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Ninja vs Demon: Flagship Dodge Challenger Gives Kawasaki ZX-14R a Reason to Get Worked Up

Having the nerve to challenge a flagship-spec motorcycle over a quarter mile with a car, usually means the latter is some type of highly modified 8-second bruiser. Otherwise, your chances of beating a Hayabusa, CBR 1000 or, in this case, a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R, are slim, to say the least.
Dodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mile 7 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Dodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mileDodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mileDodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mileDodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mileDodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mileDodge Challenger Demon takes on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R over a quarter mile
Of course, being behind the wheel of a seemingly modified Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is a great way to beat the odds, even against a top-tier motorcycle like that boss Ninja. The Demon, at its best, is a 9-second car over the quarter mile, and the ZX-14R, is a 9-second bike, straight up. It’s safe to say we knew this would be an awesome race as soon as we saw the title of the clip.

Let’s start by analyzing the bike. Unfortunately, we can’t be sure about its exact specifications, but the styling points to this possibly being a 2015-2016 model – take it with a grain of salt though. Regardless, it’s probably packing around 210 hp and roughly 113 lb-ft (153 Nm) of torque, if stock. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Ninja had a couple of mods of its own, given how quickly it covered the quarter mile.

As for the Demon, you already know what it can do even without any modifications. That 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 unit comes with a 2.7-liter supercharger for a total of 808 hp and 717 lb-ft (972 Nm) of torque on regular premium fuel, or 840 hp and 770 lb-ft (1,044 Nm) on 100 octane racing juice. Everything then gets sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF 8HP automatic gearbox with paddle shifters.

Based on FCA’s own estimates, the Challenger Demon can run the quarter mile in just 9.65 seconds at 140 mph (225 kph). This partly comes down to the Demon Crate, which features front-runner drag wheels, an upgraded ECU, a performance air filter, plus a hydraulic floor jack, cordless impact wrench, torque wrench, tire pressure gauge and a high-octane racing fuel switch bank.

In the end, this car vs. bike battle ended with the Ninja on top, needing just 9.18 seconds to cover the quarter mile, at 150.65 mph (242.44 kph). The Demon meanwhile crossed the line in 9.41 seconds at 147.97 mph (238.13 kph), which is still extremely impressive. This was a very close race, objectively speaking, and given a little more power, the Challenger might have been able to win.

Nowadays, the only way to get a Demon is courtesy of the used car market. Dodge discontinued this savage beast back in May of 2018, with the very last unit getting auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson alongside the final Dodge Viper. It was a worthy send-off for both nameplates.

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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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