You never let people see your cards in the middle of poker hand, right? So why flaunt to the world that your motorcycle is packing serious punch when you can go stealthy black-on-black and keep 'em guessing? We love "sleepers," even though it's difficult for any sporting literbike to qualify for the term. But this Suzuki GSX-R1000, built by the same guys that brought Mat Mladin and Ben Spies an amazing combined 10 AMA Superbike Championships (seven for Mladin, three for Spies), likes to lay low behind all that ebony paint.

The real goodies are hidden inside the engine, while plenty of bolt-on suspension and protective parts round out the build. Inside are Type R cams and a thin head gasket to bump compression. Helping the bike breathe deeply is a BMC race air filter and 8.7-pound Yoshimura R-77 titanium race exhaust system. With an EM Pro engine-management computer controlling everything ignition and fuel, the bike gained 17 horsepower on the Cycle World dyno (176 hp and 78 foot-pounds of torque). Total bill for performance mods: $4605.The chassis received a 17mm-longer shock linkage, Showa kit shock, fork-cap extenders, swingarm-pivot inserts, braided brake lines, Galfer pads, fully adjustable rearsets and Yosh's line of crash protectors. Chassis upgrades tag on another $3900.

End result: Both Associate Editor Mark Cernicky and I consistently lapped California Speedway in Fontana, California, 2 seconds a lap quicker than on a stock GSX-R1000that was mounted with sticky DOT race rubber. Is 2 seconds a lap worth $8500? That's for you to decide. Read the whole story in the November issue of Cycle World; for more information go to www.yoshimuraraceshop.com.