straights . The other lets you set an absolute top speed the bike won ’ t exceed , which works well for setting an upper limit for twisty road fun . Accelerate as fast as you like , and the bike cuts your speed to whatever you set , say , 120km / h , great for not going too far over the limit . This mode is like having your cake and eating it – go fast , keep your licence . The Lewis is another road that suits the ‘ busa . Sweeping , uppy , downy , tight , wide open , there ’ s a bit of everything . Leaving the bike in fourth lets the astonishingly flexible motor tackle everything , just wind the throttle on and off to accelerate as fast or slow as you want . Sure , you can dance on the gears , where you ’ ll find it accelerates exceedingly quickly from 4000rpm in 5th gear . 6th gear from 4000rpm is more than really needed to overtake things quickly . From 5000rpm in third it ’ s super quick . Above 8000rpm it ’ s blistering . But it doesn ’ t have the frantic edge of a sports 1000 , the 1300c motor just produces a tidal wave of way I ’ m used to . It doesn ’ t last long though , as the road from Oxford to Okuku has some great twists and crests that are easy on the ‘ busa . Staying with friends , we stand outside sipping beers in the sunset , taking in the Hayabusa ’ s bulk . He ’ s an adventure rider too , the Hayabusa isn ’ t his thing , but we both love the solid looks at the front end ; poised , muscular , aggressive and meaningful .
DAY FIVE Okuku to Nelson 527km The plan is to swiftly sweep through the Lewis Pass towards home . It ’ s another cold start , but the forecast is dry and my Ixon heated gloves are set to keep my hands at a constant 19-degrees , which should see them last the whole day . With hours and hours in the saddle each day I ’ ve played with all the settings , and found there are two cruise control modes . One is traditional cruise control , sitting the bike at a preset speed , perfect for motorways or Otago ’ s huge
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