Boy, how times have changed. Used to be that the motorcycle manufacturers would avoid directly naming (and showing) competitive brands’ products in any advertisements that used comparisons as a selling point. There was a sort of an unspoken gentlemen’s agreement (as well as possible legal ramifications if not able to be proven in court) that such tactics would be left out in order to avoid nasty relations between the companies. Of course, it’s already being done frequently now in the automotive world, where the number of OEMs is far greater than the motorcycle market. But for the Japanese Big Four, that respect between the manufacturers has always seemed to override any direct comparisons in any advertisements.
Apparently that agreement has been burned to a crisp by Kawasaki USA. In its latest in a series of internet video advertisements by dragracing star Rickey Gadson promoting the company’s new ZX-14R hyperbike flagship, the subject of the four-minute video is a head-to-head dragracing duel between the acknowledged class king, Suzuki’s Hayabusa, and the ZX-14R. There is no “Brand S” or any veiled references in the video; the Hayabusa is shown in plain view, and directly named in the titles. The video shows three dragstrip races between the two bikes, and not only has overhead shots showing the respective position of each bike during the races, but also shows the times and speed on the facility finish line displays. One race even switches riders, with Gadson riding the Suzuki and the unnamed rider on the Kawasaki.
We’ll leave it to you to guess what happens in the video. But we’re wondering how Suzuki and its USA subsidiary are going to view this apparent umbrage to a bike that has been a cornerstone of its brand image for many years. Nevermind the internet chatter that is surely raging between Kawasaki and Suzuki fans…