Most Powerful Production Motorcycles Tested on the Cycle World Dyno

We have a thing for numbers. Whenever possible, we use our scales or our tape measures. Specs are commonly lobbed over the editors’ cubicle walls, as are measurements for leathers, sizes for boots, and tire widths for upcoming shootouts. Of course, one of the key numbers that we look at is horsepower. Having our Dynojet 250i rear-wheel dyno humming and revving in the garage sets Cycle World apart from other motorcycle media outlets; we determine real horsepower numbers for our dyno videos and reviews. Multitudes of motorcycles have come and gone through the Cycle World dyno, many producing horsepower figures in the triple digits. Here are the most powerful production motorcycles that we have run on our dyno, ranked up to the greatest, all of which produce 150 ponies or more.

The 2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 spun its rear wheel on the dyno to produce an impressive 150.2 hp at 11,800 rpm and 74.5 pound-feet at 10,200 rpm.

KTM’s 2019 1290 Super Duke GT offers an exhilarating riding experience with 150.8 hp at 10,100 rpm and 91.5 pound-feet at 7,200 rpm.

Upright ergos, wind protection, and raw power. Back in 2016, the BMW S 1000 XR entered the “adventure sports” segment and delivered 151.24 hp at 10,800 rpm and 79.34 pound-feet at 9,100 rpm.

The limited-production 2014 Honda CBR10000RR SP’s hand-balanced engine delivered 151.8 hp at 10,500 rpm and 78.2 pound-feet at 9,800 rpm to the rear wheel.

In 2017, the BMW S 1000 R was upgraded for more power, among other updates. This year’s model cranked 152.3 hp at 11,000 rpm, 78.2 pound-feet at 9,400 rpm on our dyno.

Aprilias are widely regarded for their track-worthiness. In 2017, the Tuono V4 1100RR won Best Standard in Cycle World’s Ten Best, with the dyno pulling rear-wheel numbers of 153.2 hp at 11,900 rpm and 78.1 pound-feet at 9,600 rpm.

Just a year earlier, the Factory version of the Tuono V4 1100 took a stab at the dyno and produced 153.3 hp at 11,300 rpm and 79.8 pound-feet at 9,200 rpm.

Strip the fairings off of the EBR’s World Superbike-ready 1190 RX and replace the clip-ons with an upright handlebar and you have the sporty, naked 2014 EBR 1190 SX. On our dyno it produced 153.8 hp at 10,500 rpm and 84.6 pound-feet at 8,000 rpm.

The 1290 Super Duke R and its V-twin recorded its power figures on the dynamometer with a fourth-gear pull, getting to 154.66 hp at 9,960 rpm and 92.55 pound-feet at 7,390 rpm.

In a comparison battle of road-legal track weapons, the 2014 EBR 1190RX went head to head with the Ducati 1199 Panigale. We recorded the EBR’s numbers: 161.2 hp at 10,530 rpm and 87.1 pound-feet at 8,100 rpm. The 2014 1199 Panigale produced 167.1 hp at 10,900 rpm and 85.0 pound-feet at 8,490 rpm, which was eclipsed by the 2015 model, as shown below.

A MotoGP bike for the people, the Yamaha YZF-R1M won the hearts of the editors for its “stellar power, amazing electronics and unflappable chassis.” On the dyno, that stellar power turned out to be 164.4 hp at 12,200 rpm and 73.6 pound-feet at 8,600 rpm.

Naturally sport-tourers love speed. Add a supercharger and there’s quite a dose of power available. The 2018 Kawasaki H2 SX SE delivered 166.1 hp at 10,200 rpm, 89.1 pound-feet at 8,500 rpm to be more specific.

Another racing-derived model from Team Green. While the 2017 model recorded powerful numbers (164.6 hp at 11,700 rpm, 75.2 pound-feet at 11,000 rpm), the potent 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R beat it by a smidge: 166.98 hp at 11,700 rpm and 75.96 pound-feet at 11,200 rpm.

The Suzuki Hayabusa is a master of speed. Recording the numbers for a 2008 test, this ‘Busa grunted 173.4 hp and 104 pound-feet of torque (S-DMS, mode A). It also clocked a 0-60 time of 2.58 seconds and an impressive measured top speed of 186 mph.

Remember 2015, when Ducati announced the uptick in displacement from the 1199 Panigale to the 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale? In its original 1,198cc displacement form, it remained as a race-only version with the Panigale R. This model recorded 174.9 hp at 10,400 rpm and 94.2 pound-feet at 8,500 rpm on our dyno.

A standout chassis, updates to the Aprilia Performance Ride Control suite, and that superb V-4 engine made the 2017 Aprilia RSV4 RR a standard-setting ride. This model tallied 175.2 hp at 13,300 rpm and 75.7 pound-feet at 11,000 rpm.

The up-spec’d Aprilia RSV4 RF of 2016 hits just about as hard as the previously mentioned base model, with 175.2 hp at 13,500 rpm and 76.2 pound-feet at 10,300 rpm.

More, more, more. Climbing up in displacement from the 1199 Panigale, the 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S gave the people more of what they wanted: 177.0 hp at 10,700 rpm and 92.9 pound-feet at 8,900 rpm.

The 2020 BMW S 1000 RR M Series model takes the S 1000 RR package and makes it even sportier with HP4 Race-derived carbon fiber wheels, fully adjustable Race Pro riding modes, and a lightweight battery. This model recorded 182.7 hp at 13,600 rpm and 77.1 pound-feet at 11,000 rpm.

The 1,441cc DOHC inline-four in the 2016 Kawasaki ZX-14R delivered 183.2 hp at 10,100 rpm and 109.45 pound-feet at 7,500 rpm at the rear wheel, making it the second of this list to record both triple digit horsepower and torque figures.

The 2015 BMW S 1000 RR saw a range of improvements to make it a more friendly package for street and trackday riders. One important change was an increase in power (the manufacturer claimed an increase from 193 to 199 ponies). On our in-house dyno, it recorded 184.6 hp at 13,300 rpm and 80.8 pound-feet at 9,500 rpm.

“The performance is potent,” we wrote in the dyno video article of the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 S, which saw it reach 186.01 hp at 13,320 rpm and 79.6 pound-feet of torque at 11,310 rpm; potent indeed.

It’s nearly impossible to resist the sound of a supercharger’s roar. The 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2′s supercharged powerplant gets this beast down the tarmac at an impressive measured top speed of 183 mph! With great speeds come great underlying power figures: 189.8 hp at 11,090 rpm and 91.2 pound-feet at 10,790 rpm.

The 2019 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory elevates itself above the base RSV4 by increasing the displacement from 999cc to 1,078cc and producing vital figures of 190.0 hp at 13,500 rpm and 82.1 pound-feet of torque at 9,800 rpm.

With serious track performance at the forefront of the Ducati Panigale V4 R’s design, the 2019 homologation special is the heaviest hitter on this list. The most powerful production motorcycle to run on Cycle World’s in-house dyno recorded a whopping 204.0 hp at 15,800 rpm and 76.7 pound-feet at 12,300.