10 Iconic Motorcycles That Still Turn Heads In 2025

Look through pages of motorcycling history, and you’ll see no shortage of bikes that pushed the boundaries of what two wheels could achieve. And it wasn’t always about speed or horsepower. Some bikes laid the foundation for engine designs that have now become mainstream, or set the template for an entirely new segment. Think of bikes like the Indian FN Four, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 R, or the Honda Super Cub.

The thing about such motorcycles is their road (or museum) presence; they are difficult to ignore for motorcyclists, and sometimes, even non-bikers. At times, the bikes themselves are visually appealing, but most of the time, iconic bikes command attention for their cultural impact and the legacy they carry. While there are so many to choose from, here are ten iconic head-turning motorcycles that come to mind first.

1969 Honda CB750

Typical Used Price: $4,000 to $22,000

Michael Gaylard via Flickr

The CB750 was Honda’s first major success, but for the culture, it was much more. With the world’s first-ever transverse inline-four engine, it pushed the boundaries of performance while challenging the then-dominating British singles and twins. It set the stage for speed wars that would eventually unfold. For those who know, this is the iconic bike that led to some of the most iconic Japanese sports bikes, like the Honda Super Blackbird. For the rest, it’s still a beautiful universal Japanese motorcycle (UJM) that’s worth checking out if you ever come across one. Fortunately, Honda sold nearly 400,000 units of it, which are now available for a pretty low price in the used market.

Performance Specs

1973 Kawasaki Z1

Typical Used Price: $7,000 to $13,700

Kawasaki

Kawasaki responded to the Honda CB750 with the Z1, the world’s then-fastest production motorcycle, which finally broke the Vincent Black Shadow’s 23-year-long top speed record. It had a top speed of over 130 miles per hour, thanks to its DOHC inline-four engine. Apart from its performance, the Z1 is also one of the most beautiful motorcycles of its era, and, even today, it has a road presence that makes motorcyclists stop in their tracks. No wonder the new Kawasaki Z900 RS takes so many design cues from this JDM legend!

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1999 MV Agusta F4

Typical Used Price: $10,000 to over $33,000

Klaus Nahr via Wikimedia Commons

Massimo Tamburini has designed some of the most iconic motorcycles ever, but none come close to the MV Agusta F4, arguably his magnum opus. This Italian sports bike’s design was so ahead of its time that MV Agusta still hasn’t fiddled around much with it in its latest F3 supersport avatar, apart from a few cosmetic add-ons. Looks aside, the F4 was also a banger of a sports bike that didn’t bother with the gentlemen’s agreement, with many of its variants pushing past 186 miles per hour. The highlight, obviously, is the F4 312, named after its top speed of 312 km/h (or 195 miles per hour); it was the world’s fastest bike for a while.

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1936 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead

Typical Auction Price: $25,000 to over $100,000

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In its 120+ year history, the EL Knucklehead is perhaps Harley-Davidson’s most iconic motorcycle. It was the last bike designed by Davidson Brothers and William S. Henry, and it helped H-D bring Indian Motorcycles to its knees after a long battle for dominance in the American market. It was also the first Harley to feature overhead valves instead of side valves, laying the foundation for modern V-twins, like the Milwaukee-Eight and Revolution engines. For an H-D enthusiast, the Knucklehead is the ultimate dream, and it’s impossible to ignore on the road, thanks to its stunning old-school charm.

Performance Specs

2006 Ducati Desmosedici RR

Typical Auction Price: $45,000 to over $85,000

Ducati
 

Sometimes, function becomes form, and the Desmosedici RR is one such example. It was a carbon copy of a GP bike, pushing the status quo of road-going bikes so far up that few bikes since have come close to it. From its aerodynamic fairing to its forged magnesium wheels, everything was designed for performance, which also made it one of the prettiest motorcycles on the road. For many, this is the ultimate Ducati, marrying performance and design like few bikes can. Since only 1,500 units were ever produced, it’s also one of the most expensive Ducatis you can buy today at an auction.

Performance Specs

1949 Vincent Black Shadow

Typical Auction Price: $80,000 to $929,000

Xrzt via Wikimedia Commons

There’s an old saying, “It is the ultimate dream to meet a widow with a Vincent Black Shadow in her basement.” That might be the only way to get your hands on the elusive Black Shadow today, which otherwise auctions for insanely high prices, with its Black Lighting inching closer to a million dollars. What makes this bike so desirable is its innovative frameless design and performance; it was the fastest bike in the world for 23 years before the Z1 took over. Add to that its drop-dead gorgeous design and an almost mythical status in the culture, and it’s easy to see why people are willing to pay close to a million dollars for one.

Performance Specs

1991 Britten V1000

Expected Auction Price: $100,000 to $250,000

Britten Motorcycle Company Via Facebook

The Britten V1000 was a rare combination of innovations in chassis, suspension, aerodynamics, cooling, and performance, and nothing before it or since has struck this balance. With its radical design, it defeated factory race bikes in their own game, taking two podiums at the Battle of Twins at Daytona and a few other races. It even set a few world records along the way and was particularly known for its wheelies, which once lasted almost a kilometer during one race.

One of its riders, Loren Poole, called it a sculpture capable of going 186 miles per hour because its design, too, is unlike anything else. It is dominated by a sleek torpedo fairing, flanked by in-house (quite literally) carbon composite wheels, double wishbone suspension, and a rear shock placed in front of the engine. Then there are the bright blue spaghetti headers, meticulously designed to take up as little space as possible. It’s a revolutionary motorcycle that now sits in private collections and museum floors.

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2015 Honda RC213V-S

Typical Auction Price: Over $250,000

Honda

Like the Desmosedici RR, the RC213V-S was a literal MotoGP bike with headlights and a number plate. When it was launched, riders praised it for its surreal and terrifying riding experience. In its stock variant, it was docile, with only 150 horsepower, but slapping on the Sports Kit turned it into a 200+ horsepower race bike with an ear-bleeding exhaust note. At a standstill, its performance-first design also made it a piece of art that would fool anyone into thinking it’s a factory race bike, not a street bike. Unfortunately, the bike never reached the intended production and only 123 units were built, most of which have now become garage beauties for the top 1 percent.

Performance Specs

1924 Brough Superior SS100

Typical Auction Price: $250,000 to over $500,000

Brough Superior Motorcycles

Many call the Brough Superior SS100 the world’s first superbike, but George Brough called it the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles. Yes, he had the carmaker’s permission for the tagline after Rolls-Royce’s engineers visited the factory floors. Another promise Brough made was that this bike would cross the 100 miles per hour mark, thanks to its nearly 50 horsepower output. Remember, this was back in the 1920s, when even 30 horsepower was considered excessive. And it has a design that doesn’t seem to age at all, even after a century; so much so that even present-day Brough Superior models stick to the same template and look fresher than ever.

Performance Specs

1935 Crocker V-Twin

Typical Auction Price: $370,000 to $1 Million

Crocker Motorcycles Co.

The Crocker V-Twin sits at the same pedestal as the Brough Superior SS100 and Vincent Black Shadow. It held the title of being the fastest motorcycle in the world for over 12 years, until the Black Shadow surpassed it. Because it was lighter and 60 percent more powerful than any side-valve Harleys of the time, it was unbeatable. So, each V-Twin came with a promise of a full refund if it ever lost to a Harley-Davidson or an Indian in a race. No owner ever came for a refund.

Each V-Twin was tailored for the rider, and no two models were the same. Since Al Crocker wasn’t known for having an organized filing system, no one knows for sure how many were ever made. Estimates suggest that the number is just over 200, of which only 68 survive today, making this rare bike one of the most expensive bikes at auctions. Simply spotting one is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity unless you know the owner.

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