THERE'S no question that ridiculously powerful unfaired machines have been one of the growth areas in motorcycling over the last couple of years.
Where we used to be more than happy with 150hp superbikes and 125hp nakeds, these days it seems that anything wanting to earn the ‘superbike’ tag needs to nudge 200hp while even detuned naked versions are being touted with 160hp or more.
So what are the 10 most powerful naked bikes on the market? To get a level playing field we’ve opted to use the figures from the latest US EPA documents, which list the official power figures for all bikes legally sold in America. In general, specs for American models aren’t significantly different to their European counterparts, and power figures rarely change between the two markets, and using EPA figures (which on the whole tally with increasingly accurate manufacturers’ claims) means we can compare like with like.
Of course, there is the slight problem of defining which models should fit into the class. To eliminate confusion, we’ve taken the simple route of ridding the list of anything that’s got a proper screen or fairing, but anything that leaves the rider feeling the full force of the wind gets included. That means superbikes, fast tourers and a couple of adventure bikes are left off the list, while one or two machines that might be more often thrown in with ‘cruisers’ are included.