The Best Middleweight Sportbikes

The middleweight sportbike is the sweet spot: light, flickable, and fast enough to thrill without the intimidation (or the licence points) of a litre bike. These 500-800cc machines are the smartest way to go fast on road or track.

1. 01
   01© Aprilia
   Aprilia · sport

   Aprilia RS 660

   8.8

   The class-defining modern middleweight: a punchy 270° twin, sublime chassis, and superbike-grade electronics in a usable package.

   Consensus from MCN · Bennetts · Cycle World

   Price

   $11,549

   Engine

   659cc

   Power

   100hp

   Seat

   820mm

2. 02
   02© Yamaha
   Yamaha · sport

   Yamaha R7

   8.0

   A brilliantly balanced, featherweight-handling middleweight supersport and a genuine value, let down only by a willing twin that wants more top end.

   Consensus from MCN · RevZilla · Cycle World

   Price

   $9,199

   Engine

   689cc

   Power

   73hp

   Seat

   835mm

3. 03
   03© Suzuki
   Suzuki · sport

   Suzuki GSX-8R

   7.9

   An approachable faired twin with a torquey 776 motor, quickshifter and ride modes as standard; KYB suspension and porky weight cap the sporting ambition.

   Consensus from 1000PS · RevZilla · Cycle News

   Price

   $9,439

   Engine

   776cc

   Power

   83hp

   Seat

   810mm

4. 04
   04© Kawasaki
   Kawasaki · sport

   Kawasaki Ninja 650

   7.8

   A friendly, well-rounded sport-tourer with a torquey 68 hp twin, upright comfort, and a 35 kW A2 kit that makes it grow with new riders.

   Consensus from 1000PS · Cycle World · Motorcycle.com

   Price

   $8,299

   Engine

   649cc

   Power

   68hp

   Seat

   790mm