Best Naked Sport Bikes Of The 2000s

Jan 10, 2024

The 2000s was the decade when the naked sport bike really made a comeback

In the 1960s, every motorcycle on the planet was ‘naked’, in that fairings were all but unknown. In the 1970s, fairings started to make an appearance on production bikes, BMW being the first company to fit one as standard. By the time the 1980s came around, fairings were all the rage, especially for sports bikes and this continued into the 90s. However, as the 2000s rolled around, the concept of the naked bike was really gaining traction once again, especially in the sports bike category, and there were some fantastic motorcycles on offer to give you real wind-in-the-teeth motorcycling.

Related: 10 Best Japanese Naked Bikes On The Market

Appearing for the first time in 1993, the Monster is arguably the model that put Ducati on such a sound financial footing that it secured the future of the company as we know it today, as well as being generally credited with being the first of the modern breed of naked sports bikes. In the 2000s, the Monster really hit its stride and the combination of the trellis frame, thumping V-Twin engine and a modern take on café racer style gave the Monster an exotic air to go with the handling, agility and performance. In 2001, the S4 version was launched, introducing the liquid-cooled, four valve-per-cylinder 916 engine to the mix, which addressed slight performance issues with the first generations. Even more potent was the S4RS, with the engine from the 998 sports bike (pictured).

Engine

V-Twin

Power

119 hp

Torque

71 foot pounds

Weight

390 pounds

The Triumph Speed Triple arrived a year after the Ducati Monster and has proved just as durable in the line-up. 2005 saw the release of the fourth generation, completed with an over-1000cc engine for the first time. 129 horsepower was still well within the Speed Triple’s chassis capabilities and the bike was praised by press and public alike as one of the best handling motorcycles money could buy, a reputation the current Speed Triple upholds. From inception, the Speed Triple was subject to constant improvements and the 2000s were no different, with detail changes to suspension, brakes, electronics and ever-increasing power outputs.

Engine

Inline three cylinder

Power

129 hp

Torque

78 foot pounds

Weight

416 pounds

Triumph announced the Daytona 675 faired sports bike in 2006 and, a year later, stripped the fairing off and re-tuned the engine to create a junior naked sports bike, called the Street Triple. 106 horsepower and 50 foot pounds of torque at a singing 11,750rpm gave the 416-pound machine excellent performance that, with a chassis that was, if anything, even sweeter-handling than the Speed Triple, meant the Street Triple was very little slower in real world conditions, while being one of the best track tools money could buy. Triumph build quality, already good, got better and better throughout the 2000s and, in 2008, the Speed Triple R was launched, with fully-adjustable suspension. Still one of the fastest ways of getting from A to B.

Engine

Inline three cylinder

Power

106 hp

Torque

50 foot pounds

Weight

400 pounds

Related: 2018 - 2020 Triumph Speed Triple S / RS

By 2006, the Yamaha R1’s reputation was riding sky-high, so what more logical step for Yamaha to take than developing a naked R1? The engine was re-tuned, giving around 30 horsepower less but the same torque figure of 78 foot pounds, delivered 2,500rpm lower down the rev-range. Yamaha housed it in a naked chassis which was just as good as anything from Italy or England. Some people criticized the engine for having little torque in the low- and mid-range, which is where you want it in a naked sports bike, but the upside was that you got to enjoy the screaming howl of the inline four-cylinder engine more often. Largely forgotten now, which should make used examples a bargain.

Engine

Inline four cylinder

Power

150 hp

Torque

78 foot pounds

Weight

487 pounds

Moto Guzzi always seemed to be on the brink of disaster in the 1970s, 80s and 90s but that all changed in the 2000s, when the company became a subsidiary of Aprilia. The Breva was the first fruit of this new partnership, initially with a 750cc transverse V-Twin engine and then with a 1100cc engine, pushing out 87 horsepower and 65 foot pounds of torque. Aimed squarely at a sports touring role, it had the BMW R 1150 R firmly in it sights and was a thoroughly modern motorcycle, (relatively) light and agile, not like the slightly agricultural models Guzzi had been known for up to that point. Good-looking and fast.

