The Fastest, Most Powerful New 2023 Motorcycles Available in the U.S.

The pendulum has swung back around. What follows is a list of some of the fastest and most powerful motorcycles available in the U.S., which is to say these are some of the worst motorcycles for beginners regardless of location.

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That said, the bikes here are the apotheosis of performance, so they have all the latest tech and the most advanced collection of onboard computers that are, more or less, necessary to harness their power. You ever hear the term “crotch rocket?” Well, in terms of power-to-weight, the bikes below are like a Saturn V that’s been compressed to an impossibly short wheelbase and a few cylinders.

Many of the bikes featured here from Honda, BMW, Ducati or MV Agusta — to name a few — exceed 200 horsepower, which, on a motorcycle, is obscene. Not all the bikes quite get to 200 hp but, again, both power and weight were a factor. In any case, everything is a blur from the saddle of a superbike, shooting through the track like a laser beam or vector manifest in three-dimensional space. If speed is what you’re after, and you have the technical ability to handle them, then these are the 2023 motorcycles you’ll want to look at in the U.S.:

• Starting at $18,999 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

The other Italians kick off this list. That is Aprilia, rather than the ubiquitous bikes from Ducati. The 2023 Aprilia RSV4 features an 1,100cc V4 engine making 217 hp. The bike gained just one cubic centimeter over the outgoing model, but that’s impressive nonetheless, especially since Aprilia managed to fit all that power into a compact machine that’s more nimble than many rivals. The RSV4 weighs just 445 pounds.

• Starting at $26,435 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

The BMW M 1000 R lacks the double “R” of models we’ll see below, which just means it’s not as sporty. As we’ll see, in the world of kilobikes and supersports, the number of “R”s in a model name corresponds to performance. The more “R”s there...are, the faster the bike, or so it seems. The M 1000 R is a roadster rather than a fully-faired sports bike. Still, the bike makes 205 horsepower from its 999cc engine.

• Starting at $37,990 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

This Bavarian bike does come with two “R”s in its name, but is basically a BMW S 1000 RR the M Division turned into a true track slayer with different throttle mapping courtesy of upgraded electronics, as well as lighter components. The 2023 BMW M 1000 RR makes 205 hp (at 14,500 rpm) and weighs just 423 pounds. The mad scientists at BMW gave the bike its M prefix to differentiate it from the model its based on, but the honorable M comes with a hefty premium.

• Starting at $24,730 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

The 2023 BMW S 1000 RR is also a product of worlds colliding (Motorrad and the M Division) but it’s slightly less intense than the M 1000 RR. Don’t let that fool you: the BMW S 1000 RR still wrings out 205 hp from its 999cc inline- four cylinder engine, and it sprints from 0-62 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds.

• Starting at $24,495 and $40,495 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

We’re back to the old country, Italy, the home of fast cars and bikes. Ducati is much more recognizable than Aprilia, certainly among those who’ve never had the pleasure of throwing their leg over a saddle — equine or motorized alike.

And the Ducati Panigale represents one of the marque’s flagships; the Panigale has now been around for over 10 years, having been introduced in 2011 as the peak of Ducati performance. In all that time, the Panigale has only gotten faster, and the latest bike has a 1,103cc V4 engine making 210 hp.

The pricy Panigale V4 SP2 takes the performance of the Panigale V4 up a notch, and it sports lighter components that come from the world of motorsport. The regular Panigale does so, too, but the SP2 is more of a track tool than the standard model, as its onboard lap timer would suggest. It is street legal though.

• Starting at $44,995 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

The 2023 Ducati Panigale V4 R is a testament to the durability of the Panigale badge, which has basically become a pillar in Ducati’s lineup. The Panigale V4R has a 998cc engine that was forged by the trials and errors of the Italian maker in MotoGP. Its displacement is less than that of the Panigale V4, but the V4 R makes 207 hp at minimum. As, Web Bike World notes, that output can go up to about 241 hp with its full race exhaust fitted, and in “closed course form.” Oh, and in this racing trim, the Panigale V4 R weighs just 368 pounds.

• Starting at $22,095 and $37,995 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

One of the themes you’ll see is many bikes here shed their fairing to go from sport bikes to streetfighters. The aptly-named 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 is just another one of these bikes, which borrows the Panigale’s 1,103cc engine along with most everything else. The Desmosedici engine makes 208 hp here, while the naked bike weighs just 397 pounds. The Streetfighter trades the sport bike styling and ergonomics for something a bit more upright, but just as fast.

The more expensive Streetfighter V4 SP2 is similar to the Panigale in that it gets premium wheels and other components that help it shed weight.

• Starting at $28,900 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

The 2022 Honda CBR1000RR-R FireBlade is probably one of the most ridiculously named bikes here. Based on the number of “R”s (5!) in its name, the Honda should be the fastest bike so far, but it makes less horsepower than a lot of its Japanese rivals. That’s not to say it’s slow. This is Big Red’s flagship fast bike, modeled after the Honda RC213V from MotoGP fame. The Fireblade’s 999cc inline-four makes 215 horsepower, while the bike weighs 443 pounds.

