We've run across plenty of custom motorcycles in our time, and the goal of many of them is to combine the best features of both sportbikes and cruisers into one machine. The Suzuki Hayabusa is arguably the king of the sportbike, and there is no arguing that Harley-Davidson is the owner of both the custom and cruising crowns. We can imagine combining the two to make a laid-back, yet super-fast custom, but the thought of torturing yourself with the feet-back, forward-lean position forced by a sportbike with clip-ons, combined with the shaky, grunty lump of American V-Twin underneath had eluded us... that is, until we saw the Barley. We kind of like the name "Harley-Busa" better, but nobody asked us for our opinion. If they had, we might have questioned the wisdom of taking this particular route in the ongoing effort of making motorcycle bliss, but now that it's done, it's really not half bad. The original plans for this unholy union called for a turbo, and we think that its inclusion could only improve this machine.
If you want to replicate this offbeat creation, you can get the frame from Maximum Motorcycles, and soon, the body-work in carbon fiber from Tricky Air & Billet. If this doesn't strike you as a marriage worth consummating, though, might we suggest the alternate possibility of owning both a Hayabusa and a Harley? Just a thought.
[Source: Cyril Huze Blog]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MajorGeek @ Feb 19th 2008 7:29PM
Rubber mounts are the norm for years on Harelys reducing the vibration so its not noticeable. S&S and other motor manufacturers also offer rubber mounts now.
Either way, this just goes to show why custom bikes are going downhill. Its ugly and pointless, which is all that is left to be built. All the good ideas were used up a long time ago and attempts to do single sided swingarms and the like are novelty ideas, not reliable.
"combined with the shaky, grunty lump of American V-Twin underneath had eluded us"
Ric Kaysen @ Feb 19th 2008 7:40PM
Like the Chevy SSR that was neither a good pick up truck or sports car, trying to put a big twin motor into a sport frame is an exercise in what the f*ck are you thinking.
chrisdavis @ Feb 20th 2008 12:01PM
In no way is that a sportbike frame. They took the worst of three worlds (harley engine, hardtail custom frame, and 'busa bodywork) and this is what they got.
Ric Kaysen @ Feb 20th 2008 12:35PM
Not only that, but by the looks of it, it's already at its' maximum lean angle.
jstn @ Feb 19th 2008 7:42PM
I'm just wondering when the Suzuki Hayabusa became the "king" of the sport bike?!? Jeremy, are you serious? When i read that sentence I heard my 999 laughing from the garage... KIING????? Come on.........
Rob Roland @ Feb 19th 2008 8:22PM
@jstn:
You obviously missed CycleWorld's review of the Hayabusa vs. the Ninja ZX-14.
http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=13&article_id=407
They refer to the Hayabusa as *still* being the fastest sportbike you can ride.
The only sound you can hear coming from your 999 is the clutch. Or the laughing of the Japanese sportbikers as you wait weeks for parts. If you had a Ducati 1098S, I'd be a little more respectful
(Said from my garage, next to my VFR800)
jstn @ Feb 20th 2008 1:38PM
Hah, the only sound I can hear is my clutch? Rob, you're no comedian... easy guy.
industrial_strength_bard @ Feb 19th 2008 10:07PM
Speaking as an Italian rider ('71 Moto-Guzzi and '06 Vespa GTS), I can attest that just because it's fast does not mean it's the best sportbike.
Take that 'busa up in the Northern Arizona Mt. ranges and then take the 999 and see which one ends up actually going where you point it. The Hayabusa just does not cut that well. It's too big of a bike to really ride hard. You loose more time trying to control the power of the bike and wrestling it on the curve than you gain powering up in the straightaways.
I'll push my Piaggio (Which never happens) before buying a 'Busa.
Now, those new R6's are VERY nice midclass bikes...
Das Boese @ Feb 19th 2008 10:32PM
The problems with a "sporty" custom like this is basically that those who build them don't understand what makes a sportbike a sportbike. There's more to it than just a powerful engine, that's also the reason why the Hayabusa isn't necessarily considered the best sportbike, but obsession with displacement and top speed is the way the Harley folk think.
Let's look at the bike in the article: It has a chopper frame, chopper suspension geometry, chopper motor, chopper wheels, chopper drivetrain and overall standard chopper layout. The only thing remotely related to a sport bike about it is the shape of the seat. No, it's only a variation of the same old V-twin theme, and it will be sold to the same old custom bike crowd.
If I had to have a cruiser and a sportbike, it'd be something small like a LS650 Savage and an Aprilia RS250... big fun comes small packages ;)
pmalik @ Feb 19th 2008 11:36PM
First off hayabusa to sportbike is what cadillac is to a sportscar. Yeah it can be fast, but it completely misses the point. Same goes for stretched swing arms, air suspension (WTF?) or any other ghetto crap people pull nowadays. Sport bikes are supposed to be fast, lean and agile.. not sit low and fat and bounce up and down like an 84 monte carlo on MLK blvd...
RLQ @ Feb 20th 2008 3:26AM
It should used a V-Rod engine.
Guenther @ Feb 20th 2008 9:47AM
Ric- so the R1200S and HP2 Sport are just bad ideas?
Greg @ Feb 20th 2008 10:06AM
Not many people would argue that the Hayabusa is the "king" of sportbikes. It's really more of a sport tourer/ bling machine. As MotorCylist magazine noted when they tested the new Busa on a track, the brakes faded quickly after a couple laps because they were working so hard to slow such a heavy bike. For twisty fast riding the Busa isn't your best option.
But this is just nitpicking language. More importantly, that thing is just ugly. It's a cruiser that takes just a few parts from the Busa, and mostly those parts are non-performance related. Personally I find modifications much more appealing if they make the bike perform better and not just look unique. I can appreciate that some people probably enjoy a bike like this as art, but I value function over form.