Yahoo Autos 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.
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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.:
2023 Aprilia RSV4 1100
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.
2023 BMW M 1000 R
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.
2023 BMW M 1000 RR
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.
2023 BMW S 1000 RR
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.
2023 Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 SP2
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.
2023 Ducati Panigale V4 R
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.
2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 and V4 SP2
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 Desmodici 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.
2022 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP
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.
2023 Kawasaki Ninja H2
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.
2023 Kawasaki Ninja H2 R
Starting at $57,500 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
