The 15 Most Expensive Production Motorcycles in 2023 (and the Cars You Could Buy Instead)

Generally speaking, cars priced at around $20,000 are considered very affordable, but today's buyers go, most of the time, for vehicles priced at anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000. And there are plenty of people out there who can afford much, much more expensive vehicles as well.

Not the same can be said about the motorcycle world. For reasons that don't necessarily have to do with price, but with public perception, expectations, and of course capabilities, motorcycles that are priced over $20,000 are generally considered very expensive. And that's why most bike makers try to keep their products below that threshold, and a lot of them even offer two-wheelers priced below $10k.

That doesn't mean there aren't a lot more expensive motorcycles out there, made for the most pretentious of buyers. Bikes that, for better or worse, are priced as much as some Porsches or Ferraris, but don't offer nearly as much in terms of, well, anything.

This story is dedicated to them, the most expensive production bikes in the world at the time of writing. What does expensive mean in our view? We chose to declare a bike to be expensive as soon as its MSRP moves over the $30,000 mark.

Why is that? For a couple of simple reasons. $30k is twice (at times thrice) the price of most other motorcycles on the market. Then, it's also a price only hardcore motorcycle fans will pay, with all other human beings probably thinking of getting a car instead (and you can get a pretty decent one for that money, including some American muscle).

Before we got into it, a fair warning. This list of ours was compiled using the MSRP of the bikes as the main criteria, and does not take into account the segment the bikes play in, what powers them, or how widespread they are in the world. All of them, however, are production bikes that can be had by anyone willing to pay the price.

And since we know simple numbers on a screen may not mean all that much, we'll also give you car alternatives you could buy for the prices of each of these bikes.

15. Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini – the one worth a 2024 Toyota Prius Prime ($31,995)

Lamborghini is by all intents and purposes right there at the top of the industry, not only in terms of performance, but of prices as well. Yet not everything the Italians touch immediately turns prohibitively expensive.

In the Lambo world, a sticker reading $31,995 may seem like a joke, or maybe the sum on the invoice for a minor car part in need of replacing. In the motorcycle world, however, where it is actually used, that is not at all affordable. After all, you could buy yourself a 2024 Toyota Prius Prime for that much.

The price is the one Ducati is asking for the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini, a special edition ride presented back in 2020 as the two-wheeled tribute to the Lamborghini Siàn FKP 37. At the time, there was talk of just 630 units to be made, and we were all expecting the two-wheeler to sell like (expensive) hotcakes.

Ducati never said if it managed to sell all the bikes it made in this form but here we are now, three years into the run, and the bike is still listed as available on the Ducati U.S. configurator, with a big button urging people to contact their local dealer if interested.

What does the ride offer for 30 big ones? A 1.262cc Testastretta engine in the frame good for 157 hp (initially there was talk of 162 hp), a weight of 220 kg (485 pounds), and lots of design cues meant to honor the Siàn FKP 37.

14. Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky – going for the price of a 2024 Ford Ranger ($32,999)

Granted, the Can-AM Spyder RT is not a motorcycle per se, but a trike. Yet, given the blurry lines between the two kinds of vehicles and their similarities, you'll forgive us for including it in this list.

The Spyder trike, described by its maker as a three-wheeled motorcycle, is one of the most alluring such vehicles on the market. It is available in three variants, RT, RT Limited, and RT Sea-to-Sky, and for all intents and purposes it's the closest you can come to luxury on a vehicle with no roof. In fact, Can-Am itself describes it as the "pinnacle of luxury touring."

Understandable, then, how the company can afford to ask Ford Ranger money for the top-of-the-range RT Sea-to-Sky: $32,999 is written on the sticker.

For that customers get a three-cylinder 1,300cc engine in the frame, capable of developing 115 horsepower. It is tied to a 6-speed semi-automatic with reverse function and spins 16-spoke Moka wheels. The let's-call-them luxury amenities come in the form of a 6-speaker sound system, 10.25-inch touchscreen display, 47 gallons (177 liters) of storage capacity, and adjustable side wind deflectors.

Sure, it does not come with a bed at the back, or the looks and prestige of the Blue Oval pickup, but for people in the market for a means of transportation that's not to everyone's taste, the Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky may come across as a suitable choice.

13. BMW M 1000 RR – the two-wheel Bimmer with the price of a 2 Series Gran Coupe ($38,740)

If you go over to BMW's car configurator for the U.S. market right now, you'll find plenty of choices to suit all tastes and bank accounts. On the lower end of the price spectrum you'll find stuff like the 2 Series Gran Coupe 228i, which sells for $38,400.

