Sportbikes

1998Laverda 650 Ghost Strike

16 fields on record

The 1998 Laverda 650 Ghost Strike is a lightweight sport bike ideal for riders seeking nimble handling and accessible performance. Its 668cc air-cooled twin produces 70 horsepower with excellent power-to-weight ratio, delivering spirited acceleration and a top speed of 190 km/h. Best known for combining Italian engineering heritage with practical everyday usability and agile roadholding.

Capacity: 668.0 ccm
Engine: Parallel Twin, four-stroke
Gearbox: 6-speed
Dry weight: 185.0 kg
Seat height: 760 mm
Power: 70.0 HP (51.5 kW)

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How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail15%

Cornering75%

City riding65%

Daily riding55%

Touring35%

Two-up30%

Track55%

Best for: Built as a lightweight naked-sport machine, it favors spirited backroad riding and quick city sprints over outright top-end speed.
Built for: It has the raspy, characterful pull of a classic Italian air-cooled twin with sharp, flickable handling rather than modern liter-bike brutality.
Not ideal for: It is not the right choice for riders seeking long-distance comfort, pillion-friendly touring, or any off-road capability.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 760mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1998 Laverda 650 Ghost Strike, with a cramped knee angle of around 65 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Average

The Laverda 650 Ghost Strike passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 81.6% of the time, 1.1 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 43% of models.

This covers every year of the model.

Test records don't say which version a bike is, so this covers Laverda 650 Ghost Legend / Laverda 650 Ghost Strike together.

81.6%Passed first time

9.2%Failed outright

9.2%Fixed during test

10,000Typical miles

152Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

75.7%

10-20k

89.1%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 3 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Honda CBR600F	52 Average	255,924
2	Suzuki GSX-R750	47 Average	145,807
3	Laverda 650 Ghost Strike	43 Average	152
4	Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja	37 Below average	175,171
5	Suzuki GSX-R600	35 Below average	186,470
6	Yamaha YZF 600 R Thundercat	33 Below average	1,588

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.