So, I'm wondering where all this is going. Human reaction time, known suspension designs, and tire technology can't hack much more area under the torque curve, and more top speed is just silly. Maybe the technology will improve, who knows. But not so long ago (before '99) there was the mighty ZX, the GSXR, etc. all of them taking sideways stabs at being the brick house, the mighty-mighty, ass-kicking sport bike. Some could handle, some were fast, some were pretty.
But then Suzuki said: "Mmmm...not quite, fellas. More like this."
And there it was. And it made some go
and some others go
and still some others thinking
, etc.
That war is won -- and over. The manufacturers are facing real limits that are not about engines -- hyper speed stability and handling, wind resistance vs. ergonomics, road-holding with head-splitting torque, etc. IOW, maybe we're there. I mean, it's like an eerie silence, like riding to work at 5am on a fall morning. Though a few have made vain attempts, most manufacturers I suspect just don't care about this segment. The big BB. The dreadnaught.
Now they're after replicas and road courses, and gimmicky, purpose-built sport-tourers.
In ten years, then, there will be nothing like the 'Busa being built, because nobody will seem to want it (Suzuki might actually build the bike still, but only because the tooling's already paid for).
But then, in twenty years, they're gonna look back and wonder...
...What was that freak of nature that gave my CBR an ass-beating back in '03? Maybe I could find one of those.
<!--EDIT|mcoyote
Reason for Edit: None given...|1094100700 -->
But then Suzuki said: "Mmmm...not quite, fellas. More like this."
And there it was. And it made some go
That war is won -- and over. The manufacturers are facing real limits that are not about engines -- hyper speed stability and handling, wind resistance vs. ergonomics, road-holding with head-splitting torque, etc. IOW, maybe we're there. I mean, it's like an eerie silence, like riding to work at 5am on a fall morning. Though a few have made vain attempts, most manufacturers I suspect just don't care about this segment. The big BB. The dreadnaught.
Now they're after replicas and road courses, and gimmicky, purpose-built sport-tourers.
In ten years, then, there will be nothing like the 'Busa being built, because nobody will seem to want it (Suzuki might actually build the bike still, but only because the tooling's already paid for).
But then, in twenty years, they're gonna look back and wonder...
...What was that freak of nature that gave my CBR an ass-beating back in '03? Maybe I could find one of those.
<!--EDIT|mcoyote
Reason for Edit: None given...|1094100700 -->
