Power to weight, and good suspension are everything in the insane world of sports bikes. The Yamaha R1 is very much up there in the insanity stakes but, just because it's a fast bike, it doesn't mean it's the best option when it comes to an engine swap into a Mini. There are several bigger bikes that may not be as nimble as the R1 but boy do they pack a punch. The Suzuki Hayabusa (falcon) is one such brutal machine. In fact it was the world's fastest production motorbike of the 20th century with a top speed of 194mph. Neil Butler has owned a Suzuki Hayabusa so, when he bought himself a project Mini with an early Yamaha R1 Z Car conversion, he had an idea of the direction he wanted to take it but, sensibly, he did his homework first. "They are renowned to be good, strong engines," explains Neil. Z Cars has gone through a rather interesting history. After founder Chris Allanson stepped aside to follow other business opportunities the business was taken over but wasn't as successful as had been hoped. Z Cars is trading again now under the ownership of David Rose who moved the company, from Hull to Ashford in Kent, and has re-developed the kits that Chris initially designed.
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