There are tons of sportbikes, cruisers, and superbikes that try to claim the “fastest in the world” label, a prestigious accolade that's almost impossible to determine. The companies that regularly try and take the belt for “world’s fastest” production bike are the usual suspects: Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Ducati. That being said, while “fastest in the world” is one claim, “fastest acceleration” is a completely different ballgame.

related: Here Are The 15 Best Sportbikes Of 2020

In this list, you’ll find 20 of the fastest-accelerating bikes in the world. And while the top four companies are all featured here, you’ll also see bikes from BMW, KTM, Honda, and EBR. All of these bikes have all managed to hit 0-60 mph in under three seconds. Another common denominator is, with the exception of one bike on the list, they’ve all been built during the 21st century. This shows that as technology progresses, so too does the design and the engines of these ridiculously quick bikes.

All of these bikes are street-legal production motorcycles, and they all took the 0-60 test from a standing start. These motorcycles managed to run the quarter-mile test in under 12 seconds.

There are a lot of variables when coming up with acceleration times. Some of these include the racer’s skill level, the launching technique, the measuring equipment, the track surface conditions, the weather, the air temperature, and the altitude. So, the next time you see a superbike racing in a straight line and think it’s easy and simple, think about these variables.

Here are 20 of the fastest bikes that got from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds.

15 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000 (2.35 Seconds)

Suzuki GSX-R1000
via motorcycles.autotrader.com

First up is the Suzuki GSX-R1000, which, in 2001, was introduced to take the place of the GSX-R1100. It has the fastest record on time for 0-60 mph— just 2.35 seconds.

This crazy-fast crotch rocket is powered by a 999 cc inline four-cylinder engine. The 2006 model of the bike hit this time, and that model has a top speed of 178 mph.

The 2007 model of the GSX-R1000 had some significant changes from the 2006 model. The bike gained 14 lbs due to its new exhaust system (implemented because of new emissions regulations). To counter this, Suzuki improved the aerodynamics of the bike and upgraded the engine. It wouldn’t be until 2017 that the GSX-R1000 would have another update.

14 2002 Suzuki Hayabusa (2.47 Seconds)

Suzuki Hayabusa
via hayabusa.org

Taking second place on the list is another Suzuki, this one a 2002 Hayabusa model, which reached 0-60 in only 2.47 seconds, a whole 0.12 seconds slower than the GSX-R1000.

related: 15 Facts About The Suzuki Hayabusa That Most People Don’t Know

When this bike first came out in 1999, it immediately won accolades as the “world’s fastest production motorcycle,” with top speeds of 188 to 194 mph.

European and Japanese manufacturers created an agreement to limit the top speed of their motorcycles after 1999, when fears of a European regulatory and import ban scared motorcycle makers. The arbitrary limit they set was 186 mph, and that gave the 1999 Hayabusa the undisputed award of fastest production bike of the 20th century since no subsequent models could go faster without being tampered with. Motorcycle Consumer News reported that even though it’s the fastest bike, it doesn’t compromise other qualities such as handling, comfort, noise, and fuel economy.

13 2010 Yamaha VMAX (2.5 Seconds)

Yamaha V-MAX
via motorcycle-usa.com

Yamaha has been one of the most recognizable brands of motorcycles for a very long time, and the VMAX cruiser is no exception. It’s been around since 1985, but it was a 2010 model that managed the 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds, making it the third-fastest motorcycle by acceleration on the planet.

The bike is known for its powerful 70° V4 engine, its shaft drive, and its distinctive styling.

The model exhibited at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show overhauled the entire bike with a whole new concept. It featured a new chassis, upgraded components, and state-of-the-art brakes. The new concept model was officially released in 2008, sold as a 2009 year model.

12 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 (2.5 Seconds)

z1000
via Ride Apart

The Kawasaki Z1000 is a streetfighter, or naked bike, that packs a 1,043 cc engine with 140 hp, enough to make it spring to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. The bike comes from a long line of Z models, a lineup Kawasaki first launched in 1972. Taking over from the 2010-2013 model, the Z1000 was restyled and updated for 2014, squeezing out a bit more power than its predecessor. It featured a 4-piston monoblock front brake caliper, a Showa fork, a slightly larger gas tank, and lighter wheels.

