RideFast JUNE 2021

The media-reported value for the speed agreement in miles per
hour was consistently 186 mph, while in kilometers per hour it
varied from 299 to 303 km/h, which is typical given unit conversion
rounding errors. This figure may also be affected by a
number of external factors, as can the power and torque values.
Bike SA’s Simon Fourie flew the very first ‘Busa into SA and it
blew all of our collective minds. I still remember the heading for
that feature – “A quantum leap forward in big bike technology”.
And there was no better way to describe it. This guy got to take
it home and proceeded to take it as fast as it would go on the
Witbank freeway.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Fourie went on to modify his bike – TG fitted a 1600cc kit and
there followed another headline – in True SA magazine style:
“Bike SA’s 16000 (Sixteen thousand) Hayabusa” – That’s not a
dig, we do it all the time!
Man it was funny and readers were not surprised that we
enjoyed the bike so much.
In the standard bike class, Kawasaki, however was game.
Remember - they also knew what it was like to be king of the hill
with their mighty ZZR1100. A short time after Zuk dropped the
bomb, there followed the ZX 12.
Locally the race was on with tuning shops trying to get the bikes
faster and faster. At that time guys like TG services and KCR
were the ‘Busa Specialists, While Bear engineering, Clubhouse
Motorcycles and guys like Quinton focused on the Kawi.
And the competition was so fierce, all culminating in 2003 at
a drag meet at Tarlton when world champ drag racer Rickey
Gadson came out on his 12 and raced against a very young
Fransie Engelbrecht.
It was Kawasaki vs Suzuki and on the day and the Suzuki built
by KCR took the crown.
Man – it was incredible – after that race there was so much
controversy, accusations of cheating – you name it – all the good
stuff that brands need to get bikes selling.
And they sold like crazy every single South African wanted to
have bragging rights!
60 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2021