Fastest Sport Bikes Under 1000cc

Feel the need for speed with the fastest sport bikes under 1000cc from top brands like Honda, Kawasaki, and BMW.

Speed is never enough, but back in the day, manufacturers had to rely on displacement to make the fastest motorcycles. Case in point, the Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki ZX-14R. That's no longer the case, however, with new technology, even liter-class motorcycles whiz past the old whales while wheeling in every gear and cornering like they’re on rails. For bikers feeling the need for speed, there are many options to choose from. But which liter-class motorcycles are the fastest, and how fast are they? These bikes offer the best of the best, in terms of speed and performance, and they promise to make you the fastest rider on the track.

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The list of the fastest sport bikes under 1000cc kicks off with the Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP. The name's a mouthful but the motorcycle is so much more. It is the quintessential Japanese motorcycle — fast, reliable, and balanced. The motorcycle comes with an overhauled 999cc four-cylinder engine with dual-stage injection, designed for performance and speed, and it is tuned using HSTC calibration data from Honda superbike racers around the world. The result? The flagship Fireblade offers a strong mid-range (impressive for an inline-four) that can push the bike from 0 to 60 in 3.13 seconds with a top speed of 186 mph. The fastest Honda that can beat most motorcycles on the road while being super precise in the corners.

The Yamaha YZF-R1M is probably one of the best-sounding motorcycles on the list, thanks to Yamaha's cross-plane engine technology. But the guttural sound isn't all that the cross-plane 998cc engine offers. Derived from Yamaha's MotoGP program, the engine delivers a whopping 198 horsepower that can propel the bike from 0 to 60 in 2.64 seconds with a top speed of 186 mph. This homologation special is also loaded with a ton of MotoGP technology, including a high-performance intake system, titanium exhaust system, compact stacked transmission, GPS data logging, and Brembo brakes. The Yamaha YZF-R1 is everything you would expect from a flagship track bike — and it sounds like a dream.

The MV Agusta F4 1000RC is a strong contender for being the most beautiful motorcycle ever made. The design is timeless - would you believe this design is 25 years old? But underneath the design lies one of the most powerful motors to come out of Italy. The 998cc four-pot engine produces 202.5 horsepower, and the bike's lightweight design (386 pounds), which helps this bike cover 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds and top out at 188 mph. With only 250 of these ever produced, good luck finding one on your local classifieds at a cheap rate. But if you do, and if you have the money, buy it, as this is a future classic in all rights.

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The design of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R is up for debate, but one thing that is not is the bike's performance. The new ZX10R brings with it an updated engine, improved cooling, and a bunch of new electronics. The ZX10R is an aggressive motorcycle that mimics the brand's WSB success. And this bike doesn't need a special edition to be on this list — this bike features a 998cc inline-four engine that produces 203 horsepower - enough for a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 2.91 seconds with a top speed of 189 mph. Be warned, though, the ZX10R is perhaps the most cramped bike of the lot due to its focused approach to handling and performance.

In a crowd of Japanese missiles and Italian exotics, one bike that challenges them all is the BMW S1000RR, which is designed to perfection with only one thing in mind: performance. That's German engineering for you. The BMW S1000RR is a laser-focused liter-class sport bike that is full of character and thrill. The light, nimble motorcycle comes with a 999cc inline-four engine with dual-stage electronic fuel injection that pumps out 205 horsepower. And, with a lightweight design of only 434 pounds (or 427 with the M package), the excellent power-to-weight ratio of this motorcycle makes it reach 60 mph in 3.1 seconds with a top speed of 192 mph.

If timeless design and perfection are the goals, no one can beat MV Agusta. Building on the success of the F4 CC and F4 1000R, the F4 R 312 is a fine-tuned Italian beast with a top speed of 194 mph, thanks to its 183 horsepower inline-four engine. It is the fastest MV Agusta ever produced, and perhaps, the most beautiful. Its top speed is its namesake — 312 standing for 312 km/h. The bike can do a 0 to 60 run in under 3 seconds. That's quick, but again, like the F4 RC, only a few of these were ever made, and each one can cost you your house. This one, probably, even more. But the design, the speed, and the pedigree make it all worth it.

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Ducati flies past the competition with the Panigale V4 R, which is developed from Ducati's entry into the 2019 WSB championship. The Panigale V4 is an unmistakable Ducati homologation special — fiery red fairings, a bare aluminum tank, functional winglets, and a suite of rider aids. But the best thing of all is the bike's Desmosedici Stradale R engine — a 998cc V4 that pumps out 221 horsepower and 91 pound-feet of torque. With the sweet-sounding engine and a weight of only 379 pounds, the Ducati Panigale V4 R can reach 60 mph in 3 seconds with a top speed of 199 mph. It is fast and razor-sharp.

The Panigale V4 R falls short of the 200 mph mark, but if you want a Ducati that hits that mark, there's the Superleggera V4. It represents everything Ducati stands for — exotic design, powerful engine, and top-of-the-line technology. The motorcycle comes with a 998cc V4 engine that produces 234 horsepower, but that's not even the best part of the motorcycle - the weight is. The word Superleggera is Italian for super light, and this bike stays true to this moniker. The engine is shrouded in carbon-fiber heavy bodywork with a carbon fiber subframe, wheels, swing arm, and much more. Even the bolts are titanium! This makes the Superleggera V4 weigh under 335.5 pounds. That's a terrific power-to-weight ratio that pushes the bike to 200 mph.

If you want to be the fastest son of a gun on the road, what do you choose? The Kawasaki H2. It's a missile on two wheels, and it looks the part — the sharp bodywork, the shiny paint, and an unmistakable sound. The Kawasaki H2 looks like it was developed in Area 51, not in a lab of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The H2 comes with a 998cc inline-four engine mated to a supercharger, which uses planetary gear aircraft technology to spool up to 130,000 rpm. Nothing else matters when the supercharger spools up to produce roughly 230 horsepower - enough to push the bike to 209 mph with an acceleration of 0.95 g!

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If your goal is to go as fast as possible on two wheels, look no further than the Kawasaki H2R, the race version of the H2. This motorcycle makes the ZX-14R and Hayabusa look like mopeds — ask any rider who's ridden an H2R. But this is only a track special, and for good reasons. Calling it exhilarating is an understatement. The H2R is the fastest production motorcycle to date, with a 998cc supercharged engine that produces 326 horsepower, which is enough for a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 249 mph. That's fast, and to reign it back (and keep the rider on the seat), the bike comes with an array of electronics like launch control, traction control, cornering management, and much more. But you will still feel like you’ll fly off when it is accelerating.

Meet Aayush, a motorcycle-loving writer from Goa. With almost a decade of riding experience and a (not so) trusty Dominar 400, you can find him exploring the Western Ghats on Sundays or tinkering with motorcycles during his free hours. From touring tips to DIY maintenance, he's got you covered. So, grab your helmet and join the ride!