The Top Exotic Supersport Motorcycles [2023 Edition]

Why We Picked It:

Vyrus is a small Italian company that has focused entirely on making extremely limited, ultra-high tech motorcycles that are almost out of this world, hence the naming scheme of Alyen. Absolutely everything they use for a bike is the best of the best, no matter the cost, so their bikes, such as the Alyen 988, can soar to base prices of $200,000 or more.

We emphasize the base price, as each bike is essentially fitted to each customer, in a much more extensive and expensive form of Kawasaki's Ergo-Fit system. Each customer sits on a frame with the seat, handlebars, and pegs all movable, and when they feel it's right, that's where the handlebars, seat, and pegs on their Alyen 988 will be, no matter how much adjustment is needed.

The Alyen 988 is also one of the lightest bikes with this much power, due to extensive use of carbon fiber and carbon composites created with input from carbon fiber experts Pagani Automobili. Any metals are exotic, from titanium to motorsports grade magnesium. The only "standard" bit of the bike is the engine, a 1,285 Ducati Superquadro V2, although even that's been fettled and tuned to 205 HP.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the Alyen 988, apart from its price and its sharp, angular looks, is that forgoes the usual front forks, rear monoshock arrangement, and instead uses push-rod suspension with twin pivot horizontal swingarms, with the front swingarm also being hydraulically activated to with hub-center steering. If that doesn't scream exotic, we don't know what does!

Why We Picked It:

The 2023 Rush 1000 is what MV Agusta defines as "the ultimate hyper naked," and there really isn't really any room for argument. A limited edition motorcycle, it is perhaps the most hardcore, raw, and direct naked bike you can get before tipping over into streetfighter territory. It has been designed specifically for the tight, twisting, and complicated Italian roads in the cities, and the sweeping, undulating motorways draped on the sides of mountains when out of the city.

The 998cc inline four in the Rush 1000 produces 208 HP and 86 lbs-ft of torque, with the bike weighing in at 463 lbs wet. It also revs all the way up to 14,500 RPM, with peak power coming at 13,000 RPM, so you bet the Italians have fitted it with an exhaust that makes it absolutely sing as it does its best impression of a guided missile down the nearest highway.

It's the least expensive bike on our list this year, but it's still not what one could call affordable at just over $50k.

Why We Picked It:

The Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini pulls absolutely no punches when it comes to what it is. Based on the Panigale V4 SP2 superbike, it's a stripped down, rough and ready Italian in a nice suit carrying a sledgehammer ready to smack you over the head with it.

There have been a whole bunch of influences to the design that Ducati have proudly stated. The headlight shape was inspired by the Joker from DC Comics, the lower air dam contrasts with the upper cowling to make it look like shark opening its maw wide... as stated, there are no apologies here in terms of design.

That sledgehammer it carries is a 1,103cc V4 lifted from the Panigale, with 208 HP and 90.4 lbs-ft of torque. It is probably the best sounding Streetfighter from Ducati as well, as Lamborghini and Ducati partner Akrapovic have made a bespoke full titanium exhaust for the Lamborghini edition.

Other special touches are that the pegs, clutch and brake levers, and fork tower are all made out of aerospace grade billet aluminum. and it comes with Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 electronically controlled suspension and Brembo Systema R brakes. It's has exotic dripping from every pore, and with a price of $68,000, it also is definitely not what you would call affordable!

Why We Picked It:

The Kawasaki H2 is well known as one of the most bonkers production superbikes on the market today. However, it is affordable if you save up enough and really want one. The Bimota Tesi H2, on the other hand, might need a second and third mortgage on your house if you want one, because it takes the supercharged inline four from the H2 and wraps it in a bespoke, lightweight Italian bike.

The whole thing is made from billet aluminum, hand-laid carbon fiber that if a piece isn't perfect, it is discarded and the part started over, and is one of two bikes on this list that forgo normal suspension in favor of pushrod horizontal swingarms, with hydraulically actuated front hub-centric steering. The Kawasaki engine hasn't been changed at all, so it still produces 231 HP and 105 lbs-ft of torque via its supercharged 998cc quad cylinders.

It is also hand-painted, hand-assembled, pretty much hand-everything, which speaks to part of why it is so expensive. The other part is that production is limited, not in total units sold, but in the fact that the production line is five people long, the top of the top people at Bimota, which is already a boutique motorcycle manufacturer.

Why We Picked It:

For the longest time, Curtiss Motorcycles were known as Confederate Motors, who made customized V-twin cruisers starting in 1991. After rebranding to Curtiss in 2017, they put their time and money into creating their idea vision of an electric motorcycle, and in 2023, it has arrived.

Inspired by the bikes made by Brough Superior in the pre-war years, Curtiss have taken the basic shape and run it through a Steampunk simulation. The result is a motorcycle whose battery pack looks like a steam boiler slung under the frame, horizontally actuated pushrod rear suspension on an unnecessarily complex but cool pivot arm, and enough premium leather with exposed aluminum frame pieces to make an Italian blush.

The bikes also come in "Editions," such as the 1907 Glenn Curtiss racing livery, limited to 36 units, or the Hades, limited to only 13 units. Curtiss is intentionally vague on specs, only stating that it has "perfectly centered" balance, 217 HP from an axial-flux dc motor, a "Fully immersed power hex" battery, and a range between 75 to 120 miles per charge. No weight specifications, no top speed, pretty much nothing else is revealed, and when you're making something that costs $137,500 as a base price, we suspect that the full specs sheet is something reserved for those who are serious about owning one.

Why We Picked It:

Combat Motors is a crazy bunch of Americans down in Alabama that appreciate three things: World War 2 American fighter planes, billet aluminum, and really, really, really big engines. Their latest limited edition motorcycle is the Wraith, inspired by that most famous of fighter planes, the P-51 Mustang.

They start off with solid billet blocks of military grade aerospace aluminum, and then carve out the central frame in almost one piece. They then carve out the fork towers, the rear swing arm, and handlebars from the same type of aluminum. Then comes the monstrous 132 cubic inch V-twin from S&S that itself makes up about half of the weight of the whole bike, which is 560 lbs wet.

As with the other exotics, each customer can have their Wraith personalized, with paint colors, seat materials, suspension members dialed in to their preferred rebound and damper settings, and the like. The result is a bike with 111 HP, 143 lbs-ft of torque, and a top speed of over 160 MPH. It also will take a significant chunk out of the bank account, as the base price before any customization is $155,000, and to order one, you need to put down a $100,000 deposit!

Why We Picked It:

ARCH Motorcycles was started by a couple of friends a few years back, one of them being actor and massive motorcycle enthusiast Keanu Reeves. Part of his enthusiasm is his well known love of classic cruisers, cafe racers, and sportbikes, so after the success of their first bike, the KRGT-1, the company set about making what they think is the ultimate American cafe racer.

The 1S is the result of that design. Built on a custom tubular steel frame with CNC machined aluminum subframe and supports, it carries a monstrous 124 ci V-twin that chucks out 115.3 lbs-ft of torque and just about 94 HP. That is delivered through a custom made 6 speed transmission, to the rear wheel which sits on a billet aluminum single sided swingarm.

The thing about ARCH Motorcycles, much like Vyrus, is that each bike is fitted to the owner. The seat, handlebars, pegs, colors, materials... all can be personalized and customized to each customer's specifications. It is meant to go fast, look good, and sound even better, as even the exhaust can be customized, from a carbon fiber end to a full titanium system. For $128,000 for a starting price, we know that we'd want it to sound and look as best as possible!