6. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R
When Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R took the crown of the fastest factory bike in the world in the latter half of the 1990s, many believed that it was for good and that Ninja was finished. Kawasaki refused to go down quietly and soon rumors started floating around of wind tunnel testing, the secret late-night track runs, and innovative design features. The speed race between Hayabusa and Ninja ZX-12R managed to give politicians a fright and they demanded something to be done about the ever-increasing top speed. Major manufacturers sat together in 2000 and agreed to limit the maximum speed. ZX-12R was one of the first models to have a speed limiter built into it, leaving the title of the fastest production bike to Hayabusa without a fight.