As a teenager, I use to tune and service the neighborhood's motorcycles, while my own would be stripped and tuned every Thursday for a Friday race after school. Later I worked for Mercedes Benz as an Automotive Engineer, they payed for college and I did all the right things in life, stopped riding motorcycles, graduated, got married and so forth.

Much later in life, I use to sometimes dream that my last sold bike was actually still in my garage and I would take it for a spin, flying around the corners with adrenalin pumping, only to wake up thinking, wouldn't that be nice.

When the first Hayabusa was introduced in 1999, I wanted one, but with a busy career and too many hobbies, I only became an interested observer. With an automotive background the technology always fascinated me, however a loving wife had a few teardrops whenever I suggested getting back into motorcycles.

Then came the Gen II and in January 09, another of those dreams where I rode my old motorcycle was just too much, the following day my brand new Hayabusa found it's new home.

It was a long time since I have been on a bike, and you could not get nearly close to 200hp stock between your legs back then. The Hayabusa comes with a power selector, "A" being full speed, "C" being wimp mode with a "B" somewhere in between. So, for my first ride I switched into "C" and off we went.

Once the bike gets rolling, it is extremely agile and it is the most stable machine I have ever ridden. Cornering is as good as it gets with a sport bike, however the extra weight compared to a track bike would be heavy on tires. The bike stays well composed in a corner though and a Busa can lean down a long way. For me personally, the riding position fits like a glove, although some complain about leaning forward in the sport bike position.

Suzuki true to form, produced a bike way ahead of it's time ten years ago and the Gen II is the same machine, needing only a few small refinements to maintain it's ten year lead as the fastest and most popular sport tourer off the production line. Today, it is no longer about who builds the fastest bike, it is about who has the skills to be the fastest rider. Through the bike's ECU, riding through the gears, Suzuki has given the rider as much power as they believe the expert rider will be able to handle, while 6th gear has full power, with the top speed restricted at 300 km/h.

During my first attempt on a section of bumpy private road, I went full throttle in 6th gear at around 70mph. In top gear, this machine accelerated so fast, that by the time I got to 130mph, holding on became a bit scary for a new rider, due to the immense acceleration. (Bumpy road). So, at 130mph I closed the throttle to somewhere midway through it's range and by the time my brain processed all this information, I glanced at the speedometer and I was doing 161mph. Time for brakes and they work as good as it gets.

Finally, I will quote a dear friend, lost recently: "Five minutes on a bike like this, is more than most people will experience in a lifetime."

Besides being a wonderful piece of machinery, developed through decades of technical excellence and made available to an affordable market, through modern productive manufacturing, the Hayabusa has a special following. In the US there is a special group of riders who participate in events and a great forum. The one thing they all have in common is their love for this machine. The after-market support for this machine is also excellent for those who want to modify and make it their own.

Kawasaki makes a ZX14 which is the Busa's competitor. Sadly, it is not as well supported in sales, after market accessories and dedicated rider groups.