Why are Crotch Rocket Motorcycles ending?

Some people love sportbikes as they look really cool on the road. Even though those who love speed have a strong desire to ride these sport-motorbikes, the end of the crotch rocket seems to be near. In the following article, we are going to inform you of the crotch rocket motorcycles; their prices, their history, as well as why it seems like it is the end of the road for them in the motorcycle industry. Let’s start!

What is the crotch rocket motorcycle?

Crotch rocket is a slang word for a sport motorcycle (super motorcycle, supersport motorcycle, or racing bikes). It has an aerodynamic body shape providing high speed, but it is not made for the faint of heart.

The bike encourages the rider to lean forward while riding it. Moreover, this bike is one of the fastest bikes made by Suzuki Hayabusa. It is so fast that it can go from 0-60 MPH within 2.5 seconds and usually has a top speed of approximately 250 MPH.

The price of a crotch rocket motorcycle

In fact, the price of a crotch rocket bike varies depending on a few elements. For the lowest price, a standard street bike can start from $4,000.00 to $8,000.00. For the highest price, the Ducati Panigale R will cost you around $34,695.00. Fortunately, crotch rocket motorcycles are usually sold within a large range of prices.

History of crotch rocket motorcycles

In the past, there were only 2 types of motorcycle which are a cruiser and a universal motorcycle. Then, a company, Harley-Davidson, started to create racing bikes. However, the company stopped their racing bikes production since most Americans seemed to preferred their cruiser bikes, which were pretty iconic back then, from the 30s all the way to the 60s.

Nowadays, there are 8 options of street bikes:

Street/Standard bikes
Sport naked bikes
Streetfighter bikes
Supersport/Crotch rocket bikes
Touring bikes
Cruisers
Off-road bikes
Dual sportbikes

The two main popular bikes in the market are cruisers and supersport bikes. While the supersport bikes offer better performance in general, the Cruisers on the other hand are more comfortable to ride.

The beginning of the sport-naked bikes

Firstly, sport-naked bikes came from the idea of street fighters. Streetfighter bikes are modified by removing the fairing and changing some parts to make the overall seem more aggressive. However, replacing fairings and clip-ons costs a lot of money. Indeed, a clip-on can cost over $100 and the fairings can cost over $600.

Therefore, streetfighter bike riders eventually decided to take those off and use the universal bar instead as it can help reduce the risk of accidents on the road when the fairing or the clip-on bar are damaged. Moreover, the universal bar is much cheaper.

That is why manufacturers began to build sport-naked bikes. Here are the advantages of sport-naked motorcycles:

Very comfortable motorbikes

The upright sitting position of these bikes makes the riders feel comfortable. Moreover, they are perfect for riders who are looking for a combination of sportbike and cruiser.

Mid-range power band

The mid-range power band provides easy and great maneuverability for any unsure conditions on the road, as well as offering good performance, and speed.

High torque, high RPMs, and high speed

Offering the high torque, high RPMs, and high speed with low weight will make those who love performing wheelies fall in love with these bikes.

Affordable prices for good quality

Eliminating the fairings makes the bikes much less expensive and much easier to repair than actual streetfighter motorcycles.

The above advantages for the supersport bikes and streetfighter bikes don’t help all that much, since these motorbikes are slowly going instinct. Moreover, the sportbikes were designed to perform well on pristine racetracks but they are quite bad when it comes to muddy tracks for example.

Why the end is near for the crotch rocket motorcycle?

There are 3 factors playing a major role in the progressive extinction of crotch rocket bikes and other sportbikes alike:

600cc sportbike’s sales decrease

The falling of the crotch rocket motorcycle sales is that most riders prefer to ride 1000+cc motorcycles with better technology, power, and speed. That is mainly why the 600cc sales are dropping.

Unsafe to ride

Of course, they are fast. Nevertheless, they are very dangerous to ride on the road. Some racing bike drivers experienced serious injuries or some even died in a crash as it is uncomfortable to ride on the road.

The rise of better models

The popularity of supersport bikes has continued to decline. As the crotch rocket motorcycles are unsafe to ride, there are now better options on the market. Therefore, the manufacturers started to produce new bikes with driver-assist features that help to keep the drivers safe.

Now you know why the crotch rocket bikes are near the end. However, it is still possible to purchase one, as long as you know what you are getting into. Please do not forget to ride the racing bike safely and to wear your helmet at all times! Stay safe and enjoy the ride!