Two hundred horsepower is quite a decent amount of power for a small and medium-sized car. But this is an extremely high margin that can only be invested in a motorcycle. And yet, motorcyclists will never trade their iron friend for a car. The thrill of riding a powerful bike cannot be compared to what you can experience on four wheels. This element is exclusively for the experienced, brave and crazy.
Today, anyone can walk into a car dealership and drive away on a two-hundred-horsepower motorcycle. There are many options to choose from including superbikes, electric bikes, turbocharged motorcycles. This selection features the most powerful production motorcycles you can buy. Many of them cost less than a small car, but give you absolute extreme performance for 1/300th the price of the most powerful cars in the world.
Damon Hypersport: 200 hp (electric)
The 200 horsepower, 200 Nm Damon electric drivetrain makes this bike frighteningly fast. The maximum speed is rated at 322 km/h. The battery holds 21.5 kWh of energy, which will provide a long range. Damon is promoting this thing more as a technology platform. This is a kind of advertising for their Shift system, which allows you to move the seat, handlebars and footpegs on the go. The Co-Pilot haptic alarm system is impressive, designed to alert you to possible threats before you see them.
Jaguar
Motorcycles from the British company Jaguar do not require a logo or branding. At first glance, everyone understands that in front of them is a Jaguar motorcycle. The shape of the motorbike copies the logo of a famous manufacturer of motorized strollers, and the artist Byron Hemmes helped translate the shape of a jumping cat into metal, who stylized the frame to match the logo.
But it’s not just its stylish shape that makes this bike memorable. This is a high-tech vehicle - most of the components and assemblies of the new motorcycle are electronic. Driving a fast motorcycle is not just pleasant, but damn comfortable.
The power unit is represented by a 1.2-liter V-Twin engine; the Jaguar accelerates to 200 km/h in 10 seconds - this record is not yet available to most production sports cars. Thanks to modern technologies, the motorcycle is almost silent, and the only thing that reminds you of an approaching motorbike is the sound of the tires. The motorcycle was created in a single copy, the cost of the concept was $500,000.
The technical solutions that the designer implemented in the jumping Jaguar are also interesting. The engine is moved back, due to this it was possible to highlight the original frame more clearly. The front optics unit was placed not in the mouth of the beast (such a project was considered), but in a separate compartment. The wheels were taken from a Japanese sportbike concept - tapered tires complement the look of the motorcycle.
Lightning LS-218 (electric)
At 96.5 km/h, this single-speed monster opens its secondary combustion chamber, unleashing an unprecedented rush of acceleration that distorts the sense of space and time. Lightning has opened a new factory in San Carlos, and while the LS218 is still listed as a 200-hp motorcycle, creator Richard Hatfield has revealed a software update that increases power to 248 hp.
Red Bull Rider
Few designers and engineers risk experimenting with the shape of a motorcycle body, but not the managers of the Red Bull company, which has held first place in the production of energy drinks for several years.
To prove to everyone that “Red Bull gives wings,” especially for the exhibition in Detroit, engineers presented the world’s only high-speed motorbike, stylized under the Red Bull company brand.
The motorcycle has a very aggressive design. The Red Bull Rider is not just a display piece for advertising, but also a fully functional bike. True, it is very far from the high-speed Jaguar, the maximum speed of the motorcycle is only 40 km/h, but you can easily travel 120 km on one tank of gasoline.
BMW S1000RR: 205 hp
BMW had a reputation for great motorcycles even before the brand launched its first superbike in 2009, but with the debut of the S1000RR, success became evident. Inspired by Suzuki's lithe GSX-R1000, the S1000RR delivers extraordinary road manners and incredible track speed. In addition to the 205 hp engine, you can get it with the M Sport package, carbon wheels and all sorts of innovative features.
Skeleton Bike
On the roads you can see quite a few “steel horses” in a deadly form, but they are all stylized as decadent in a garage setting. Another thing is the conceptual development of the engineering company The Crypt (USA), which created its Skeleton on a professional basis.
The presentation of the custom Titanium Skeleton Bike was not well received - even experienced bikers were somewhat shocked by such an afterlife appearance of the new motorcycle, which was also planned as a production one. The custom bike is made in the shape of a human skeleton with all the anatomical details. The first fans of the new “crunch”—that’s what these motorcycles are called—were American informals, who received the new bike with a bang.
