10 most expensive production motorcycles in the world

If Bruce Wayne had to buy a motorcycle then the Vyrus 987 C3 4V V would be definitely his weapon of choice. It not only looks like a motorcycle from another planet but rides also like one, instead of traditional steering arrangement where forks are used up-front, the Vyrus employs hub-centre steering and front swingarm which is parallel to the tarmac. The C3 4V V is the brainchild of Ascanio Rodorigo who used to work for Bimota in the early '80s and the bike is powered by a Ducati-sourced 1198cc V-twin engine which has been further supercharged to pump out 214PS of power while weighing just 154kg. 

When the CEO of Italian exotic motorcycle brand MV Agusta gives his name to a bike then it is clear that the end product has to be spectacular. The MV Agusta F4CC where CC stands for Claudio Castiglioni is according to the company’s boss the most extreme expression of the brand MV Agusta. Powering the F4CC is a 1,078cc mill competent enough to pump 203PS of power and enables the bike to attain a top speed of 315 kph. Though visually the bike looks similar to the standard F4, according to company officials around 90 per cent of the entire superbike has been crafted using custom-built parts. To keep the weight of the bike as low as possible titanium has been used guards in the intake and the air outlets along with the classic four-pipe exhaust system. Carbon fibre has been employed in crafting the bikes body panels and fenders whereas the single-sided swingarm to the rear wheel is made entirely of magnesium.  Only 100 examples of the F4CC would be built and each would set the owner back by $1,20,000 or Rs 66 lakh. Along with every bike the owner would be gifted a Girard-Perregaux Laureato EVO3 F4CC wristwatch worth $ 22,856 or Rs12.5lakh which would be also limited to 100 units.

When NCR planned to build a tribute bike then it is obvious that both the man and the machine would be special. The MH TT is NCR’S tribute to commemorate the 30th anniversary of legendary racer of Mike Hailwood’s victory at the Isle of Man. The MH TT is a modern replica of the Ducati 900 NCR on which Hailwood recorded his famous win. The donor bike is the Ducati Sport 1000 which has been modified extensively to reduce as much as possible and the super lightweight bike tips the scale at just 136kg. Like its other creations NCR has sought the aid of titanium and carbon fibre to shed the extra flab. The 1,120cc engine pumping out 132PS is nestled in a titanium frame which weighs a mere 5kg. The exhaust and frame of the bike has also been crafted from titanium whereas carbon fibre has been employed on the body panels and wheels. Just 12 MH TT would be built and each bike would loosen your wallet by $ 1,30,000 or Rs 71.38lakh.

When you first lay your eyes on the B120 Wraith, the first thought that strikes your mind is what this contraception is? It doesn’t even resemble remotely to any standard motorcycle nor does it have killer performance (127PS from an air cooled V-twin) to command a price tag which would help it enter this list. Then what makes the Wraith as one of the most expensive production bikes in the world? The answer is details, like the carbon fibre frame, handmade massive fork and seven-spoke wheels. For Confederate, functional minimalism is of utmost importance and with the Wraith they took it to the next level. The aircraft-inspired chassis consists of a carbon fibre spine complemented by aluminium bulkheads sandwiching the engine. The fuel tank is located under the motor, while the front suspension shuns conventional telescopic forks in favour of a blade-type girder arrangement. When you have customers like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Bruce Springsteen and King Abdullah II of Jordan you have every right to command an asking price of $1,35,000 or Rs 74.12 lakh.

In a glance the Legerra 1200 loojks like a standard Ducati Hypermotard which has been modified moderately but once you start looking at the bike closely all the details of the bike rise-up an you realise this is something unique. NCR’s belief is that everything can be improved upon, made lighter and pack more performance and that’s the treatment they have given to the Hypermotard with the Leggera 1200. The Trellis frame of the stock bike has been replaced with handcrafted titanium one which weighs a mere 4.8kg. To further reduce the weight the bike uses carbon-ceramic brakes and the body has been sculpted from carbon fibre all this has resulted in the bike weighing 47kg lighter than the stock bike. Engine modifications include more titanium for the valves, magnesium engine covers and bigger bore cylinders which have resulted in a total power output of 140PS.

