10 Most Powerful Motorcycles In 2025 Under $10,000

Motorcycles, like everything else, have gotten dearer over the years. That isn’t a knock on them; the cost of raw materials has gone up, and the technology that goes into them has also increased. This means that the goalposts have shifted, and what was considered ‘budget’ a few short years ago is now quite a bit more expensive. Still, there is value to be found everywhere, even in motorcycles, if you look hard enough.

In this article, we’re going to try and find the most bang for your buck when it comes to horsepower. Exactly how much horsepower can you get if you limit yourself to $10,000? The answer can be a surprising one, as it turns out, and it doesn’t involve many sport bikes since they are engineered to do many things besides go fast in a straight line. We’ve got the expected naked bikes, but there is also a surprise or two in the form of an adventure bike, and even a cruiser! Here then are the ten most powerful motorcycles in 2025 under $10,000.

Harley-Davidson Nightster

Price: $9,999, 91 HP

Harley-Davidson

The Nightster’s presence on this list is proof of how far Harley has progressed as a brand. The drop in base price made it the most powerful cruiser under $10,000, and it has also snuck into the top ten list of the most powerful bikes in that budget, period. Its Revolution Max 975T engine has variable valve timing on the intake valves. You also get ABS, traction control, and drag torque slip control, but you fall a little short on the other features.

Honda XL750 Transalp

Price: $9,999, 91 HP

Honda

The Transalp is the most powerful adventure bike under $10,000. It gets this figure by sharing its engine with the CB750 Hornet, but geared for an ADV. This is a truly capable bike for the purpose, and the high-for-the-price horsepower figure doesn’t make it frantic; it suits the purpose. And even though its primary purpose is tarmac touring, it won’t shy away from exploration on dirt either. The 2025 update has given it a 5-inch TFT color display and a standard two-way quickshifter as well.

Honda CB750 Hornet

Price: $7,999, 91 HP

Honda

The CB750 Hornet shares its driveline with the Transalp, so it makes the same 91 horsepower and 55.3 pound-feet from the parallel twin Unicam SOHC engine. Despite its low price, Honda has kitted it out not just with aggressive styling, but also Showa suspension, Nissan brakes with wave discs and radially mounted front fixed calipers, a 5-inch TFT color display, ride modes, HSTC, wheelie control, power modes, and adjustable engine braking. A two-way quickshifter is an optional extra.

Honda CBR650R E-Clutch

Price: $9,899, 93 HP

Honda

The CBR650R is Honda’s practical four cylinder sports bike, so it doesn’t chase a high horsepower figure. Still, it manages a quite respectable 93 horsepower. That won’t win any races given the extra weight of those additional cyilnders, but the CBR650R’s ace is the E-Clutch system. This makes a semi-automatic gearbox, and you don’t have to use the clutch to stop. And you can take off from rest in any gear you choose; the computer will look out for you. You can also switch it off and use it as a full manual.

Honda CB650R E-Clutch

Price: $9,399, 93 HP

Honda

Drop $500 from the CBR650R’s price, and you get this, the CB650R E-Clutch naked bike. It is exactly what it sounds like; the street bike version of the CBR650R. It has the same engine, gearbox, chassis, suspension and features – like the 5-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation. The seating position is also less aggressive than the sports bike, as befits a practical naked bike. The semi-automatic gearbox makes it the most practical naked this side of $10,000, but if you want more performance and excitement, then the Hornet fares better.

Triumph Daytona 660

Price: $9,195, 95 HP

Triumph

The Daytona 660 isn’t like the old Daytona 675; it is a more practical sports bike. Triumph has put in a lot of effort to make sure that the Daytona 660 has a lot of usable poke in the real world; 80 percent of peak torque is available from 3,125 revs on. Still, that hasn’t stopped it from ekeing out a full 95 horsepower from it, which makes it one of the two most powerful sport bikes under $10,000. The rest of the kit is also pretty good, with Showa SFF-BP front forks, traction control, and ABS.

CFMoto 675SS

Price: $7,999, 95 HP

CFMoto

The CFMoto 675SS is the spiritual successor to the Triumph Daytona 675. It is an aggressive sport bike powered by a three-cylinder engine, and it is ready to take to the track any time. On the list of things that will come in handy while attacking apexes (besides the 95 horsepower) is the steering damper, adjustable traction control, dual-channel ABS, and upshift-only quickshifter. Tire pressure monitoring is also standard, and J.Juan brakes with radial front calipers and cooling ducts(!) are also present.

CFMoto 675NK

Price: $7,499, 95 HP

CFMoto

For $500 less than the 675SS sport bike, the 675NK offers the same performance but without the fairing. It gets similar features as well, with a tire pressure monitoring system, fully adjustable KYB suspension, traction control, dual-channel ABS, a 5-inch TFT color display, and an upshift-only quickshifter. It retains the engine with the exact same state of tune as its sport bike twin – 95 horsepower and nearly 52 pound-feet. And yes, the 320 mm twin front brake discs with their cooling ducts have been retained.

CFMoto 800NK

Price: $8,699, 100 HP

CFMoto

The 800NK is significantly different to its smaller siblings under the skin. For one, it has a 270 degree parallel twin powering it rather than a three cylinder engine. For another, it makes 100 horsepower from 799 cc. In addition to the poke, you get fully adjustable KYB suspension, J.Juan brakes, a 5-inch curved TFT color display, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and tire pressure monitoring. It also gets a by-wire throttle, so there is a two-way quickshifter, cruise control, and a steering damper as well.

Kawasaki Z900

Price: $9,999, 123 HP

Kawasaki

The Z900 is a model that sits in no-man’s land between the middleweights and liter bikes when it comes to both price and power output. Either way, it is the most powerful motorcycle available for under $10,000 with its 948 cc inline four pushing out 123 horsepower. This isn’t a one-trick pony; it keeps weight down with a steel trellis frame, packs a six-axis IMU for cornering ABS and traction control, has a by-wire throttle with ride modes and a two-way quickshifter, and it now sports cruise control as well. The 5-inch TFT display offers access to Bluetooth and navigation, and the Ergo-Fit technology means you can adjust the seating position somewhat to suit riders of different sizes.