When the technician wheeled the ’Busa out of its bay up at Suzuki HQ I was surprised at how sharp it still looked. The snout and first foot of fairing still looks current. Decent looking suspension and a set of Brembo brakes also made the next two weeks promising, and whatever out-dated notion I had of the almost extinct bike happily evaporated into the ether.
There’s a lot to love here – perhaps too much…
It soon condensed again with the appearance of the second half of the bike, whose rounded form and clumsy styling sit at odds with the front of the bike – this despite the Yoshi’ cans of the Z model. I’ve lived with this bike for a year, and though fond of it, never grew to love its looks. I know that’s anathema to ’Busa fans, but to me it’s a bike that’s long, low and not particularly lean. Blinging one up and buying in a swingarm the length of a small state, they look good in a rap video, but that’s about it to me – although saying this, the ZZR is no oil painting, either.