This was originally an “unfair” contest: the KTM 1190 Adventure R, with rear-wheel drive, delivers 148 horsepower, while the Lamborghini boasts 610 horsepower with four-wheel drive and seven gears. The off-road motorcycle raced on an unpaved, sandy, and overgrown surface, whereas the Lamborghini was set to run on the airport runway. Yet, this is precisely where the thrill of a cross-category duel lies.
On the day of the race, gusty winds of around Force 5 swept through the Badaling area, forcing the KTM team riders to handle their bikes with extra caution. Rider Zhao Hongyi, one of the initiators and planners of this challenge, encountered issues after a brief test run. Zhao said: “Compared to the initial site selection, the road conditions were different from what we had surveyed. It had rained a few days earlier, making the soil too soft and reducing tire grip. Also, the fluctuating crosswinds affected acceleration because motorcycles need to maintain balance, while cars don’t.”
Even so, to make the contest appear more fair and just, the challenge adopted the internationally recognized 0-400 meter straight-line drag race format. Zhao Hongyi explained: “If the race were 0-100 meters, there would be almost no difference between the KTM and the Lamborghini. But typically, a vehicle’s engine can fully demonstrate its best acceleration capability within the 400-meter range.” Meanwhile, in all three rounds, both the Lamborghini and the off-road motorcycle had their electronic systems turned off and used manual transmissions, bringing the two competitors as close as possible in terms of “consistency.”
Throughout the three rounds, the issues encountered during the riders’ pre-race test runs all manifested. The on-site observation led to one clear conclusion: the KTM’s lag was almost entirely at the start.
In the first round, due to the soft ground and poor traction, Zhao Hongyi chose to start in second gear. The moment he launched, the bike fishtailed to one side, wasting nearly half a second before speeding off. Once underway, he found the grip was still poor and immediately shifted to third gear. He then went full throttle up to the redline before shifting again, but the results were still unsatisfactory. The Lamborghini completed the 400 meters in 12.1 seconds, while the KTM motorcycle finished in 12.9 seconds. The summary: the launch RPM was too high, and the shift lever angle was not ideal, causing slow and untimely gear changes that needed adjustment.
The outcome of the first round clearly displeased the KTM riders. Zhao Hongyi and his team adjusted the off-road motorcycle’s gear shifter and tire pressure. “The racing boots are a bit long, which makes shifting inconvenient, and the tires aren’t pure off-road tires, so we tried lowering the tire pressure.”
In the second round, Zhao Hongyi still started in second gear, with slightly lower RPM control. The ground still didn’t offer enough traction. However, after adjusting the tire pressure and gear shifter position following the first round, the entire process went much more smoothly. Zhao Hongyi stayed close to the supercar throughout, with both vehicles nearly crossing the line together. Slow-motion replay showed the Lamborghini leading the KTM motorcycle by one car length to win, finishing in 11.8 seconds, while the KTM motorcycle crossed the line 0.4 seconds behind. Zhao Hongyi said: “It shows that human operation directly affects the result—for example, the timing and speed of gear shifts are crucial.”
Since the ground traction could not be improved, Zhao Hongyi tried starting in third gear in the third round. Although tire spin was significantly reduced, the initial speed also dropped, and the added effect of crosswinds caused the third round to end with the motorcycle still 0.8 seconds behind, crossing the line in 12.4 seconds.
Based on the combined data from the three rounds, the Lamborghini achieved a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 3.7 seconds, while the Red Bull KTM motorcycle recorded 5.1 seconds. Later, Zhao Hongyi also tested the motorcycle on the road, achieving a time of 4.2 seconds, but it still couldn’t beat the Lamborghini.
The KTM off-road motorcycle’s outstanding performance throughout the race and its demonstrated potential and room for improvement—especially in the 0-100 meter acceleration test where the gap between the off-road motorcycle and the Lamborghini was minimal—made the riders feel that this challenge was highly engaging and exploratory. Participating KTM team riders Zhao Hongyi and Zhang Min both stated: “Challenges are full of uncertainties, especially for motorcycles. Weather, road conditions, and on-the-spot handling all introduce variables. This challenge was very interesting and very rewarding.”