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- With performance motorcycles getting more capable over the years, there's no shortage of bikes that will awaken the hooligan in you. Given that, we have updated this list to reflect a few more entries of motorcycles that will happily oblige a bit of hooning around.
As the saying goes, "It takes all kinds to make a world." And it's a sentiment echoed in the motorcycle world, too. Today, it's possible to put your money down on a variety of motorcycles: cruisers, nakeds, superbikes, sportbikes, power cruisers, ADVs, dual-sports, hyper-nakeds... the list is endless, really.
UPDATE: 2024/01/16 06:57 EST BY RAUNAK AJINKYA
With performance motorcycles getting more capable over the years, there's no shortage of bikes that will awaken the hooligan in you. Given that, we have updated this list to reflect a few more entries of motorcycles that will happily oblige a bit of hooning around.
At some point, though, another segment inadvertently opened up. While outright performance made the list for a chunk of buyers, within that niche, a few buyers wanted their bikes to go the extra mile. Hooning, as it's fondly referred to, came about in a big way. Riders were relying on their bikes' exceptional power outputs, sure, but they were also leaning on their bikes' nimble, agile chassis' to do more than just go in a straight line or dance around corners.
These bikes allow the hooligan in you to stand out, and we're all the better for it, just as long as it's done in a controlled, safe environment. Given that, here's our list of the best motorcycles around that give you that little bit extra from manufacturers like Suzuki, KTM, Ducati, Kawasaki, and a few more.
How we got our model selections: To compile this list, HotCars went through several motorcycle manufacturers' portfolios to narrow down the bikes that not just offer impressive performance but also blend in an agile chassis and, in certain cases, rider aids that allow riders to pull off a few stunts like wheelies and stoppies, and the like. For this list, a budget was not part of the criteria, but the entries have been listed in increasing order of their current value, nonetheless. Additionally, this list is a mix of motorcycles currently in production and those that have been discontinued but can be readily found in the used market.
10 Reasons Why The Triumph Speed Triple Is One Of The Sickest Hooligan Bikes
Today, there are plenty of muscular factory-made hooligan bikes that will wheelie spontaneously, but the Triumph Speed Triple is one of the maddest.13 Suzuki 1200 Bandit
Used Price Range: $3,000-$4,500
The Suzuki 1200 Bandit is a bit of a classic hooligan; the monstrous machine won’t really be for everyone, either. Big, heavy, soft suspension and subdued looks. Outward factors cast aside, you will experience the freight train of a motorcycle beneath all that, able to do the quarter-mile in 11 seconds. It will even surprise some modern bikes.
2003 Suzuki 1200 Bandit Specs
Displacement |
1,157cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
98 hp |
Torque |
67.6 lb-ft |
Dry Weight |
485 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
12 KTM 390 Duke
Starting MSRP: $5,899
Compared to most other entries in this list, the KTM Duke 390's internals may seem modest, at best. It is, after all, sporting a 373cc single. How much fun can you have, right?
That's where KTM manages to pull a surprise. The 390 Duke is one of the most accomplished bikes not just in its segment, but it has the fundamentals to take on bigger, meaner motorcycles, too.
So if it's wheelies, stoppies, or even powerslides you're after, the 390 Duke's more than up for the lot. Most people see it as the ideal way to upgrade your skillset aboard a motorcycle, considering it's powerful enough but hardly intimidating. And the kicker? There's a new 2024 KTM 390 Duke, too!
2023 KTM 390 Duke Specs
Displacement |
373cc |
Engine Type |
Single-cylinder |
Power |
44 hp |
Torque |
27 lb-ft |
Dry Weight |
328.5 lbs |
Specs sourced from WebBikeWorld
11 Yamaha R1
Used Price Range: $6,000-$11,000
In the mid-'00s, the original liter bike, the Yamaha R1, got even better. It also stayed pretty affordable. This meant that going fast, really fast, was also affordable.
Even cheaper on the used market today, these bikes don’t have the technology packed into them that we have gotten used to, but they are very nearly as powerful and have far fewer emissions-related concerns to deal with. That said, there's also the new R1 you can buy, and that's no less capable. It will just cost you a lot more, with a starting price of $18,399.
2005 Yamaha R1 Specs
Displacement |
998cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
171.3 hp |
Torque |
78.9 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
407.8 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
These Fast Motorcycles Can Challenge Any Supercar
Those looking for cheap thrills and high speeds would be much better off buying a superbike than a supercar!10 KTM 1290 Super Duke R
Used Price Range: $6,900-$18,000
The KTM Super Duke is a modern hooligan, kitted with all the latest tech when you want it and also fitted with an off switch when you don’t. This 180-horsepower machine truly lives up to its nickname, “The Beast.”
Making a very large proportion of its power from low down in the rev range, one slip of the clutch or accelerator will land you in an awful lot of hot water or an awful lot of fun if you manage to hold on for the duration of the ride.
2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Specs
Displacement |
1,301cc |
Engine Type |
V-Twin |
Power |
180 hp |
Torque |
N/A |
Dry Weight |
416.7 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
9 Ducati Hypermotard 1100
Used Price Range: $7,000-$8,500
Although the original Ducati Hypermotard 1100 makes a pretty good argument regarding budget today, the hooliganistic Hypermotard 950 adds an element of accessibility.
It has several electronic safety nets installed, allowing pretty much anyone the confidence to use all the torque this amazing engine produces. You can't go wrong, either way.
