Nitrous-Equipped Harley Takes on a 1,500 HP Audi

Speedy Transformation

For the most part, Harley-Davidson motorcycles are meant to be comfy cruisers with a distinctive look, sound, and feel. We are talking about an American icon, after all, a brand that continues to stick around because of what it represents and offers a select group of the buying public. However, that doesn't mean one can't transform a Harley into some sort of scorching hot drag racer, as we can clearly see in this video from Hoonigan.

Built to Go Fast

On paper, this is certainly an interesting matchup, as the 2007 model Harley we have here is  sporting a pretty powerful powerplant - an S&S 126 cubic-inch mill sending 240 horsepower to the rear wheel via an air-shifted gearbox. With 915 pounds to move and an extra shot of nitrous on board, it's pretty clear that this thing was built to get down the drag strip in a hurry.

Mountains of Power

Of course, its opponent isn't some sort of slouch, either. This Audi R8 is heavily modified as well, with its twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V10 churning out an incredible 1,500 horsepower, which flows to all four wheels via a quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox. However, it does have a decent amount of weight to move down the quarter-mile - 3,800 pounds, to be exact.

Line 'Em Up

Thus, the only thing left to do - after talking some shop and making predictions, of course - is to line up these two unusual foes and see which one is the quickest in a best of three type format. The first race is a straight up, 1,000-foot showdown that starts from a dig, just as drag races should.

Rough Start

In the first race, the Harley rider jumps and instantly gets the loss, but the Audi also gets pretty loose at the top end in a rather terrifying scene. However, he manages to reel it in without leaving the tarmac. Thus, it's on to round two to see if these rides can manage a clean race the second time around.

Clean Attempt

Round two is a 1,000-foot race that starts from a roll, which takes initial traction out of the equation. However, the Harley rider once again gets out to a bit of an early start, so the two run it back. This time, we finally get a good race, and the Harley absolutely smokes the R8, which seemingly takes a minute for the turbos to get on boost.

Earning Victory

Ultimately, the R8 driver notes that he's riding on old tires, which he blames for the poor performance on this particular day. However, those types of things ultimately don't matter - he could have fitted some fresh rubber for this showdown, after all - and the Harley proves that with a few mods, even big comfy cruisers can scoot down the race track at a rapid pace.

>>Join in the conversation about this drag race right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.

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