Engine

V-Twin

Power

87 hp

Torque

65 foot pounds

Weight

513 pounds

Small but perfectly formed, Suzuki’s SV650 was everything you needed from a naked sports bike: small, compact, well-balanced, light, nimble, comfortable, punchy V-Twin engine, bulletproof reliability and reasonable price. 72 horsepower and 47 foot pounds of torque were more than enough for the 385-pound weight but the model that really appeared to buyers was the SV650S, with lower handlebars, higher foot pegs and a bikini fairing. There were no frills to get in the way of the riding pleasure, and it appealed to new and experienced riders alike. Only now, in 2023, has it been replaced by a new parallel twin engined, 800cc model, but there will be a lot of people who will be keeping hold of their SV650s.

Engine

V-Twin

Power

72 hp

Torque

47 foot pounds

Weight

365 pounds

Trust BMW to do things their own idiosyncratic way. When it was launched, BMW claimed the K 1200 R was the most powerful naked sports bike available, the 1157cc inline four-cylinder engine pushing out 163 horsepower and 93.7 foot pounds of torque, with a top speed of 170mph (if you could hold on, that is...). Telelever front suspension, Paralever rear suspension and shaft drive were something completely different to the norm (for non-BMWs, that is) but something that no other naked bike had electronic suspension adjustment, a switch on the handlebars firming up or softening the damping and preload on demand. Excellent ride and handling, not to mention typical BMW quality, it still holds up well today.

Engine

Inline four cylinder

Power

163 bhp

Torque

93.7 foot pounds

Weight

522 pounds

Related: 10 Best BMW Motorcycles Ever Made

Taking the 1000cc superbike engine and placing it in a naked chassis is something that has become the norm ever since the Honda Fireblade arrived in 1992 and that is exactly what Honda did with the CB1000R. Not unattractive minimal bodywork with the 2007 Fireblade’s inline four-cylinder engine nestling underneath. There was 130 horsepower and 100 foot pounds of torque to play with and the Fireblade’s suspension and brakes kept things dynamic. Typically Honda, it was wonderfully user-friendly and flattered the rider, no matter their skill level. Not the greatest pillion comfort but if ever a class of bike deserves to be ridden solo, then it is the naked sports bike class.

Engine

Inline four cylinder

Power

130 hp

Torque

73.8 foot pounds

Weight

478 pounds

While many manufacturers - and customers - saw naked sports bikes as slightly less mad and more accessible versions of out-and-out superbikes, KTM took the opposite view and shoehorned its new 999cc V-Twin into the chassis space previously occupied by the 690cc single-cylinder engine, creating a proper beast of a bike. Here was a bike that really stretched the rider’s abilities, with the front wheel constantly pawing at the sky, but all kept in check by the brilliant WP suspension and Brembo brakes. The engine, with 120 horsepower and 73 foot pounds of torque, had all the punch you could ever need, and it forced every other manufacturer to up its game in the naked category.

Engine

V-Twin

Power

120 hp

Torque

73 foot pounds

Weight

410 pounds

BMW’s move to introduce a new engine to the public was a great success. The company’s first attempt at a parallel twin engine delivered a sweet combination of low-down torque and accessible horsepower, housed in a chassis that delivered all the fun and security normally associated with much larger bikes. It was at once exciting and unintimidating to ride, the chassis taught and precise and working in harmony with the suspension. BMW paid a lot of attention to making the F 800 R good in both urban and open road riding situations, and it was all put together with typical BMW quality and attention to detail.

Engine

Parallel Twin

Power

87 hp

Torque

63 foot pounds

Weight

439 pounds

Harry has been writing and talking about motorcycles for 15 years, although he's been riding them for 45 years! After a long career in music, he turned his hand to writing and television work, concentrating on his passion for all things petrol-powered. Harry has written for all major publications in South Africa, both print and digital and produced and presented his own TV show called, imaginatively, The Bike Show, for seven years. He held the position of editor of South Africa's largest circulation motorcycling magazine before devoting his time to freelance writing on motoring and motorcycling. Born and raised in England, he has lived in South Africa with his family since 2002. Harry has owned examples of Triumph, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Moto Morini motorcycles. He regrets selling all of them.