First ride: 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa Review

Suzuki’s Hayabusa needs no introduction. Launched back in 1999, it was named in Japanese for the peregrine falcon, a bird known for its 200mph vertical hunting dive and, perhaps more importantly to Suzuki, for being the natural hunter of the humble Blackbird. This was a signal of intent by the manufacturer, marking Honda’s CBR1100XX Super Blackbird – then the world's fastest production motorcycle – firmly in the Hayabusa’s sights. And hunt down the Blackbird the ‘Busa did, snatching the title with a top speed of between 188 and 194mph – 10mph faster than the Honda. It was revolutionary.

Powered by a 175PS (129kW), 1,299cc inline-four, the GSX1300R was perched on a new millennium of performance – that was until common sense set in, and an informal top speed limitation of 300kph was agreed between European and Japanese manufacturers. As a result, the model year 2000 Hayabusa reached ‘only’ 186mph.

Nonetheless, it remained one of the world’s most powerful and most loved sportsbikes, evolving through two generations, 200,000 units and two decades until its ultimate discontinuation in 2018. However, it wasn’t to lie dormant for long, with Suzuki pulling the covers from the new model earlier this year. The Busa was back.

Unlike the remake of Point Break, this wasn’t to be some cringeworthy, all mouth and no trousers adaptation of the original. Embracing the approach of evolution rather than revolution, Suzuki has fine-tuned the Hayabusa, with a huge number of small changes and no less than 550 new parts conspiring to make for an entirely optimised machine. But that almost wasn’t the case… Accordingly, this powerplant nearly took on a different form altogether, with engineers toying with turbochargers, larger capacities, and even six-cylinders, before deciding to stick with the potent, proven formula.

At 264kg wet, the new Hayabusa weighs 4kg less than its predecessor. Significant updates come within the 1,340cc, inline-four engine, which now makes 190PS (140kW) and 150Nm (111lb ft) – also less than the second generation, but thanks to an abundance of mid-range torque, it’s no less thrilling. It’s the fastest accelerating Hayabusa yet, but still isn’t a ticket to the 200 club, with the electronic 186mph restriction prevailing.

The Suzuki Hayabusa has always been a marmite bike, causing quite a stir on launch for its bulbous appearance. Designer Koji Yoshiura later admitted that it was his intent “to create a somewhat grotesque design and a strong initial impact…”, adding that the “mission was to create a total new styling that will not be out of date within few years, and a styling that will be the 'Face' of Suzuki.”

He certainly succeeded in the former respect, with the Hayabusa of today virtually unchanged from the original, with just a handful of sharp lines and aerodynamic effects to modernise the swept back silhouette. There’s nothing cutting edge about it, but the design works and is uniquely recognisable the world over. Personally, it has always reminded me of a dragon – not the Komodo type, but the long-bodied, fire-breathing creatures of folklore - and this generation only perpetuates that.

The twin-spar aluminium alloy main frame is also a hand me down, spruced up with a lighter subframe, newly set-up, fully adjustable front and rear suspension. New seven-spoke wheels wear exclusive Bridgestone tyres, and enlarged 320mm front discs carry Brembo Stylema calipers.

In terms of engine design, the 1,340cc unit receives new, lighter pistons, more rigid conrods, a revised crankshaft and crankcases, a new camshaft with revised cam profiles to reduce valve lift overlap and new cam chain tensioner, an updated gearbox, new slipper clutch assembly, and new magneto. There’s an updated fuel system, plus a new, linear ride-by-wire electronic throttle. It doesn’t inherit the GSX-R1000’s variable valve timing, however that does mean it will generally be more reliable, durable and cheaper to service.

While the Busa and I were both born of the late nineties, it has taken more than 20 years for our paths to cross. Over this time, I had built it up to be some terrifying, out of reach entity but the reality couldn’t have been further. Despite being the one of the most powerful sportsbikes I’ve ever ridden it is also one of the most comfortable, wafting along on plush suspension and with an abundance of smooth acceleration on tap.

As I mentioned in the intro, this peak power is a whole 10PS (7kW) less than the predecessor, but thanks to the abundance of torque in the middle range, that loss is negatable. It revs all the way to a redline of 11,000rpm but it’s at its very best halfway there. The ‘Busa will still break the speed limit before you can say its full appellation, but a licence saviour comes in the form of the top speed restrictor, which you can easily set to suit.

Open the throttle and revel in the glorious induction roar of the inline-four and its low purr that rises to a tuneful hum, interrupted only by the gearshift pop. There is ample thrust in any gear at any speed, and you don’t have to play the gearbox to make the most of the torque. The quickshifter itself takes some coaxing down low but higher up it’s faultless, and once you’re hustling it’s hard to see why anyone would want to turn it off (it’s possible, mind). However, as is often the case, it can be a little tricky to drop from neutral into first gear at a standstill, with the springy lever only complying upon rolling the bike back and forth.

