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Up until the late 1960's, motorcycles came in three basic formats:
Working Bikes: generally below 250cc, low powered for the average working gentleman to get to work
General Bikes: generally below 500cc/650cc, as working bikes but as they had higher power could also be used for fun at weekends
Touring Bikes: anything above that size. Built mainly for touring
The first company to crack this mould was arguably Vincent Motorcycles. Designed as a gentleman's touring bike, their models turn of speed was astounding for days when motorways and freeways didn't exist. However, it's handling was basic, and it's short comings became clear when faced by a motorway - girder forks!
Then in the 1960's, two bikes were developed which could be both daily commuter as well as weekend racer - these were the first Superbikes. The first was the BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident, which was closely followed by the Honda CB750K.
However, it was the 1971 Kawasaki Z1 with its 900 cc DOHC engine which finally ushered in the modern superbike. The Z1 was so successful in sales, that by the end of that decade the Japanese manufacturers were all building competing machines that were copying the Z1 formula and its DOHC inline-4 engine configuration. The resulting "bike war" among the Japanese manufacturers and required investment in modern engine manufacturing contributed to the demise of the flagging British motorcycle industry.
The breed develops today further through the category of superbike racing that employs modified production motorcycles, in the same manner that GT and touring car racing employ production cars. Many countries such as the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada operate national superbike championships, and a World Superbike championship has run since 1988.
Superbike motorcycles today are generally 1000cc four-stroke machines with either two or four cylinders. 900cc triples are also permitted, but so far only Benelli and Foggy Petronas have fielded them in World Superbike competition, with limited success.
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