That's a value just a tad lower than the price the maker of the Gran Coupe currently has listed for a machine with half the number of wheels, but potentially a lot more punch: the M 1000 RR.

The bike was introduced as the first-ever BMW superbike handled by the German company's M performance division back in 2020 and since then it has proven itself time and again both on and off the track, either under the control of professional racers or die-hard fans.

With an impressive 205-hp engine in the frame and tipping the scales at just 423 pounds (192 kg, unladen), the RR is a performance monster the likes of which one rarely comes across.

The bike was included by BMW in the lot of rides being revised for the 2024 model back in the summer, but it's still not available in its new interpretation for the American buyers. The starting price of the ride has been set at $33,345, but as it is listed now on the Motorrad configurator, it is worth $38,740.

12. KTM RC 8C – the one on par with the Hyundai Tucson PHEV ($38,999)

Back in 2021 Austrian bike maker KTM did one of its usual stunts and let loose something called RC 8C. It was a bike so special that the entire run of 100 units was sold out in just four minutes and 32 seconds. And that's saying something, seeing how the asking price for every single one of them would have been enough to buy a 2023 Hyundai Tucson PHEV: $38,999.

So impressed was KTM with the achievement that the following year, at the end of 2022, it released another batch of RC 8Cs, this time double the size of the previous one, 200 units. And they were gone in half the time, two minutes and 38 seconds.

Why are we talking about it, then, in a list of most expensive bikes in 2023? Well, the answer is simple: KTM still has it listed as available. It's not making more of them, but there's always a chance someone who initially reserved the beast had a change of heart, and a struck of luck might just get you in the right position to buy one.

A fair warning, though: the KTM RC 8C supersport is a track-only machine. Its LC8c engine, the same one used on the 890 Duke R, delivers 120 hp to a platform that tips the scales at a flimsy 140 kg (309 pounds).

11. Indian Pursuit Elite – slightly cheaper than a Nissan Z sports car ($39,999)

If you really want to impress people with a car that's not all that common, you could go for one of those crazy Z cars Nissan is making. Getting a bare-bones one will cost you just $42,210. It's not an exaggerated sum for a car of this caliber. But what if I told you that's just two big ones and some change over the price of an Indian motorcycle?

Of the many bikes Indian is currently selling on the American market, the Pursuit Elite is by far the most expensive. There are of course plenty of reasons why the bike maker is charging ($39,999) for the ride, and the list starts with the fact this thing is, for all intents and purposes, the closest you can get to a limousine on two wheels.

Rocking a 108ci PowerPlus engine in the frame good for 122 hp and weighs in at a massive 917 pounds (416 kg, almost double what you get in a more conventional bike), the two-wheeled luxobarge is in some respects even more impressive than the aforementioned Z.

One thing worth mentioning is that the Indian Pursuit Elite is highly exclusive. For the 2023 model year, for instance, only 150 of them have been made available for the global market.

10. Damon Hypersport Premier – an electric bike made by a startup, or a brand new Kia Niro EV? ($40,000)

The thing with all the bikes above this point is that, despite being expensive, are made by legacy motorcycle companies, and they can afford to go nuts from time to time. You have to be a very daring soul to enter the market as startup with a bike priced about as much as the Kia Niro EV.

A nice, round $40,000 is how much a Canadian crew called Damon is asking for a motorcycle called Hypersport Premier. Granted, it's a beast of a two-wheeler, but even the high-performance numbers and the fact the ride is one of the fastest on the planet (0 to 60 mph in three seconds) may not be enough to convince people to pay the high price.

The Hypersport relies on an electric powertrain than gives it a top power of 200 hp, and a range of up to 200 miles (322 km) with the 20 kWh battery pack installed. That's, for all intents and purposes, enough to make the bike sit at the top of the list when it comes to combined range.

If the Hypersport may seem a bit too much for your taste, you should know Damon also makes cheaper versions of the bike, with the SE trim (and significantly diminished capabilities going from just $19,000).

9. Tarform Luna – room for just one, yet a price steeper than a Jeep Grand Cherokee L ($44,000)

Tarform is another newcomer to the motorcycle industry table, and it too wants a seat of honor right from the start. How else can one explain why these guys are asking more than the price of a three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee L for a machine that can carry only one?

The American startup is not only betting on a steeply-priced electric motorcycle, but on something that looks a lot like a café racer, a style of bike that is not exactly the Americans' cup of tea. But if the styling and the lack of history for the brand don't convince you to pay up, maybe the specs sheet of the motorcycle might. Or not, you be the judge.

