Naked bike
Naked bike or Streetfighters, as they are often called, usually refer to a class of road motorcycles without fairings.
Origins
The "modern" naked bike trend (as the first motorcycles could be classified as naked bikes as well) started in Europe, during the late 1980s. At that time, sportbikes, especially Suzuki's GSX-R, were popular all over the continent. However, the relatively high speed and acceleration of these motorcycles, coupled with the unstable (compared to today) suspension and frame components used, resulted in many crashes in which the bike's plastic fairings were superficially damaged. Because these fairings were expensive to replace, many began to strip them off altogether, resulting in the first naked bikes. European manufacturers were quick to catch on, and soon Ducati created the first production naked bike, the Monster. Others soon followed:
- Aprilia Tuono1000r
- BMW K1200R
- BMW R1150R Rockster
- Ducati Monster (600, 1000, S2R, S4R)
- Honda CB600 Hornet
- Kawasaki Z750
- Kawasaki ZRX Series (Z-Rex)
- Suzuki Bandit (650, 1200)
- Suzuki SV (650/650S, 1000)
- Triumph Speed Series (Triple 1000, Four 600)
- Yamaha FZ (600, 1000)
Characteristics
As their name implies, all naked bikes lack fairings (Triumph's Speed Triple) or have small, half-fairings (Ducati's Monster S4R). The top of the line, 1000cc naked bikes usually have performance comparable to the fastest of the middleweight supersport class (such as Kawasaki's ZX-6R). However, the bikes are less focused for the track, and thus have more liveable ergonomics and riding positions as compared to superbikes like Suzuki's GSX-R series. Naked bikes are geared, in the most part, towards higher acceleration at the sacrifice of overall top speed (through transmission gearing and spocket size).
Modifications are commonly made to naked motorcycles:
- Clip-on handlebars replaced with motocross-style handlebars
- Raised rear subframes
- Most fairings removed
- Distinctive paint schemes
- Unshamingly loud aftermarket exhaust systems
- Aftermarket headlights to replace often heavy headlight setups
- Large rear sprockets to sacrifice top speed for more torque
- Larger brake discs than stock
- Improved brake calipers
- Improved springs, shock absorbers and various other parts to improve the chassis
- Various improvements to engine
Appeal
Naked bikes are loved in Europe for their tough, bare-bones styling and the subsequent attitude they seem to exude. The naked class is not as popular in the United States but is growing rapidly, albeit not significantly enough to displace the sportbike/cruiser phenomenon that is taking place there.
Controversy
Some people associate streetfighters with gross neglect of traffic regulations, and it's true that some streetfighter riders occasionally do perform stunts in traffic, but it's disputed as to whether streetfighter riders cause more problems than riders of stock sportbikes. One explanation to their reputation of "traffic troublemakers" could be their distinctive visual appearance, which makes them more easily noticed in all situations, whether they are breaking the law or not.