To motorcyclists though, the word Hayabusa represents something even faster and more special.
1340cc of Suzuki performance the likes of which had never been seen before its 1998 inception - and to this day still hasn’t been equalled. Sure, a couple of bikes might give the Hayabusa a nudge on the dyno (for outright horsepower) but out on the road nothing comes close to the unadulterated joy that a Hayabusa’s right twist grip can bring.
The Suzuki Hayabusa really has to be experienced to be appreciated. Quite simply, there is nothing else like it. The fuel injection response is impeccable and the engine never seems to be working hard.
In fact I don’t really know why Suzuki bothers with fitting a gearbox. It doesn’t matter what gear you are in or what revs are showing on the tachometer, effortless acceleration on the Hayabusa is only a twitch of the wrist away.
The tight series of hairpin bends and 15km/h sign-posted switchbacks that climb to the peak of Mount Buller is a litmus test for the flexibility of any engine. I traversed the whole route in third gear while carrying a pillion and still made satisfying progress.
The Suzuki Hayabusa must have made me look like a criminal though as on the way back down I was breath tested twice and also drug tested just for good measure. I am all for getting drunks off the road but removing my helmet twice in the space of a few kilometres on a nice sunny afternoon did start to get tiring!
In all-out attack mode the Suzuki Hayabusa's engine is equally impressive but also a little deceptive.
The drive is so seamless it makes the top-end power delivery perhaps not quite as exciting as a litre class sportsbike.
It feels tame enough for your granny to ride it to the shops. That’s some achievement for a bike that makes more power than Mick Doohan could have dreamed about when he was racing Grand Prix.
And the Suzuki Hayabusa does it smooth as silk while consuming only six litres per 100km in cruise mode. Find something on four wheels that can cover a standing quarter mile (400 metres) in nine seconds with ease time after time and then take you home with small-car-like fuel economy.
Yes, the Hayabusa is a danger to your licence but then again so is everything in this day and age of draconian law enforcement. Maybe we should all get postie bikes and alfoil hats instead...
If the road turns slippery select the B or C setting on the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector and the power is reduced somewhat in order to make the bike easier to handle.
Of course, the hefty mass of the Suzuki Hayabusa also does dampen the exhilaration a little compared to a lightweight sportsbike but in the bends it hides its girth well. Sit back and rely on the grunt to do the work or get animated with the machine in the tight stuff if you wish and enjoy the satisfaction that hustling a big bike can bring.
Tokico supply the radial mount four-piston calipers and they are man enough to pull the 220kg Hayabusa up time after time without complaint. Good brakes are useless without suspension to back them up and here Suzuki have graced the twin-spar aluminium frame with high-spec KYB 43mm inverted forks.
Giving the 190/50 Bridgestone hoop at the rear half a chance of finding traction is an equally impressive KYB shock that is also fully adjustable in every plane. Tyre wear always was the bugbear of Hayabusa ownership when the model was first released 10 years ago but tyres have improved even more than the Hayabusa’s suspension and can now hang in for as much as 10,000km. In 1999 a rear could be destroyed in a spirited weekend ride.
Another thing that has also improved in the decade since the Suzuki Hayabusa was launched is the styling.
When it was first revealed small children started crying and latte sippers winced at the long and slightly bulbous Hayabusa’s affront on the visual senses. Fast forward to 2009 and the Hayabusa is one Japanese motorcycle that has certainly not dated.
If anything, the Hayabusa’s styling has now come of age. I actually love the look of the latest model, particularly in white, and the quality of finish is superb.
The Suzuki Hayabusa is a modern day motorcycling legend. It is a bike with great presence and personality the likes of which are normally only reserved for sportsbike exotica.
The Hayabusa is sometimes marketed as a sports-tourer but really the riding position is much further toward the sporting side of the equation and could do with a little more legroom to be a touring mount.
But at the end of the day the Suzuki Hayabusa always makes you feel like a million dollars as when aboard you always know you are riding something very special. And it is one of the few bikes that also makes you feel special in the process.
refer to: drive.com.au/
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