The planets five fastest motorbikes

In September of 2008, a brave man climbed into the ‘cockpit’ of a 20ft long carbon-fibre and chrome-moly tube, powered by two heavily-modified Busa engines with a combined displacement of about 2.6 litres, and proved Suzuki has designed the world’s fastest motorcycle.

The ultra-aerodynamic 'motorcycle' rests on ultra-high-speed Mickey Thompson automotive tyres: seven inches wide in front and nine inches at the rear. The TOP 1 streamliner is owned by Mike Akatiff, and the scene of this amazing motor biking feat was the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah, USA. And the new world record - set by the man from which bike insurance salesmen run and hide, Rocky Robinson, was 360.913 miles per hour.

Regular road riders will know that getting your own speed bike up to those speeds is impossible. Just getting over 100mph is illegal, and can become risky on a track, especially for inexperienced riders. And it’s not just all about the biker – the bike itself needs to be able to handle the speed.
Of course, better safe than sorry – make sure your bike has the best motorcycle insurance cover you can find, and always ride safely and responsibly. And remember, get the best deal – but don’t compromise on cover. Visit www.expressinsurance.co.uk and see how low they can go on bike and cheap car insurance.

So, if it’s speed you’re looking for, which are the top fastest bikes on the planet at the moment? That is a very debateable question, but without a doubt these five bikes, in the right hands and in the right conditions, are scary fast.

Ducati Desmosedici RR - 199 mph

Ever since Angelina Jolie threw her leg over a Ducati in the movie Tomb Raider, this Italian bike has been popular around the world. And 199 miles per hour is nothing to sneer at.

Kawasaki ZX-12R Ninja - 189 mph

Losing its title of King of the Road to the Hayabusa hasn’t slowed this Japanese bike down much – and it still lives up to its (translated) name of ‘peregrine falcon’ – the fastest freefalling bird on earth.

Suzuki GSX 1300 R Hayabusa - 186 mph

The Hayabusa is the biggest of the lot with a 1300 engine - that’s about the same size as your car! Need we say more?

2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 - 186mph

The R1 is one of the most popular and reliable speed bikes on the market at the moment, and the Japanese bike is not going to let you down on the racetrack either at a respectable 186 miles per hour.

MV Agusta F4 1100 CC - 196 mph

This speedy sports bike, produced by the Italian company MV Agusta, has a 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.0 seconds – hold on tight when you hit the open track!
It doesn't get much faster than this.