First-Gen Suzuki Hayabusa Races Newer Aprilia RSV4 Sport Bike, Loser Nearly Had It

Then there’s the Hayabusa, aka the Suzuki GSX-1300R, which in 1999 became the world’s fastest production motorcycle, destroying every single flying insect in its path while maxing out at 194 mph (312 kph). It could also cover a standing quarter mile in just 10.3 seconds (officially), which would have even made Dominic Toretto proud.

Of course, unofficial tests resulted in several sub-10 second quarter mile times, as well as 0-60 acceleration times that approached the 2.5-second mark.

Also, the Hayabusa you’re about to watch in the video below is indeed a first-gen model, which is evident by the styling of the bodywork – the changes aren’t big (with regards to 2nd-gen models), but they are noticeable to people familiar with the original design.

Anyway, its rival, as far as this race is concerned, is the mighty RSV4 from Aprilia. The RSV4 is the Italian bike-maker's flagship model, and it first went into production back in 2009, giving riders a taste of what Max Biaggi experienced on his motorsport-prepped RSV4 in the World Superbike Championship.

This RSV4 is clearly a newer model though – if I had to guess, I’d say it’s only 2-3 years old, which should give it an advantage over the heavier Hayabusa. Speaking of advantages, the Aprilia’s also packs more horsepower, with roughly 200 hp on tap, versus the Suzuki’s 160 or so horsepower.

In the end, this came down to the wire though, with the RSV4 crossing the line in 10.88 seconds at 244.8 kph (152 mph), while the Hayabusa needed 10.94 seconds at 222 kph (138 mph). It’s as close as it gets.