Japanese sports bikes are going through a bit of a purple patch at the moment. Loved for their reliability, performance, and character, collectors are starting to snap up some of the bikes they grew up with posters of, with some bikes being a particular favorite. But with some motorcycles quietly selling for increasingly more money, there's a chance that these could be the next collector bets. Suzuki GSX-R750 “Slabside” Mecum Auctions While the "Slabside" GSX-R750 only lived a short life, being produced between 1985–1987, it made an indelible impact on the motorcycling world. That’s because it’s the bike that started the modern race-replica craze. Nicknamed Slabside for its flat, wide fairings, the 1985 GSX-R750 was essentially a track bike with a plate. Lightweight, track-focused and a street-legal version of a dominant TT performer, it was as popular as it was ground-breaking.As it wasn’t a homologation bike, it wasn’t made sparingly, so finding examples for sale isn’t a problem. What is difficult is finding low-mileage versions, given their popularity and rideability. Expect to pay five figures for well-maintained or special edition versions, if you can find them for sale. Yamaha FZR1000 Yamaha The FZR1000 is a liter bike with a difference. That’s because it had Yamaha’s innovative EXUP exhaust system, which restricted exhaust flow at lower revs to help low-end power, then opened at higher revs to maximize power. Riders reported being able to feel the valve opening as the bike went through the revs, unleashing a new wave of power.As with the GSX-R750, it’s part of that wave of 80s Japanese sports bikes that is enjoying a nostalgia-driven renaissance. Also, the same as the GSX-R750, it’s not difficult to find bikes for sale, but it is difficult to find good ones. Prices were up around 5% last year, suggesting the bike could be on the rise. Kawasaki Z1 Bring A TrailerFirst launched in 1972, the Z1 set out to compete with the genre-defining Honda CB750 from three years prior. It did this by upping the displacement, hitting 903 cc to Honda’s 749, upping the power, reaching 82 hp to Honda’s 68 hp, and upping the overhead cams, using a Dual Overhead Camshaft to Honda’s Single Overhead Camshaft.Sales of the Z1 have increased since 2020, with between $10,000 and $15,000 getting you a decent example. The most recent sale on Bring A Trailer was for a recently-restored 1975 model for $28,500 — the highest that a 900 cc Z1 has sold for. Honda RC30 / RC45 Bring a TrailerThe World Superbike Championship needs a lot of thanks for its impact on motorcycles. While MotoGP tasked manufacturers with creating the fastest prototype, WSBK made them create road-going companions to their racing versions. The result from that inaugural season was the Honda RC30, which was an immensely popular, immensely successful homologation special. The RC45 would follow six years later, though it wasn’t as successful as its older brother.Both bikes still command high prices, despite being out of production for decades at this point. Their rarity (numbers are spotty but suggest ~2,000 for the RC45, while there were just under 5,000 RC30s made) is definitely a factor in their price, with the RC30 going for around $50,000, while low-mileage RC45s have been selling for over $100,000 when they find their way to sale. Honda NR750 MecumThe NR750 was less a motorcycle and more a road-legal engineering project. It was essentially Honda showing off what it could do, creating a V4 engine with oval-shaped pistons to emulate a V8 engine. While the engine was certainly different, it was far from the only thing to be a little bit different as the bike made extensive use of carbon fiber, as well as two great arms reaching from the tank to the front fairing to add rigidity.Unlike some of the other bikes on this list, it wasn’t a homologation special. However, it was still made in limited numbers with around 300 believed to have been created. The prices today reflect their rarity and forward-thinking, with prices regularly reaching six figures. Honda CB1100R Car and Classic A homologation bike before the WSBK championship, the road-going CB1100R was made so Honda could compete in endurance races. It was actually Honda’s first homologation special, with just 4,050 models created and sold between 1980 and 1983. True to its racing pedigree, it was a lightweight, fairing-shod race bike good for around 140 mph and 115 hp.As with other bikes in this list, the rarity is part of the appeal. Prices are typically around $15,000 for good examples, though one 166-mile bike sold for just over $43,000 in late-2025. That a low-mileage bike is worth so much more than average demonstrates just how collectible this bike really is today. Kawasaki ZX-7R Mecum AuctionsThe Kawasaki ZX-7R is a legendary 749 cc sportsbike that ran from 1989 to 2003. With its race-inspired styling, solid handling, and WSBK-pedigree, it was popular from the off with riders who wanted an analog bike that was as rewarding on the road as it was on the track.As with other race-spec bikes, it’s very popular among collectors. Particularly the early 1990s models, which were made famous for their racing exploits in WSBK. Early 1990s models (up to 1993) have been increasing in price over the last two years, with one 1,776-mile bike selling for $37,500 in May 2026 as buyers fight over good examples. Suzuki Katana DriveTribe YouTubeThe Suzuki Katana, launched in 1981, was a radical take on the sports bike design. The most obvious departure from the norm was its angular design, particularly at the front of the bike with its fairing jutting out underneath the headlight. It was immediately recognizable and, with its strong performance, it was an instant hit.There were a few different sizes of Katana, with the larger bikes typically generating more money. The earlier bikes also tend to sell for more, with the price of a 1982 GS1000S rising by 21% from 2024 to 2025, showing a strong, growing interest among collectors keen for a slice of 80s nostalgia. Yamaha TZ500 BonhamsUnlike the other bikes on this list, the 1980 Yamaha TZ500 was never street-legal. It was actually a 499 cc two-stroke inline-four track bike created for non-factory teams to race with, based on the YZR500 factory bike. It wasn’t a particularly well-liked bike, as riders complained about poor handling and a lack of power from the $14,000 bike (that’s over $56,000 today), but it did represent a unique opportunity for customers to buy a race bike.Despite this reputation (and the unfortunate nickname of “The Slug” given to it by Barry Sheene), prices are incredibly high — especially if you want a brand new in box one. An original TZ500, still in the packing crate, found its way to sale for $250,000, considerably more than any other example of the bike you’ll find. Yamaha R1 Appreciating Classics While the Yamaha R1 isn’t part of that 1980s/early 1990s sweet spot of Japanese sports bikes, it’s still very much revered today. That’s because it set out with a very specific goal of disrupting the 1000 cc sports bike market. To that end it was lightweight, compact, and powerful (making 150 hp on launch in 1998). Later models would focus on taming the unbridled power, refining the performance and stiffening the frame for better handling.While the bike is still in production today, it’s those early first models that get collectors excited. They’re just starting to enter the collector's market, too, as people who grew up with them get the money to buy them. Regular examples are available for around the $5,000 mark, though a sub-17,000-mile example is on sale for almost $15,000, hinting at a rise in prices.Sources: Motorcycle News, Iconic Motorcycle Auctions, Cycle World, Hagerty, Bring A Trailer, Honda, Suzuki, Classic GP Assen, GPOne, Brad's Vintage Cycles