11 2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R (2.59 Seconds)

2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R
via onlymotorbikes.com

The Kawasaki Ninja is perhaps the preeminent sportbike in the world, produced from 2000 until 2006 by Japanese manufacturers Kawasaki. Up until 2006 (when the ZX-14 was released), the ZX-12R was considered the most powerful production motorcycle, able to hit high speeds of 190 mph (with ram-air intake).

For the seven years of its production, the ZX-12R was indeed the fastest production motorcycle for sale.

The bike was also heavily involved in bringing the truce about that stopped the competition for ever-faster motorcycles. It has a top speed of 187 mph (without modifications), and a 2002 model managed 0-60 mph in just 2.59 seconds. It also did a quarter-mile in just 9.87 seconds, going at 146.29 mph.

10 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2 (2.6 Seconds)

Kawasaki Ninja H2
via motorcycle-usa.com

One of the newest-released bikes on this is the 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2, which tested a 0-60 mph at just 2.6 seconds. The Ninja H2 is a supercharged supersbike, part of Kawasaki’s Ninja line, and it features a variable-speed centrifugal supercharger. The track-only version of the bike, called the Ninja H2R, produces a maximum of 326 horsepower with ram air and is the fastest and most powerful production motorcycle on the market.

related: 15 Superbikes That Will Reach 60 MPH Quicker Than The New Corvette

In 2016, Jenan Sofuoglu, the five-time world champion Supersport circuit racer, made a top-speed attempt on a Ninja H2R. This attempt was endorsed by the Turkish president and was made over the Osman Gazi Bridge (fourth-longest bridge in the world at a mile and a half long). After training and preparation, Sofuoglu managed to hit 400 km/h (250 mph) in just 26 seconds. A dashcam videoed the attempt, but it was never confirmed by chroniclers, GPS, or radar.

9 2014 EBR 1190RX (2.6 Seconds)

2014 EBR 1190RX
via Automot Tube: Youtube.com

The EBR 1190RX, an American-made motorcycle produced by Erik Buell Racing (EBR) was introduced on October 16, 2013 as EBR’s first production motorcycle. The sports motorcycle has a 1,190 cc (72.6 cu in) 72° V-twin engine, delivering 185 hp and 101.6 lb-ft of torque.

related: This Is The Fastest Street Legal Crotch Rocket In America

In 2016, EBR came out with a “blacked-out” version of the 1190 called "Black Lightning." This bike featured different gearing, a lower seat height, and lower overall height (by 2 inches), high bars, and an optional comfort seat. It was a 2014 model of the 1190RX that hit 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The business fell into liquidation and receivership in 2015 with the remnants of the business being sold in January 2016 to Liquid Asset Partners (LAP).

8 2013 BMW S1000RR (2.6 Seconds)

2013 BMW S1000RR
via 7-themes.com

Right up there is the BMW S1000RR. Though BMW is known more for their luxury and sports cars (and track cars), the S1000RR was produced in 2009 in order to compete in the 2009 Superbike World Championship. After that, it went into commercial production.

The S1000RR is powered by a 999 cc inline-4 engine, redlining at 14,200 rpm. BMW made 1,000 of the bikes in order to satisfy the Superbike requirements. In 2010, it expanded production of the road-friendly bike. With 133.6 kW (179.2 hp) at the rear wheel, it's one of the most powerful motorcycle in the class on the dyno.

7 2014 Ducati 1199 Panigale (2.6 Seconds)

via superstreetonline.com

The Ducati 1199 Panigale was a short-lived sportbike named after a small manufacturing town called "Borgo Panigale." It was unveiled at the 2011 Milan Motorcycle Show and was replaced by the larger model 1299 in 2015. It had a huge 1,198 cc displacement, which grew even bigger in the 1299 Panigale (1,285 ccs). At the time of its release, Ducati claimed that the 1199 Panigale was the most powerful two-cylinder engine production motorcycle in the world, with 195 hp at 10,750 rpm.

The bike has a top speed of 177.4 mph, but that was until the 2013 model, the Panigale R, which raised its power and top speed to 202 mph. The 2014 model of the bike hit 0-60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.

