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distance touring, yet nimble Speed Demon something special. With only 200
enough for city rides. The Tiger units produced worldwide, it was as
800 took me on incredible After some intense searching, I exclusive as it gets. The power from
found a Gen 2 Suzuki Hayabusa
adventures, and I can safely say in pristine condition at a the 800cc triple was explosive, and it
that it was one of the most would launch itself into a wheelie at
enjoyable motorcycles I've ever reasonable price. I swapped it the slightest twist of the throttle. The
with my Triumph Tiger, and the
owned. sound, the feel, the experience—it
Hayabusa instantly became a
However, things were about to get game-changer. The sheer power was intoxicating.
even more interesting. of the Busa, the way it surged The MV Agusta became my pride and
The Floodgates Open: The forward without effort, was joy, and I treated it with the utmost
beyond anything I had ever care. It was the most refined and raw
experienced. Despite its size and bike in my collection, and the
weight, it handled corners experience of riding it was unlike
surprisingly well, and I was able to anything I had encountered before.
ride it comfortably even on long
trips. The Busa became my go-to
bike for long-distance touring, and
the 299 km/h top-speed limiter
was just the icing on the cake.
Yamaha R6 and the Bug for The ZX-14R came into the picture
Sportbikes shortly after, and I took another
The day I bought the Triumph trip to Kochi to pick it up. The
Tiger wasn't the end of my battle between the Busa and the
journey, it was just the beginning. ZX-14R was something I had
A friend offered me a mint- been eagerly anticipating. Both The Harley Lowrider S: The
condition 2000 Yamaha R6, and it bikes were built for insane Final Addition
was too good to resist. This little speeds, but they each had their No collection of bikes would be
b e a u t y h a d o n l y 2 0 , 0 0 0 own unique flavor. The Busa felt complete without a Harley, right?
kilometers on the clock and was a more like a heavyweight cruiser in Enter the Harley-Davidson Lowrider
true gem. The Yamaha R6—light, its power delivery, while the ZX- S. This wasn't just any Harley—it was
nimble, and screaming to the 14R had the finesse of a a muscle bike with a vengeance. With
heavens at 15,500 RPM—was a supersport with an endless upside-down forks, twin front discs,
perfect complement to my powerband. I loved them both, but and a massive V-twin engine, the
growing collection. I had never the Busa became my favored Lowrider S was built for speed,
owned a pure sportbike like this machine for long-haul rides. stability, and comfort. It became my
before, and it reignited my favorite Harley in the garage, a
passion for speed and agility. perfect balance of power and
Suddenly, the idea of having composure at any speed. I had ridden
multiple bikes in the garage didn't nearly every type of Harley
seem so crazy. The Japanese imaginable, but the Lowrider S stood
sportbike bug had bitten me. If a out as the sportiest of them all.
600cc could provide this much The Final Count:
thrill, what would a Hayabusa or
ZX-14R feel like? I was on the Seven Bikes in My Garage
hunt for a new toy. And that's how, in the span of a
couple of years, I ended up with
Enter the Hayabusa: The
seven motorcycles. Each one offers
The Naked Beast: The Speed something unique, and I find myself
Triple and MV Agusta riding all of them regularly.
Next up was the Triumph Speed The ZX-14R, Hayabusa, Speed
Triple 1050, an absolute hooligan of a Triple, MV Agusta, Harley Lowrider
naked bike that just screamed fun. It S, Triumph Tiger, and Yamaha
was an agile, flickable machine, and R6—all of them have their own place
the triple engine offered a unique in my heart. They each bring
sound that set it apart from anything something different to the table,
else in my garage. The MV Agusta whether it's blistering speed,
Dragster RR followed soon after. A comfort, cornering prowess, or just
true Italian exotic, this bike was the sheer thrill of the ride.
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LHR Motorcycle Magazine Issue 09 January 2025
