“Money, money, money. Must be funny in a rich man’s world…” So say ABBA, anyway
Indeed, while much of the nation wallows in a cost of living crisis, for the more affluent among us only the very best wine, hotels, gadgets and motorcycles will ever suffice.
Moreover, if you are lucky enough to have a new motorcycle budget pushing up to a six-figure £100,000 then there is a surprisingly wide choice to select from.
Indeed, whether you’re after something super luxurious, super quick or super exclusive, there is something for you. Let’s just say this is one new motorcycle search to truly relish.
The latest addition for biking’s biggest spenders is the Aston Martin AMB001 Pro. Succeeding the already wildly expensive first generation AMB001, the Pro is unashamedly pricey… but is it the most expensive production motorcycle in the world?
Aston Martin AMB001 Pro
£100,000 (est)
If the notion of iconic British sportscar marque Aston Martin dropping its first motorcycle on an unsuspecting audience at EICMA in 2019 didn’t cause jaws to hit the floor already, then the £90,000 price tag would have surely completed the job.
A collaborative project with British-born, French resurrected Brough Superior, the track-only AMB001 Pro showcases a sportier direction for the firm compared with the more lavishly-appointed AMB001 with a look inspired by the firm’s honed Valkyrie AMR Pro super-hypersports car, dressed in chrome-style yellow/green paint job on the carbon fibre bodywork and colour-coded wheel trims.
The striking design is complemented by various changes under the skin too with power jumping 25% to 225hp from its 997cc four-cylinder engine, which propels a lighter CNC Aluminium frame.
Weighing in at just 175kg, it gives the AMB001 Pro a power-to-weight ratio of 1.28hp per kg. As a comparison, the Ducati Superleggeara V4 kicks out 234hp from a dry weight of 159kg.
Limited to just 88 examples, Aston Martin is yet to announce how much the AMB001 Pro will cost but estimates would suggest it will come in at just under or just over £100,000.
Bimota TESI H2
£59,000
If you thought the track-only hyper-sportsbike Kawasaki H2R wasn’t bonkers enough, meet its Italian-raised, full-on ADHD sibling, the Bimota TESI H2.
The first product to come from Kawasaki’s move to purchase a 49% stake in the storied – but at the time struggling – Italian firm, the Bimota TESI H2 takes the architecture of the supercharged 998cc H2R and puts its own quirky spin on it.
The result is a wild-looking machine with its various slashes, carvings and inlets for aero purposes, fronted by a sunken pentagonal spotlight and riding on its signature hub-centre front swingarm.
It isn’t subtle and with 242PS propelling it to a 186mph top speed, it’s certainly not slow… which is why the Bimota TESI H2 at almost £60,000 is also rather pricey.
Brough Superior Lawrence Dagger
£62,000 (est)
Brough Superior has been in rude health since its return to the market in 2013, focusing on traditionally-styled yet effervescently lavish motorcycles at the upper end of the market.
The company actually offers a fairly broad range of motorcycles – 11 models to be accurate – but it is the Lawrence, offered in three guises – Original, Nefud and the new Dagger – that is its most opulent.
As its flagship, the Brough Superior Lawrence Dagger errs into a sportier direction for the firm boasting a funnelled nose cone section leading down to a porthole headlight, a fork crown, rear fender and seat cowl made of carbon-fibre.
It also receives a more discreet exhaust form compared with the standard Lawrence for a leaner side-profile appearance, while the matte gold finish on the 19 x 17-inch rims, engine cover and decals completes the moody new look, while retaining all of the beautifully-styled attention to detail.
Under the skin, the Dagger boasts a modest 102bhp from its 997cc V-Twin engine and it is all wrapped together in an (estimated) price of just over £62,000.
Ducati Superleggara V4
£86,000
The manufacturer already operates at the upper end of the price scale when it comes to its more mainstream offerings, but once in a while even Ducati allows itself to go even wilder…
Indeed, while the ultra-powerful, race-ready 242hp Ducati Panigale V4 R is already enough of a sportsbike for most, it is nothing compared with its intricately-honed cousin, the Ducati Superleggara V4.
