There’s been an ongoing debate regarding the rise of the sport bike. Some consider the 1969 Honda CB750 the world’s first superbike with its across-the-frame, in-line four-cylinder design. It was so wildly successful through the 1970s that by the decade’s end, bikes like it were so common they earned a bland, catch-all designation — the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM).
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When precisely the next era of supersport bikes was born is still debated. Some argue Suzuki’s GSX-R750 primed the market in 1985, while Kawasaki’s 1984 GPZ900R, the forebear of the Ninja line, has its own claim. Whatever the truth, the fact remains that since the mid-1980s, motorcycle companies have been serving up candy-colored rainbows of ripping sport bikes designed for both the road and the track. Year after year, improvements in performance, design, and weight have resulted in plentiful used sport bikes just waiting for the right rider.
The insane number of sport bikes produced since the rise of the class has provided lovers of high-revving, adrenaline-pumping, knee-dragging power with plenty of options. There’s little we like more than digging into the last half-century of motorcycle history to uncover affordable jewels with blistering performance, so we’ve scoured Cycle Trader for some of the most potent motorcycles you can stow in your garage for under $10,000.
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9 Of The Most Powerful Sports Bikes You Can Buy Under $10,000
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