Whether you’re a serious racer or just an armchair dragster, you’ve probably asked yourself whether or not one bike reigns supreme. This is especially true based on what type of series one is racing.
However, you might be surprised to learn that there’s no single, absolute best motorcycle for the job. Instead, there are a few key models and manufactures that are trusted and beloved by drag racers all over the world, so the question becomes which of these are the best drag racing motorcycles for you.
The Best Drag Racing Motorcycles
Though you could theoretically use any tuned stock street bike for drag racing at the most basic levels, there are certainly a few platforms that have become more popular than the rest among those who want to go pro. At iOneMoto, we tend to see Suzuki and Kawasaki bikes ranked as the two main manufacturers.
Suzuki vs. Kawasaki
While there are true believers attached to both brands, both of them could perform equally as well on the drag strip when tuned properly. There’s this narrative that the manufacturers sort of got together and put limitations on certain engine design features.
Though this may not be at all true, it helps to illustrate how close the two really are. The engineering teams for both Suzuki and Kawasaki have come up with two competitive platforms each.
Suzuki GSXR1000
Of the various years of GSXR1000 bikes, 2017 seems to hold the most records. As it’s come down in price over the course of 4-5 years, you can probably expect to see more of these great platforms making their way to the strip.
Suzuki Hayabusa
This might be the most popular among drag racers, due in no small part to the fact that it’s been around since 1999. Three generations have emerged since that time, which makes it pretty dominant as far as 1300 cc motorcycles go.
Kawasaki ZX-14
Introduced in 2006, the first generation quickly became popular and competition to the famous Hayabusa. A Second gen came out in 2012, and continues to be made today.
Nobody’s sure if — or when — a third generation might hit the streets, but it might take a while seeing as how they don’t revamp their manufacturing workflows very often.
Kawasaki ZX-10
A great platform with a significant and loyal following as well. We have seen several generations throughout the years. No question that the 1000cc ZX10’s can perform at the highest levels.
Conclusion
There isn’t really one best bike for drag racing, but affordability and availability are both going to play a role when picking one out. Most teams and individual racers just want to get on the track, so they go with whatever has a lower upfront cost, then modify from there. Sometimes you’ll even come across Honda and BMW bikes, but these aren’t as popular at the present time.
Learn More About Drag Racing Bodywork from iOneMoto
No matter what you race, we’ll have you covered as far as the bodywork is concerned. To learn more about our custom fairings for drag racing motorcycles, reach out to our team today.