The Luna, the bike that's at the center of Tarform's efforts, packs an 11.2 kWh battery that gives it a range of just 100 miles (161 km), and an electric motor capable of developing 75 horsepower and pushing the ride to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds.

Believe it or not, you can't get yourself a Tarform Luna this year, as production capacity has been reached (we don't know what that means in numbers). You could get a shot at owning a Luna next year, though, now that the order books are open.

8. Big Dog Bulldog – three wheels more expensive than a Dodge Charger R/T ($46,995)

I know, I know, the Big Dog Bulldog is not a proper motorcycle (not even a three-wheeled one, line the Can-Am), but a full-blown trike. But do remember I said from the beginning this list of ours is a bit different, so you'll forgive the transgression.

Big Dog is a very niche maker of custom motorcycles and trikes, and the Bulldog is the most expensive product in its rather limited offer of just three models. It's a build we've featured here on autoevolution before, and we've even declared it the best trike you can get your hands on at the moment.

Why is that? Well, in just a few words it's probably the most insane non-factory ride we came across. Built from the ground up by Big Dog, it packs in a custom frame an S&S Super Sidewinder V-Twin engine good linked to a 6-speed transmission with a reverse gear, it weighs a massive 1,130 pounds (that's more than half a ton), and, above all, looks vicious in black.

All of the above is more than enough to warrant an asking price of $46,995, which is not on everyone's page. Hell, you could get yourself a brand-new Dodge Charger R/T for that money, and still be left with some change. Almost $2,000 in change, that is…

7. Lightning LS-218 – more expensive than a Buick Enclave, and a lot faster and better looking, too ($50,000)

It's unlikely people who are in the market for a track motorcycle are the same people who are on the lookout for a seven-seat SUV. But this comparison of ours is the perfect illustration of how someone can spend $50k to buy themselves a people-mover while others blow just as much on single-seater thrill machines.

And boy, what thrills does one get on the back of a Lightning LS-218! So there was no way for the motorcycle that has been time and again declared the best production electric motorcycle by range and the fastest production electric motorcycle by top speed to be absent from a list of most expensive motorcycles available.

Born in 2014 at the hand of Lightning Motors, the LS-218 comes at the top end of the spectrum with a 28 kWh battery pack that gives it a range of 188 miles (303 km) on the highway. It's the electric motor, however, that more than makes up for a large portion of that steep price, thanks to the 244 horsepower it spits out.

Thanks to this powertrain, the motorcycle was at the time of its introduction the world's fastest production motorcycle in the world (60 mph in under two seconds).

6. Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary Edition – the Grand American Touring that beats the Cadillac XT6

American carmaker Cadillac describes itself as a maker of luxury vehicles, but it does sell vehicles that are playing the game in the premium segment as well, including on account of price. The $48,795 Cadillac XT6, for instance, may be affordable for the rich among us, but by no means is it a cheap car. So where would you place a motorcycle worth $51,999?

That's how much American bike maker Harley-Davidson is asking for the CVO Anniversary Edition version of the Road Glide Limited.

The bike was presented at the beginning of 2023 alongside six others as a means for Harley to celebrate its 120th anniversary. The already loaded bagger got even more so, and received a special paint job Harley described as the "most intricate paint schemes ever offered."

It's unclear how much this little aspect of the ride weighed in setting the price, but we do know the Milwaukee-Eight 117 rated at 102 hp contributed a lot. And so did, most likely, the Harley brand name, the CVO handling of the base motorcycle, and of course its rarity: just 1,500 such bikes have been slotted for production for all the markets Harley does business in.

5. KTM Brabus 1300 R Edition 23 – this, or you could buy yourself a Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV ($60,500)

Brabus is a name that's very often associated with Mercedes-Benz because, well, those are the cars these guys love to modify the most. But they do get in bed from time to time with others, including Austrian makers of motorcycles.

Continuing a tradition that started on Valentine's Day 2022, KTM once again tied the knot with Brabus this year to release perhaps the most aggressive motorcycle of the past 12 months: the 1300 R Edition 23.

At its origins a 1290 Super Duke R EVO, the bike was manhandled by KTM and Brabus with tweaks made to the wheels (now of German-make), the fitting of a wealth of carbon fiber parts, and the usage of a Brabus' trademark stitching pattern on the seat.

The LC8 V-Twin engine in the frame remains the one on the 1290 Super Duke R EVO and with the same power levels, namely 180 hp and 140 Nm of torque. The price, on the other hand, jumped significantly.