2008 Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Specs
Displacement |
1,078cc |
Engine Type |
L-Twin |
Power |
90 hp |
Torque |
76 lb-ft |
Dry Weight |
390 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
8 KTM SMR 450
Used Price Range: $9,000-$12,300
You could pretty much slot in any supermotard in the KTM SMR 450's place, but why not go for the cream of the crop? If any hooligan biker has a home, it will be on a wheelie-prone dirt bike modified to do mad stuff on the tarmac.
What makes these bikes so much fun is just how much torque they make pretty much throughout their entire powerband. If you geared it for motocross, it is particularly harder to keep the front wheel down than to get it off the ground.
2022 KTM SMR 450 Specs
Displacement |
449.9cc |
Engine Type |
Single-cylinder |
Power |
63 hp |
Torque |
N/A |
Dry Weight |
224.8 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
Ranking The Fastest Motorcycles Ever Made
These days, anyone can go out and purchase a bike that has the speed and power of a rocket ship.7 Kawasaki GPZ1000RX
Used Price Range: $10,700-$11,500
So much is made of the Kawasaki H2 today, with its supercharger pushing the power figures right up to around the 300-horsepower mark. It is the Kawasaki GPZ1000RX from the '80s, though, that was the real original hooligan.
The power figures may seem tame by modern standards, but this liter bike is as heavy as anything and impossible to handle in the corners. It will scare the living daylights out of any sane person, even on a straight road. You'll need to work hard to hoon it, but it'll be worth it.
1987 Kawasaki GPZ1000RX Specs
Displacement |
997cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
125 hp |
Torque |
73 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
588.6 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
6 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
Starting MSRP: $11,399
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is a potent combination for those looking out for a bike to hoon around in. Not only does it have a good amount of power and a nimble chassis, but you can also make plenty of aftermarket modifications.
There are plenty who would lean on the ZX-6R for its track-focused credentials, and they'd be right in doing so. But what makes it good on the track also lends itself perfectly to some hooning, and with the right mods on board, the sky's the limit.
2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Specs
Displacement |
636cc |
Engine Type |
Inline 4-cylinder |
Power |
127 hp |
Torque |
52 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
430 lbs |
Specs sourced from webBikeWorld
5 Indian FTR 1200
Starting MSRP: $13,499
An Indian motorcycle to hoon around in? Typically, that would be a valid concern. But in the case of the FTR 1200, it's the exception. By now, the two biggest giveaways should have been the image chosen for this entry and the fact that the bike has FTR in it.
The latter refers to Indian's tribute to its flat tracking legacy, incidentally. But keeping that aside, the FTR 1200, by itself, is an extremely nimble handler, features a punchy V-twin, and isn't averse to powerslides and giant wheelies.
2024 Indian FTR 1200 Specs
Displacement |
1,203cc |
Engine Type |
V-Twin |
Power |
120 hp |
Torque |
87 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
514 lbs |
Specs sourced from Indian
These Are The Fastest Motorcycles Ever Produced
These motorcycles are so powerful, they'll go faster than most riders would ever dare to go.4 Yamaha MT-10
Starting MSRP: $14,499
It's not necessarily the wildest, most beautiful, or most powerful, but the Yamaha MT-10 is just so brilliant at everything that you wouldn’t be quite as happy with anything else. In fact, the Yamaha MT-10 even won HotCars' best Japanese motorcycle of 2024!
You need only to sit on this bike to understand. As the cross-plane inline-4 bustles to life, it becomes all the more attractive. Then, when you realize the relatively low cost, it becomes quite obviously the best kind of hooligan.
2024 Yamaha MT-10 Specs
Displacement |
998cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
165.8 hp |
Torque |
82.6 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
467.3 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
3 Suzuki GSX-R1000
Starting MSRP: $15,849
In the mid-'00s, the Suzuki Gixxer reached the peak of its powers, with emissions yet to really strangle the liter bike. This generation is widely regarded as one of the best sport bikes of all time.
And with so many still running around, they are still affordable, too, making it one of the most accessible machines on this list, but by no means the slowest.
2022 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Specs
Displacement |
998.6cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
199.2 hp |
Torque |
86.7 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
445 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
2 Suzuki Hayabusa
Starting MSRP: $18,799
When it was launched, the Suzuki Hayabusa was the fastest production motorcycle by some distance. It was larger than life in every imaginable way. It was and still is an affordable machine, too, even more affordable now, especially with some proper hooligan-approved 'busa mods.
2023 Suzuki Hayabusa Specs
Displacement |
1,340cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
187.7 hp |
Torque |
110.6 lb-ft |
Curb Weight |
582 lbs |
Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs
1 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR
Starting MSRP: $38,198
With an engine lifted directly out of the F4 superbike, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR makes over 200 horsepower and quickly makes a name for itself. In fact, it's one of the most impressive MV Agusta motorcycles ever!
Unlike some other bikes on this list, it only has a few changes made to suit the naked bike format. It still makes all of its power way up the rev range, so novices beware. Also, it's not cheap.
2024 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Specs
Displacement |
998cc |
Engine Type |
Transverse 4-cylinder |
Power |
208 hp |
Torque |
85.9 lb-ft |
Dry Weight |
410 lbs |
Specs sourced from MV Agusta
- Sources for features: Respective manufacturers' websites
- Sources for technical specifications: Respective manufacturer websites and pressrooms, Motorcycle Specs, WebBikeWorld
- Source for used prices: Cycle Trader