What motorcycle has the most horsepower

What motorcycle has the most horsepower
What motorcycle has the most horsepower
What motorcycle has the most horsepower
What motorcycle has the most horsepower

The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki recently introduced what it calls the most powerful closed-course production motorcycle ever created, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R. The new bike takes its name from the 1971 Kawasaki 750SS Mach IV, more commonly known as the H2, which by many accounts was the fastest motorcycle of its day. Continuing this tradition, the H2R will be equipped with an approximately 300 hp inline 4-cylinder supercharged engine, the most powerful on the market.

Much of the H2R’s impressive power output is thanks to Kawasaki’s new supercharger, which takes advantage of several of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group’s subsidiaries and their extensive experience creating gas turbine systems for power plants. The new bike features a trellis and faring that provide improved aerodynamics. Given its staggering performance numbers, the H2R will be a track-only model. However, Kawasaki has indicated that it will produce a street-legal version of the bike. (kawasaki.com)

The HP (horsepower) ratings of motorcycles vary widely depending on the make and model. It’s safe to say that the majority of production motorcycles have 10-220 HP engines. The lightweight 125-300cc bikes usually feature 10-40 HP power sources while middleweight models offer 60-130 HP. The most powerful machines on the market are heavy motorcycles with 1000+cc engines, which produce an amazing 80-310 HP and can reach an amazing top speed of 190 mph.

If you would like to learn more about motorcycle HP ratings, you are in the right place.

We at PowerSportsGuide have complied the performance numbers of the main motorcycle categories under one roof!

What motorcycle has the most horsepower

Motorcycle HP Chart

Without further ado, let’s check our detailed motorcycle HP chart. For better comparisons, we’ve done the research and compared motorcycle HP ratings based on the main displacement categories.

Motorcycle CategoryDisplacement (cc)Average HP
Lightweight503 – 9
Lightweight1007 – 12
Lightweight12510 – 15
Lightweight15015 – 25
Lightweight25025 – 40
Lightweight30030 – 40
Middleweight40040 – 50
Middleweight50045 – 60
Middleweight60055 – 130
Middleweight700-90060 – 150
Heavy1000+80 – 220

These numbers are for general informational purposes only!

As there are countless motorcycle models out there, if you do your research you may find some models with more or even less HP in each category than is shown in the chart.

This is because the chart shows average numbers, meaning that the majority of production motorcycles fall into these ranges.

Let’s drill into the details and take a closer look at the average motorcycle HP by displacement category!

How Much HP Does a Motorcycle Have?

Simply put, a production motorcycle has 3-310 HP depending on its type and engine size. But as you will see, the HP ratings of motorcycles varies widely, even within specific displacement categories.

Why?

This is because though the HP rating of a motorcycle and its engine displacement are closely related, the power of a motorcycle depends on many factors such as the engine stroke, the number of cylinders, or the available rpm.

The general rule is that the more cylinder a motorcycle has (and the higher the rpm) the more power it can produce. Clearly, 2-stroke engines are significantly more powerful than 4-strokes.

For example, 2-cylinder 750cc bikes like the Honda NC750X or the legendary Harley-Davidson 750 twins offer about 50-60 horsepower. In contrast, sportbikes with 750cc, 4-cylinder engines can produce 100-130 HP.

Regarding bigger motorcycles, there is also a large variance in their HP ratings. The Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic features a V-Twin, 50 HP engine while 1000cc sportbikes can reach the whopping 180-310 HP range.

Also, many other factors can affect the performance of a bike like the features on the transmission, drivetrain, weight, quality of fuel and so on.

What’s more, environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and altitude also affect engine power to some extent. This is why engines are less powerful at higher altitudes.

If you would like to find out what the HP rating of each motorcycle category is, keep reading!

How much horsepower does a 50cc motorcycle have?

Stock 50cc motorcycles typically have 3-9 HP 2-stroke engines. In contrast, the most powerful racing 50cc bikes can reach up to 10-20 HP and many of them can rev up more than 15,000 rpm! (Therefore, their engines need to be rebuilt quite often.)

Examples of production 50cc bikes:

  • Lexmoto Hunter 50: 3 HP
  • APRILIA RS50: 8 HP
  • Aprilia SX50: 8 HP
  • Derbi GPR 50R: 8.5 HP

How much horsepower does a 100cc motorcycle produce?

The majority of 100cc motorcycles can produce around 7-12 HP depending on its setup and engine stroke. New 100cc stock motorcycles are quite rare in the US, so many of these machines are built with “big bore” kits.

Examples of stock 100cc motorcycles:

  • Lifan Chimp 100: 7 HP
  • Honda XR100: 10 HP
  • Honda CRF100F: 10 HP

How much horsepower does a 125cc motorcycle have?

125cc bikes are arguably among the most popular entry-level motorcycles on the market. They are lightweight, agile, and affordable. Their engines also offer a reasonable performance, as most 125cc motorcycles produce 10-15 HP. It also has to be mentioned that the power of these machines is usually limited to fit the limitations of an A1 license.

This license allows you to legally ride a motorcycle that is powered with up to a 125cc engine that produces a maximum of 15 HP.

Without restrictions, most 125cc motorcycles could produce 25-35 HP without any issues. Because of this, you can expect the same performance on 125cc dirt bikes as well.

Here is an HP list of some popular 125cc motorcycles:

  • Honda CB125F: 10.5 HP
  • Keeway Superlight 125: 10.5 HP
  • Yamaha MT125: 15 HP
  • Yamaha YZF-R125: 15 HP
  • KTM RC125: 15 HP
  • Aprilia RS125: 34 HP (unrestricted)
  • Honda CR125 dirt bike: 34 HP (unrestricted)

How much horsepower does a 150cc motorcycle have?

