Here's another showdown between a superbike that reached the showrooms in 2015, the Yamaha R1M, and an R35 GT-R Nissan. According to the description of the video, the Nissan can deliver around 750 bhp, while the K-suffixed track-only version of the R1 tops 200 horsepower.
A 200 hp bike smokes cars five to six times more powerful
Surely, compared to a commuter car, a 750 horsepower four-wheeler sounds ridiculously powerful, but one must not forget that such power comes with a bulk that needs hauling, too. And beyond the brute figures lies the almighty power-to-weight ratio that dictates who has the upper hand in the drag race.
Honestly, when we first saw that the GT-R takes off and starts to open a gap we thought that the R1M was done for. Anyway, we guess that the chaps inside the Nissan were just as surprised as we were to see the Yamaha accelerate so brutally into the third gear and dashing for the horizon in only one or two seconds.
Seeing the whole thing happening the same way in the second run makes us think that take-offs maybe aren't the R1M's strongest point. The Nissan indeed accelerates exceptionally from a standstill and will send chills down the spine, but once the R1M builds up some speed, things will change in Yamaha's favor.
As to how fair or representative such races are, we'd rather say they are pure fun and are not aimed at establishing a hierarchy of cars and bikes.
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