‘Fast’ is a relative term if you ask a student of physics, but when it comes to motorcycles, we all agree on what makes a fast motorcycle. Neck-snapping acceleration and pupil-dilating top speed are a must, of course, but it also needs to be able to go around a corner swiftly for it to be truly fast.
That’s why the cruiser style and adventure touring style of motorcycle aren’t represented here; they simply are too big and heavy to be quick enough, although there are a couple that we had a long, hard thought about before discarding. Some of this list is predictable, but we hope you find a surprise or two here! Here, then, are the 10 fastest motorcycles you can buy in 2024.
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To ensure accuracy, the information compiled in this article was sourced from the manufacturers, as well as other authoritative sources such as Visordown.com, Motorcycle.com, Motorcyclenews.com, and Cycleworld.com. The motorcycles on this list have been arranged by top speed, from the lowest to the highest.
10 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR
Top speed: 186 mph
There are many naked motorcycles that claim to be the kind to change your opinion of what’s possible on two wheels, but only one comes close to the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR: the Ducati Streetfighter V4. Like its name, the Brutale offers simply brutal acceleration in the higher reaches of its rev range; it is so rapid that many race bikes would be well served with the kind of acceleration it offers. With 208 horsepower at its disposal, it can reach 186 mph – or until the rider can’t hang on to the bars any longer and falls off, whichever comes first.
Engine Type | Liquid cooled inline 4 |
Displacement | 998 cc |
Max Power | 208 HP @ 13,000 RPM |
Max Torque | 85.5 LB-FT @ 11,000 RPM |
9 Yamaha YZF-R1/R1M
Top Speed: 186 mph (limited)
The R1 has a long history as one of the greats, and this one doesn't really stand out until you remember that Yamaha is the company that first introduced us to the 'big bang' firing order. And now everyone and their uncle uses it in MotoGP. It also carries the sheen of a certain Valentino Rossi with it, but even without those things, the R1 is a fearsome machine capable of more than 186 mph. It is limited by the gentlemen's agreement. With the R1M on a track, however, the sky's the limit - or the long straight, whichever is available.
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled inline 4 |
Displacement | 998 cc |
Max Power | 200 HP @ 13,500 RPM |
Max Torque | 82.9 LB-FT @ 11,500 RPM |
8 Ducati V4 Superleggera
Top speed: 186 mph (limited)
That seems like a low top speed, right off the bat, but know that the V4 Superleggera is the ultimate expression of what the Panigale V4 can be. The Panigale V4 R that shares the same engine (and not the bigger displacement from the regular Panigale V4) with the V4 Superleggera is capable of nearly 200 mph.
We have no doubt that if you manage to derestrict the Superleggera you’ll probably see a much higher figure. Like the BMW M1000 RR, it is also built to go as quickly as possible around a racetrack. It does that, however, with Italian flair – design cues from the Panigale series have regularly filtered down to supersport motorcycles from all displacements, which is the best kind of validation there is.
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled 90-degree V4, Desmodromic valves |
Displacement | 998 cc |
Max Power | 224 HP @ 15,250 RPM |
Max Torque | 85.5 LB-FT @ 11,750 RPM |
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7 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa
Top speed: 186 mph (limited)
This is the motorcycle that has made everyone chase top speed, and this is the motorcycle that created the 186 mph limit for (almost all) hyperbikes, and is comfortable knowing that it can breach that without effort if given free rein. The origin of the ‘Hayabusa’ name is one of the legends that will endure through the history of automobiles, and the styling will always polarize. The ‘Busa is also an all-day Grand Tourer, which none of the other motorcycles on this list can claim to be. Its appeal lies in the fact that it has been developed with top speed in mind, and it adds everything else to it.
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled inline 4 |
Displacement | 998 cc |
Max Power | 205 HP @ 13,000 RPM |
Max Torque | 83 LB-FT @ 11,000 RPM |
6 BMW M1000 RR
Top speed: 195 mph
With all due respect to the hom*ologation specials that come out of Japan like Yamaha’s YZF-R1M, Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-10RR, and the Fireblade with more Rs than a drunk pirate, the BMW S1000 RR was the first liter supersport to throw a bunch of customizable electronics at it, and make it available to the consumer. The M1000 RR takes it a step further, with carbon fiber bodywork, more carbon options like wheels if you get the Competition spec, and the ability to ride faster and harder on a racetrack than you ever thought possible. Heck, if you’re buying one to solely go racing, BMW will sell you one with a race-tuned engine!