Technically, the Skeleton has a number of unique components and assemblies, for the production of which new technologies are used. To bring the frame as close as possible to the shape of the human spine, a medical skeleton cast from titanium was used in production. This made it possible to reduce the overall weight of the structure and make it extremely durable.
The fuel tank of the motorcycle is shifted down, the refueling hatch is located on the opposite side on the rear fender. The headlights, as befits a racer from the underworld, are located in the eye sockets of the skull.
Motorcycle MV Agusta Brutale 1000
Prior to the introduction of the Streetfighter V4, the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro was equipped with an engine of the same power. It was introduced in 2022 with a 208 hp engine, which has since been boosted to 212 hp. If you're crazy (and strong) enough to point this beast in a straight line and hold the throttle open long enough, you'll be able to break the 300 km/h mark. Like all MVs, this bike can also be called a work of art.
Harley-Davidson
Our top is opened by one of the most conservative and respected manufacturers, which is famous for large and heavy motorcycles.
Road Glide Limited
Dry weight 407 kg, loaded 423 kg.
As the manufacturer describes it, this is a bike for those who love the Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin engine and the Sharknose shark-head fairing.
Powerful and obediently responsive 89 hp engine. with an instant response to turning the accelerator handle, it consumes 6.3 liters per 100 km. The motorcycle tank is 22.7 liters.
The motorcycle is equipped with all sorts of features for ease of movement, including the reflex™ defensive rider systems.
Now the price for this bike is approaching 2.5 million rubles.
CVO Limited
Dry weight 411 kg, loaded 428 kg.
The manufacturer presents this bike for those who are looking for a unique touring model and an aggressive, sometimes daring, style with a premium finish. The mention of premium trim hints that the price for the new bike will also be... premium.
The CVO Limited will appeal to those who enjoy the most powerful engine from Harley-Davidson.
A little more and it would have been two liters, but the Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight 117 produces 105 hp, in addition to the motorcycle's Tomahawk™ wheels and heated handlebar grips.
With a fuel tank capacity of 22.7 liters, the motorcycle will use 6.3 liters per 100 km. The maximum amount of electronics and the reflex™ defensive rider systems are also used here.
All this pleasure from the assembly line will cost almost four million rubles.
Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP: 214 hp
Honda has never shown much interest in the horsepower wars, positioning itself 10 or 20 horses away from the more ambitious bikes in the supersport class and letting others win the races. At the same time, the Japanese company concentrated on creating impeccable superbikes for the street. But in 2022, the company finally released a “Fireblade” worthy of this scary name. This is a special limited edition priced at $28,500.
I translated it just for fun, with minor abbreviations. ***
Size matters?
Size is a controversial issue. The answer to the question about the meaning of size can be different, depending on your choice - “bigger is better”, “small is beautiful” or “skill is key”.
But when it comes to bikes and their weight in particular, the conventional wisdom is usually “less is more.” Bike makers will constantly brag about the 17 gram weight reduction of some invisible component deep inside the engine, but you'll never see statements like "look, our bike is heavier than all the others!"
Unfortunately, trying to select the ten lightest bikes on the current market will result in a top list consisting of a list of scooters or mopeds. So instead, we've compiled a list of "fatties."
So, who are the top ten heaviest bikes on the current market?
10. Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special – 385 kg
The 385-pound loaded Road Glide weighs as much as a Penguin AGM-119B anti-ship missile, or about as much as an adult Caribbean leatherback turtle.
9. Honda F6B – 385 kg
Matching the Road Glide's weight, the F6B tips the scales as much as a 1968 Porsche 909 Bergspyder. Which, by the way, also had a horizontally opposed engine of about the same size as the Honda, albeit with eight cylinders and 275 horses, rather than six pots with 118 horsepower.
8. Victory Vision Tour – 386 kg
The Victory Vision Tour is only slightly heavier than both bikes above it on the list, although it's worth noting that the Victory only lists dry weights while the others list curb weights. If curb weight figures had been available, the bike would probably have rightfully moved higher on the list. But even a dry weight of 386 kg is the same as the weight of a 12-inch naval gun shell from the First World War.
7. Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide – 395 kg
The gleaming £28,630 CVO Street Glide stands out from the ranks of its less ostentatious siblings, partly for its brash looks and partly for its ridiculously powerful sound system, powered by a pair of 300-watt amps. So it makes sense that it weighs the same as the AeroDream One, the world's craziest £399,000 iPod music dock, which is as shiny, loud and not exactly practical as Harley (how to dock an iPod , you need to climb the stairs).
6. Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic – 399 kg
Not the biggest surprise, but there are several Harleys in the Top. Just shy of 400 kg, the Electra Glide Ultra Classic turned out to be exactly equal in weight to one propeller blade of the Mi-26, the world's largest mass-produced helicopter. To be fair, we should not forget that the helicopter has eight such blades, but again it weighs 28 tons and can carry another 20 tons of cargo. Which can hold 50 Electra Glide Ultra Classic pieces.
5. Kawasaki VN1700 Voyager – 406 kg
We've finally passed the 400kg mark, and this time it's not a Harley. While the 6th Ultra Classic weighs the same as one helicopter blade, the VN1700 Voyager weighs the same as an entire helicopter. In fact, 406 kg is the curb weight of not only the Voyager, but also the Hughes 269A, a classic light training helicopter used by the US Army in the 60s and 80s.
4. Indian Roadmaster - 408 kg
Another non-Harley, Indian's heaviest vehicle is equal in weight to the RD-0110, the engine for the third stage of the Soyuz launch vehicle. Indian is not as fast and powerful (298 kilonewtons for a rocket engine), but much more comfortable.
3. Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited – 414 kg
The Roadmaster may be as heavy as a rocket engine, but the Harley Ultra Limited weighs as much as an entire aircraft. In fact. 414 kg is the mass of the Genesis space probe [disputed, could not be verified], which flew 1.5 million km towards the Sun and collected solar wind samples between 2001 and 2004. Unfortunately, upon returning to Earth, the probe's parachute failed to deploy and it crashed into Earth at 311 km/h—apparently as fast as the Ultra Limited under the same conditions.
2. Honda Goldwing – 421 kg
Surely you assumed that Gold Wing would appear on this list? The only question was what Top position he would end up in. As it turned out, 421 kg of curb weight is not enough for first place. This is the weight of the Pratt & Whitney PW100 turboprop engine.
1. Harley CVO Road Glide Ultra – 439 kg
And the biggest of all the big ones is, of course, Harley again. The loaded CVO is the heftiest bike in the company's range (with an equally hefty £29,130 price tag). 439 kg is about 70 stone [probably only the British will understand the scale], the same amount as the fattest man in the UK at his time weighed at his peak.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Ducati Superleggera V4
The Panigale V4 is a very fast bike, but Ducati wouldn't be Ducati if it didn't come out with a special edition that didn't break the power record. Not only does this model develop 231 hp. — it weighs only 152 kg thanks to a large number of carbon parts. Every component of this production motorcycle, from the suspension to the brakes and electronics, is absolutely flawless.
Regio Design XXL Chopper
This giant motorcycle has held the first position in the Guinness Book of Records for eight years as the largest bike in the world. The iron horse Regio Design XXL Chopper was created in the workshop of Italian designer Fabio Reghiani, who labored over his brainchild in complete secrecy for 7 months.
Oddly enough, the largest motorcycle is capable of moving under its own power. To keep the 8-ton machine in a horizontal position, engineers equip the motorcycle monsters with additional side support wheels. The XXL Chopper is no exception, as it can't even stand upright without its two side wheels.
The Regio Design XXL Chopper traveled 150 meters under its own power and honorably removed from the pedestal the creation of the English engineer Gregory Dunham - the Dream Big model, which was 3 meters high and 6.2 m long.
The dimensions of Reghiani’s “iron horse” are more impressive: seat height – 4.9 meters, length – 9.75 m, width – about 2 meters. The total weight of the miracle of motorcycle construction is 5.5 tons. The motorcycle is equipped with a Chevrolet V8 power unit, engine capacity – 5.7 liters, power – 280 hp.
Huge one and a half meter wheels are driven by a three-speed transmission.
Experts recognized the motorcycle as the “final solution” - they say that there is nowhere further to develop engineering, and no one will ever be able to build a larger motorcycle that could move under its own power. The Guinness Book of Records Foundation Commission included the bike in the list of the most significant creations of mankind.
Kawasaki H2: 228 horses
The H2 was and is one of Kawasaki's best models. Its base version comes with a 200-horsepower engine, but horsepower is severely limited by firmware, and a simple upgrade could unlock another 30 ponies for those brave enough. The titanium exhaust-only version of the H2R increases the reserve to 310 hp, but this is not legal on public roads.
