We are well into our comparison test of the all-new Kawasaki ZX-14R and the acknowledged king of speed, the Suzuki Hayabusa. As part of the test, we conducted roll-on and acceleration runs for each bike at Buttonwillow Raceway. This data was recorded using our Stalker radar gun, with Editor Kent Kunitsugu on board each bike. Buttonwillow is just 250 feet above sea level, so no correction factor was applied to the quarter-mile data.
In the roll-on test, the Hayabusa is quicker from 60-80 mph, while the Kawasaki is quicker from 80-100mph. In the quarter-mile, the Hayabusa is noticeably quicker off the line but the Kawasaki quickly closes the gap; the 0-60 mph times for the bikes are almost identical at 2.80 seconds for the Suzuki, 2.82 seconds for the Kawasaki. From there the Kawasaki's power advantage shows.
Check back here for dyno results next week, and look for the full comparison test in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
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