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled inline 4 |
Displacement | 998 cc |
Max Power | 205 HP @ 13,000 RPM |
Max Torque | 83 LB-FT @ 11,000 RPM |
5 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory
Top speed: 199 mph
Look at all the other names on this list, and you’ll be surprised to know exactly how small Aprilia is compared to most of the other manufacturers here. They have a disproportionate amount of success in racing compared to their actual production numbers, and that is through innovation.
Even today, the ground effect fairings and by-wire throttles that MotoGP motorcycles use were pioneered by the Noale factory. It’s not a surprise then that we find the RSV1100 Factory on this list – and it almost breaks the magical 200 mph barrier. The RSV1100 Factory isn’t just about top speed, though; it is designed to get as quickly as possible around a racetrack, with top speed being one of the many tools at its disposal.
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled 65-degree V4 |
Displacement | 1078 cc |
Max Power | 217 HP @ 13,200 RPM |
Max Torque | 92.1 LB-FT @ 10,500 RPM |
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4 Damon Hypersport
Top speed: 200 mph
The first electric motorcycle on this list is a bit of a head-scratcher; yes, the Hypersport is available for you to buy, but deliveries haven’t begun yet. This is getting a bit worrying considering preorders opened up in January, 2020. This one thing aside, the Hypersport promises to be the future of two wheels, with 200 horsepower, a 200 mph top speed, and a 200-mile combined city/highway range.
Not only that, it has a futuristic safety feature set that Damon claims will reduce two-wheeler accidents by a significant margin. Either way, we can’t wait to try out a Hypersport, whether it is for the safety features or the insane acceleration from that 147 pounds-feet motor. Now if they’ll only begin deliveries…
Engine Type | PMAC liquid-cooled electric motor |
Displacement | NA |
Max Power | 200 HP |
Max Torque | 147 LB-FT |
3 Lightning LS-218
Top speed: 218 mph
This is the world’s fastest production motorcycle, last we checked. The LS-218 gets its name from the top speed it can achieve; 218 mph. The strange thing is that that isn’t even the most impressive thing about it; the motor puts out a stonking 168 pounds-feet of torque!
Like the Damon, it costs an eye-watering amount of money, but unlike the Damon, it has been on sale for a decade now. Along the way, it has participated in motorsport and spanked the ICE challengers at Pikes Peak and Le Mans. If you ever doubted whether electric power was the future, let Lightning and the LS-218 dispel the doubts in you.
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled IPM electric motor |
Displacement | NA |
Max Power | 200 HP |
Max Torque | 168 LB-FT |
2 Kawasaki Ninja H2R
Top speed: 249 mph
Supercharging on a motorcycle isn’t new. In fact, forced induction on a Kawasaki isn’t new, either. However, bolting a blower onto a sportbike, giving it a trellis frame, styling it to look like a Dementor, and then allowing it to breach 400 km/h (249 MPH) is most definitely new.
Kawasaki has done exactly this with the H2 and H2R, offering them in various flavors, with the spiciest track-only H2R putting out 310 horsepower. That 249 mph top speed puts it in rarefied air, along with the Veyrons of the world. The H2R doesn’t particularly do anything else well, but then again, it doesn’t need to – that top speed is enough!
Engine Type | Liquid-cooled inline 4, supercharged |
Displacement | 998 cc |
Max Power | 310 HP @ 14,000 RPM |
Max Torque | 122 LB-FT @ 12,500 RPM |
1 Y2K MTT 420RR
Top speed: 274 mph
Marine Turbine Technologies repurposes old helicopter engines and puts them into a motorcycle chassis to create the MTT 420RR. It makes its peak power at a mere 52,000 rpm, and the company claims it will take you to 274 mph, although nobody has verified that yet.
Either way, its top speed is enough to crash right through the Pearly Gates should something go wrong. It sounds like a jet plane, looks strange, has an automatic gearbox, and is street-legal, unlike the H2R. Oh, and it can run on multiple fuels, including diesel, kerosene, and… tequila. Can you imagine the conversation when you get pulled over? “No, officer, the alcohol is for the motorcycle”…
Engine Type | Rolls-Royce Allison gas turbine |
Displacement | NA |
Max Power | 420 HP @ 52,000 RPM |
Max Torque | 500 LB-FT @ 2,500 RPM |
