The 15 Fastest Bikes in the World (as of 2023)

You couldn't really use that thing to move about, and it could only go with a top speed of 6.8 mph (11 kph), but many consider the Reitwagen the forefather of two-wheeled machines that in our time can easily go much, much faster.

How much faster? Well, that's what we're here to find out in our Top Fastest Bikes in the World as of 2023 coverage. It's a story we tried to put together by taking into account not only the top speeds and acceleration times of the world's most potent bikes, but also other criteria, including the market segments the bikes play in, whether they can be used by everyone or just professional riders on closed circuits and, obviously, how much they cost to build or own.

We'll start with the fastest bikes on this planet as far as their acceleration time from zero to 60 mph goes. As you'll see, it's a list that even in 2023 still comprises older models, because no one really tries to make bikes as fast anymore.

Before getting into it, though, it's worth mentioning that, unlike top speeds, which are absolutes mostly determined by what a bike's hardware can do, acceleration times are also a matter of the rider's skills, weather, road or track conditions, and so on. That's why it very rarely happens for riders to hit the numbers put forward by manufacturers and, depending on source, different models can make it in and out of such lists. Yet, the industry does have several important champions when it comes to acceleration times, and here they are.

15. Suzuki GSX-R1000 - the fastest accelerating production motorcycle (0 to 60 mph)

On paper, the fastest-accelerating production motorcycle in 2023 remains the Suzuki GSX-R1000. The bloodline was born in the Japanese bike maker's stables in 2001, being introduced as a replacement for the GSX-R1100.

Playing in the supersport segment (Suzuki itself calls it a "liter-class Superbike performance available to riders everywhere"), it's still on the market today. The current incarnation is powered by a 999.8cc inline-four-cylinder engine, which is basically the same in terms of displacement as the one originally fitted in there.

It's not the new model that still holds the title for the fastest accelerating production bike, but the 2006 version of it. Back then, and unbeaten to this day, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 was rated at 2.35 seconds. That is, it needed just 2.35 seconds to shoot itself from a standstill to 60 mph, provided, of course, the rider knew what he was doing.

The current generation GSX-R1000 can probably do the same, should someone be daring enough to try that. After all, at $16,149 the bike is not that expensive to own and break if something doesn't go according to plan during the run. Naturally, that's just the starting price, as adding more gear for better performance will of course add more dollars. And going for a new record might require extra gear.

14. Suzuki Hayabusa – second fastest accelerating production motorcycle (0 to 60 mph)

For reasons that are not disclosed but are easy to understand, Japanese bike maker Suzuki does not list the performance figures for the motorcycles it sells on its configurator website. Then again, it is almost common knowledge that Suzuki's are the fastest bikes out there, right? Especially the Hayabusa.

The Japanese peregrine falcon came to be back in 1999 as a sport motorcycle. It didn't come into this world like all other bikes do, showing up for photo shoots and test rides during an official presentation, but by breaking the speed record for the world's fastest production motorcycle.

That year, the Hayabusa managed to speed past the 194 mph (312 kph) mark, becoming this planet's fastest two-wheeler. Not only did it do that, but it managed to beat the previous record by the highest margin recorded, 14 mph (23 kph).

It means that, for all intents and purposes, the first-generation Hayabusa is somewhat tied with the BMW S 1000 RR as the fastest production motorcycle by top speed. But the 2023 variant is significantly toned down, as its speed is factory-limited to just 186 mph (299 kph). That's because most riders never need more than that, of course.

But a high top speed is not all there is to this ride. The monster bike is also fast from a standstill, still ranking number two on the list of fastest accelerating production motorcycles, with an impressive time of 2.47 seconds.

The 2023 Hayabusa is selling for $18,799, and one can of course bypass the speed limiter if they want to go a lot faster.

