World's first superbike...of the year award!?

This morning I searched for “world’s first superbike” and was amazed at how many different machines were listed.

There can only be one “world’s first” so does anyone know the actual earliest use of the term “superbike” or “super bike” in a written publication?

Googling "worlds first superbike" gave 11,700,000 results.
That about sums up the range of opinions. ?

Bruce Main Smith published a booklet of "Super Bike Road Tests" in 1972.
Lists 16 of the biggest/fastest bikes of the era, from England, Japan, Germany Italy and USA.

I would have said that this word was in common use by then, interested to see what others can come up with...

Many would probably think one of the larger capacity Japanese bikes introduced in the late 60s was the worlds first superbike, with most probably favouring the CB750. These were the first big bikes ever made which didnt vibrate, leak oil, or self destruct when ridden hard, and which led the worlds motorcycle press to coin the term "superbike"................

'Superbike' relates solely to performance ?
Its been commented that the Vincent was a superbike before the word was coined.
Broughs prewar would probably also qualify. Indeed, almost invented the concept.

P.S. In my experience, neglected japanese (and any bikes really) are also capable of all these negativities you keep slinging about - I know, I've acquired a few of them along the way. !!
Just reusing gaskets will produce this, something that hard-up owners are notorious for doing...

Yes I would say Brough Superiors and Vincents would have a very good shot at that title.

As would some of the early US machines - for example Henderson.

Rohan said:

Googling "worlds first superbike" gave 11,700,000 results.
That about sums up the range of opinions. ?

Bruce Main Smith published a booklet of "Super Bike Road Tests" in 1972.
Lists 16 of the biggest/fastest bikes of the era, from England, Japan, Germany Italy and USA.

I would have said that this word was in common use by then, interested to see what others can come up with...

Click to expand...

Superbike - Modern High Performance Motorcycles - Martin Redman 1975 Vantage Books

Murray B said:

...the actual earliest use of the term “superbike” or “super bike” in a written publication

Click to expand...

THAT is the question.

I don't think it was referring to a Vincent, Brough, or any other 50s bike.

I think there may be a piece written IN IT'S ERA (late 60s) referring to the Triumph Bonneville as a "superbike".

grandpaul said:

...I think there may be a piece written IN IT'S ERA (late 60s) referring to the Triumph Bonneville as a "superbike".

Click to expand...

There can be only one "world's first" in anything regardless of era. So far I have seen a reference to a source that described the 1950 Triumph Thunderbird with the term "superbike". So far I have not been able to locate the original source to confirm that claim but I will keep looking.

1950 Triumph sounds an unlikely candidate ? - the BSA 650 was a better bike, and both the Vincent 1000 and the Ariel 1000 were available.

Booklet of late 1950s and early 1960s Road Tests doesn't mention the word.

Bruce Main Smiths early 1970s "Super Bike Road Tests" still seems the first mention so far.
There was the BSA Super Rocket and Enfields Super Meteor in the late 1950s, so can see where we are heading...

Cyle magazine from March 1970 has a "The Big Seven: Superbike Comparison Test" The candidates were (in alphabetical order) Rocket 3, Sportster, CB-750, Mach III, Commando S, Suzuki Titan, Trident.

Of these "Superbikes" the Sportster was first in production but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the first superbike.

I think this is the worlds first super bike

Article on Curtiss V8 aircraft engine installed
http://www.motorcycle.com/events/1907-c ... 12898.html

136 mph 275 lb. until parts fell off.

As a 1950 T Bird ( or Three ) did a recored 90 miles in an hour and the Last Lap ( Montherey ) at the Ton , It may well be .
The HRD Rapide was considered the First Machine capeable of sustained high speed use . If you were British . 8) .

The Munch Mammoth mayve missed the mark .

hobot said:

I think this is the worlds first super bike
Article on Curtiss V8 aircraft engine installed...136 mph 275 lb. until parts fell off.

Click to expand...

It might have been if it was a production machine but I expect the world’s first does date back to that era. Did Curtis make a production bike?

The “Cycle” magazine article begins, “1969 was the year of the Superbike. Nearly all of the manufacturers produced a big fast motorcycle last year...”

They do not say 1969 was the first year of the superbike nor do they say there were only 7 superbikes made that year. They did decide to test 7 “big” and “fast” 1969 models which were all considered “superbikes” at the time.

The article ends with, “While there were individual winners in each of the three performance categories, there was not an overall winner.”

It is interesting to note that the Commando managed 12.69s in the quarter mile which was the fastest of the seven. The Honda managed 12.98s with an Avon 4” drag slick and the Mach III 12.81s. Of course the Combat engine was not yet available at that time.

Matt Spencer said:

As a 1950 T Bird ( or Three ) did a recored 90 miles in an hour and the Last Lap ( Montherey ) at the Ton , It may well be .
The HRD Rapide was considered the First Machine capeable of sustained high speed use. If you were British . 8) .
The Munch Mammoth mayve missed the mark .

Click to expand...

There is no reason that the Thunderbird, Rapide, and even the Munch bike could not all be superbikes but I expect the world’s first may come from the days Hobot spoke about.

In that case, all those French monsters that they used for racing are going to be considered to be 'superbikes' then. This is a colonial copy of one of them...
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k50 ... /Harry.jpg

There were some monster French single cylinders, even prior to 1900.
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k50 ... 36/Big.jpg
Really early ones tended to be in those tricycles and quadracycles that were the forerunner of the motorcycle. Buchet parallel twin, more than 4 litres...
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k50 ... ettwin.jpg