You see, the stock is going for $20,399, but its Brabus incarnation almost triples that, selling for a staggering $60,500. That is about as much as Mercedes-Benz is asking for a GLE SUV.

4. Boss Hoss Limited Super Sport Big Block – the one not even the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray can match ($73,273)

Not sure how many of you are into motorcycles powered by V8 engines, but there seems to be a large enough for such things to exist. And they are made by a crew that's been around since the 1990s, called Boss Hoss.

We've featured builds from this company before, both in our list of best cruiser bikes and the list of best trikes currently available, and for a very simple reason: there's no replacement for displacement, not even in the motorcycle world.

The Boss Hoss bike that made it so far up in our list of the most expensive such vehicles is the Limited Super Sport Big Block, which also happens to be the most expensive the company has to offer. It is also even more expensive than the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, for crying out loud!

I mentioned the 'Vette because the same GM that supplied the engine for America's Sports Car is responsible for the engine installed in this thing's frame. More specifically, we're dealing with a 496ci big block good for 600 horsepower and tied to a 2-speed semi-automatic transmission.

That means this is probably the most powerful production motorcycle in existence as well, but since very few of us have actually ridden one, it's impossible to say how user-friendly it is. Yet we're pretty certain it will turn heads even more than the Corvette can.

3. Arch KRGT-1 – the one to take on the Tesla Model S Plaid ($85,000)

Most motorcycle startups out there choose to go for electric drivetrains for their products, and that's a natural thing these days. But one can't feel a bit of satisfaction when one such crew keeps things traditional.

Arch is a motorcycle company founded by "you are breathtaking" Keanu Reeves. It's been around for a few decades now, playing the game by mixing production-style mechanical bits with full custom designs for its two-wheelers.

The single-tube backbone frame of the company's main product, the KRGT-1, holds in its embrace a 124ci engine made by S&S, making it a performance cruiser not only in body, but also in soul.

No two KRGT-1s are alike, as Arch builds every single one of them to customer specification, starting with the aesthetic package, going through ergonomic fitting, and ending with the finishing touches.

All of that means it's pretty hard to put an actual price on the thing. We do know everything starts at around $85,000, and that is almost the price Tesla is currently asking for the most vicious electric vehicle out there, the Model S Plaid.

2. Brough Superior AMB 001 – the one just as pricey as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class ($118,000)

Luxury carmakers who care about prestige don't usually tie their names to motorcycles for the simple reason that there's nothing to connect the world of luxury, performance land yachts with the one of open-top motorcycle riding. There are a couple of exceptions, of course, like Lamborghini with the bike we discussed earlier, and Aston Martin with the AMB 001.

Whereas in the case of the two-wheeled Lambo the driving force behind the project was Ducati, when it comes to Aston that honor fell on the shoulders of British-based Brough Superior.

The bike was shown back in 2019 and to be fair the only thing Aston Martin contributed to it has to do with the ride's visual appearance. Even so, the carmaker's involvement was enough to warrant a sticker reading 108,000 euros, which is about $118,000 at today's exchange rates. And it's also a little more than what Mercedes-Benz is asking for the S 500 4MATIC Sedan.

Mechanically speaking the bike is an engineering marvel, as it's powered by a 997cc 88-degree V-twin engine, capable of pushing out 180 hp. That's exactly one hp for every kilo of weight of the bike in dry form (one hp per 2.2 pounds).

Aston and Brough only planned to make 100 of these things, but failed to update us on how many they made so far. The bike is still listed as being in the pre-order stage, so if you need one, you should get in touch while there's still time.

1. Combat Motors Wraith – the military-grade aluminum one with the price of a Porsche 718 Spyder RS ($155,000)

If you really want to go overboard when buying a motorcycle, then the Combat Motors Wraith is the one for you. Not only is it incredible in design and insane in specs, but it also costs about as much as Porsche 718 Spyder RS.

The model was shown in its raw-metal look back in 2020 as a product of a company with a twisted story. Combat Motors is the crew that since 2018 has had the rights to make Curtiss two-wheelers running gasoline engines, because, well, Curtiss went all electric at that point.

The Wraith is a motorcycle made in solid billet blocks of military-grade aluminum, it looks like a Transformer, and uses a 132ci S&S X-Wedge engine to move about with the power supplied by 143 hp and 160 ft-lb of torque. And it can do that as speeds that can go to as high as 160 mph (257 kph).

The Wraith is the single most expensive bike in the Combat portfolio, with the runner-up, the Bomber, selling for a full Nissan Rogue below that.