Over the years, American manufacturers have built a reputation for making great cruisers and touring bikes, all with fantastic amounts of torque made at relatively low revs. Not exactly attributes that lend themselves to producing high-revving, high horsepower sports bikes. It wasn’t until a certain Eric Buell stepped in and showed the world what could be done with the humble Sportster engine. His first bikes showed everyone what could be achieved with a big V-twin in the right chassis, but it was his purpose-built V-twin superbikes that really captured the imagination.

Other manufacturers have taken altogether different routes. Some have taken the now well-worn, electric path to power, and others make use of engines that simply have no business being situated in a motorcycle chassis. All of these bikes are unique in some way, and all of them are more powerful than the quintessential Japanese sports bike – the Suzuki GSX-R750.

10

Motus MST-R

Power: 174 Horsepower

The first thing that stands out with the MST-R is that incredible transverse V4 engine. It is a masterpiece all unto itself, built like a scaled-down Chevy LS V8. Everything else on the bike is something you would usually consider an aftermarket product, from the Öhlins suspension to the Akrapovič exhaust system. This is a motorcycle that already has it all straight from the factory. Unfortunately, the company only sold a handful of motorcycles between 2014 and 2018, so finding one will not be easy (or cheap).

Specifications

9

EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition

Power: 175 Horsepower

When Harley-Davidson closed down Buell in 2009, it felt as though all the effort put into the development of the 1125R sports bike was in vain. Thankfully, EBR (Erik Buell Racing) rose from Buell’s ashes and was able to use that model as a basis for the 1190RS. The old Rotax 1125 engine (which was co-developed with Buell) got bored out to 1190cc and power went up from around 145 horsepower to 175 horsepower. Out of the 100 1190RS sports bikes that were built, only a few ultra-limited edition Carbon Edition models were made. That makes this a seriously rare beast.

Specifications

8

Lightning Strike R

Power: 180 Horsepower

One look at Lightning’s build quality and any confidence you may have had in the brand will likely dissolve away. But, what it lacks in attention to detail, it more than makes up for in the form of pure electric power. Electric motorcycles are not exactly proving to be a stable business, especially expensive superbike manufacturers. But for now, Lightning is still operational and taking orders. It is just really hard to establish exactly how many bikes have been delivered to date.

Specifications

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7

Roehr 1250 SC

Power: 180 Horsepower

Ever wondered what it would be like to add a supercharger to a V-Rod? Well, that is exactly what you get in the Roehr 1250 SC. The one problem with the V-Rod engine is that it is especially heavy, and getting that weight balanced was no easy task. The addition of a supercharger added more cost and complexity, so by the time all was said and done, you would need to fork out $50k for one. Unfortunately, the SC was right around the time when the recession hit, and the few reservations that were made were all retracted, killing the dream.

Specifications

6

EBR 1190RX

Power: 185 Horsepower

While the RS was effectively a race bike with lights, this was supposed to be the real deal, a full-on production motorcycle. Unfortunately, even though the final product was met with widespread acclaim, it was still more expensive than the equally powerful mainstream competition. It was a sad end to Erik Buell’s foray into running his own motorcycle company, but his legacy lives on with these bikes, and what has now risen from their ashes.

Specifications

5

Buell Hammerhead

Power: 185 Horsepower

Buell is most certainly back, just without the man himself. The old 1190RX essentially gets new bodywork and a new name here. As other mainstream sports bike manufacturers veer away from the V-twin configuration, this offers a decidedly different riding experience with no rider aids and serious torque. It is certainly not for the inexperienced or the faint of heart, considering that rampant engine with 185 horsepower and over 100 pound-feet.

Specifications

4

Damon HyperSport

Power: 200 Horsepower

OK, so technically, Damon is a Canadian company, but we felt that it deserves a place here on this list. Just like Lightning, Damon also seems to be teetering on the brink of disaster, yet, in the meantime, remains operational. Of all the electric superbikes, the HyperSport is arguably the most ambitious, too. With adjustable ergonomics and a Tesla-Autopilot-like CoPilot warning system, it certainly shows a lot of promise. As is the case with most of these bikes, price is a big factor, and shelling out $32k for an unknown quantity is a pretty tough ask for consumers.

Specifications

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3

Lightning LS-218

Power: 244 Horsepower

Arguably one of the most mythical motorcycles in the world. While much has been reported on this ridiculously fast, record-setting electric motorcycle, precious few have actually had the honor of riding it. Part of this will be down to the exclusive nature of the bike, but it simply has to make you wonder if this is really a viable business model. Time will tell, and we certainly hope to see a full production version of this soon.

Specifications

2

MTT Y2K

Power: 320 Horsepower

MTT is not a motorcycle manufacturer. Marine Turbine Technologies, as the name suggests, specializes in gas turbine engines. So, naturally, somebody decided to put one of the smaller turbine engines in a motorcycle, birthing the Y2K, a legitimate street-legal motorcycle with an actual jet engine. Well, technically it is from an old helicopter, but still!

Specifications

1

MTT 420 RR

Power: 420 Horsepower

Yes, MTT made a new version–the 420 RR–and technically you can buy it from them today. As you might imagine, it is fantastically expensive (an actual helicopter might well be cheaper). This is also one of those motorcycles where the company selects the customer and not the other way around. It is, rather obviously, extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. These turbine engines are not actually new, they are all refurbished units, but still carry a lifetime warranty. So it is important that owners know how to take care of them. Improper maintenance, or the wrong fuel (it actually runs on almost anything, including diesel) can cause pretty serious damage to the turbine.

Specifications