A motorcycle riding drummer/singer (not all at the same time) and professional pilot.
Flying isn'...
A motorcycle riding drummer/singer (not all at the same time) and professional pilot.
Flying isn't dangerous - crashing is what's dangerous
Member since:02.03.2004
Reviews:4
First off, I'm a Ducati rider. But that doesn't mean that I'm blind to all other bikes - although the Hayabusa design is definitely an offense to the optical nerve.
It's an enormous blob, and no mistake; parked next to my Duke it's like Roseanne Barr meeting Naomi Campbell. I circle the beast warily before throwing a leg over it (the 'Busa, not Roseanne).
The seat is plush, but my little legs have a hard time reaching the ground. No big surprise, there then. I comfort myself with the thought that low speed paddling is probably going to amuse any onlookers, so at least I'm doing my bit to keep people smiling. I turn the key and thumb the start button, and the monster 1300 fires up with about as much fuss as a CD-ROM drive. Same sound too.
I fasten my helmet strap, snick the whale into first, and pull out of the driveway. The plan for today is to ride around the Amalfi coast road, a wonderful array of twisty bits that hug the Italian coastline south of Naples.
The Suzuki purrs along, and the weight appears to drop off as the revs rise. Before long we're on the autostrada leading to the coast, and the Bus is howling along at some illegal speed without any bother at all, thank you. The real test will come in the bends, but at the moment, she's a very enjoyable ride, smooth, comfortable, and effortless.
A single flash of the phaser beam masquerading as a headlight sends the odd dawdling car scuttling for the middle lane when the bulk of the Suzi appears in the wing mirror, and we reach the coast road with no troubles. Now for some serious scratching...
Now this is a revelation. The damn thing actually goes around corners! I expected this bike to be another evil-handling rocketship, with cornering being an "optional" accessory, but no - despit its weight and length, she tips willingly into the curve and holds a line admirably. Mid corner wind ons are rewarded by a seamless wedge of torque that propels you forward to a rising wail from the quiet cans. I'm having (looks around to see if there are any witnesses) bloody good fun!
The Suzuki engineers have done a good job of reducing unsprung weight, but mess up your braking and you'll be in the shrubbery. The Hayabusa's speed is deceiving. There's no Ducati thunder telling you that its time to start thinking of grabbing a fistful before going from vertical to less than vertical. And that's how I found myself hooning into a corner at about 20 mph more than I needed to be...
Hanging off like a manic baboon, I grounded a fairing lower and the bottom of a can, but the warp speed whale behaved like a lady and kept us together - and that's very impressive.
I really enjoyed my day with the Suzuki. She's a whole different kettle of fish, and even though the weight is excessive and the buffeting from over the fairing is quite severe despite Suzuki claiming that the bodywork was sculpted in a wind tunnel, they were the only faults I could find with her.
A word of warning. This bike is very rapid, and she hasn't got the razorlike handling capabilities of a sportsbike, so BE CAREFUL in the twisty bits of your travel itinerary. Other than that, take her out, thrash her, and avoid parking her next to the GSXR or a Ducati so you wont be upset by the fat girl jokes.
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everyone has thir own tastes, one persons ugly is another ones beautifull. your review lacked the actauly spec of the bike. You focused too much on it being "ugly" which by the way i whole heartedly dissagree with.
Mynti 02.03.2004 22:41
You've got the roads to enjoy this out in Italy. You are right though, the @busa won't win any beauty contests. Dx
Mar 2nd, 2004
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