Super Streetbike Cover Story

Less than a year after the GSX-R was introduced to the public in 1985, the first Limited Edition Gixxer entered the fray. While visiting Yoshimura R&D we spied on Dave Waugh's mint 1986 GSX-R750 LE (seen here) parked near the dyno room. A total of 199 Limited Edition GSX-Rs made it into the United States in 1986 to satisfy AMA's Superbike requirements as a production bike. A close-ratio 6-speed with dry clutch, a blue solo seat race tail with quick-release fasteners, electronically activated anti-dive fork, 1100-derived suspension components, special LE graphics and blue wheels set it apart from the the standard model. Waugh purchased this highly sought-after collector's bike from Yoshimura's iconic engine builder "Matsu" Matsuzawa. It only had 400 miles on it at the time but already sported a custom Matsu-fabricated Yoshimura exhaust and a few other racing engine tweaks. These Limiteds were available through Suzuki dealers but, due to its price point, not many chased them down and put them on the showroom floor. "Most of the 199 ended up being raced and crashed," said Waugh. "A handful went to Europe, Canada and Japan, and the few that made it onto the streets here were a huge target for motorcycle thieves back in the day because the special transmission and dry clutch setup were in such high demand."

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Not everything is faked in Hollywood as attested by the men and women who make a career risking their lives within cars and on bikes for the sake of getting the shot. Tom McComas is one such stuntman who has put it all on the line for such productions as Top Gear USA, Sons of Anarchy, The Dark Knight, Fast Five and Gangster Squad. His resume is long and filled with crazy stunt stories so we caught up with him for insight on what it is like to crash for a living.

When it's time to upgrade or purchase a new motorcycle, most look for speed, handling, the latest tech and jaw-dropping sex appeal. A select few look for adjustability, future expansion and tuning essentials. Mark Rhodes falls in the latter category. Being an avionics expert with 39 years of riding experience, his attention to detail makes sense. "I did the research and bought this bike new. And out of all the GSX-Rs I've owned, the 2011 750 is the best," said Rhodes. "I love, the confidence-inspiring handling and smooth power delivery, which allowed me to hang with the fastest in the Southern California canyons."

When AXO gear hit the scene in 1978, its first boot was designed to do it in the dirt, appropriately coming from the boot-shaped country of Italy. Success in the MX market spurred the idea to swap out the double 'S' for the letter 'X' in the Italian word "asso," which means ace, or champion. Motocross superstars like Bob "Hurricane" Hannah and Jeff Ward were among those who put AXO on the podium during the company's early days. Says AXO Sport President Alessandra Zago, "Since AXO was founded, we've felt this name is modern yet aggressive at the same time. It is a name that will never sound anachronistic or outdated." Another interesting use of the name takes place whenever they refer to their champions as "AXOlutely fantastic" derived from the Italian words "assolutamente fantastico."AXO first used the phrase in the La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy's sports newspaper) when Loris Capirossi won the 250cc MotoGP Championship in 1998.

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Deciphering a company acronym is usually not that difficult, but figuring out what the “EK” of EK Chain means will require a brief course in Japanese language and geography. When Yoshimasa Sato started the company in 1941, his place of residence at the time was in Japan’s old region of Enuma. The factory’s “Kikai”, or machinery, produced nothing but bicycle and industrial chain all the way up until motorcycles became the country’s main form of transportation. By then, EK was firmly established as a performance chain maker, having developed the first seal chain for Kawasaki during the 1970s. Although the region of Enuma was abolished in 2005 by the merger of two larger cities (Kaga and Yamanaka), EK will always stand for Mr. Sato’s Kikai/machinery company from the region of Enuma.

When recording HD vid from your bike, even the best camera cannot overcome shake or obstructed views from poor camera placement, mounting or settings. For this 10 Minutes, we went straight to GoPro’s go-to guy, Wes Nobles, who has tested and experimented with his company’s product on his classic Suzuki TL1000. This is what he had to say:

Pearl paints are more popular today than ever. The ingredients, however, have changed since the original Murano pearl hit the custom car scene during the 1950s. Back then, a Murano job was the “in” thing to have. It’s the original pearl that started it all and there hasn’t been anything quite like it since. House of Kolor founder Jon Kosmoski saw his first jar of Murano sitting on a shelf in George Barris’ shop in 1957 and would eventually buy out the last 200 jars in existence some 20 years later when a lead paint ban came into effect.

