autoevolution
 

USA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP Hayabusa

These days I rarely get excited over drag racing. The only way I'm going to have a look is if it's between two cool cars. But I'll likely never overlook a race between a car and a motorcycle. These challenges always have a certain degree of uncertainty to them. But it seems that in the next few years, that might not be the case anymore.
USA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP Hayabusa 8 photos
Photo: DragTimes
USA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP HayabusaUSA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP HayabusaUSA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP HayabusaUSA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP HayabusaUSA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP HayabusaUSA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP HayabusaUSA vs Japan: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202-HP Hayabusa
Back in 2005, Bugatti introduced the Veyron, the first production car to come close to the 1,000-hp mark. It would take another 4 years for the SSC Ultimate Aero TT to enter the stage, and that was rated at 1,287-hp. At that point, winning a race against a motorcycle didn't seem as impossible anymore. Well, at least if you happened to drive one of the above-mentioned vehicles.

But the year is 2022, and we're now coming close to having cars with double the power of a standard Veyron. The new electric vehicles built by various manufacturers are more than capable of taking on any road-going motorcycle you can think of. And today, we've got a fine example of that, with the Tesla Model S Plaid taking on a tuned Suzuki Hayabusa. And Palm Beach International Raceway is the battleground chosen for this race.

We've all seen what the Model S Plaid can do down the quarter-mile (402 meters). As the Hayabusa is still running a naturally-aspirated engine, it's bound to have a tough time ahead. The 2012 Suzuki has an extended swingarm, an ECU tune, and it's using E85 fuel, so that should bring it up to about 202 rwhp. It weighs in at 496 lbs (224 kg), but of course, we also need to consider the 214 lbs (97 kg) rider - Johnny.

USA vs Japan\: Model S Plaid Drag Races 202\-HP Hayabusa
Photo: Dragtimes
Meanwhile, the Tesla weighs almost 10 times as much as the bike does. But it also has 5 times the horsepower of the Hayabusa, with the traction advantage that you get by having four wheels instead of two. So this is anyone's race to be fair. But it's going to be a lot more challenging for the motorcycle rider to put in a solid run. While the Tesla ride should be as easy as a walk in the park.

The two contestants line up for the first run after doing a quick burnout beforehand. As soon as the lights turn green, the Model S Plaid moves into first place, while the Hayabusa lifts its front wheel in the air for a short moment. But then they're neck and neck towards the last stretch, and we're pretty much looking at a photo finish. It's all over in less than 10 seconds.

In the left lane, the Model S Plaid needed 9.36 seconds to get to the finish line, with a trap speed of 149 mph (239 kph). The Hayabusa was just 0.07 seconds slower, although it had a higher trap speed at 154 mph (247 kph). For the second run, we're looking at a rather weird situation. The Tesla was slower with a 9.39-second run, while the Suzuki was faster with a 9.35-second run. But it seems that the bike might have jumped the start, which leads to an instant loss. That's a shame, really, and it would have been nice to see a third run as well.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories