10 Of The Fastest Accelerating Motorcycles, Ranked By 0-60 Times

Typically, when people think of motorcycles going fast, they think about overall top speed. Modern bikes can easily eclipse 200 MPH these days, with some production models capable of hitting 250 MPH. More specialized motorcycles can even top 300 MPH. Many others are electronically governed at 186 MPH, for reasons that aren't entirely clear. One conversation many folks don't have nearly as often is about how quick these superbikes are. After all, if they can go 200 MPH, they should be able to get off the line quickly too, right?

The answer is yes, they usually can. One of the big reasons is that launching bikes from a stop is hard. There's a dance between the gas and throttle that riders have to manage, or else they'll start too slow or wheelie the bike and lose the run entirely. Thus, it's not something a lot of folks do, and it's certainly not something a ton of folks do well (including me). When researching motorcycle quickness, it's fairly common for amateur riders to not come anywhere close to the times reported in the press. 

However, people do drag race motorcycles, so a motorcycle's quickness does matter. Here are the fastest motorcycles we could find, measured by their reported acceleration to 60 MPH. Keep in mind that times may vary due to rider skill, weather conditions, and other factors, so the times listed here are approximations based on the data we were able to find. All times are also for stock bikes only, with no modifications. 

As a baseline, it's probably good to mention that there are a number of motorcycles that can do the zero to 60 MPH dash in between 2.6 and 2.7 seconds. We list some of the quicker ones below, but this seems to be the benchmark speed for motorcycles that sprint to highway speeds quickly. Some notable examples here include the 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000, the 2008 BMW K1200R, the 2013 BMW S1000RR, the Honda CBR 1000RR, and the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1. After that, there are plenty more that can do the sprint between 2.7 and 3.0 seconds flat.

It would be entirely reasonable to move our first members of the list off of it and put the above motorcycles on instead. In fact, all of the above motorcycles and many of the ones below share some common specs. For example, very nearly all of them are around 1,000cc in terms of engine displacement. They are also all built to go fast, rather than for more leisurely road trips like you find in mid-size Harley-Davidson engines. 

So, while the list below is reasonably accurate, it's also true that you could swap out several of the bikes below for other similarly powered and similarly quick motorcycles while keeping the list just as accurate as before. If we listed every motorcycle that could do 2.6 or 2.7 second zero to 60 MPH sprints, it would be three or four times longer than it is now. So, with that out of the way, let's get into some quick and powerful motorcycles. 

Our list today starts with the Kawasaki ZX-10R. Kawasaki began making these speed demons in the early 2000s, with the first model coming out in 2004. At the time of its release, the ZX-10R had the best power-to-weight ratio in its class, leading to some fast times no matter how it was raced. All models of the ZX-10R that we could find were powered by 998cc engines, although the engines themselves have changed a bit over the years. In short, you know what you're getting regardless of the model year: It's going to be light and fast. 

In terms of how fast, the Kawasaki ZX-10R keeps up with its competitors pretty well. We've seen reports of the bike hitting 60 MPH in as little as 2.6 seconds and as much as 2.7 seconds, depending on the source. Pair that with a top speed of 186 MPH, with some reports saying it can go as high as 194 MPH when not electronically limited. Reviewers have gotten this thing across the quarter-mile line in just a hair over 10 seconds, which puts it up with the fastest sports cars money can buy.

Overall, the ZX-10R Ninja is indicative of the 2.6 to 2.7 second crowd. It's quick in all the right places and looks good doing it. Kawasaki still makes these motorcycles today, and while newer models may not feel quite as raw as those from the 2000s and 2010s, they're just as quick. 

The BMW S 1000 RR is among the quickest BMW motorcycles that we could find. There's a lot to like with the S 1000 RR. It's quick, handles well, and manages to squeeze every possible horse out of its 999cc engine. Reviewers frequently note that the bike handles like a smaller class of bike, while the various electronic riding aids actually do help keep it upright and on the track. It's worth noting that many of those rider aids are only available on newer versions of the S 1000 RR, so if you want those, newer is better. 

For speed, the BMW S 1000 RR sits squarely in the 2.6 to 2.7 second territory for zero to 60 MPH times. Quarter-mile times range from the high 9.0-second bracket into the 10-second range depending on the rider and any performance modifications the owner may have added. The bike tops out at 188 MPH, making it slightly quicker than the Kawasaki ZX-10R on paper, although how well each motorcycle performs without limiters and with modifications is anyone's guess. There are YouTube videos of this bike going well north of 200 MPH.

With such impressive times, it's tough to imagine that things get much better from here, but as you can see from the numbering on the list, this isn't the fastest bike we found. With that said, it's certainly among the quickest, and you can't go wrong with a Beamer motorcycle. 

The Kawasaki ZX-14R is another in a long line of fast motorcycles from the Japanese bike maker. As the name implies, it's a distant relative of the ZX-10R. The two bikes couldn't be more different. The ZX-10R is a track-focused bike made for racing, whereas the ZX-14R is larger, heavier, and features a bigger engine. For comparison's sake, the ZX-10R has a 998cc engine, whereas modern ZX-14R models have a 1,441cc engine. Kawasaki refers to this bike as the quarter-mile king and for good reason. It's designed to go very fast in a straight line.

It does the zero to 60 MPH sprint in about 2.6 seconds, with some sources saying 2.5 seconds and others around 2.7 seconds. That's impressive on its own, but Kawasaki wasn't lying about it being fast in the quarter mile. The ZX-14R can do so in under 10 seconds most of the time — of course, depending on the rider. That's approximately half a second faster than the ZX-10R, so while the two can climb to 60 MPH at comparable speeds, the ZX-14R is clearly the faster bike overall. At a top speed of approximately 195 MPH, there isn't much this monster can't do quickly. 

Kawasaki still makes the ZX-14R, and it still comes with a big engine and fast times. In fact, this is one of the few bikes that hasn't lost a step in recent years, with the 2024 model reportedly putting up similar numbers. There's no doubt about it: This motorcycle is fast. 

It would be remiss not to place a Ducati on this list somewhere, and the Panigale is about as fast as it gets. Ducati built this thing for speed. Per Ducati, even the modern versions of the Panigale have race-bred features, as various things the company learned from its MotoGP racing team have filtered down into the consumer motorcycles. For example, the most recent version of the motorcycle comes with a 209-horsepower engine that is also two pounds lighter than the previous-generation engine in a design inspired by the brand's MotoGP motorcycles. 

As such, it keeps pace with its competitors. It roars to 60 MPH in about 2.6 seconds, and unlike most motorcycles we found in the 2.6-second segment, this one is backed up by multiple sources. It hits the quarter-mile mark in a little more time than the aforementioned Kawasaki ZX-14R, at around 10 seconds, but is slightly faster at the top end on paper at around 198 MPH. Since many of these numbers are rider- and limiter-dependent, we're okay with saying that it could go either way between the Ducati and Kawasaki superbikes. 

Ducati does have a little bit of an edge. With a couple of modifications and the proper oil, Ducati advertises that this motorcycle can get up to 240.5 horsepower. That would make it faster on paper than any of the motorcycles preceding it on this list, but it does require modification. Ducati is clearly okay with these upgrades, considering they're posted on the brand's official website. 

The Kawasaki ZX-12R sits right between the 10R and 14R in Kawasaki's lineup. Well, sat would be the more accurate term. Kawasaki only made these monsters from the year 2000 until 2006. The bike maker wanted something to compete with the Suzuki Hayabusa and went through three generations of the ZX-12R in just six short years. The bike was eventually scrapped for other models, leaving collectors and fans alike with a limited supply of 12R models to choose from on the open market. 

Official numbers are difficult to find, but the bike managed to get up to 60 MPH in 2.59 seconds. That 0.01 seconds is important here, as it puts the bike ahead of all the 2.6-second motorcycles that exist, which is easily over a dozen. That makes it one of the fastest bikes on Earth when it comes to getting up to highway speeds. It's also quick in the quarter mile, measuring a hair under 10 seconds, making it one of the fastest bikes in that arena as well. The top speed is electronically limited to 186 MPH, but we're sure it could go faster without it. 

With all that said, the bike doesn't get a lot of the modern amenities that make newer motorcycles easier to ride. Reviewers noted that it's heavy in the corners, heavier overall, and has inferior stopping power compared to modern bikes. That's what 20 years of engineering gets you, but in a straight line, the ZX-12R is still something special. 

The Kawasaki Z1000R is the final Kawasaki motorcycle on the list today. This one has been in and out of Kawasaki's lineup for decades but appears to be here to stay for the time being. It's wedged into the lineup as one of the less expensive motorcycles. For comparison, a 2025 Z1000R costs $14,499, whereas the ZX-14R costs $17,599 and the ZX-10R runs around $17,799. But don't let the lower price tag fool you. These puppies still run 1,043cc engines and can zip you around with the best of them. 