The inverted coil spring, oil damped fork is multi-faceted – smooth, plush and absorbent over potholes, becoming serious at high speeds, while the link type rear suspension is neutral, if slightly bouncy on rougher roads. It’s so planted, it’s hard to grasp quite how fast you’re going – again justifying the speed limiter’s existence. The Nissin single-pot caliper at the rear is surprisingly grabby, while up front Brembo Stylema four-pots on twin discs are sharp, and under heavy application activate the hazard lights and flash a brief warning to cars behind.

Measuring 2,180mm long and with a wheelbase of 1,480mm, the Hayabusa is nothing short of intimidating. However, the only time that you can really feel it’s length is when the rear loses traction – with the front remaining remarkably stable while the back end squirms. Otherwise, the long chassis sweeps through bends, with no urgency and a nature so forgiving that it’s easy to forget that you’re riding one of the fastest sportsbikes around. In reality, you don’t ride the Hayabusa in as much as it carries you along, responding deftly to everything from the most gentle to ham-fisted of rider inputs. It doesn’t change direction quite as instantaneously as say a GSX-R1000, but this doesn’t purport to be a world superbike. Instead it’s a powerful pleasure cruiser, offering high speed thrills in a comprehensive package.

So collected and composed is the Hayabusa, that it’s easy to underestimate the nature of the beast. It prowls through town like a bike of half its size, but let it loose and it will sprint to excessive speeds instantaneously. On launch, a 700 metre strip of empty runway presented itself, and seconds after a controlled launch (power on setting 1, traction control on 3, wheelie control on 3, launch control on 3, which I’ll discuss more in a moment), I glanced down to see the needle on the analogue clock tickling 170mph.

Alongside the abundance of rider aids there are a variety of modes – from the subdued C, to the edge-of-your-pants A. B is a happy medium for most riding, but three user defined modes allow you to further fettle the launch control, power, traction control and engine braking. The latter is certainly an interesting touch, offering levels of sensitivity which range from normal engine braking to a two-stroke feel – a 264kg, 175PS, four-cylinder two-stroke, that is…

Speaking of heavy, powerful sportsbikes – the Hayabusa surely can’t be very economical, right? That would appear not to be the case, with the Hayabusa returning an average of 41.7mpg (not far off the claimed 42.1mpg) on our very spirited 140-mile test route, with 35 miles left in the 20-litre tank.

Surely the Hayabusa must have its flaws, right? If you have skipped to this section expecting me to lament its hard seat and uncomfortable ergonomics, then I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint.

With this new guise comes a revised rider triangle, which reduces the stretch across the tank, with the bars located 12mm closer to the rider for better connection with the front wheel. But you’re still not atop it and despite the slanted seat pushing you forward on to your wrists, the Hayabusa doesn’t quite have the urgent stance of many a sports bike.

Admittedly, while the Busa carries its bulk well, there’s no hiding its weight at a standstill. A middling seat height of 800mm means it’s not too much of a chore on flat ground, but if you make the mistake of parking it leaning downhill, you’ll certainly realise the mass when it comes to lifting it off the sidestand.

Working in conjunction with the optimised engine is a host of new electronics, bracketed under Suzuki’s Intelligent Ride System (SIRS). Stealing the headlines is the Drive Mode Selector Alpha (SDMS-α) which controls the IMU-governed ABS, switchable ‘Motion Track’ traction control, power mode selector, quickshifter, launch/wheelie control and engine brake control, through the aforementioned three pre-set and three user definable user modes. There are also linked brakes, cruise control, low rpm assist, hill-hold control – basically everything that you would associate with any sports tourer worth its weight. Heck, heated grips are even an option. The various parameters are displayed on a colour TFT screen, which is flanked by large analogue tachometer and speedometers – a nod to the iconic clocks of the original.

The three-level launch-control is worth explaining. Activated by holding down the bike’s start button (once it’s already running), it works by restricting the revs – to 4,000rpm in Level 1, 6,000rpm in level 2, and 8,000rpm in level 3. It deactivates as soon as you pull away, with no step or snatch up in the power.

It’s 2021 and the Hayabusa is back. And while it may look remarkable like the original, countless small changes have conspired to make for an entirely different bike, one that’s confident and ridiculously fun to ride. After all, Suzuki could never deviate too much –

it had to remain true to the bike’s roots to please the purists, but be new enough to attract new customers and to stay relevant against the competition.

It’s a matter of evolution rather than revolution, and as Suzuki itself touts, nothing can quite come close to the sheer thrill afforded by the third generation Hayabusa.