Autoblog

Anybody who's ever strapped themselves into a shifter-kart can attest to the fact that they are one of the most exhilarating rides available, and their capabilities are much higher than first expected. That being the case, when swapping the 125cc engine from the go kart with a 1300cc engine from a Suzuki Hayabusa, the resulting machine is nothing if not overpowered. A small blip of the throttle induces massive tire spin and power-slides are available at a moment's notice, possibly less. To handle the power-infusion, the frame was suitably strengthened and elongated with plenty of square-section tubing. We're not so sure that we'd have built this machine in the first place, but now that it's done, we really wish we could get a chance in the drivers seat. Follow along after the break for a video of the machine in action.

[Source: Kart Hayabusa via Jalopnik]

Click on the image above to enlarge

There are few thrills in motorcycling that compare with the sensation of pinning the throttle wide-open on a liter-class sportbike and hanging on for dear life. Of course, there are also a few inherent problems with this operation, though, and one of them is losing control. Another is the cost of replacement body parts (those of the bike, not yours!). And so the streetfighter was born, with owners of sportbikes choosing to remove their damaged plastic bodywork instead of replacing it. As with many trends, a small but fanatical industry has sprouted up to offer ready-made bikes which mimic the streetfighter look. The Suzuki Hayabusa is a prime candidate to get the streetfighter treatment, and BFO Motorcycles has decided to offer a limited run of 100 frame kits for the Japanese falcon-bike. Oddly, the kit also will include a carbon-fiber fairing, making it a true streetfighter in name only. Regardless of what BFO considers this bike, we think that the rendering looks awesome and we can't wait to see one of these in the real world.

[Source: BFO Motorcycles via Motorcycle News]

The Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the fastest things I have ever seen in motion. A friend riding his was in front of me once at a stop, and the road ahead of him was long, straight, and wide open. The only way to describe how it looked from my car was "Millenium Falcon makes the jump to hyperspace." And to think, his was only mildly tuned.

The 'Busa's 1300cc engine is strong enough to see duty in cars, too. The Westfield Megabusa immediately leaps to mind, and the German Car Blog has tipped us off to another example of Hayabusa-powered four-wheeled fun courtesy of the madmen at H.R. Engineering in Essex.

These guys have taken a Mk1 VW Golf, converted it to rear-wheel-drive, and dropped a turbocharged, 350-horsepower Hayabusa mill under the hood. It looks like a ton of fun, sounds completely evil, and its acceleration is, well... rather brisk, as you'll see in the pair of vids embedded after the jump.

Chewy... PUNCH IT!

[Source: H.R. Engineering, YouTube via German Car Blog]