Money no object? A passion for motorcycles and only the best will do? There are some astonishingly good motorcycles out there that will empty your wallet faster than you can say 0-60mph. To come up with the list of top 10, here are the things we kept in mind:
If you don’t already know, the H2 R is Kawasaki’s track-only, supercharger-equipped, carbon fiber-laden top-of-the-line “hyper” bike. From its radical design with a mirror finish, to its soul-shaking exhaust note with the signature supercharger ’chirrup’, everything makes the H2 R as special as ever.
The engine produces 310 horsepower and 121.5 pound-feet of torque which will push it to a top speed of 400km/h (240mph), if you can find a road long and empty enough!
While the two-wheeled Harley range ends at a not-so-low $44,899, the three-wheeled Harley-Davidson CVO Tri Glide takes things up a notch and not just in terms of money.
The CVO Tri Glide is Harley-Davidson’s flagship trike, and it isn’t just a three-wheeled iteration of the CVO. Instead, Harley engineers create the CVO Tri Glide from scratch giving not only a unique riding experience but also unlocking an array of electronic aids to make life easier.
Topping off the package are features like chrome wheels, an infotainment system, Rockford Fosgate speakers, heated seats, and LED lighting, all capable of putting some similarly priced cars to shame.
Slotting in third place is the Lightning LS-218 electric motorcycle. Now although prices start from $38,888, we’re considering the top-spec 20kWh battery version here that retails at $46,888.
The 20kWh battery pack helps power the 150kW (200 horsepower) motor, both working in conjunction to return a claimed range of 160-180 miles and a staggering top speed of 218mph, although expect the range to plummet if you use the performance.
In addition, the LS-218 goes on to boast top-shelf suspension, Brembo brakes, and forged aluminum-alloy wheels.
In recent years, MV Agusta has somewhat become like KTM, focusing mainly on naked motorcycles, and sitting atop MV’s 2022 lineup is the $45,598 Rush 1000.
Derived from the Brutale 1000 RR, the Rush 1000 is a hyper-naked motorcycle pumping out 208 horsepower and 86 pound-feet of torque. Couple this with the Rush’s 410-pound dry weight and this is nothing short of a ballistic missile in action. Luckily, there’s no shortage of electronic aids to help you control this monster.
Who would’ve thought that the most “affordable” motorcycle here would come from the house of Borgo Panigale, but it has, and it is the Ducati Panigale V4 SP2.
Priced at almost $40,000, the V4 SP2 is the current flagship Ducati motorcycle and packs truckloads of top-shelf components, such as Brembo Stylema R brake calipers, a WSBK-derived dry clutch, a bewildering suite of Ducati electronic aids, Carbon fiber wheels and top-shelf Öhlins suspension.
Meanwhile, topping all this is the 1,103cc, four-cylinder engine pumping out 210 horsepower and 90.6 pound-feet of torque.
When BMW launched the S1000RR back in 2009, it took the established superbikes by the scruff of the neck and showed them how it should be done: it was brilliant out of the box and, even if it didn’t bring BMW the World Superbike Championship glory it was aiming for, it forced people to see BMW in a different light.
For the 2021 model year, BMW announced the M1000RR and the sole purpose was to create a better race bike. The first BMW motorcycle to carry the ‘M’ prefix normally associated with cars, the M1000R has extensive modifications to the power plant, chassis, exhaust, and braking. It also comes with aerodynamic winglets on the fairing, echoing racing developments.
209 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque ensure that it is an absolute missile, but is it worth nearly twice what the S1000RR goes for?
Back in 1974, Honda dared to take Harley Davidson head-on in the large touring bike class with the flat-four-engined, shaft-driven Gold Wing. That first model was un-faired and Honda saw it as a large sports bike but soon realized that owners were using it in a different way and turned it into the supreme touring bike we know today, with a huge fairing and all the bells and whistles.
Over the years, the size and complexity increased, as did the comfort and mile-eating ability. In 2018, a completely new Gold Wing emerged, more compact and lighter but still a technical tour-de-force. The engine - a six-cylinder since 1987 - grew to 1,832cc (111.8cu.in.) and produces 125 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. It is silky smooth and the suspension is now electronically adjustable.
Honda’s automatic DCT transmission is also fitted for the first time, making the Gold Wing even more relaxing to ride. The Tour version adds a huge 61-liter top box to the package which doubles as the back to the pillion’s ‘armchair.’
BMW made its name with expensive and beautifully-built touring motorcycles such as the R80RT and R100RT in the 1970s, before the GS adventure bike took over as the flagship model and boosted the company’s fortunes immeasurably.
But BMW hadn’t abandoned its touring role completely: the K1600 appeared in 2011 and, just like the S1000RR before it, took the motorcycling world by storm, with its silky-smooth inline six-cylinder engine and sophisticated chassis and electronics.
Producing 160 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque, the engine simply stuns everyone who rides it: a beautifully linear tidal wave of acceleration and a spine-tingling soundtrack making this large (768 pounds wet) perform as no touring bike has any right to perform, helped by the perfectly dialed-in electronic suspension.
As with the Honda Gold Wing Tour, the K1600GTL adds a large top box to go with the panniers as well as all the toys you could ever ask for.
If excess is what you are about, then the Triumph Rocket 3 delivers that in spades. An enormous 2,500cc, longitudinally-mounted triple-cylinder engine produces a mountain of torque - 163 pound-feet! - and 165 horsepower to give this near-700-pound monster simply shattering performance.
Launched in 2004, the Rocket lll, caused a sensation and was more muscle-bike cruiser than out and out sports bike. With the re-design in 2019, the bike shed around 100 pounds of excess weight, gained more displacement, and was transformed into one of the stand-out bikes of the late 2010s.
To ride a Rocket 3 (note the name change from the early models) is to experience arm-snapping acceleration in any gear but, surprisingly, it is an absolute blast in the corners, handling in a manner way beyond what anyone expects. Beautifully engineered and executed, like all Triumphs, this is a spectacular motorcycle.
A real oddball from the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturer. The transverse V-twin engine is there, complete with fire-engine-red valve covers and they are the only spots of color in a sea of black and carbon fiber.
96 horses and 89 pound-feet of torque from 1348cc might seem a little tame for pulling along around 750 pounds but it has such character that you can forgive it.
The rider and pillion will cruise in the most relaxed and comfortable manner but the handling isn’t the sharpest or quickest, which is a shame as it goes head-to-head with the BMW K1600GTL and Honda Gold Wing, both of which have road manners way beyond their large appearance.
But, as something different, the MGX-21 certainly stands out from the crowd.
A complete departure for the manufacturer of sporting bikes, the Diavel nevertheless has enough Ducati DNA to make it an absolutely brilliant bike.
The V-twin, desmodromic engine displaces 1262cc and features hydraulic variable valve timing to produce 159 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque and be superbly flexible.
The chassis endows the Diavel with incredible handling prowess which, like the Triumph Rocket 3, takes the rider completely by surprise if you are not used to it but a source of joy once you are. The exhaust bellows and this is Italian showmanship at its finest.
The Kawasaki Ninja H2 R is the most expensive production bike on sale priced at $56,500. There are more expensive bikes out there, but either they’re rare finds or yet to go into production.
A high-end motorcycle can start from as low as $10,000 going up to as high as $50,000.
The fastest motorcycle in the world (currently in production) is the Kawasaki Ninja H2 R which makes over 300 horsepower and can surpass 250mph.
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