13. Yamaha V-Max - third fastest accelerating production motorcycle (0 to 60 mph)

Back in 1985, another Japanese motorcycle maker, Yamaha, pulled the wraps off the V-Max (later in its life VMAX). Unlike the bikes we've already discussed in this story, or the ones that will follow, it was not a sport motorcycle, but a cruiser.

And, generally speaking, cruisers are not used to impress the crowds with acceleration times and top speeds. That doesn't mean though they are not capable of impressive numbers, as proven by the V-Max.

No longer on the market (the breed was discontinued in 2020), this Yamaha bike remains to this day the third fastest accelerating production motorcycle, with a time of just 2.5 seconds needed to go from a complete stop to 60 mph. Separately, the bike's top speed was rated at 150 mph (240 kph).

That was possible thanks to a 1,197cc liquid-cooled engine rated at 120 hp and 113 Nm of torque, that also ran Yamaha's V-boost technology, used to increase the base power of the engine by some ten percent.

As said, you can't get a new V-Max anymore, but the used bike market is full of them. They mostly go for at most $20,000 for a 2020 model year machine, a sum that makes the ride still alluring enough for those wishing to put Yamaha's claims to the test.

Accelerating down the road or a regular track is different than doing it down the quarter mile strip.

For this activity, an entirely new lineup of motorcycles holds the title of fastest in 2023. And whether we're talking about conventional bikes or specially-built dragsters, the numbers are impressive to say the least across the board. Just have a look below to see what we mean.

12. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R - the fastest accelerating production motorcycle (quarter mile)

In everyday life it almost never happens for a rider to need to break some acceleration record on a quarter mile strip. That doesn't mean everyday bikes aren't capable of truly drag-worthy performance, if only properly handled.

Because not many production motorcycles get to run a quarter mile, it's not easy to say which is the fastest. History does record some entries, though, and at the top of them all is the Kawasaki ZX-14R.

Part of the Ninja family that has become synonymous with this particular Japanese bike maker, the ZX-14R was introduced in 2006 as a sport bike, Kawasaki's most powerful ever. Its initial 1,352cc engine developed 190 hp, and the subsequent, 1,441cc powerplant was even more powerful than that, at almost 208 hp.

As far as the reason why the bike made it into our list, this particular Ninja was rated in 2012, when the larger engine was introduced, at 9.47 seconds for the quarter mile. In shooting down the strip, the bike could achieve speeds of almost 153 mph (246 kph).

The model remains to this day the "quarter mile king," as Kawasaki itself calls it. You can still get your hands on the ride, in its 2023 incarnation, for at least $16,599 for the ABS version.

11. Ducati Desmosedici RR – the second fastest accelerating production motorcycle (quarter mile)

The Ferrari of motorcycle-making, Ducati, has made some incredible bikes over the years. Yet few of them rise up to the appeal of the Desmosedici RR.

The beast was created in 2001 as the "world’s first MotoGP replica." Just 1,500 of them were made, ever, and the line is today one of the most sought after by collectors.

But that's not what we're here for. We're here for what the 989cc engine was capable of doing. Cranking out 200 hp at a head-spinning 13,800 rpm, it sped down the quarter mile in a blistering-fast 9.49 seconds. That's almost undistinguishable from the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R, but visibly faster than one of the world's favorite bikes, the Suzuki Ninja H2 (9.62 seconds on the quarter mile for this one).

And that's understandable, given how on the Ducati the 200 hp had to move a bike weighing just 171 kg (377 pounds).

As the road-legal version of the Desmosedici MotoGP bike, the RR initially sold for $72,500, and for a motorcycle that is a lot. Yet that's significantly lower than what fans now pay for one - over in Europe, you can find some examples going for as much as 85,000 euros, which is over $92,000 at today's exchange rates.

10. Suzuki-Powered Top Fuel Bike - the fastest motorcycle pass in drag racing history

History books will forever record May 2022 as the moment when the "fastest motorcycle pass in drag racing history" took place. Responsible for it is a drag racing legend named Larry "Spiderman" McBride, and a Top Fuel motorcycle he himself built around a Suzuki engine.

