How do you improve the design of a machine which was so far ahead of its time when it was initially released that it basically remained unchanged for 8 years? In the late model performance motorcycle world, this is simply unheard of. Most new models have a ‘shelf life’ of about two years before they are revamped to make the previous version appear obsolete, undesirable and, well, OLD?!
The Hayabusa was no joke when it hit the showroom floors in its bold copper color in 1999 and still packs a serious punch with the “go fast” crowd as unit sales records were eclipsed yearly up to 2006. A year in which the unlimited sport king outsold the fierce new ZX-14 two to one…how did they do it?
The engineers at Suzuki had a tough job simply redesigning a bike that was/is so close to perfection, and now they have a tougher job in proving to the drag-race world that they actually built a better bike instead of a BNG (Bold New Graphics) version. Why purchase a new bike if you aren’t really getting much more than your current ride?
This is where Scott Valetti and I enter the picture. We will be asking tough questions of the engineers, and then testing the bikes for ourselves as we report directly from the Hayabusa World Press Introduction this Wednesday, September 19th through Friday, September 21st 2007.
I will be testing the 2008 Busa on the drag strip and road race track, and Scott will be reporting on street manners. We will be bringing you information as time allows during the introduction followed by a ‘Diary-Style’ series in October and November as we unravel the performance potential of Suzuki’s new killer.
- Brock and Scott
