On average, motorcycles are quicker than cars, owing to their power-to-weight ratio. If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, 50 km/h seems like 100. Motorcycles, on the other hand, continue to accelerate even while travelling at 100 km/h due to their tiny frames, which provide less wind resistance and a lower drag coefficient. Modern motorbikes have become among the world’s fastest vehicles as a result of developments in design and powertrains.
Few motorcycle manufacturers have ever requested a rider to evaluate their two-peak wheelers’ speeds; hence, many manufacturers have merely stated or guessed statistics for their machines. Despite the fact that speed competition began in the 1990s, current sportbikes account for the majority of the world’s fastest motorbikes. Manufacturers have continued to lift the bar with more powerful and track-oriented motorcycles since then. If you’re a speed freak looking to ride at the speed of light, we’ve compiled a list of the world’s fastest motorbikes. If you’re new to motorcycles, check out our comprehensive guide on motorcycle lingo and the finest motorbike types.
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Fastest motorcycles in the world
MTT 420RR 2017: 273 mph (439 KM/H)
The MTT 420RR uses a gas turbine engine instead of a typical internal-combustion engine. The MTT 420RR would be as insane as any of the motorcycles we drew as kids if they ever made it to production. The Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20 Series gas turbine engine has 420 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, which is absurdly high for a motorcycle.
The MTT 420RR has lightweight carbon-fibre fairings, light 17-inch carbon-fibre wheels, and an aluminium alloy frame, in addition to the gas turbine engine. In case you’re curious, the “RR” in the 420RR’s moniker stands for “Race Ready,” which the motorcycle most definitely is. The MTT 420RR has a stated peak speed of 273 mph, or “faster than you would ever dare,” in MTT’s words.
2000 MTT Y2K Superbike: 250 mph
Although the MTT 420 RR is the world’s fastest motorcycle, it is not the company’s first try at an insanely fast two-wheeler. That was the duty of the Y2K Superbike. It was the world’s first street-legal turbine-powered motorbike. The MTT Y2K Superbike has 320 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque thanks to a Rolls-Royce Allison Model 250 C18 gas turbine engine. It was formerly the most powerful motorcycle on the market.
Despite having a turbine engine, the MTT Y2K Superbike barely weighed 460 pounds. The Y2K Superbike flew through the air, reaching a peak speed of 250 mph thanks to its light body and aerodynamic design.
MTT promised purchasers that the Y2K Superbike would reach 250 mph, but we doubt anyone asked for a refund after failing to reach that speed. The MTT Y2K held two Guinness World Records, one for the most costly production motorcycle on the market and the other for the most powerful production motorcycle.
2021 Kawasaki Ninja H2R: 249 mph
We won’t debate the finer points of whether motorcycles do or don’t belong on this list due to closed-course rules, but the Kawasaki Ninja H2R belongs based on peak speed alone. The H2R looks like an extraterrestrial spacecraft and flies along a track like one too, without needing to comply with any traffic limitations. The supercharged inline-four produces 326 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque, making it powerful enough to go 250 mph in a straight line.
The H2R is not just insanely fast, but it’s also designed to obliterate race circuits. The H2R has Kawasaki’s cornering management function, traction control system, launch control, engine brake control, and quick shifter to aid riders in setting fast lap times. The H2R outperforms practically every other motorcycle on a track because of its completely adjustable suspension, MotoGP-inspired gearbox, and slick Bridgestone tyres.
2020 Lightning LS-218: 218 mph
For some reason, electric bikes have failed to acquire much popularity, but Lightning has been working to alter that for more than a decade. Since its debut electric motorbike in 2006, the firm has come a long way, and today sells the Lightning LS-218, the fastest electric motorcycle on the market. With a 200-horsepower electric motor, the green bike can reach a peak speed of 218 mph.
If you have any doubts about Lightning’s status as a high-performance motorcycle manufacturer, consider that it competed in the famed Pikes Peak Hill Climb on one of its electric motorcycles in 2013. Carlin Dunne posted a time of 10:00.694 around the 12.42-mile track, winning both the electric and gas categories. As a result, the LS-218 is a product of a firm.
Kawasaki Ninja H2: 209 mph
The track-only aspect of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R is a shame, as much as we adore the motorcycle. The H2 is for riders who don’t want to go to the track but want one of the quickest motorcycles ever produced. When Kawasaki unveiled the supercharged H2 in 2015, it astonished the world as one of the first motorcycles to employ forced induction in decades. The Ninja H2’s supercharged four-cylinder engine puts out around 220 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque, which are massive numbers for a motorcycle. The Ninja H2 has a MotoGP-style dog-ring gearbox that enables extremely rapid upshifts and scorching acceleration.
