Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Races Suzuki GSX-R1000, Loser Is a Sad Crotch Rocket

Let’s start with the Suzuki, which at the time could be characterized as a bigger and better GSX-R750, but with a redesigned engine and increased torsional rigidity. It also managed to out-class the Yamaha YZF-R1 right out the gate, in terms of weight and power, which was no small feat.

The K3 and K4 generations were considerably better, as they weighed even less, had more power and had better handling. Meanwhile, models K5 through K8 were some of the best bikes on the market, not that there’s anything wrong with the current-generation GSX-R1000 – it's a great piece of kit.

As for the Kawasaki ZX-10R, personally, I was never a big fan of its styling, especially those early models. Actually, every model from 2004 until 2011 looked a little lackluster, but in 2011, this 999cc Ninja underwent a significant overhaul, both from a visual standpoint and mechanically. They really came into their own after that update and today, these are some of the best-looking sports bikes around.

Unfortunately, it's darn near impossible for us to tell you anything about the ZX-10R featured in this video, because we can only see its rear wheel. The Gixxer, on the other hand, appears to be a late 2000s model, maybe early 2010s? Why do they have to make them so visually similar?

Anyway, since this is a race, it really doesn’t matter what they look like. All that matters is how quick they are and how good the rider is at extracting all that performance over a quarter mile. Historically, the ZX-10R and GSX-R1000 are very similar in terms of horsepower and torque, so this was always going to be a close fight.

Still, it’s the Suzuki that came out on top, covering the quarter mile in 9.95 seconds at 234 kph (145 mph). The Kawasaki, meanwhile, needed 10.5 seconds at 225 kph (140 mph).