Icon is a brand that has a longstanding reputation in the racing world so when they decided to build a tribute bike to legendary British rider Barry Sheene it had to be special. For the tribute bike they utilised a 1,400cc Suzuki mill which was mated to a a Garrett turbocharger running at 0.4 bar pressure resulting in a final power out put of an incredible 253PS. It features a custom made tubular aluminum frame, a fuel tank made from hand-beaten aluminum and hand-laid carbon fibre body panels. Each bike features a hand-painted image of a playing card, held by a bikini-clad girl and each will be different as there are 52 cards in a pack, that’s how many Icon Sheenes are being made. 

If a normal bike builder wanted to create a fast bike he would mostly go in for a twin-cylinder or an in-line four engine and tune its nuts out to extract as much power from the mill as he can. But Ted McIntyre of Marine Turbine Technologies thinks slightly differently. Instead of plonking a normal internal combustion engine, he installed a Rolls-Royce-Allison Model 250 turboshaft engine from a helicopter to power his behemoth! The stock engine pumps out an astounding 324PS of power but if you want to go full bonkers, there is the Streetfighter variant with an insane power output of 426PS and a torque rating of 678Nm! All these numbers mean the Y2K boasts a top whack of 365km/h which can put many hypercars to shame. To translate all that power on the road the bike uses a 240mm Pirelli Diablo rear tyre and instead of a standard review mirror as found on all motorcycles, the Y2K employs a rear-mounted camera with LCD color display on the instrument cluster. Speed and the worlds most powerful production bike comes at a price and the Y2K commands a cool $ 1,75,000 which equates to Rs 96 lakh.

The Macchia Nera or Italian for 'black spot' is designer Aldo Drudi’s ultimate expression of a motorcycle moulded with carbon fibre and titanium. Like most NCR machines, the donor engine for the Macchia Nera is also a Ducati but this mill is a special one as it is a Ducati 998R testastretta engine from the 2003 World Superbike season with a power rating of 182PS. Like all NCR creations, keeping the weight as low as possible was the main criteria and it was achieved by its expert craftsman who built the gorgeous frame from titanium and a carbon fibre tank with a special one of a kind titanium fuel cap. By employing such lightweight materials, the Macchia Nera's weight was restricted to just 135kg. NCR wanted the bike to go as fast as it looks and to achieve that it employed an Evoluzione Slipper Cluch, Öhlins suspension in front and rear, ultra-exclusive MotoGP Brembo brake system with 320mm double disks (centrally vented) and magnesium wheels. All this craftsmanship and performance comes at a steep price, though, which is $ 2,25,000 or Rs 1.23 crore!

How to make a bike worth nearly quarter of a million dollars? Simple; by taking a donor bike which is already expensive. Boffins at NCR took the already bonkers MotoGP bike for the road, the Ducati Desmosedici RR and went berserk with it resulting in the creation of the NCR M16. The bike has been put on a diet that would make any size zero model burn with envy as the machine weighs just 144kg (dry weight). To attain this, M16 features a carbon fibre frame, swingarm and wheels alongwith ceramic matrix composite brakes, and specially tuned Öhlins to lay the power down nicely on the tarmac. The engine has also been tuned extensively and delivers over 203PS of power on the rear-wheel. The final cost? $232,500 ($72,500 for donor bike, plus $160,000), which equates to Rs 1.27 crore.

Price : $ 3,00,000 (Rs 1.64 crore) 

Ecosse Moto Works is renowned for its exquisite and exclusive motorcycles and its latest creation in the Titanium Series the Ti XX is billed as the most expensive motorcycle in the world. The bike commands an eye-popping price tag of $ 3 lakh, which translates to Rs 1.64 crore! The motorcycle is powered by a 2,409cc billet aluminium powerplant and transmits 228PS of power to the rear wheel. Carbon fibre has been used abundantly on the bike to keep the weight low and the saddle has been handcrafted by posh Italian leathermaker Berluti. If that wasn’t enough, its grade-9 titanium exhaust pipes have a ceramic media shot-peened finish on them. To keep the Titanium Series FE Ti XX highly exclusive, only 13 units would ever be made.