If you don’t like the Ninja H2’s superbike look, Kawasaki also makes a naked bike with the same engine called the Ninja Z H2. While the Ninja Z H2 doesn’t have the same power as the Ninja H2, it’s still incredibly fast, with a peak speed of 200 mph. To the naked eye, the Ninja Z H2’s science fantasy design appears even more bizarre.
Ducati Superleggera V4: 200 mph
Ducati may not have the quickest motorcycle on the market, but the Italian manufacturer produces some of the most unusual machines. According to the company, the Ducati Superleggera V4 is the brand’s most powerful and technologically advanced motorcycle. The 998 cc V4 engine generates 234 horsepower, which is impressive for the carbon-fibre heavy body, which weighs just 335.5 pounds with the optional race kit.
This isn’t the first time Ducati has used the Superleggera moniker to describe a motorcycle. The term “ultralight” aptly defines the V4. The motorcycle’s carbon-fibre bodywork is supported by a carbon-fibre subframe, wheels, mainframe, and swingarm. Ducati was so concerned with weight reduction that it used titanium bolts on the V4 Superleggera.
Damon Motorcycles Hypersport Premier: 200 mph
Damon Motorcycles’ Hypersport Premier isn’t currently available for purchase, but the brand claims some astounding numbers. Someone at the corporation must be fascinated with the number 200 because it represents the motorcycle’s horsepower and range. It’s also the claimed top speed of the bike. That’s correct. The Hypersport Premier is an all-electric motorcycle, powered by a 150-kW pack and a 20-kWh battery pack.
Aside from its remarkable peak speed, the Hypersport Premier stands out for its high-tech features. The CoPilot 360-degree radar sensor on the motorbike helps keep the rider safe by alerting him to surrounding objects. Damon Motorcycles’ cloud technology will preserve data acquired from each bike in the future to help notify riders about specific hazards.
2020 Ducati Panigale V4 R: 199 mph
The bare-aluminium tank of the Ducati Panigale V4 R is immediately noticeable. It may appear out of place in comparison to the rest of the motorcycle’s sculpted body, but it’s a signature feature present on previous Ducati homologation specialities. This feature demonstrates Ducati’s commitment to the motorcycle’s performance.
The Panigale V4 R is powered by a 998cc V4 engine that can produce up to 234 horsepower with the optional race package. The latter reduces the weight of the motorcycle to a mere 365 pounds, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 1.41. Aerodynamics play a big part in bringing the bike to 199 mph with that type of performance. The optional aerodynamic package features a similar design.
2020 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory: 199 mph
Few riders would want more power or performance after riding the Aprilia RSV4, but the RSV4 1100 Factory is for those who feel you can never have too much. It’s Aprilia’s lightest, quickest, and most powerful RSV4 yet. Using a lot of carbon fibre, having aerodynamic body fairings direct from MotoGP, and high-tech riding systems are all part of the plan. Aprilia, of course, employed a firecracker of an engine.
The 1077 cc V4 engine of the RSV4 1100 Factory produces 217 horsepower and 90 pound-feet of torque. The RSV4 1100 Factory accelerates like an Italian rocket in a straight line thanks to its high power and low wet weight of 439 pounds.
2007 MV Agusta F4CC: 195 mph
Motorcycle and automobile manufacturers seldom name their products after humans. To live up to its namesake, it takes on a lot of unneeded danger. The MV Agusta F4CC was named after the late Claudio Castiglioni, who was the managing director of MV Agusta. While 2007 may not seem like a long time ago, the motorcycle business has changed dramatically in 14 years, making the F4CC’s peak speed of 195 mph all the more astonishing.
The F4CC is powered by a 1078cc inline-four engine that generates around 200 horsepower and 92 lb-feet of torque. At least for the time being, power is only one half of the go-fast equation, and MV Agusta relies on unusual materials to keep the weight down.
2020 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX-1300R: 194 mph
The Suzuki Hayabusa is a motorcycle legend that everyone on the road is familiar with. The frightening, elongated motorcycle debuted at a time when Honda possessed the world’s fastest production street bike. Suzuki packed a 1,298cc, four-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower into the bike to avoid falling behind in the top speed contests. Unfortunately, Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki joined together soon after the first Hayabusa debuted to agree to limit bikes to 186.4 mph after the motorbike established a world record of 194 mph.
Despite being nearly 20 years old, the Hayabusa has only had one substantial change since its inception. The Hayabusa was redesigned in 2008 with a 1,340cc engine and more aerodynamic bodywork, but the overall look remained the same. A new Hayabusa will be created in 2021, and we genuinely hope it will once again take the fight to Kawasaki.
Some people aren’t made for speed. If you’d rather go camping with your motorcycle, discover all you need to know about spending a weekend outside with your motorcycle. A helmet is required, whether you are searching for one of the quickest bikes in the world or one that you can take into the woods and camp with.