McBride is one of the most important names in drag racing. On the drag strip ever since the 1980s, the man has set several speed records at venues across America. The last time he did that (an absolute record that holds to this day) was last year, during a Top Fuel Motorcycle exhibition race at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.

The heavily modified Suzuki engine the motorcycle is holding in its frame is rated at a staggering 1,700 hp, and allowed the rider to speed down the strip at speeds that peaked at 268.38 mph (431.91 kph). That's a bit faster than the previous record of 265.95 mph (428 kph), also set by McBride a few months prior, at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

If going that fast gets you all nervous despite being still of young age, just take into account the fact that at the time when he rode the bike into the record books, McBride was 64 years old. And even said he'll go for 270 mph (434.5 kph)...

9. Silver Lightning – the fastest electric drag bike

Just like it happens with ICE-powered motorcycles, road-going electric bikes are no match for their drag-strip-prepped cousins. So, fast as the Lightning LS-218 might be (we'll talk about that one in a bit), it's still no match for the Silver Lightning – and no, there's no connection between the two except for the coincidence in name.

Silver Lightning is the name of a custom drag bike built and raced by a Danish drag racing team called True Cousins. It was completed back in 2019 and uses LiPo batteries and two electric motors capable of developing a combined 1,300 hp.

It was three years ago when True Cousins went to the Santa Pod Raceway in the UK to break a record there. And break they did, obliterating a time that had stood unchallenged for eight years: 6.94 seconds.

The new record time set by the bike's rider, Hans-Henrik Thomsen, was 6.86 seconds for the quarter mile, while the top speed reached was 191 mph (307 kph).

As these things go, it will probably be a long time still until someone goes faster than that, so as far as the title of fastest electric drag bike goes in 2023, it still belongs to the Silver Lightning.

A fast acceleration time to a certain speed does not always ensure the highest top speed.

As you'll see below, the bikes that top out at heart-stopping speeds are entirely different than the ones listed above. And, unlike what we've seen so far, this bit also includes, for the first time, the only German motorcycle maker that matters in 2023: BMW.

8. BMW S 1000 RR – the fastest production motorcycle (top speed)

Motorcycles have been made to be raced, and few other models embody that more than the BMW S 1000 RR. It arrived into this world in 2008 as a race bike for the Superbike World Championship and, despite being in commercial production at the moment, still remains faithful to its initial purpose.

Described by BMW Motorrad as the Superbike of Superlatives, the two-wheeler is also considered by many the fastest production bike by top speed in the world – that's considering how the other contenders for this title, bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, are not exactly road legal.

The S 1000 RR holds in its frame a 4-cylinder in-line engine displacing 999cc. It's one of the few motorcycle powerplants that jump over the 200 hp threshold (205 in this case), and comes with an official top speed rated at 188 mph (302.5 kph). That's significantly more than what some BMW cars, for instance, are capable of doing off the track.

Because of the numbers above, the two-wheeled Bimmer still is the bike of choice, to this day, for riders competing in the Superbike World Championship, MotoGP CRT Class, and, of course, Isle of Man TT.

For the rest of us civilians, the bike can be a solid choice for a track and road bike, especially considering how this incredible performance comes with not such a prohibitive price: $17,895 is the bike's MSRP at the time of writing.

7. MV Agusta F4 R 312 – the second fastest production motorcycle (top speed)

MV Agusta is a motorcycle maker perhaps not as present in our everyday lives as all the others mentioned above. Yet the Italian brand will forever have a place in the industry's history books thanks to some impressive two-wheelers. Among them, the F4 R 312.

F4 is a designation that first popped up in MV Agusta's arsenal back in 1999. Playing in the sport bike segment, it comprised a number of variants, each bringing something spectacular to the table.

The R 312 was all about speed. First shown in 2007, it was so fast its top speed made it into its name: 312 is how many kilometers the thing was capable of traveling each hour, which in miles per hour means 194. Of course, that was on paper, as the fastest someone was capable of taking it to was 311 kph (193 mph).