The latest in an esteemed line of lighter, tuned Superleggara editions that push the standard model’s capabilities to the max, this iteration is the first to utilise the firm’s acclaimed 998cc V4 engine.
Kicking out 224hp, it is the Superleggara’s no compromise weight-saving diet that transforms it from the Panigale V4 R, tipping the scales at just 152.2kg when equipped with its racing kit. That’s a remarkable power-to-weight ratio of just 1.54hp per kg.
Made possible by it being engineered with a carbon fibre frame, swingarm and rims, the Superleggara can – unlike the similarly light AMB001 – also be taken out on the road, making it probably the closest relation to a MotoGP bike that you can pop to Tesco on.
Alas, this all comes at a price… a wincing £86,000
ARCH KRGT-1
£89,000
If you’ve ever watched The Matrix, John Wick or perhaps even Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and thought ‘I want to be like Keanu Reeves’, it turns out you can… by buying a motorcycle from his own company, ARCH Motorcycles.
Arguably Hollywood’s most famous motorcycle-obsessed celebrity advocate, Keanu Reeves has channelled his entheniasm – not to mention the millions earned from his blockbuster films – into creating his own motorcycle company.
At the top end of the range is the ARCH KRGT-1, a power cruiser inspired by the hot rods of the 60s, which blends both retro appeal with contemporary prestige, not to mention alluring attention to detail in the design and craftsmanship.
The centrepiece – both on and off the bike – is the mammoth 2032cc V-twin engine, which is both a work of art to look at and a torquey beast to open up.
Effortlessly cool, the ARCH KRGT-1’s A-list kudos certainly comes with plenty of value – good or bad depending on which way you look at it – being priced at £89,000.
Arc Vector
£90,000
It’s been a lot of hard work to get the Arc Vector to market.
First unveiled in 2018 to gasp and awe, the Vector not only looked spectacular but it was also forging its own path with its electric powertrain. However, despite plenty of buzz and press, a year later the British company was filing for bankruptcy after promised investment failed to materialise.
However, while Arc was down, it wasn’t out and both the company and motorcycle was resurrected in 2021 armed with new financing and a 2023 delivery target.
It certainly makes an immediate impact with its carbon-fibre bodywork, low-slung chunky aesthetic, front hub-centre swingarm and steering but what really sets the Vector apart from its luxury rivals is its electric powertrain.
Equipped with a 95kW battery unit (developing around 127bhp), it propels the Vector to a 124mph limited top speed and 60mph in 3.2secs… all with a range of 200 miles.
The Vector even pioneers an Iron Man-esque ‘human machine interface’ with a jacket containing haptic feedback warnings, plus a heads-up display in the supplied helmet to deliver important information without taking eyes off the road.
And this can all be yours for £90,000
Vyrus Alyen
£90,000
While it takes a brave company to persevere with a name like Vyrus in an era of COVID, the exclusive Italian marque has nevertheless kept its moniker in the headlines with the wild Alyen sportsbike.
Formerly a collaborative partner to Bimota, Vyrus have since gone it alone with a small range of bespoke Ducati-engined models, a range topped by the Alyen.
Utilising a 1300cc Superquadro twin engine, the Alyen hits 205bhp at 10,500rpm dressed in a cloak of slashes, gills and wings that appear as a cross between the Batbike and that neck flaring dinosaur that ate the man hiding in the toilet in Jurassic Park… ahem.
In conclusion, the Vyrus Alyen looks dramatic and is certainly very special with its plush upholstery and front hub-centre steering as inspired by its former partners… which explains why it is priced at more than £90,000.
Curtiss ONE
£93,000
Few motorcycles in the world are likely to turn more heads and prompt more discussions than the extraordinary Curtiss ONE.
Whether that’s for good or bad reasons we’ll leave up to you, but for sure the exclusive electric ONE from Curtiss Motorcycles (formerly known as Confederate Motorcycles) is a talking point with its stripped back, steampunk design that bears resemblance to a ‘Wild Wild West’ shotgun complete with ‘bullet’ (*cough sexy toy cough*) battery casing.
With the equivalent of 108bhp and a feathery weight of just 193kg, the ONE ups the premium factor with horizontal rear shock and girder front suspension but, really, you’re only going to buy this for one thing…