As a police officer, Mike Smith is all too familiar with “assume the position,” although in this scenario the position assumed is flat out on Smith’s race-spec drag ‘Busa. His childhood buddy, who owned a custom shop and indulged in drag racing, talked him into building a bike. So it was a no-brainer that Smith’s bike would be a shaker and mover. “I grew up with Jamie Hendricks and Joe Mulhern of Midwest Cycle Concepts. Jamie had lots of leftover racing parts, and he talked me into building a bike to have some fun at the drag strip,” said Smith.

Anytime we hear of easy bolt-on horsepower, our Mythbuster feelers go out faster than a fat kid in dodgeball. When an owner of a 2009 Yamaha R1 boasted that he’d picked up 3 horsepower simply by switching to a Pure Power! lifetime oil filter, we had to investigate. Pure Power! manufactures high-performance mineral-based lubricants and fuel additives in addition to its cleanable and reusable oil filters. From a purely economical standpoint, doling out the one-time investment for a high-quality lifetime oil filter can be a wise investment over the long haul if you plan to trip the 50,000-mile mark with 3,000-mile oil change intervals or regularly race. With the average MSRP of a premium disposable oil filter at $14 and a $2 disposal fee (for the environmentally responsible riders), the margin of savings is less than $100. And let’s face it, the majority of sportbike owners don’t stay married to their rides for that long. But there must be other benefits of a lifetime product.

It has been a few years since a track has been built that could accommodate the current race-spec machines of motorcycle racing. Amazing tracks like Mazda Raceway (Laguna Seca) and the Indy Oval had their time in glory, but a new king is in town. Located in Austin, TX, Circuit of the Americas (COTA), designed by Hermann Tilke, has arrived as one of the premier race venues in North America. Being a Grade 1 track, it can withstand the rigors of Formula 1 and MotoGP along with other world-renowned racing series. This place was built to rival any one of the ultimate go-fast facilities found in motorsports, so SSB went in for a closer look.

Model: Amber Grace

Art, by definition, is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Abstract art pushes that expression to the verge of enlightenment for some and the feeling of “what the f***” for others. No artist was ever remembered for sticking to the ordinary. Nope, we recall the ones who pushed the envelope. Whether you loved it, hated it or simply didn’t get it, the object of fascination was so captivating it stopped you in your tracks. This bike does that. Some will appreciate it, others will not.

In the automotive world, specialty vehicles are the preeminent showroom floor purchase for an all-around package that takes a manufacturer’s already potent performance marque and turns it into a quasicustom upgraded version that hits the target market with pinpoint accuracy. Cars like the Roush Fords, SLP Chevrolets and the most notable of all, Shelby Mustangs, are proof that a joint venture between vehicle manufacturer and an aftermarket performance company can deliver a better, more unique package with more to offer than just a set of decals. The idea is the buyer receives a tuned-up and headache-free ride that is ready to be romped on right out of the box at a financeable and warranty-backed price.

MODELS: Brianna Kiser, Kelsey Rogers, Heidi Benoit

Personal doubt. Naysayers. Procrastination. These are things that keep us from reaching our goals and completing dream projects. Adam Taylor ignored those things, picked up the tools and created a 2010 Buell XB12SCG Lightning unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

Wouldn’t you love to take a MotoGP bike or World Superbike around the track for a few laps? Better yet, what about the ability to ride it on the street? Ben Rumsey wanted such a bike for the street and track but debated whether to go all-out on his bike or upgrade to a new motorcycle. At 41 years old, Rumsey has ridden for most of his life and worked hard to do so. “I left home at 16 and started working in kitchens. I’ve worked nonstop apart from occasional recovery from injury. And apart from a couple of loans early on, I’ve saved to buy every bike and part. I’ve had something like 25 bikes, usually a cheap commuter and a nice sportsbike at the same time. I’ve had five GSX-Rs, three R1s, three Fireblades, one ZX-RR and a lovely little NSR MC28 with an HRC kit. I’ve never been much into cars. I’ve been riding 24/7/365 for 24 years,” explained Rumsey.