The bike was powered by a 998cc engine that was good for 183 hp and 115 Nm of torque. Like all bikes meant to go this fast, it was generally a single-seater, but a two-seat variant could be had as well.

If we don't take into account the Ninja H2R, given how it is a track bike and all, the MV Agusta F4 R 312 remains in 2023 the second-fastest production, road-legal motorcycle ever made, just below what the BMW S 1000 RR is capable of.

6. Kawasaki Ninja H2R – the fastest (and most powerful) track motorcycle in the world

And here we are once again talking about a Kawasaki Ninja. This time we're dealing with what's considered to be the true fastest production motorcycle in the world by top speed. There's only one catch with this one: as its maker says, the bike's "astonishing acceleration and mind-bending top speed" are only suitable for the track, so you can't legally use this one on the road (there's the simple Ninja H2 for that).

The H2R hypersport cranks out 326 horsepower when equipped with ram-air. How much is that? Well, much more than the Toyota GR Corolla or the Dodge Charger GT, and very close to what the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro 1LT is capable of (335 hp). And you should also consider how this immense troop only has to move a much lighter body than we're used to (some 470 pounds/213 kg)…

It's no wonder then that this Ninja can hit a top speed of 250 mph (402 kph). Sure, the official rating of the bike is just a little over 200 mph (322 kph), but the higher mark was hit by five-time Supersport world champion Kenan Sofuoglu back in 2016, on a factory-spec Ninja H2R running specially developed Pirelli tires.

The strange thing is that even if a video of the bike's display confirmed that, Kawasaki itself only noted the speed achieved back then at just 240 mph (386 kph).

Regardless of where the truth lies, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the fastest and most powerful track bike in the world. And you can have yourself one for the price of a Mercedes EQB: $57,500.

5. Lightning LS-218 – the fastest production electric motorcycle (top speed)

Because of the instant maximum torque electric motors provide, electric motorcycles seem to have the upper hand over their ICE siblings when it comes to acceleration. And that's true for both production, street legal motorcycles, and the ones made for the drag strip.

On the road legal front, the Lightning LS-218 remains the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world in 2023 as well.

In production since 2014, the LS-218 in the most basic of forms brings to the table a 15 kWh battery pack good for a range of 188 miles (303 km). The battery supports an IPM liquid-cooled electric motor.

It is this motor that has helped the LS-218 win races at Le Mans and Pikes Peak. At 244 horsepower and 220 ft/lb of torque, it tops at 216 mph (348 kph), and was considered for a while the “world's fastest production motorcycle." It also hits 60 mph from standing still in under two seconds, which would make it faster even than the Suzuki GSX-R1000 when it comes to acceleration time.

The bike may have lost the title of fastest production bike in the meantime (no matter how you look at it, the Ninja H2R is faster), but the LS-218 still is, even in 2023, the fastest production electric motorcycle on the road. One can be had for close to $50,000.

4. Harley-Davidson Easy Rider – the fastest Harley-Davidson on the planet

In the hearts of motorcycle lovers, the name Harley-Davidson occupies a very special place. The two-wheelers made under the watchful eye of Milwaukee are incredible pieces of engineering, they are beautiful to look at, in both stock and custom form, and a real joy to ride. What Harley-Davidsons are not known for are breaking speed or acceleration records.

To be fair, a Harley is as capable of doing everything other motorcycles can do. Take the FXDR, for instance, or the LiveWire, whose acceleration times to 60 mph are 2.5 and 3 seconds, respectively. But when it comes to top speed, 110 mph (177 kph) is more than enough for all the other Harleys currently available.

That's because Harleys are meant to be enjoyed on the road, and one can't really do that going insanely fast. Yet, back in 1990, top-fuel drag motorcycle racer Dave Campos slapped two 1,500cc Harley-Davidson V-Twin engines together, fitted them on a motorcycle seven meters (23 feet) long, and sped to a staggering 322 mph (518 mph).

