What is the fastest motorcycle in the world?
Time doesn’t stand still and, when it comes to speed, it goes, well, fast. In short, since we last compiled this list in 2020 the world’s moved on. An all-new Suzuki Hayabusa has arrived, there’s a new, homologation-spec version of BMW’s S1000RR, the M1000RR, the Norton takeover has seen a new, completely re-engineered version of its V4, the V4SV and many more. It’s also probably time to consider electric superbikes, such as Energica’s Ego+ RS. All of which means that one of the most often asked, hotly contested and debated motorcycling questions of all – ‘What’s the fastest production bike in the world?’ rises its head yet again.
But, as before, it’s also the one that’s most politically sensitive and difficult to be conclusive about (after all, few manufacturers now claim top speed figures and fewer independent media outlets measure them).
So, what’s the fastest production bike in the world?
Again, we must preface this with a proviso: Since 1999’s launch of the Suzuki Hayabusa, the Japanese ‘Big Four’ have adhered to an unwritten ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ to restrict their road bikes electronically to 300kph (186mph) while others, particularly MV Agusta, don’t. As a result, claimed top speed figures would be misleading and, for the most part, irrelevant.
Instead, we’re basing our ‘fastest Top 10’ on production road bikes with the highest power-to-weight ratios, which, in simple terms, is the best indicator available to acceleration and, all other things being equal, ultimate speed.
As before, it’s not perfect or completely conclusive, we know. Without comprehensive, independently tested power figures available we have to go with the manufacturers’ claimed figures, which should be taken with a pinch of salt. In addition, as before, we’ve also gone with manufacturers claimed dry weight figures (as uniform wet weight figures don’t exist), which, by their very nature, is somewhat academic, as bikes don’t run without fuel, oil and water. A further complication is the use of race kits, track pipes etc…
However, with all that said, and with a new crop of ‘hyperbikes’ no among us, we still reckon it makes fascinating reading, gives a reasonably true indication of the current ‘hierarchy of speed’ and throws up a few surprises, too…
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