Most powerful three cylinder motorcycles
Top 40 most powerful triple cylinder bikes ever made. Updated June 2025.
Two cylinders are enough for most motorcycles not built for ultimate speed and 4 cylinders are plenty for high performance.
Three cylinder engines or simply "triples" are middle ground between the two, and they offer some of the four cylinder smoothness, combined with smaller dimensions and higher low RPM torque.
Historically the most popular motorcycle brand for three cylinder engines has been Triumph, which make everything from dual sport adventure bikes to road sports bikes with 3 cylinder engines. Triumph also makes the "Rocket" cruiser which, excluding low production count specials like Boss Hoss V8, is regarded the largest capacity production bike in the world.
Inline 3 cylinder engines are known to produce unique sound, which is similar to Inline 6 or or even V12 engines.
Three cylinder engines are also gaining popularity in cars, due to stricter emissions controls, which are forcing car engine capacities below 1000cc, where 3 cylinders make more sense than 4.
| # | make & model | Power (hp)▼ | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1975 Kawasaki KR750 | 179 |  |
| 2. | 2021 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS | 178 |  |
| 3. | 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR | 177 |  |
| 4. | 2020 Triumph Rocket III | 165 |  |
| 5. | 2020 MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro | 151 |  |
| 6. | 2019 MV Agusta RVS#1 | 150 |  |
| 7. | 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro | 148 |  |
| 8. | 2018 Triumph Speed Triple RS | 148 |  |
| 9. | 2018 Triumph Speed Triple S | 148 |  |
| 10. | 2020 MV Agusta Superveloce 800 | 146 |  |
| 11. | 2014 MV Agusta F3 800 | 146 |  |
| 12. | 2021 MV Agusta Dragster 800 RC SCS | 145 |  |
| 13. | 2021 MV Agusta Superveloce 800 S | 145 |  |
| 14. | 2022 MV Agusta F3 800 RR | 145 |  |
| 15. | 2017 MV Agusta Dragster 800 RC | 140 |  |
| 16. | 2015 MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR | 140 |  |
| 17. | 2016 Triumph Speed Triple R | 138 |  |
| 18. | 2020 MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR SCS | 138 |  |
| 19. | 2015 MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR | 138 |  |
| 20. | 2013 MV Agusta Brutale 800 | 138 |  |
| 21. | 2005 Benelli TNT 1130 Sport | 136 |  |
| 22. | 2023 Triumph Street Triple Moto2 Edition | 128 |  |
| 23. | 2023 Triumph Street Triple RS | 128 |  |
| 24. | 2011 Triumph Daytona 675R | 128 |  |
| 25. | 2014 MV Agusta Dragster 800 | 125 |  |
| 26. | 2013 MV Agusta Rivale 800 | 125 |  |
| 27. | 2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce | 124 |  |
| 28. | 2007 Triumph Daytona 675 | 123 |  |
| 29. | 2013 MV Agusta F3 675 | 123 |  |
| 30. | 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS | 121 |  |
| 31. | 2021 Yamaha MT-09 | 117 |  |
| 32. | 2024 Yamaha XSR 900 GP | 117 |  |
| 33. | 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 | 117 |  |
| 34. | 2022 Yamaha XSR 900 | 117 |  |
| 35. | 2021 Yamaha MT-09 SP | 117 |  |
| 36. | 2023 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT | 117 |  |
| 37. | 2021 Triumph Street Triple R | 116 |  |
| 38. | 2015 MV Agusta Stradale 800 | 115 |  |
| 39. | 2016 Yamaha XSR 900 | 113 |  |
| 40. | 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT | 113 |  |
Sources
All data sourced from manufacturer's official figures.
List authored by Christian Zelcs. Last updated on 06/23/2025, last addition - Yamaha XSR 900.