Forget what your mom said about beauty being on the inside. What's the first thing that catches your eye when a bike rides by? Chances are it's the bodywork. You hear the exhaust, see the rider, but look to the plastics to decipher what's in front of you. When talking visual appeal, nothing makes more of a difference than the look of the fairings. Naked bikes aside, bodywork styling drives the theme of any machine. We're not talking stock here though. High-quality custom paint jobs have long been held in the highest regard. But more affordable options that return debatably similar results are now available. A well thought out design, whether it be sprayed or stuck across the bodywork, dictates the first impression a bike receives. Case in point: Quinton Stansfield's airbrushed Fireblade. It has a universal appeal that even non-bikenuts can appreciate, and not because of a lengthy motor or suspension mod list. But rather, the simplicity of a custom design strewn across the body complemented by color coordinated bolt-on bits was all it took.

Daytona has been synonymous with speed since the early 20th Century. It was the first place to go for speed records and when Daytona International Speedway opened in '59, it was the fastest track for years. Triumph began winning at DIS in the '60s, and with Daytona 200 wins by Triumph riders Don Burnett in '62, Buddy Elmore in '66 and Gary Nixon in '67, Triumph became the must-have bike. The first time the Daytona model name appeared on a Triumph sportbike was in 1990-91 when Triumph head John Bloor introduced its first new motorcycles after rescuing the company from bankruptcy. The Daytona name has been in Triumph's line-up ever since the original 750, evolving through several engine sizes to its current 675cc displacement.

Most of us are familiar enough with "Yosh" to give it this shortened label, but "Pops" is the actual nickname of the man who started the Yoshimura family business in Japan nearly 60 years ago. Working on any vehicle with a combustion engine, Hideo Yoshimura, an airplane mechanic by trade, gained notoriety for his work and modifications on the motorcycles of U.S. servicemen who were stationed in Japan. As business flourished, Pops had his sights set on racing in the U.S., and eventually opened Yoshimura Research and Development in 1971. Yoshimura's early racing ties were with Kawasaki motorcycles, and although the Yoshimura-built bikes achieved moderate success, victory eluded the team. It wasn't until 1978 when Pops switched over to Suzuki, that a company-built bike would take the first Daytona Superbike win. Team Yosh went on to take all three Daytona podium spots in '79, an AMA Superbike first.

Whether you're building a bike or buying a new one, gauging trends is what keeps you a step ahead of the average guy. Naked bikes and streetfighters certainly aren't new but their popularity has been spiking our meter lately thanks to some sick custom builds and KTM's latest naked concept, the wild 1290 Super Duke R Prototype unveiled last year. The possibility of throwing a leg over a production model someday depends largely on the U.S. reaction, which KTM is closely monitoring. So why are naked bikes and streetfighters so popular in Europe but not in the states, and how does KTM plan to bring that interest to the U.S.? We took that question to KTM VP of Marketing, Florian Burguet, for his take and here's what he said:

Used bike buying horror stories run rampant. This became very evident after reading through an SSB Facebook comment thread that asked, “Who’s had a bad experience purchasing a used and modified bike from a dealer?” There weren’t just a few responses but many from riders all over the world. Back in the day, I too almost got taken for a used bike being sold as “ready to go.” It was so jenky it would’ve been a crime of idiocy to take it above 30 MPH. It dribbled oil, second gear stuck and the forks were tweaked. Nonetheless, it was a streetbike and I had just gotten an M1 license. Luckily, friends talked me out of that one.

We know what youre thinking, so well go ahead and curb all doubts. The elaborate artwork blanketing this ZX-14 isnt vinyl or even a cutting-edge sticker. Instead, the intricate artwork is completely hand-painted and required more than 200 hours to craft. For those counting, thats more than a month of workweeks. and all those hours were completed in a few short weeks.