Moto Welbike
Welbike celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022. The motorcycle still combines unique functionality and ingenious simplicity of design, but this does not mean that anyone can build such equipment in their garage.
The Welbike was created by engineers of the British intelligence service for very specific purposes - to increase the maneuverability of a soldier during sabotage operations in enemy territory. During the three years of World War II, England produced 3,853 of these motorcycles - this suggests that the bike really met all wartime requirements.
In 1945, Welbike production was discontinued, and some of the new vehicles were transferred to the Royal Parachute Regiment. Most of the motorcycles were used for the military operation "Market Garden" in Holland in September 1944.
The power unit of the motorcycle is represented by a single-cylinder two-stroke engine with a volume of 98 cubic meters with an air cooling system. The motorcycle was easily folded and placed in a container with a diameter of 40 cm, and after landing, the soldier needed only 15 seconds to unfold the motorcycle and set it in motion.
The total weight of the motorcycle is 32 kg, fuel capacity is 3.5 liters, maximum speed is 50 km/h. This reserve was enough to cover 140 km of travel, which is a lot under the conditions of a military operation. It was this motorcycle that was approved as military transport for the British army until 1950.
Today, the rare motorcycle can occasionally be seen on the roads of Europe - collectors prefer to use it rather than keep it in the garage.
Motorcycle PGM V8
This Australian built bike takes things to a pretty extreme level. Weighing 242 kg, the PGM V8 has a 2-liter 90-degree V8 engine that revs to 13,000 rpm and produces 334 hp. and 214 Nm of torque. We're not sure exactly how many bikes have been produced since the PGM launched in 2015, but at over $100,000, it's probably not that many. For a model with such a large engine, the PGM has a pretty neat appearance.
Indian
Some people have a lot of heavy-duty models, but on the other hand, is anyone surprised by this?
Roadmaster Dark Horse 116
The manufacturer calls it iconic and says that the number in the name is an indication of the new powerful 1890 cc air-cooled Thunder Stroke 116 engine. In addition, it has the best torque in its class - 168 Nm.
And what other modern fillings you won’t find in it! Even at first glance, the list is wow - 7-inch Ride Command touchscreen display with navigation, premium 200-watt premium audio system with Bluetooth, proximity entry system, tire pressure sensors, electronic windshield adjustment.
The gas tank volume is close to 20.8 liters, and the weight is close to 394 kilograms .
This pleasure costs more than three million rubles.
Challenger Limited
Big and menacing. The motorcycle is powered by a 1768 cc liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine that produces 122 hp. fed from a 22.7 liter tank.
Naturally, a complete set of modern electrics - electronic cruise control, ABS system and contactless ignition, an electronic dashboard with all the necessary sensors and all-LED lighting. The bike with hard side panniers and a comfortable windshield weighs 361 kilograms.
The asking price for this “behemoth” is almost three million rubles.
MTT 420 RR (420 hp)
Louisiana-based Marine Turbine Technologies has been making turbine superbikes for 20 years, and the 420 RR is the strangest of them all. It is powered by the same turbocharged Allison 250-C20B engine that powers various Bell and Sikorsky helicopters. Rumor has it that the exhaust fumes are so hot that they can melt the plastic bumpers on cars that sit too close. This is a huge, long, heavy beast that requires special care and awareness when using.
Single wheel Ryno
This motorbike can easily be classified as a scooter, but the American manufacturer of the one-wheeled Rhino insists that this is a new generation motorcycle with zero emissions and high efficiency.
Today, a motorbike on one wheel remains the only one in its class - the concept has left competitors from Japan behind. Honda has been producing monobikes for a long time, but in terms of technical equipment it cannot compete with the American Rhino.
The limited edition Rino is equipped with state-of-the-art balance sensors. Gyroscopes help the one-wheeled miracle maintain balance in almost any conditions by automatically moving the wheel in a plane. At the same time, the motorcyclist does not notice any movement - the bike simply stands level at the traffic light, even without the help of a lever, which is often the driver’s foot.
The monobike shows a low maximum speed - only 40 km/h, but for the city this is quite enough. Rino is equipped with an electric motor and a capacitive battery, the battery weight is 1 kg. On one charge, this miracle of technology covers up to 50 km, and the motorcycle can be charged from an apartment socket.
Ryno Motors offered to test its invention with the US police department. The tests were more than successful, but the price of the new motorcycle at $25,000 still remains prohibitive for most potential customers.
