use of carbon fibre in the airbox, bodywork, sub frame and fuel tank.
The Supermono was a race bike that was made to be the purest Ducati ‘desmo’. It had a 65bhp engine that was half an 888 racing V-twin. It was also equipped with the best in cycle parts, like Ohlins suspension, Marchesini wheels, and Brembo brakes.
Although it’s a great bike, it’s very rare – only 67 were built up to 1995. They’re also pricey. Back when they were first made, they cost $30,000 new. Nowadays, they usually go for £70,000+.
3) OHVALE GP2
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Valerio Da Lio started Ohvale with the intention of producing high-performance minibikes for use on small, technical circuits and kart tracks. The company’s GP-2 model is 5″ taller, 4.3″ wider, and 5.5″ longer than the GP-0, allowing it to better accommodate fully-grown adults. Powered by a Japanese-made Daytona 190 engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, the GP-2 is surprisingly high-end, with an aluminum swing-arm, Brembo brakes, and Ohlins suspension.
4) 2022 Aprilia RS660
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The new Aprilia RS660 sportbike has finally been released this year after years of anticipation from riders. It has arrived just in time, with the recent discontinuation of the previous track 600 king, the Yamaha YZF-R6.
While the RSV4 RR and even the RSV4 1100 Factory may be better all-around supersports for the track with their powerful V4 engines, the RS660 is the one that everyone’s been longing for.
This little screamer of a bike has a liquid-cooled 659cc parallel-twin engine that puts out 100 HP at over 10,000 RPM. It’s also extremely lightweight at just under 400 lbs wet. The clip-on handlebars are low and forward, giving the rider a much more aggressive lean than most sportbikes. This makes it comfortable for both street riding in a more upright position, but also for sliding back a little on the seat at the track and getting into a full tuck.
The only considerations for the bike being somewhat more of a street bike is the fact that the pegs are lower than on a proper supersport, but of course, the aftermarket has been extremely active. You can get rear peg kits from companies such as Spider Racing, IRC Components, Rizoma, and Crosstrax, which bring the pegs, shifter, and rear brake up higher. racers and track day enthusiasts who do a lot of their riding on the street find these kits to be extremely useful in terms of both comfort and helping to keep the bike properly balanced while cornering hard.
5) 2015 Honda RC213V-S
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The highly coveted Honda RC213V-S was produced in road-legal trim, however, it was not as powerful as the MotoGP replica with only 159bhp. The Sport Kit version which included a race pipe was designed for track-use only and had an output of 215bhp. Along with its light dry weight of only 170kg, ultra-compact size, and race-spec suspension, brakes, and wheels, the Sport Kit provided the closest experience to a MotoGP bike that regular people could buy.
6) APRILIA RS250SP
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As the winningest European marque of all time, with 294 Grand Prix race wins and 38 championship titles, Aprilia has partnered with Ohvale to deliver the RS250SP – a ridiculously competent quarter-liter track weapon. Benefitting from decades of top-level GP racing experience, the RS250SP is capable of nearly 140mph speeds thanks to a brilliantly tuned 249cc single, while excellent cornering and stopping abilities come from an Ohlins suspension and Brembo brake package.
7) 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
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The all-new 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 is replacing the much-loved YZF-R6 for the upcoming racing season. While it’s not as aggressive or fast as the R6, it is a racing homologation model that will allow a SuperTwin-class R7M to take part in the MotoAmerica SuperTwin Championship.
The R7 was designed to be lightweight and nimble, with a crossplane crank 689cc parallel-twin engine that produces approximately 75 HP and 50 lb-ft of torque. The low HP number is offset by the torque that parallel-twins are known for, making it possible to clear apexes and “grunt-n-go” out of corners.
The Yamaha YZF-R3 is a light and agile motorcycle that is welcoming to novice riders but can also be a scalpel in the hands of experienced riders. The bike is so light and agile that lean-in and counter-steering is almost telepathic, with the front wheel letting you know exactly what is happening. The seat is supportive and narrow, allowing you to hang off the side with your knee slider scraping the tarmac as you clip the apex. With the low and mid-range grunt of the parallel-twin, rolling on the throttle brings you back upright as you tuck behind the tall windscreen.
