Top 10 most powerful production motorcycles
Need MOAR POWER? Here are the most powerful machines currently in production.
There was a time when horsepower - and, by extension, speed - was everything.
Think of the era of the Honda CBR1100X Blackbird, Suzuki Hayabusa, and Kawasaki ZZR1400. The central goal was to build a rocket: something to propel you into a license ban faster than we can think of a clever “faster than” turn of phrase.
Only one of those bikes - the interminable ‘Busa - is still in production these days. With the modern world closing in - slowing us with traffic, bad roads, and omnipresent speed cameras - for many riders, horsepower isn’t really the headline-grabbing thing it once was.
That doesn’t mean manufacturers have given up, however. Power figures in the current era are mind-blowing from even a few years ago. The Hayabusa, with its paltry 187 hp, doesn’t even come close to making this list.
If you think about it, you can probably guess who comes out on top, but here, in order of lowest to highest peak horsepower, are the 10 most powerful motorcycles currently in production.
10 - Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR - 198.25 bhp
The majority of the bikes on this list are European. That seems to be where most of the innovation is happening right now. But it’s nice to see that at least some of the Big Four are still up for the fight. Of course, would you expect anything less from Kawasaki?
Favoured by riders for everything from trackdays to sunny weekend blasts, the Ninja ZX-10RR is nothing short of iconic. Fast, smooth, fast, stable, and fast, it offers up 198.25 bhp at a screaming 14000 rpm. Torque is a very respectable 82.6 lb-ft at 11700 rpm.
Last updated in 2021, the 998cc inline-four-driven beast somehow feels the most old-school on this list, although it is dripping with tech, including smartphone connectivity - so you can check texts at 170 mph…
Markedly racier than the more wallet-friendly ZX-10R (note just one R there), the RR builds speed faster than its sibling, allows you to take bigger liberties on the brakes, and is much nimbler thanks to the extensive weight saving.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
£25,799 | 998 cc | 198.2 bhp | 82.6 lb-ft @ 11700 rpm | 207 kg | 835 mm | 17 l |
You may also want to read our review of the 2021 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
9 - MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR - 205.1 bhp
It can often feel that MV Agusta’s motorcycles are made to be admired rather than actually ridden. Some might feel that’s the case here, with insane levels of power put into a naked bike.
Housing a 998cc liquid-cooled inline four, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR promises a neck-breaking 205.1 bhp at 13000 rpm and 86.2 lb-ft of torque at 11000 rpm. MV Agusta describes it as “the extreme hyper naked.”
It’s also arguably one of the most attractive-looking bikes on the list.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
£28,800 | 998 cc | 205.1 bhp | 86.2 lb-ft @ 11000 rpm | 208 kg | 845 mm | 16 l |
8 - BMW M 1000 R - 207.1 bhp
It’s wild to think that BMW once had a reputation as being a boring brand making boring bikes for boring people. Now it makes psychotic machines like this, as well two other machines on this list.
The M 1000 R is a more powerful take on its already quite impressive S 1000 R naked bike. First introduced in 2021, the M 1000 R can achieve 0-62 mph in 3.2 seconds and claims a top speed of 174 mph, thanks to outputs of 207.1 bhp (almost 50 bhp more than the S 1000 R) and 83 lb-ft of torque.
With a price tag that starts under £20,000, the M 1000 R is one of the more ‘affordable’ bikes on this list but remember that the Tao of BMW is to offer all kinds of add-on goodies, allowing you to push the price much higher.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
£19,999 | 999 cc | 207.1 bhp | 83.3 lb-ft @ 13750 rpm | 199 kg | 830 mm | 16.5 l |
7 - BMW S 1000 RR - 207.1 bhp
Like the idea of the M 1000 R, but want the more traditional flying-foetal-position riding stance of a sportbike? BMW’s got the answer in the form of the S 1000 RR.
First introduced in 2008 and most recently updated for the 2025 model year, the S 1000 RR has become the go-to machine for focused speed and precision. It is also wildly popular. In terms of UK sales, the S 1000 RR regularly stands head and shoulders above others in the superbike class.
That’s thanks in no small part to the fact it is not only license-threateningly fast, but also stable and comfortable. So much so that it’s not completely unheard of for riders to tour on the bike. Those are hardy riders, sure, but I’ve seen UK-plated S 1000 RR’s as far afield as Czechia.
Like all BMWs, the standard version is good, but the bike you really want is the far more expensive version that’s been loaded with add-on goodies like carbon bits, additional riding modes, and more riding aids.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
£17,999 | 999 cc | 207.1 bhp | 83.3 lb-ft @ 11000 rpm | 198 kg | 832-858 mm | 16.5 l |
You might also like to read our review of the 2019 BMW S 1000 RR.
6 - Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP - 211 hp
It’s hard to imagine a conversation about powerful bikes that doesn’t include the Fireblade. BMW’s S 1000 RR may be a bigger seller, but the Fireblade is the machine that seems to get many riders misty-eyed with affection.
That’s thanks in no small part to the fact that the Fireblade name has been around for so long. The first bike to carry that moniker, the CBR900RR, was introduced way back in 1992.
That bike boasted just 120 bhp - about what we’d expect from a decent adventure bike these days. The modern Fireblade, last updated in 2024, beats that by almost 100 bhp.