Reviewers have managed to push this thing to 60 MPH in 2.5 seconds, putting it ahead of every other motorcycle listed so far. It holds up as you go further, with a quarter-mile time of just over 10 seconds. Despite its supremacy in short bursts, it doesn't get quite as fast as the other motorcycles on the list. It's electronically governed at 147 MPH for most model years, making it one of the slowest motorcycles here in terms of top speed from the factory. It'll almost assuredly go faster without the governor, but it's an interesting tidbit. 

In all, if you want to go as fast as possible, you'll probably want one of Kawasaki's other motorcycles. However, this little guy still sports a 1,043cc inline-four engine, costs less than the others, and let's face it, if you're just doing quarter-mile runs, you don't really need to go much faster than its 147 MPH maximum speed. 

A lot of people talk about the muscle cars of the 1960s, but criminally few talk about the muscle bike wars of the 1980s, which is where the Yamaha VMAX got its start. The bike was first released to the masses in 1985 and stayed in production until 2020. Reportedly, the bike was unable to meet emissions standards, so Yamaha opted to discontinue it entirely. In the 35 years that the VMAX existed, Yamaha only redesigned it once, and it's the second generation, the VMAX, that we're talking about today. 

Enthusiasts have long enjoyed the VMAX and its 2.5-second zero to 60 MPH time, calling it one of the fastest motorcycles money could buy in its day. With improved traction, sub-2.5-second times are very doable with this machine, putting it a step ahead of most bikes in the 2.6-second segment. The same applies to the quarter-mile time, where the fastest we could find from a stock bike was 10.11 seconds, but it could probably break into the sub-10 range with better traction. It's electronically limited to around 140 MPH but can definitely go faster when it's not nerfed by Yamaha. 

As one of the original muscle bikes, it's the only one on this list that isn't classified as a hyperbike or superbike like the others. So, if you don't mind scouring the used market for one of these, you can not only have one of the fastest sprints to 60 MPH, but you can do it on something a little different from the competition. 

The Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R is one crazy fast motorcycle. Suzuki started building the now-iconic bike in 1999 and hasn't looked back. According to history, Suzuki built this thing to topple the speed king at the time: the Honda CBR1100XX. That wasn't an easy task, because the Honda was pretty fast in its own right, with a zero to 60 MPH time of just over 2.6 seconds, which was blistering for the 1990s. And yet, Suzuki managed to pull it off and has continued to do so for over two decades.

There isn't a category where this thing isn't fast. It marches to 60 MPH in a scant 2.47 seconds, barely beating out similar motorcycles from Yamaha and Kawasaki. The quarter-mile time is similarly impressive at around 9.70 seconds, a result we were able to find consistently across multiple sources. More impressively, we found consistent sub-10-second quarter-mile times across several model years, indicating that the Hayabusa is not only fast, but remarkably consistent. Its 194 MPH top speed is nothing to scoff at either. 

Now, the Hayabusa isn't great at everything. Reviews note that the handling is pretty decent, but it's also a larger motorcycle, so it's not quite as nimble as some of the smaller bikes on the list. Other than that, there isn't much wrong with the Hayabusa, aside from not being quite as comfortable as some other bikes. Even so, it goes fast, and few bikes do that as well as the 'Busa. 

The Suzuki GSX-R1000 hit the marketplace in 2001 and immediately became one of the quickest bikes money could buy. Suzuki still makes these bikes today, and they're still just as quick as ever. While the Hayabusa gets a lot of attention for straight-line speed, the GSX-R1000 is built for agility and track performance. Both are wicked fast, and both can race pretty well. However, the GSX-R1000 is slightly better at it since it's smaller and just a little bit quicker. In fact, when it comes to zero to 60 MPH times, this is the fastest bike we've seen in our research. 

Suzuki put some oomph into this one. It can race to 60 MPH in about 2.35 seconds, which is as fast as we've been able to find. It's no slouch in the quarter-mile run either, where 10-second times are fairly commonplace. It also garners a top speed of 186 MPH, which is clearly electronically limited. That puts the bike in a weird spot. The Hayabusa is faster in some cases, but the GSX-R1000 is faster in others. You can decide which one is faster, because both have a solid argument. 

Perhaps the most iconic version of the GSX-R1000 is the 2005 model, which featured Suzuki's now-famous K5 engine. That engine wasn't just fast for its day, it's still fast even by today's standards. Emissions regulations forced Suzuki to change things up in later models, but the K5-powered GSX-R1000 is still considered one of the best motorcycles Suzuki ever made.