Super High Performance bike from Shelby and Rucker

When will India have these bikes on road? I don't think it will happen in my lifetime. We still don't have roads to run such bikes on. We have to be content with our 100-225 cc motorcycles grappling for space on choked city streets. Here is one bike I'd love to ride let us see if and when I will get an opportunity to have a go.

Shelby Automobiles Inc, Texas has teamed up with Rucker Performance, Fort Worth (Texas) to build a limited-production Shelby motorcycle. The bike was introduced at the recent Cincinnati V-Twin Expo.

"It's no secret that stuffing a powerful American motor into a lightweight chassis has been my formula for success," said Shelby, the 84-year-old chief executive of Shelby Automobiles and creator of the Cobra and several hot Mustangs.

Bill Rucker, a creative motorcycle builder who loves performance, definitely took that approach in the pro-stock-style bike.

The all new motorcycle features racing-style front forks, high-performance braking system with ceramic rotors, a Pingel electric shifting system and air-ride suspension. Carbon fibre wheels and upper body, and the other panels are aluminum.

The heart of the bike is the massive fuel-injected 128 cubic-inch twin from S&S rated at 150 horsepower, which is seven more than the Suzuki SX4 sedan. A limited number of 25 motorcycles will be available for purchase by the third quarter of 2008. So if you are looking for a high-performance twin head to Shelby Automobiles.

Back home in India we must be content with a R1 Styled 150 cc Yamaha motorcycle. Hope that will not be a damp squib like the other recent offerings by Yamaha.