Aggressive, stupidly quick to accelerate, and yet more comfortable than before, the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP represents the best that Honda has to offer. It may not be the game-changing beast that some other Fireblades have been, but it remains a solid track-day and road weapon. As Visordown editor Toad observed in his review, “the 2024 model has got better in every area it was lacking before.”
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
£23,699 | 999.9 cc | 211 bhp | 83.3 lb-ft @ 12000 rpm | 201 kg | 830 mm | 16.5 l |
You might also like to read our review of the 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
5 - Ducati Streetfighter V4 S - 214 bhp
Would you like some crazy with your crazy? Leave it to Ducati to offer a naked bike with more power than a Fireblade. Driven by the same hates-to-go-slow V4 engine that powers the Panigale V4 (see below), the Streetfighter V4 S is, according to our review, the best super naked yet.
In one form or another, the Streetfighter name has been with us since 2008. Equipped with a V4 engine in 2022, the bike was updated for the 2025 model year with a handful of changes, including a new swingarm.
According to Ducati, the bike can be made even crazier with the addition of an Akrapovic racing exhaust system. That will reportedly boost peak power to 226 bhp, which begs the question: Why?!
But also: Why not?
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
£24,995 | 1103 cc | 214 bhp | 88.5 lb-ft @ 11250 rpm | 189 kg | 845 mm | 16 l |
You might also be interested in our review of the 2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S.
4 - Ducati Panigale V4 S - 216 bhp
The archetypal fast machine, Ducati’s Panigale name is arguably as legendary as Honda’s Fireblade, even though it hasn’t been around nearly as long.
Named after the small town of Borgo Panigale, where Ducatis are manufactured, the Panigale family of sportbikes was first introduced in 2011 in the form of the V-twin-powered 1199 Pangiale.
Now housing an 1103cc V4, the Ducati Panigale V4 S was last updated in 2024 for the 2025 model year and is not only the fastest it’s ever been, it’s also the most usable. As our review of the bike points out, the 2025 version is “more stable, planted, and significantly easier to ride.”
Well, as easy as you can expect from a 216bhp beast…
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
£29,995 | 1103 cc | 216 bhp | 89.2 lb-ft @ 11250 rpm | 187 kg | 850 mm | 17 l |
You may want to check out Visordown’s review of the 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 S.
3 - BMW M 1000 RR - 218 bhp
In terms of power-to-weight ratio, BMW’s M 1000 RR is the winner on this list (112hp/100kg). But since we’re focused solely on the number of ponies being produced, it has to settle for the bronze medal position.
Not that anyone’s going to complain. Effectively a mega-bling version of the S 1000 RR (see above), the M 1000 RR was first unveiled in September 2020 and most recently updated for the 2025 model year. Dripping with tech, it takes the S 1000 RR formula and elevates it to almost competitive-level spec.
Claiming a top speed of 314 km/h (195.1 mph), the bike’s starting price makes it the second most expensive on the list. Adding the so-called M Competition package - which offers “many high-quality add-on parts” without really saying what they are - pushes the asking price over the £40k mark.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
£32,850 | 999 cc | 218 bhp | 83.3 lb-ft @ 11000 rpm | 194 kg | 865 mm | 16.5 l |
2 - Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 - 218 bhp
Updated for 2025, the RSV4 1100 feels like one of the most focused machines on this list. Loaded with MotoGP-inspired tech and styling, it feels very much built to race - even though its engine capacity makes it too big for many superbike racing classes.
The RSV4 name has been around for roughly 16 years, and has earned a solid reputation with riders as top choice for individuals with no sense of their own mortality. It’s also popular with tech-lovers, who appreciate its dizzying array of electronics and acronym-heavy rider aids: AEM, ATC, ASC, AEB, AWB, ADC, and on and on.
Where the Aprilia really pleases is in the stonking levels of torque it offers: 93.6 lb-ft, at a reasonably accessible 10800 rpm. That’s the second most shove on this list.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
£23,850 | 1099 cc | 218 bhp | 93.6 lb-ft @ 10800 rpm | 204 kg | 840 mm | 18 l |
1 - Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 305 bhp
Kawasaki conveniently bookends this list - taking both the bottom and top slot. That the Ninja H2R comes out at No. 1 should be no surprise. Outside of its power-to-weight ratio - which, at 97hp/100kg, is one of the lowest on this list - the psychotic supercharged monster outguns the others on this list by a longshot: way more powerful and way more expensive.
Kawasaki claims a mind-boggling 305 bhp for the Ninja H2R. If somehow that’s not enough, peak power output can be boosted to almost 322 bhp with a RAM air system. Peak torque is 121 lb-ft! Top speed is in excess of 240 mph! Insane. It’s no wonder Kawasaki has used this engine for an airplane.
Kawasaki hasn’t really made any changes to this bike in the last half decade or so, but it kind of doesn’t need to. It’s nuts for the sake of being nuts, and no one else can touch it.
With a starting price of £50,000 (you could buy two S 1000 RRs and still have enough money for kit and a whole lot of track days), it’s definitely a machine for the elite. But we’re glad it exists. The world needs this kind of lunacy.
Having said that, however, despite the fact that Kwasaki still shows the Ninja H2R on its website, you may find it very difficult getting hold of a new one.
Starting price | Engine capacity | Power | Torque | Weight | Seat height | Fuel capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
£50,000 | 998 cc | 305 bhp | 121 lb-ft @ 12500 rpm | 216 kg | 830 mm | 17 l |
You may also want to read our review of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R.
Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
