Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

This test was held on a road course designed to simulate various road conditions stretching from tight twisties to long straights. A far cry from a MotoGP circuit or anything remotely close... but this test was to see how they fair on the everday traveled roads, not your next trackday.

The bikes tested are known as the fastest and quickest, best handling bikes on the planet... everything from the GSXR1000,YZF-R1,CBR1000RR,Ducati 999... to the ZX-6R, GSXR750, GSXR600... and even the big boys, the ZX12R and Hayabusa.

Suprisingly, the ZX12R put down the 2nd quickest lap time of the day, besting all the 600's, 750's, 1000's... falling 2.5 seconds behind the K5 GSXR1000. Now I know what you're thinking, "How the hell did the ZX12R beat the R1 and CBR on a road course!?". Well, remember this isn't a GP course... it's designed to test real world riding roads. The Hayabusa coming in at a respectable 8th place behind the GSXR750.

The straight line speed tests favored the big Busa with it besting the ZX12R in the 1/4, 0-100mph, and 40-120mph tests... but fell to the Ninja's top speed (187 vs 182)and mighty brakes which out performed the Busa in a 70-0mph test by nearly 16ft! Around the course, the Busa was over 7 seconds slower than the ZX12R... and put down the slowest time through the twisty section of the course, but was able to make up some ground on the straights.

It would seem the Hayabusa's nearly untouched design after 6 years has stood the test of time and is still a competitive bike, but the single purpose-built design of the Hayabusa that makes it such a monster on the straights cost it dearly in the overall picture. Proving that big power and cc's doesn't get every job done. Lack of ground clearance, mediocre brakes, and heavy handling hurt the Hayabusa around the course, causing it to come in 8th overall.

The ZX12R however followed a different philosophy, combining gobs of top end power with a balanced sporty package that didn't borrow from peter to pay paul. The ZX's brakes, handling, crisp throttle response, and big power all added up to an overall package that was found nearly impossible to beat by any of the bikes with exception to the K5 GSXR1000. So whatever slight performance the Ninja may have given up to the Busa on the straights, it made up for 10 fold everywhere else...helping it earn the No.2 plate amongst the company of the Fastest Bikes on the Planet.

The ZX12R was given the "Very, Very Fast Bike Class" award by Performance Bikes.

(for a picture of the entire course, see the top of page 4)