9 Of The Quickest Street Legal Motorcycles Ranked By 0-60

One downside to being obsessed with motorized vehicles is the amount of time that slips by while we're consuming information about whatever it is we're fixated on right now. Or maybe that's just me and I have a problem. Either way, this compulsion to look into things I probably won't buy has become productive research, aligning perfectly with today's topic: some of the quickest street-legal factory-built bikes, ranked by 0-60 acceleration times.

Now, we're not saying you don't know anyone who's run quicker times on other bikes. We simply dug into some of the quickest 0-60 times on record, then sorted out the best from these findings. 

Ideally, this list would be based exclusively on verified figures from instrumented testing, but we did end up making a couple of exceptions. Take, for instance, the Diavel V4 RS, my current muse. Ducati claims MotoGP champion Marc Márquez did it in 2.43 seconds, and Motor Cycle News says Ducati's chief development rider, Alessandro Valia, clocked an even faster 2.4-second time getting to 62 mph on a prepped surface. Granted, this was an unrecorded, unofficial run, but almost every other bike on the list earned its spot via third-party instrumented testing. In fact, the first five bikes each recorded a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds.

Since sixth place is a five-way tie, we broke things down based on when the data was collected. In the case of the Yamaha YZF R1, its 2.6-second sprint to 60 mph was published by Cycle World in 2015. That's 0.1 of a second quicker than the R1M clocked in a comparison published by that same outlet the following year. Other 2015 R1 measurements include a 9.83-second quarter-mile run with a trap speed of 149.91 mph and a measured top speed of 182 mph. 

At the time, Yamaha said its 998cc inline-4 engine was good for 200 horsepower. In addition to acceleration times, Cycle World also provides dyno figures, which came out to 167.4 horsepower and 77 pound-feet of torque at the wheel. However, the crew also had access to an upgraded Circuit ECU, an official Yamaha accessory, which ramped the engine's output up to 172.8 hp and 76.6 lb-ft.

Although the R1 was updated in 2020, the recorded 0-60 times we found were about half-a-second slower, sitting at the 3.0-second mark. We were unable to source any reliable data for the latest Yamaha R1, which hit the scene for the 2025 model year. 

As marvelous as each R1 generation has been, this nameplate is far from the best-selling Yamaha motorcycle ever. That accolade actually goes to one with 150 less horsepower.  

Cycle World compared three bikes in 2014, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, the BMW S1000R, and the Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC ABS. The KTM and BMW recorded 2.6-second runs to 60 miles per hour. The Aprilia was a tick behind at 2.7 seconds.

Despite being the most expensive and having the most power and torque of the bunch at 151.6 hp and 93.3 lb-ft, the Super Duke R had the "slowest" quarter-mile time of 10.21 seconds. Of course, you'd have a hard time finding any sane rider who refers to this bike as slow.

KTM fanatics will be quick to bring up the newer 1390 Super Duke RR with an even loftier 187 hp and 107 lb-ft. We didn't come across any credible times for it on the interwebs, but we did stumble across real-world footage from Two-Wheel Turban of the older 1290 that indicated sub-three-second sprints to 60 mph could be achieved easily.

The BMW S1000R actually clocked the same 2.6-second time as the KTM in the aforementioned comparison. The German competitor also cost $2,000 less and weighed 13 pounds less than its Austrian rival. Despite having a similar horsepower figure and less torque than the KTM, the BMW managed to complete its quarter-mile run just over a quarter of a second quicker at 9.94 seconds, with a trap speed of 141.74 (versus the KTM's 137.85).

Those figures are still impressive by today's standards. It also wasn't the first time that Cycle World recorded a 2.6-second sprint from a BMW. A year before, in 2013, the BMW S1000RR posted the exact same time despite having an extra R. 

And the S1000R was dubbed best standard bike in Cycle World's 10 Best Bikes of 2014, beating out the Super Duke. It was lauded for its ability to inspire confidence in a range of riders. 

We're sure no one is surprised to see this classic Japanese liter bike, though the same can probably be said for any bike on this list. In a 2012 five-way Cycle World comparison between it, the Yamaha YZF-R1, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Suzuki GSX-R1000, and BMW S1000RR, the CBR1000RR's 2.6-second sprint to 60 miles per hour was the quickest of the bunch. The Honda also posted the second-quickest quarter-mile time at 9.82 seconds, with the BMW edging it out by less than a tenth of a second (9.78). 

And the Bimmer benefited from almost 32 more horsepower than the Honda. When the testers strapped the CBR1000RR to the dyno, its 1000cc engine put down just 153 hp and 78 lb-ft at the wheel; the Yamaha was the only bike to make less power. In addition to its straight-line performance and ability in single curves, the Honda was praised as the most balanced machine of the five.

We've previously pondered the question: is the Ninja H2R the world's quickest bike, or just fast enough to flex? As far as 0-60 times go, it isn't the quickest. It's capable of insane top speeds, but it takes 2.9 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour. However, Kawasaki's tamer naturally aspirated H2 model only needs 2.6 seconds to reach the almighty 60 mph mark. The regular H2 also can complete the quarter-mile in 9.62 seconds at 152 mph. 