6 2015 Ducati Diavel (2.6 Seconds)

2015 Ducati Diavel
via motorcycle-usa.com

The Ducati Diavel is a second-generation cruiser bike that used a detuned engine from the 1198 superbike. Ducati styled the Diavel in-house, led by design chief Pierre Terblanche. Cycle World claimed that the Diavel is “the quickest 0-60 mph time of any production motorcycle Cycle Word has ever tested,” though we see that that's not the case. It did manage to get from 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, however, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

5 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 (2.6 Seconds)

2015 Yamaha YZF-R1
via youtube.com

The Yamaha YZF-R1 is a superbike that has been around in one form or another since 1998. In the 20+ years that Yamaha has been making them, it's gone through numerous body and specification changes and upgrades. It was originally launched after creating a more compact Genesis engine, and it always stuck with a 998 cc liquid-cooled engine.

Since its early days in the late ‘90s with 150 hp, the YZF-R1 has since expanded to 190 and 200 hp with its 2015 model. That same 2015 model managed 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The bike has had five wins in the Macau Grand Prix between 1999 to 2013. Lorenzo Alfonsi won the 2004 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup on a YZF-R1, followed by Didier van Keymeulen in 2005.

4 2013 Honda CBR 1000RR-SP (2.6 Seconds)

2013 Honda CBW1000RR SP
via youtube.com

The last bike to make the 2.6-second tiebreaker is the 2013 Honda CBR1000RR SP, perhaps more commonly known as the "Fireblade," and since that’s easier to say, that’s what we’re going to call it. It sports a 998 cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine.

This compact bike has a long racing history. Various teams between 2004 and 2014 won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race nine different times using a Fireblade. Cycle World also awarded it the International Bike of the Year from 2008 to 2009. Motorcycle USA named the 2009 model the Best Sportbike of the Year, too.

3 2010 Ducati 1198 S (2.7 Seconds)

2010 Ducati 1198 S
via m3post.com

Another short-lived sportbike by Ducati is the 1198, which was only manufactured from 2009 to 2011. The bike was similar in design to its 1098 predecessor, but it had enhanced power and torque, lighter headlights, redesigned wheels, traction control, and lighter fairings on the S model. One attribute that carried over from its predecessors is the distinctive single-sided swingarm. The engine on the bike is a 90° V-twin, liquid-cooled four-valve unit that produces 170 hp at 9,600 rpm.

Racer Carlos Checa won both the manufacturers and riders title with a Ducati 1198 S during the 2011 Superbike World Championship season, giving the bike clout but not enough to continue production. A late 2011 model managed 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds, making this Ducati one of the fastest Italian superbikes ever made.

2 2013 Yamaha FZ-09 (2.7 Seconds)

2013 Yamaha FZ-09
Via: Yamahamotorsports.com

The Yamaha MT-09, called the "FZ-09" in North America, is a “naked” or standard motorcycle with an 847 cc engine. It's noted for its lightweight frame, which helps give the bike an overall weight of just 414 lbs. The FZ-09 is intended to compete against the Triumph Street Triple, the Kawasaki Z800-900, the MV Augusta Brutale, among others. A 2013 model hit 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds. In 2015, MCN bike testers felt that the FZ-09 was a better bike, with better value than its main competitors. After Yamaha lost its reputation for innovation, the FZ-09 was supposed to restore that reputation, which it apparently did.

The bike has been in production since 2014 and is still going strong. The 2017 model upgraded the FZ-09 with fully adjustable suspension, traction control, ABS, LED lights, Slipper clutch, and new styling.

1 2001 Yamaha FZ1 (2.7 Seconds)

2001 Yamaha FZ1
via youtube

The FZ1 had two generations, first from 2001-2005, and then from 2006-2015. The Generation 1 models had tubular steel frames and modified YZF-R1 carbureted engines. Other than the color options, the models were unchanged during this period. The Generation II models were introduced as naked bikes, and introduced a whole new chassis, bodywork, suspension, and engine.

An aluminum die-cast frame with a stressed member engine replaced the old tubular steel frame and control-filled swingarm, which helped bring the bike up to snuff with rivals. Still, it was a 2001 model, not the newer generation, that was able to get from 0-60 mph in just 2.7 seconds.