Image via Wheels/YouTube
We love seeing interesting matchups on the drag strip, like taking Suzuki Hayabusas and putting them up against Teslas, Lucids, and other fast EVs. It’s the sort of thing where your average person probably thinks they know what’s going to happen, but the reality of these races isn’t quite so simple.
Watch a twin-turbo Mustang race a turbocharged Hayabusa.
After that one explosive video of a Tesla Model S (we believe it was a P90D but it might have been a P100D) smoking a Dodge Challenger Hellcat hit YouTube a few years ago, getting shared just about everywhere, non-car people seem to believe EVs are ALWAYS faster than muscle cars, maybe even any car on the road.
But what about sport bikes? And what about the mighty Suzuki Hayabusa?
We don’t expect your average person even knows what a Hayabusa is, let alone respects what it can do on the drag strip. But we do and we suspect you might, otherwise you wouldn’t be here to see how these drag races shake out.
The truth is these races went about how we expected. They’re a mixed bag and two things seemed to make all the difference.
In the first race and every race after with the same rider, the Hayabusa did well but struggled to come out on top. Part of that has to do with the rider obviously being inexperienced. Not only were his launches sloppy and slow, he didn’t do a burnout, which is partly why his bike struggled to hook up.
The second rider got that rear tire nice and hot, allowing him to nail it right off the line. Plus, his Suzuki has been modified for drag racing. That combination of a guy who knows what he’s doing, a motorcycle that’s fast out of the box, and the right modifications helps it even take down the mighty Tesla Model S Plaid.
It honestly doesn’t require that much skill to go drag racing in a modern EV. But on a Hayabusa, skill is the difference between an okay and a fantastic run.
Image via Wheels/YouTube
