Even when you think motorcycles are getting too expensive there are still bikes that are beyond expensive, and they must be selling to somebody, otherwise, the manufacturers wouldn't be building them. So, how much is too much, and when is it time to back away and look for something more affordable?

How Much Is Too Much For a New Bike?

Life is getting more expensive, right? It doesn't matter what you think of buying, it's a hell of a lot more expensive now than it was a few years ago. And it's the same with motorcycles: the $20,000 bike is now the rule, rather than the exception.

The thing is, it doesn't matter how strapped for cash people say they are, the manufacturers insist on bringing out eye-wateringly expensive models and they still sell! But are they worth it other than for bragging rights?

So, what are the most expensive production bikes out there? Some are obvious and mass-produced, while others are built in much smaller numbers but are still classed as production models as they are made in series and not as one-offs on demand.

The biggest-selling machine would be the Kawasaki H2R, the track-only supercharged monster. With a price tag of over $50,000, it does have 310bhp out of the crate but you'll have to budget for a set of tire warmers and paddock stands as it comes equipped with racing slicks. It's beautiful, aggressive, bloody fast, and almost exclusive enough to still be a special sighting.

Ducati is no stranger to high-end, limited production models. What about the Desmodedici or the Superleggera? Neither of those are available new anymore, so you'll have to slum it with the V4 SP2, which comes in at a 'not-getting-out-of-bed' $40,000, although you can option it out to the max to add at least another $20,000 to the price tag.

Returning to the top end for a moment, how about the Combat (née Confederate) Bomber. It's not exactly pretty but it is definitely striking, not to mention expensive. For the top-of-the-range model, you can expect to pay $120,000! You might ask yourself who could pay that much for a motorcycle, but the fact that Combat exists at all must mean that people are buying their bikes.

If celebrity endorsement (and, to be fair, involvement) is your thing, then you need to look to ARCH Motorcycles, co-founded by Keanu Reeves. Again, they're not exactly pretty and, by all accounts, not for beginners but, if you have around $100,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you too can have one sitting in your garage. (Here's a question: does anyone who can afford a $100,000 bike keep them in something as mundane and suburban as a 'garage'? Just wondering!)

If really ugly is your thing, then you could do worse than the MV Agusta Rush. Mind you, at 'only' $45,000, maybe it's too cheap to appeal to those with more money than style!

If style is your thing, then you could do a lot worse than a Brough Superior. Not the original - they are going for anything up to $500,000 at auction, but you can have an example of a new Brough Superior for around $70,000 which, by the standards of what's on offer in this list, sounds like a bargain if you take exclusivity, style and performance into account. In fact, a Brough Superior makes all of the other machines in this list seem a bit mundane: maybe it has something to do with the name, which is surely one of the most evocative in motorcycling.

What have we missed out? Is there another bike that stretches not only the bounds of credulity as well as the elastic in your wallet?