Roadster Insurance

In motorcycling, a roadster describes a “standard” motorcycle that is capable of commuting, touring and travelling at a decent speed.  Basically, it refers to a machine that gives you a bit of everything and has not been designed with focus on one particular function over another.

Also known as a streetfighter or a naked bike, many view the roadster as a stripped down version of a sportbike.  For beginner riders or those who just want something simple, this type of bike is both easy to ride and unintimidating.

History of the Roadster

The roadster has humble origins from European garages in the early 1980s.  In fact, it is often said that they arose simply because their creator was not able to afford to replace damaged parts such as fairings and clip-ons.  Instead, a cheap set of fly racing bars were installed and the use of the same motorbike resumed.  These early stripped down models became known as streetfighters and their owners were proud to show off their battle scars.

As the popularity of streetfighters grew, manufacturers jumped onto the bandwagon and started producing “naked” versions of their sport bike.  The first notable model in this category was the Ducati Monster.

From being predominantly a bare bone form of racing bikes, manufacturers have played around with other aspects of this category of bikes to create machines that are more suitable for riding longer distances in varying conditions.

Streetfighters, naked bikes or roadsters vary greatly in style and spec.  They all have different top speeds, although 150mph seems the most common.  In terms of seating position, the rider tends to be more upright and handlebars are usually wide.  You can often get a great view of your surroundings while on this type of bike.

Rather than anything in their features or appearance, perhaps what defines a roadster is the ethos behind riding one of these machines. Roadsters provide enough performance to ensure a good ride, plenty of fun-factor to keep you entertained and sufficient comfort so you can use it for your commute to ride about town.

What does a Roadster look like?

Roadsters come in a variety of styles.  Although roadsters of today are no longer about showing off battle scars, many machines feature the sort of minimalist look that has become the hallmark of bikes in this category.

A “standard” machine such as a roadster is one that has not been tempered with too much.  As motorcycle enthusiasts would say, less tempering is definitely a good thing.  Practical, versatile and functional, a roadster is a great machine for a beginner rider.