• The RF900R has an unusually wide tailpiece, comfortable for pillion passengers.Steve Mason/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  The RF900R is a motorcycle straddling sports and touring styles. The bike -- manufactured by Suzuki from 1994 to 1999 -- has an engine derived from the GSX-R1100, and unique body features. Visual identifiers include massive vents on the side exterior plastic bodywork, with a large brake light and an extremely wide tailpiece, comfortable for pillion passengers but off-putting to riders who liked their bikes sleek. The 1997 version also had a silver-painted frame.
  
  

Engine

• The 1997 RF900R had a 938-cubic centimeter or 57.24-cubic inch engine, with four cylinders arranged in a line and four valves per cylinder.
  
  The bike is four stroke, which means the pistons take four strokes to complete an engine cycle, and it is liquid-cooled. The engine has a double overhead cam configuration; the intake and exhaust valves have their own camshaft operating the valves directly, without use of a push-rod. The ignition is electronically controlled.
  
  The engine produces 135 horsepower -- a unit of power equal to 550 foot-pounds per second -- and a torque of 75.2 foot pounds at 9,000 revolutions per minute. Torque is the turning force produced by the engine acting on the drive system and rpm is the amount of complete engine revolutions performed in a minute.
  
  

Transmission, Chassis and Brakes

• The RF900R has a chain final drive system, which means the power from the engine turns a chain that turns the rear wheel and moves the bike. The transmission has five manual speeds.
  
  The RF900Rs have a steel frame, and the post-1995 versions had adjustable suspensions in the front and rear.
  
  The front brake on the RF900R is a dual disc and the rear brake is a single disc. Disc brakes are fixed metal discs attached to the wheels whose spin is slowed by pressing a pad on the disc and creating friction.
  
  

Dimensions and Performance

• The bike is 83.9 inches in length, 28.7 inches in width and 46.1 inches in height. The seat is at a height of 31.7 inches. The bike's wheelbase is 56.7 inches and there is 4.5 inches of ground clearance. The bike weighs about 450 pounds.
  
  The 1997 RF900R can get from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds and has a top speed of 165 mph.