5 Naked Motorcycles That Can Out Drag Your Average Superbike

Naked motorcycles are one of the best ways to experience pure, unfiltered speed. While faired motorcycles are built with the racetrack in mind, naked motorcycles are for the streets. You get a stripped-down motorcycle devoid of a full fairing and a relatively upright, comfortable riding position — courtesy of a taller one-piece handlebar instead of clip-ons. Even the engine is tuned to be usable for daily commutes. The heady power outputs of faired superbikes are available only at the top of their rev range.

Today's supernaked and hypernaked motorcycles share almost everything with their faired siblings. You get the same frame and engine, which is a trend seen in beginner motorcycles as well. However, the engine is mostly tweaked for the mid-range at the expense of high power outputs. This formula makes today's naked motorcycles — hypernakeds specifically — as quick as a decent faired superbike, if not quicker.

These hypernakeds are fast, and most of the motorcycles in this list can cross 60 miles per hour around the three-second mark. This puts them on par with most modern 200PS+ superbikes. That's face-peeling levels of acceleration we are talking about. Before we get on with it, we'll mention that we are not including electric motorcycles. There are a lot of boutique electric two-wheeled bikemakers, and many of them claim acceleration times below three seconds. At this time, though, these claims feel like snake oil, and it will take time for them to be tested by verified agencies.

The KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo is a proper hooligan that requires a certain degree of expertise to safely ride at its limit. While other motorcycles on this list were based on faired versions, this one's predecessor, the 1290 Super Duke, was conceived from the ground up as a hypernaked bike. While it does pack in some extra tech, the 1390, at its fundamental level, relies on a simple premise — a larger motor delivers more thrill. The Super Duke feels like an old-school American V8 muscle car with its 1,350 cc LC8 V-twin, which is naturally aspirated and features only two cylinders. Despite this, it delivers an impressive 190 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque.

KTM does not disclose official miles per hour figures, though independent testers pegged the 1390 Super Duke's 0-60 acceleration times at 3.2 seconds. Testers noted that the 1390 Duke's violent manners make laying the power down more difficult compared to a Streetfighter V4, holding it back from posting quicker acceleration times. Prices for the 1390 Super Duke R start at around $22,769, making it a relatively affordable motorcycle compared to others on this list.

BMW has given the M 1000 R the same treatment as its faired M 1000 RR sibling: throwing the exotic parts bin at it. The naked motorcycle gets a pair of winglets, for crying out loud. It also gets tons of carbon fiber parts like the wheels, front fender, and tank shroud. It shares its 999 cc inline four-cylinder motor with the M 1000 RR and even delivers an identical 205 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque.

However, the M 1000 RR has a higher 189 mph top speed while the M 1000 R tops out at 174. That's mainly due to the M 1000 R having a larger rear sprocket with 47 teeth instead of 46 teeth, decreasing its top speed for the sake of acceleration. Apart from that, the M 1000 R gets launch control, which allows this hypernaked to achieve a claimed 0-60 miles per hour time of 3.2 seconds. This kind of pace doesn't come cheap, though. The BMW M 1000 R is priced at $27,690, making it one of the most expensive motorcycles in this list.

The Tuono nameplate has been around for such a long time that it can be called a progenitor for the supernaked and hypernaked segment. Aprilia released a limited edition RSV Mille Tuono R in 2002, with its design being labeled as "maxi-naked" today. It was based on Aprilia's flagship superbike, the RSV Mille, and it evolved into the Tuono V4 over the years. Its every generation was as evocative as its faired sibling, the RSV4, yet so different in intent. While the RSV4 is among the fastest new motorcycles you can buy in the USA, the Tuono V4 focuses on the comfort you'd expect from naked bikes.

In its latest iteration, the Tuono V4 1100 Factory is an impressive and brutal piece of machinery. Its enlarged 1099 cc engine delivers 180 horsepower and 89.2 pound-feet of torque. While there are no official acceleration numbers, testers found the Tuono V4 1100 Factory's 0-60 miles per hour time to be around 3.1 seconds. That's impressive from what's certainly the most affordable motorcycle here, as prices for that model start at $19,799.

The Ducati Streetfighter V4 S is one of the most technologically advanced motorcycles in this list. Along with a V4 motor, winglets, and semi-active electronic suspension, the hypernaked features a monocoque frame, which makes it incredibly light. In fact, at 417 pounds, it's one of the lightest motorcycles to boast such incredible acceleration. What makes the V4 truly special is the 1,103 cc Desmosedici Stradale V4 motor, which delivers a stratospheric 214 horsepower and 88.5 pound-feet of torque.

The light bodywork and powerful engine give the Streetfighter V4 S a mind-boggling power-to-weight ratio of 0.51 horsepower per pound. And with the electronics to back it up, this hypernaked is one of the quickest production nakeds on the planet. Like Kawasaki, Ducati has not released acceleration figures for the V4. However, independent testers estimate its 0-60 miles per hour time at around 3.1 seconds. The Ducati Streetfighter V4 S is priced at a hefty $29,995, making it the most expensive motorcycle in this list.

The Kawasaki Z H2 is one of the few production motorcycles in the world to come with a factory-fitted supercharger. The Z H2 shares that supercharged 998 cc inline four-cylinder motor with its faired siblings, the H2 and the track-only H2R that rewrote the concept of what a fast motorcycle should be. While the latter two deliver a mental 240 and 322 horsepower, the Z H2 puts out a comparatively modest 197 horsepower. That said, the supercharger delivers where it matters most: torque. All 101 pound-feet of it. The motorcycle feels like a jet after 2,000 rpm, increasing its intensity as that number rises.

While Kawasaki has not released official acceleration figures, independent testers put the Z H2's 0-60 miles per hour time at a range from 2.94 seconds to 3.3 seconds. Given the uniqueness of supercharging and the performance on offer, the $21,999 price for the latest Z H2 model feels like a steal compared to other motorcycles in this list.