150cc motorcycles have about 15-25 HP. These bikes are typically powered by single-cylinder, 4-stroke engines and feature air or liquid cooling depending on the model.

Some popular bikes in this category are:

  • Yamaha FZ16: 14 HP
  • Yamaha R15: 19 HP
  • Honda CRF150F: 15 HP
  • Honda CRF150R: 24 HP

How much horsepower does a 250cc motorcycle have?

If you are looking for more power, you should take a look at the 250cc category. Many of these machines come with more powerful, twin-cylinder engines and 6-speed transmissions. Thanks to these features, 250cc motorcycles typically have 25-40 HP.

Examples:

  • Honda VTR250: 32 HP
  • Honda CRF250L Rally: 25 HP
  • Kawasaki Ninja 250: 39 HP
  • Honda CRB250RR: 41 HP

How much horsepower does a 300cc motorcycle have?

Due to similar displacements, you can expect nearly the same performance on 250cc and 300cc bikes. This means the majority of 300cc motorcycles produce around 30-40 HP.

Some of the most popular models in this category are:

  • Honda CBR300R: 30.5 HP
  • BMW G310GS: 34 HP
  • Kawasaki Ninja 300: 40 HP

How much horsepower does a 500cc motorcycle have?

Unlike their small-bore siblings, 500cc motorcycles offer a remarkable 45-60 HP and plenty of torque. However, it has to be mentioned that these machines are still typically powered with twin-cylinder, 4-stroke engines.

One of the most powerful production 500cc motorcycles was the iconic Honda CR500. Powered by a 2-stroke, 60 HP engine, the CR500 was the most powerful dirt bike that Honda has ever made.

Regarding 500cc MotoGP bikes, these 2-stroke machines put out 150-200 HP while weighing less than 300 pounds. This results in a great power-to-weight ratio!

Some of the most well-known production 500cc bikes are as follows:

  • Honda Rebel 500: 41 HP
  • Honda CBR500R: 50 HP
  • Kawasaki Ninja 500: 60 HP

How much horsepower does a 600cc motorcycle have?

There is no question that 600cc bikes are among the most popular middleweight motorcycles on the market.

Entry-level 600cc motorcycles are powered with single and twin-cylinder engines that typically produce 55-80 HP. The most powerful models in this family are the sportbikes with in-line 4-cylinder engines, as they offer an amazing power of 80-130 HP. In summary, a 600cc motorcycle has about 55-130 HP depending on their engine type.

Examples:

  • SWM SUPER-DUAL X: 54 HP
  • Suzuki GSXR 600: 104 HP
  • Yamaha R6: 117 HP
  • Honda CBR600RR: 113 HP
  • Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R: 127 HP

How much horsepower does a 1000cc motorcycle have?

If you are looking for something really powerful, you should take a look at the 1000cc category. But keep in mind that these machines are not recommended for beginner riders because of their high performance and heavy weights. Cruisers with twin engines offer about 80-100 HP but with 4-cylinder engines 1000cc motorbikes can produce an outstanding 180-310 HP.

Examples:

  • Indian Scout Sixty 78 HP
  • Yamaha YZF-R1: 197 HP
  • BMW S1000RR: 207 HP
  • Honda CBR1000RR: 214 HP
  • Aprilia RSV4: 217 HP
  • Kawasaki H2R: 310 HP (not street-legal)

Which Motorcycle Has the Most Horsepower?

When it comes to street-legal motorcycles, the most powerful bikes at the moment are the Boss-Hoss cruisers. These machines feature 6000-7500cc engines, which produce 400-600 HP. Yes, Boss-Hoss motorcycles not only have the most horsepower of all motorcycles on the market, but stand out in a crowd in many other ways as well!

If you would like to learn more about these unique bikes, don’t hesitate to visit the manufacturer’s website.

Regarding sportbikes, the most powerful model on the market is the Kawasaki H2R. This sportbike is powered with a 998cc, 4-cylinder, supercharged engine, which puts out no less than 310 HP. Sadly, it’s not street-legal.

Besides these machines, you can find some concept bikes out there like the Dodge Tomahawk with a V10, 500 HP engine. However, experts are arguing about whether this machine is a motorcycle or not, as it literally has 4 wheels.

How much horsepower does a drag bike have?

Drag motorcycles have extremely powerful, 1000-1500 HP supercharged engines. As the displacement of these power sources is around 1500-1700cc, this means their performance can reach an incredible 1 HP/cc!

The acceleration of these machines is also unbelievable as they can do the 0-60 mph run in 0.7-1 second and their quarter-mile time is less than 6 seconds.

Conclusion – What is the Average Horsepower of a Motorcycle?

Based on our research, the average horsepower of a motorcycle is 30-120 HP. These bikes are typically powered with 300-600cc, 4-stroke engines and offer a top speed of 115-165 mph.

The performance of entry-level 125cc bikes is restricted to 15 HP, but 250cc motorcycles can produce 24-40 HP.

You can expect 40-60 HP on a 400-500cc, middleweight motorcycle but with 600-900cc engines they can crank out 60-150 HP.

The most powerful motorcycles are powered with 1000-1300cc, 4-cylinder engines, which have an amazing power of 80-310 HP.

But it also has to be mentioned that more HP isn’t always better. In many cases it’s more fun riding a smaller and slower motorcycle fast than holding back the horses on a heavy sportbike.

That’s why the most powerful sportbikes with tons of HP are not recommended for beginners!

References:

https://www.jepistons.com/blog/inside-king-racings-puma-powered-top-fuel-motorcycle

https://bosshoss.com/