The bike was called Easy Rider (because it was owned by the publisher of Easyriders magazine), and it is to this day the fastest Harley-Davidson to ever ride this Earth. And just to remind you, it was one funded in part by the public, through $25 shares that gave buyers the right to attend the Bonneville run where the record was set.

3. Triumph Rocket 3 - the fastest (and only) bike with a 2,500cc engine

On the American market, a car engine with a displacement of 2.5 liters is not that big of a deal. In cubic inches, that would translate into a puny 153ci, and we all know that's not what Americans are suckers for. Over in Europe, and elsewhere, such a size for car engines is quite impressive, to such an extent that daily vehicles using them are rather uncommon (contributing to that is the fact that taxes for owning a car with an engine over 2.0-liters in Europe are quite high).

So imagine someone who happens to do business mostly in Europe fitting a 2.500cc engine onto a… motorcycle. That's right, a bike with an engine size more suitable for a car.

It's Triumph who did that in 2019, when it introduced the 2,500cc Rocket 3, the "world's largest production motorcycle engine." It was a continuation of a 2,294cc powerplant introduced in 2004, and made the Rocket 3 the most powerful Triumph ever made: it cranked out 165 hp and 221 Nm of torque.

The size of the engine would have one believe the speed of the two-wheeler is insane, but the reality is it can only go as fast as 225 kph (140 mph). It's a rather quick bike getting from a standstill to 60 mph, though, as it's known it can do that in 2.73 seconds.

The Rocket 3 remains for 2023 the fastest production bike with an engine this size, and one can be had starting at $23,895.

2. Dodge Tomahawk – the fastest (and never ridden) motorcycle with a Dodge Viper V10 engine

The Triumph Rocket 3 may be the production bike with the largest displacement engine in the world, but it does not even come close to what Dodge, traditionally the maker of muscle cars, proposed back in 2003.

For reasons that were never fully explained, Dodge decided to slap a V10 engine people found back then in Dodge Viper on a two-wheeler. The contraption was a concept, of course, but the engine did work, and was capable of producing a staggering troop of 500 hp.

The bike never really left the realm of concept vehicle over at Dodge, and just that one show bike was made. American luxury retailer Neiman Marcus however made nine replicas and sold them for about half a million dollars each. Even so, we do not know of anyone actually riding these things on the track and elsewhere.

Had it made it into the real world, the Tomahawk would have theoretically been able to reach a top speed of 420 mph (680 kph), and would have hit 60 mph from a standstill in two seconds flat.

As it stands, though, that never happened, so the crazy Dodge idea never had a chance to leave its mark on this world. It will always be remembered, though, as an incredible "might have been."

1. Ack Attack – the fastest motorcycle in the world. Period

If we define a motorcycle simply as a machine on two wheels capable of carrying a single person, and disregard all other aspects, then the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner is without a doubt the fastest motorcycle in the world in 2023.

In fact, the streamliner has been the fastest motorcycle in the world ever since 2013, when Rocky Robinson rode it into the record books at Bonneville. How fast was it, you ask? Well, 376.363 mph (605.697), to be precise.

To be able to achieve this speed, the contraption was powered by a pair of turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa engines, which had a combined output of over 1,000 horsepower.

So, if you were to ask me what is the current fastest bike, without providing any other details, than my answer would obviously be the Ack Attack.

There you have it, the craziest mix of the fastest 15 motorcycles the world has ever known. If you still have questions, see below!

What's the fastest road-legal bike by top speed in 2023? The answer is the BMW S 1000 RR, of course, with its staggering 193 mph (311 kph).

What's the fastest production bike by 0 to 60 acceleration? The simple answer is the Suzuki GSX-R1000, which can do the run in 2.35 seconds.

What is the fastest bike in the world in 2023, regardless of where it's meant to be used? That would be the track-only Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 188 mph (302.5 kph).