Of course, Kawasaki loyalists will be quick to tell you that the H2 isn't the only bike from the manufacturer that can hit 60 in 2.6 seconds. The ZX-14R managed to clock the same time in 2013, two years before the H2. It posted a quicker quarter-mile time, too, at 9.47 seconds with a trap speed of nearly 153 mph. To be fair, its also has a much greater displacement at 1,441 cubic centimeters compared to the H2's 998cc engine. 

The Yamaha VMAX is the best-looking motorcycle on this list. Next to the Ducati, of course. The VMAX has the performance chops to back its stellar looks, too. When it went head-to-head with the Triumph Rocket III in this Cycle World comparison test circa 2010, it put up some very impressive figures, including a 2.5-second 0-60 time. Its British counterpart, on the other hand, needed 3.3 seconds to hit 60 mph. The Japanese power cruiser also managed to record a 10.11-second quarter-mile run with a trap speed of 137 mph. Again, this was over 15 years ago. 

While the Rocket III still lives on today, production of the VMAX ended at the conclusion of the 2020 model year. If you want a new Yamaha that offers something similar to the visceral sensation of the VMAX's speed, but you don't want a sport bike, you'll likely need to look to the MT-10 for salvation. It is, after all — at least according to Yamaha — a "Master of Torque." 

The Suzuki Hayabusa is revered even outside the motorcycling community. That's because it dominated competitors when it debuted in 1999, offering more horsepower — 173 ponies, to be precise — and a higher top speed. When Cycle World tested it, the magazine recorded a top speed of 194 miles per hour.

A 2002 three-way test that also included the Honda CBR1100XX and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, republished in 2017, included a 2.47-second 0-60 for the Hayabusa, though this figure wasn't in the original 2002 article nor is it referenced elsewhere, so take it with a grain of salt. That said, Cycle World is one of the most credible sources for such data.

When the outlet tested the second-gen model in 2008, the output had jumped to 173 horsepower at the wheel rather than the crank (Suzuki's claimed output was 194 hp at the crank). That was enough oomph to propel the 'Busa to 60 mph in just 2.58 seconds before continuing on to 100 mph in a mere 4.99 seconds. It was also capable of running the quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds. As such, we're certain the 'Busa belongs on this list, but if that 2.47 time is mistaken then we owe the VMAX an apology.

Although the Hayabusa is synonymous with blistering speed, there's another Suzuki bike that's allegedly quicker to 60. According to interweb folklore, the Suzuki GSX-R1000R can do it in just 2.35 seconds. While the Hayabusa isn't exactly a nimble sportsbike, the GSX-R1000R is. That means it has a more aggressive riding position, and presumably more speed, too. Cycle World dyno testing yielded a result of157 hp at the wheel, which isn't too far off from the heavier Hayabusa. However, the 2.35-second time we mentioned couldn't be substantiated. 

As mentioned, the Ducati Diavel V4 RS has, allegedly, nailed a 0-60 time of 2.4 seconds. And in case you missed it, Ducati says that makes it the "fastest accelerating Ducati production bike" ever. This top-of-the-line Diavel is equipped with the Ducati Desmosedici Stradale four-cylinder engine which generates a claimed 182 horsepower and 89 pound-feet of torque. That's about 14 more ponies and a touch less torque than the base V4 model, which is said to hit 60 mph in a slightly longer yet still mind-bending 3 seconds.

You may have noticed that the Ducati Desmosedici RR is absent from this list even though some sources cite a sub-3-second sprint time of about 2.6 seconds. However, this is merely a third-party estimate and isn't based on verified testing nor any claims from Ducati. With 200 horsepower and a rev limit of 14,200, we understand how it might look like a given, especially since the bike can run the quarter-mile in just over 10 seconds. But, to reiterate, we're trying to limit the scope to bikes with verified data.

Technically the Suzuki GSX-R1000R is the quickest bike on the list, at least when it comes to third-party-verified 0-60 times. However, if we extend the same benefit of the doubt to Lightning as we did Ducati, then the real winner is the LS-218. And this bike's $39,000 price tag is a little lower than the $40,000 starting price of the Diavel V4 RS. (Fun fact: the Lightning beat the Ducati at Pikes Peak in 2013, where it won first place overall. But neither is on our list of the fastest Pikes Peak motorcycles of all time.) 

While the LS-218's hill climb run was officially logged and observed by others, the same can't be said for its 0-60 time. Lightning claims its creation could make a 2.2-second sprint to 60 miles per hour in 2016, and that the revised LS-218 could do it in less than 2 seconds in 2025. The linear g force of such acceleration is mind-bending from the driver's seat of a four-wheeled vehicle; we can only imagine what that sensation must feel like while clinging to carbon fiber clip-on bars.

And that wraps it up. Did we miss anything? Or if you're interested in shifting the focus to quarter-mile times rather than 0-60s, these are the eight quickest sportbikes on the market right now.