The Yamaha YZF-R6 is a great bike for both intermediate racers who are looking to gain confidence and skills, and for those who are just looking for a great street bike. It’s easy to forget that this bike was designed to be a racer first, but it’s street manners are those of a gentleman. There are still other bikes you can get for the track, but in the hands of an intermediate rider, this bike is a genuine winner.
8) 2019 MV Agusta F3 XX
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MV Agusta, an Italian exotica legend, has a rich heritage of track success. So it’s no surprise that the company would develop a track-only version of its F3 800 triple, called the F3 XX. The F3 XX was developed by MV Agusta’s racing department, Reparto Corse.
As you can imagine, this motorcycle is dripping with carbon fiber. It has a proper race AiM dash, special SC-Project 3:1 pipe, and a tuned engine that produces a claimed 160CV. The suspension is upgraded with Marzocchi forks with Ohlins cartridge, and an Ohlins TTX shock at the rear. Plus, it has top-spec Brembo brakes and Marchesini wheels. Basically, if there’s anything to boast about – they did.
The only thing they left out was the price, which was only revealed to serious enquiries. Obviously, it’s not going to be cheap…
9) YAMAHA R6 RACE
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Out of all the 600cc supersport models, it’s abundantly clear that Yamaha’s YZF-R6 is the best and most capable track weapon — as further evidenced by its recent string of WSSP championship titles. Interestingly enough, aside from a full bodywork redesign in 2017 and the addition of a few electronic rider aids, the R6 has gone almost entirely unchanged since 2006 – definitely embodying the ethos of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”recent release of the track-only-spec of the R6, the Tuning Fork Company has delivered a bike that is ready to race with a number of upgrades and tweaks that include safety-wiring the harness, adding a magnesium subframe, outfitting the bike with R1 43mm USD forks and brakes, as well as including mirror block-off plates and a full race exhaust complete with a matching ECU.
10) 2019 Aprilia RSV4 X
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You might think that the most impressive Italian superbikes come from renowned companies such as Ducati or MV Agusta, but the Aprilia RSV4X, launched in 2019, proves otherwise. This track-only version of the already excellent RSV4 superbike boasts 225bhp from its race-tuned 1100cc V4 engine, a dry weight of just 165kg due to extensive use of carbon fiber, and superior electronics and cycle parts.
The X bike was very rare – only 10 were made, each available for €39,950. But if you want the best, you have to be willing to pay for it.
After the success of that bike, Aprilia released an equally exotic track-only version of its Tuono V4, the Tuono V4X.
11) KTM RC-8C
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KTM’s RC-8C is a track-only machine based off the brand’s 890 Duke R model, taking inspiration from the Ready To Race brand’s RC16 MotoGP bikes. Developed in collaboration with Krämer, the RC-8C features a 25CrMo4 steel tubular frame paired with WP APEX PRO suspension front and aft, Dymag forged wheels shod in Pirelli SC1 racing slicks, Brembo Stylema Monobloc calipers, GP-style switchgear, a dedicated racing exhaust with an Akrapovič titanium muffler, RC16-style carbon fiber bodywork with MotoGP-style aerodynamic winglets, a 5” TFT AIM MXS 1.2 RACE display and data logger.
12) 2022 BMW S1000RR
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The 2021 BMW S1000RR is the result of collaboration between the M Division and the BMW Motorrad groups. Originally designed as a homologation special for BMW’s entry into the World SBK Championship, multiple years of upgrades have resulted in a bike that is more at home on the track than on the road. The M Division also has their own bike for 2021, the M1000RR, but we don’t recommend it as it is definitely a bike for the highly experienced rider – it is the BMW World SBK bike with mirrors.
The S1000RR is a 999cc bike that produces 207 HP and weighs less than 440 lbs. It has a race mode in its driver aids controls that dials back the ABS, traction control, and stability control to let the rider feel more through the bike, while also kicking them into full power should it detect the start of a crash. It has a narrow, blade-like profile to slice through the air, coupled with aggressive air intake to ram as much air into the engine as possible.
For those looking for the best performance package available, the M Sport option is the way to go. You’ll get the BMW racing team paint scheme, carbon fiber wheels, a lightened battery, and adjustability to the rear ride height and swingarm pivot. Plus, the “Race Pro” mode in the control system takes things up a notch.