• Starting at $31,500 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

Kawasaki has sort of been a thorn in Honda’s side. Or is it the other way around? Maybe, or maybe Kawasaki is just that guy at the party now among Japanese bike makers — at least ever since it made a supercharged literbike. The 2023 Kawasaki Ninja H2 is not as powerful as the H2 R proper, but its 998cc inline-four engine still makes 228 hp. The Ninja H2 weighs about 525 pounds.

• Starting at $57,500 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

Of course, Kawasaki would be foolish not to capitalize on the success of its supercharged lineup with a track-only bike and streetfighter, which we’ll get to below. The 2023 Kawasaki Ninja H2 R represents the zenith of Kawasaki’s engineering. The bike’s 998cc supercharged engine makes an estimated 326 hp. That’s not a typo. That’s how much power this 476-pound spaceship makes. The smug track-only ’Kawi looks at Bugattis and McLarens and just scoffs.

• Starting at $18,500 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

It makes perfect sense that Kawasaki would want to rip the fairings off its supercharged H2, but I’ve never been a fan of bike makers’ willingness to turn their bonkers sport bikes into bonkers streetfighters. Maybe it’s just me, but if the naked H2 comes in at a hefty 530 pounds, then what’s the point? But the 2023 Z H2 still makes 200 hp, and is much cheaper than the Ninja H2 bikes, which is impressive.

• Starting at $17,399 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

Far be it from me to discourage you from riding a supercharged motorcycle like the H2, but if you want a naturally aspirated Kawasaki that makes over 200 hp, then the 2023 ZX-10R is a good start. This Ninja’s 998cc inline-four cylinder engine makes 203 hp, and the bike weighs 456 pounds.

• Starting at $16,599 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

There should be more touring bikes on this list, but tourers are mostly for reasonable riders who don’t demand ALL THE POWER. Then again, there are some big tourers out there that put hundreds of horses at your wrist, like the 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R. The design of the sport-touring Ninja is getting old, though I can’t help but think of the Hayabusa when I see the Ninja. The two big bikes even have similarly-sized engines, with the 593-pound Ninja having a 1,441cc inline-four that makes 208 hp.

• Starting at $39,995 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

The 2023 KTM RC 8C is not street legal; it’s a track bike made in very limited numbers with the help of Krämer Motorcycles. And yet, the bike sold out in just under three minutes, per Web Bike World. That’s because the bike’s 889cc LC8c twin-cylinder engine makes 135 hp at 12,000 RPM. That seems paltry next to the numbers of bikes above, but the KTM RC 8C weighs just 313 pounds.

• Starting at $37,798 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

MV Agusta is a strange brand. Other than moto nerds and longtime riders, not many folks will recognize the MV badge. And yet, the brand is a favorite of filmmakers: Christopher Nolan’s Batman rides an MV Agusta, as well as Detective Spooner (played by Will Smith) from the 2004 adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot.

I say all that because MV Agusta bikes are gorgeous. They’re the movie stars of the motorcycle world, even rivaling Ducati in terms of design and eccentricity. They’re also damn fast, as the 2023 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR shows: its 998cc four-cylinder engine makes 208 hp, and the bike weighs 410 pounds.

• Starting at $24,730 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

I can’t talk about fast, powerful bikes and leave out the peregrine falcon. The 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa, or GSX 1300R, has a 1,340cc inline-four engine making about 188 hp. The ’Busa is one of the most famous sport bikes around, but it’s a relatively heavy motorcycle, which is unusual among the track-focused bikes on this list. Still, the Hayabusa is a heavyweight champ in the world of motorcycles, and it looms large in the minds of riders and non-riders alike.

• Starting at $18,199 (excluding dealer prep, delivery) 
  

But if the Hayabusa put Suzuki on the map, then the GSX-R may have kept Suzuki there. The 2023 GSX-R1000R and its variants is at the top of the gixxer lineup. I still often wonder just where the “S” in GSX-R went to give us the gixxer name, but the answer eludes me. Oh, well. Suzuki’s sport bikes are famous for their accessible nature and their relatively low price compared to rivals. The latest models are powered by a 999.8cc engine making 199 hp.

• Starting at $20,950 (excluding dealer prep, delivery) 

The 2023 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR doesn’t have to be fast, not really. Its looks alone are enough to make this modern interpretation of a café racer a future classic. Still, you’ll be “doing the ton” on the Speed Triple 1200 RR without even noticing: the bike’s 1,160cc silky smooth inline triple engine makes 177 hp while the stunningly beautiful bike weighs just 438 pounds.

• Starting at $17,999 and $26,999 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)

Yamaha has to be represented here, and there’s no better bike to do so than the 2023 Yamaha YZF-R1. The bike is more or less royalty among literbikes, having been in continuous production for 25 years. In 2023, the R1's 998cc inline-four engine makes 198 hp while the bike weighs 450 pounds.

The Yamaha YZF-R1M adds some track-day goodies (GPS and data logging) to the base R1, and also sheds a few pounds thanks to its magnesium wheels and the use of carbon fiber in the fairing.

In case you missed it:

• All 12 Gran Turismo Games Ranked From Worst to Best
• The Cars That You Think Would Be Better Topless
• 2024 Mercedes GLS Adds a Bit of Power and a Controversial Steering Wheel