Most Expensive Motorcycle In The World

Recently you might have read the story of a man from Chandigarh who spent over Rs 15 lakh on a Honda Activa. Of course, in this case, the actual price of the Activa was under one lakh Rupees, and the remaining 14-plus lakh Rupees twere actually spent on a special number plate. But this did get us thinking… just how much money are people willing to spend on two-wheels. And by extension, what is the most expensive motorcycle in the world?

In 2006, Ducati launched the very limited edition Desmosedici RR - basically a MotoGP bike for the road. Back then, it cost USD 72,500 to buy brand new, if you could get your name on the short list that is. Now, that translates to roughly Rs 32 lakh (using the 2006 exchange rate), and while that still sounds rather expensive, there are a couple of modern, mass production Ducatis which you can buy today at almost the same price. Being a limited edition motorcycle, today a good example can cost a lot more when it comes up for auction, especially if it has seen some bespoke customization at the hands of a top-notch tuning house.

Which brings us to the D16RR NCR M16, a customised Desmosedici RR in which Italian custom motorcycle house NCR managed to cut the Desmo’s weight down to a scant 145kg. The price for one of these - an eye watering USD 232,500 (roughly Rs 1.8 crore).

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But if we’re talking about the most expensive production (or limited production) bikes, then the gas turbine powered MTT 420RR is not only one of the fastest bikes in the world, but also one of the most expensive, costing about USD 249,900 (approx Rs 1.93 crore). Not to be outdone by a handbuilt turbine motorcycle, or their chief MotoGP Rival Ducati, Honda too recently made a limited edition MotoGP bike for the road - the RC213V-S. And this was one which yours truly also had the honour of riding. The RC213V-S retailed for USD 184,000 plus an additional USD 12,000 for the race kit (together about Rs 1.5 crore). But last year, a mint condition 2016 RC213V-S sold in an auction for USD 237,700 (Rs 1.8 crore) - making it the most expensive Japanese motorcycle ever.

Speaking of auctions, when you get into the world of one-off motorcycles, it’s a whole different ball game. Back in 2012, Neiman Marcus - a chain of luxury department stores in the US commissioned a one-off bike built on top of the Confederate P120 Fighter motorcycle. This Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter fetched a scarcely believable USD 11 Million (about Rs 85 crore!) at an auction! And that makes this the most expensive motorcycle ever!