Suzuki Hayabusa Races Ducati 959 Panigale and BMW S1000RR, Gets Smoked Twice

Come to think of it, it would probably just be better for everyone if motorcycle manufacturers started building bikes with automatic transmissions, seeing as that’s where we’re heading anyway—bikes like the fully electric Harley-Davidson LiveWire don’t even have a clutch, obviously.

Anyway, we’re here to talk about this first-generation Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa, which we know is a first-gen model because of the headlight design. Back when this came out, it was the world’s fastest production motorcycle, capable of taking you all the way to 194 mph (312 kph).

In terms of performance, we can assume that its 1.3-liter 4-stroke inline-four engine, if stock, puts down around 170-175 hp. That should be enough for a 0-60 mph (96 kph) sprint time of just under 3 seconds. Over a quarter mile, the Hayabusa should, on paper, cross the line in around 10 seconds, give or take—depending on model year and specs.

The thing is, this is true for all the bikes that took part in this recent drag racing event in Las Vegas. The Ducati 959 Panigale and the BMW S1000RR are both 10-second bikes, so these races should have been incredibly close. In the end, the Ducati just edged out the Suzuki, while the BMW smoked its Japanese rival like it was no big thing.

We do have a theory as to why that happened, and it starts with the Hayabusa rider not performing to the best of their abilities, leaving the door open for two bikes that on paper weigh a little less. Furthermore, the Ducati 959 is nearly as powerful as the ‘Busa, while the BMW S1000RR is a “bad” bike, with roughly 200 hp on tap.

In the end, only the latter performed close to its best, covering the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds. It could have surely done even better though—they all could have.