Sport Rider Photos
The NRC wind tunnel uses a 2000 horsepower DC motor to generate the airflow that blows past the bike, which is mounted on a balance to measure drag. Smoke created by burning a vegetable-based oil helps trace the air currents around the bike and rider. We expected the Hayabusa (bottom) and ZX-12R (top) to have similar aerodynamic efficiency, but the Suzuki proved markedly superior, indicating why it needs less power to go faster than the ZX-12R.
Suzuki Hayabusa Front Left View