Like it or not, the New York Yankees are America's team. What better club to represent this country than a group of guys that embody high-dollar excess, lofty dreams and a storied history of success. While the Yankees may not have taken the title this year, they're a perennial big-league powerhouse and set the standard for big-budget badasses.
The same traits that make the Yankees a force to be reckoned with are evident in Suzuki's biggest bruiser. The Hayabusa has a history of power and is at the forefront of the superbike scene year after year. Those qualities made the 2007 Hayabusa a perfect vehicle for Unique Custom Shop to flex its talent and show its love for the Yanks.
With a little creativity and a large dose of personal style, Mike Corbin and Unique Custom Shop set out to build a bike that would show riders everywhere that the little Florida shop is no minor-league benchwarmer. The Yankees-themed bike that UCS put together completely knocked custom sportbike tuning's standard out of the park.
This bitchin' 'Busa, like the Yankees it portrays, has every bit of bling necessary to run at the front of the shiny pack. Co-builder and co-owner of Unique Custom Shop, Mike Corbin, had a goal of "leaving a permanent burnout patch in the streetbike customization world."
With the motivation for more than just a second glance in mind, Unique Custom Shop aimed to create a show-stopper that would not only garner "oohs" and "aahs," but "oh damns."
A big-league ball catcher...
A big-league ball catcher is sewn into the saddle.
Unique Custom Shop stepped up to the plate in an effort to make its vision a reality and fit the 'Busa with every bit of eye candy it could carry. Corbin has been into customs for quite some time, and it was apparent when he explained his motivation for the build: "I've always been fascinated with customs. Custom everything-I just never had the resources to make a move. Choppers and Harleys have been customized for years. They're getting tired, though, and I recognized the wide-open market with sportbikes. The flexibility you have with these things is amazing."
When Corbin isn't lending a hand to Lorenzo and Luis at the shop, he's serving his country as a Naval Officer, stationed at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Orlando, Florida. Having earned his sea legs aboard aircraft carriers and destroyers, whenever he's back on land Corbin tears up the streets, and he knows the 'Busa is the current bad boy and made sense to use as the base for his build.
Showing Yankees love down...
Showing Yankees love down to the very last detail
When it came time to lay a special touch to a stock Hayabusa Corbin immediately knew the direction: "We're Yankees fans, but after opening our eyes to the public, we noticed how many Yankees fans there are down here [in Florida]. Everywhere you go, you see Yankees memorabilia."