With their fast, sporty, and aerodynamic looks, Sport Bikes are usually the bikes of choice for adrenaline-chasing bikers who want the thrill of owning a high-performance motorcycle.

Say the words sport bike and most people will think of legendary bikes that can hit 100mph in the blink of an eye and can achieve speeds in excess of 150mph pretty darn easily - These though are far from newbie friendly!

With A2 licences restricting riders to 47hp, a few 'smaller' sports bikes are ideal for new riders or riders on an A2 licence. In this blog I’m going to be running down five of the best A2 Compliant sportsbikes on the market for 2023!

So let’s get into it, shall we?

In at number #5, we have a bit of a wildcard here - the CFMOTO 300SR!

Now hear me out, CFMOTO has released a higher spec 450SR, the 300SR is the A2-compliant option straight out of the factory. It can be a great choice for those wanting to step into the world of bigger bikes without having to commit to the full 47-horsepower limit.

Powering the 300SR we have a 292.4cc liquid-cooled single cylinder that kicks out a decent 27.4 horsepower at 8,750rpm and 25 Nm at 7,000rpm. It’s got a six-speed gearbox, and you’ll reach a top speed of around 90 MPH, which would be a welcome step up from the 125cc performance you may be used to. When it comes to fuel economy, the 300SR also has a 12L fuel tank and 80 miles to the gallon, meaning you will be able to cover roughly around 210 miles on a full tank.

We also see a 292mm single disc up front with a four-piston caliper, a 220mm rear disc with a single-piston caliper, telescopic USD forks and a mono-shock, 17” wheels with a 140 wide rear tyre as well as a wet weight of 165kg. The seat height measures up to 780mm, which in combination with that relatively low weight will make for a very manageable machine.

One thing I do like about the 300SR is the fact it doesn’t scrimp on tech, coming fully equipped with it’s got a full colour 5” TFT display with phone connectivity, gear indicator, 2 rider modes (sports and eco), ABS, slipper clutch and full LED lighting throughout.

Lastly, priced at £3,899 it is fair to say this is a lot of bike for the money. It also comes with a 4-year warranty, parts, as well as labour which just proves how much faith and confidence CFMOTO are putting into their machines.

• Budget price tag
• Lots of tech
• 4-year warranty

• Not the best performance and top speed
• Chinese manufacturing

Taking the fourth spot on our list today has got to be the Yamaha R3!

Whilst this potentially may be in a slightly controversial position on the list, I have plenty of reasons why, so let’s get into them.

Powering the R3 is a 321cc liquid-cooled parallel twin engine, kicking out 42 horsepower at 10,750rpm and 29.5 Nm of torque at 9,000rpm. With a six-speed gearbox, bouncing off the limiter it’ll see an indicated top speed of 112 MPH. That high redline and peak power output renders this a thirsty bike, with an average of 57 MPG and a 14-litre fuel tank you can expect around 175 miles in range.

Weighing in at 169kg wet, it has got a healthy power-to-weight ratio but with those lower torque figures, it means the acceleration will be moderate (around 5.1 seconds 0-60).

When it comes to tech, the R3 comes equipped with a simple LCD display with a gear indicator, ABS, and LED headlights. Now for a £6,405 bike in 2023, this feels a little bit lacklustre and something Yamaha should definitely consider improving for later models.

• Solid top speed
• Good dimensions
• Yamaha reliability

• Light on tech
• Very premium price tag
• Not the best acceleration

Taking third place is arguably the most race-focused bike on the list, it’s the KTM RC390!

Super agile, super light, and super spritely the RC390 has a host of spec and tech features to make any race-obsessed biker twitch.

Powered by a 373cc liquid-cooled single cylinder with a six-speed gearbox producing 43 horsepower at 9,000rpm and a fantastic 37 Nm of torque at 7,000rpm, the KTM will see a top speed of 112.5 MPH. Fully laden, it weighs 172kg so with those excellent power figures acceleration is very spritely up to 60 MPH.

Now onto tech, this RC is loaded with a full-colour TFT display, gear indicator, traction control, KTM’s supermoto ABS giving you some rearward sliding flexibility, cornering ABS, a quick shifter, and a slipper clutch.

Coming in at £5,799 the KTM RC390 is a lot of bike for its price tag, and if the competition wasn’t so tight it could have easily taken the top spot!

• Awesome tech bundle
• Great performance and agility
• Bargain price
• Futuristic styling

• Might be too race-focused for some

In at number two is… The Kawasaki Ninja 400!

Now I can hear the comments already “Why isn’t it number one?!” well this is my list and I’ll explain why. Another extra-sporty number, the Ninja 400 is light, it's potent and it’s probably got the best power-to-weight ratio on this list.

Powered by a 399cc liquid-cooled parallel twin, pumping out 47 horsepower, the Ninja has got a six-speed gearbox and will reach a top speed of 116.7 MPH making it the fastest bike on the list today. That speed focus does sacrifice some economic values though, with its 14-lire fuel tank and 60 MPG you can expect to over 185 miles on a full tank.

Coming onto tech, the Ninja also comes packed with a classic-race-style analogue tachometer, LCD speedo, gear indicator, ABS, and LED headlights. Once again, this bad boy is feeling a little light on tech here from the Japanese.

When it comes to the colourway options, you’ve got a choice of classic Kawasaki lime green, or carbon grey. The lime green model is priced at £6,299 whereas the carbon grey model comes in at £6,099 - Both look awesome, so you can take your pick.

• Excellent performance
• Low weight
• Great acceleration and top speed
• Awesome looks

• Tech feels underwhelming

Coming in at number one and stealing the show today has got to be the Honda CBR500R!

In my opinion, Honda has truly smashed it with the CBR500R in my eyes, it's gorgeous, smooth, powerful, and has had some big improvements over the last couple of years.

The CBR500R comes packed with a 471cc liquid-cooled parallel twin that kicks out 47 horsepower. With a six-speed gearbox, you’ll reach a top speed of 116 MPH, but I must say I squeezed 118 out of it with my 2018 model bouncing off the limiter. The CBR500R also boasts a 17.1 litre fuel tank and with a healthy 72 MPG you will cover up to 270 miles in range.

Where the CBR falls behind is when it comes to its weight. Coming in at 192kg, you can definitely feel the weight difference in comparison to the lighter models in this list, however, it offers stability at higher speeds making this ideal for highways and bigger roads.

Onto tech, admittedly one of my favourite parts of the bike, the CBR500R comes equipped with a negative LCD dash which looks great, a gear indicator, ABS, as well as full LED lighting throughout.

Priced at £6,599, you can pick up this premium package loaded full of good looks, economy, and comfort in two different colourways the gunpowder black edition and the grand prix red (my personal favourite).

• Ultimate A2 performance
• Stable top speeds
• Fantastic braking and suspension
• Incredible Fireblade-inspired looks

• Heavy weight

So there you have it, here is our list of just some of the A2 sportsbikes available to take 2023 by storm!

Do you think the Honda CBR500R deserves the number one spot? And if not what would you put at number one? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below.

Lastly, if you have your very own A2 motorcycle you need to insure, make sure to get a quote direct with Lexham!