SUZUKI HAYABUSA SPECIAL
The new bike tested. Plus 200mph (p38) and used ‘Busas (p40).
By Michael Neeves Photography Jason Critchell
Lining up and ready to send Suzuki’s factory fresh Hayabusa down Sywell Aerodrome’s 0.8-mile runway the seat feels familiarly low and the bodywork still stretches out so far it feels like it’s somewhere in the next county (Cambridgeshire maybe, or even Leicestershire). And there’s more: the pegs are still unusually high for such a monstrously big bike and at a glance the view down into the cockpit is just the same as it ever was, with two big analogue dials staring right back at you. But then you start to notice the subtle differences…
Numbers on the speedo only go up to 180mph, not the evocative 220mph of the 1999 original. And there, sandwiched between the clocks, is what looks like one of those mini colour TVS from 20 years ago. Right now it’s saying: LAUNCH CONTROL IS ENGAGED.
There are three launch control settings to choose from and they limit the revs to either 3700rpm, 6000rpm or 8000rpm. Once set all you then need to do is feed-out the clutch and feel the force. The Busa sounds like a Motogp bike papping on its pit lane limiter at 8000, the throttle against the stop before departure. While this may sound impressive using the electronics isn’t actually the quickest way to get the 264kg Suzuki (two kilos lighter than before) away cleanly. Instead, some nifty, old-fashioned handwork to balance clutch and revs manually, does the job better. As does turning off the traction control and anti-wheelie. I’ve got some excuses to make from the off. Although I’ve done more race starts than I care to remember I’ve never strapped a datalogger to a bike and fired it down a runway before. Least of all on an old-school hyper bike like the Suzuki. Performance testing is a skill that needs thousands of runs to master, which is why Mike Armitage or Bruce Dunn usually do the job for Bike…
On top of this there’s only time for me to do two speed runs at the end of our riding day, here at the Busa’s UK launch… and I’ve never previously used the V-box logger I’ve
just taped to the tank. So, I don’t know if I’ve pressed record, whether I’ll flip it within two paces of leaving the line and I sure as hell don’t know where to brake at the end, where tarmac turns to grass.
Getting the clutch out as fast as possible with minimal revs before pinning it always seems to work best, and it does now. Acceleration is instantly vicious, making a mockery of those online bandits up in arms about this third gen Busa being less powerful. Yes peak power is down from a claimed 194bhp@9500rpm to 187bhp@9700rpm (and torque from 114 lb.ft@7200rpm to 111 lb.ft@7000rpm). Yet, it still produces enough thrust to pin me back in the seat and stop me climbing over the front wheel to control the wheelie in first gear. As the front wheel kisses the tarmac on the shift to second the good ship Hayabusa settles down to work… Seeing a speedo needle sweep is far more impressive than a digital display rising, and it’s almost unbelievable to see it surge to 12 o’clock and 100mph before you’ve had time to register what’s going on. With the rev-o-meter needle brushing the 11,000rpm redline through each shiny new cog, it’s mesmerizing how the force of acceleration never relents. Going from 140mph to 160mph quicker than you can say it highlights the unique magic of Suzuki’s 1340cc inline four.
It’s the same size and configuration as the outgoing second-gen Busa and it’s those cubes that help the Suzuki punch through the air at high runway speed. On the road, they also allow the Busa to be creamy fast, especially now they’ve made the power even richer between 4000rpm and 6000rpm. Just leave it in top gear and ride a wave of thrust so strong it’ll make a supercharged H2 SX feel like a two-stroke by comparison.
Despite still delivering monstrous speed the Busa is the epitome of calm and being as long as a Lockdown it’s so solid you could ride it no-handed, if its cruise control didn’t switch off at 124mph. Its new bodywork, which is still an instantly recognisable collection of swoops, droops and curves has been designed for this kind of chin-on-the-tank behaviour, but much of the Suzuki’s stability comes from its tried and tested chassis.
Its ali beam frame and swingarm look the same as before, because they are and the KYB forks and shock don’t look any different either, but Suzuki have played around with their internals. Now the Busa rides with the serene plushness of a machine with a top shelf aftermarket suspension and while being so heavy would get most bike’s knickers in a twist, the Suzuki thrives on its weight to trample over bumps in its
path. Clearly, it’s no blink-andyou’ve-turned superbike and it doesn’t like to be rushed through corners, but it’s nimbler, grippier and faster cross-country than anyone who’s never ridden one would give it credit for.
With the speedo needle now a smidge over 170mph the green bit at the end of the runway is approaching fast. If the Busa had one of those fancy active cruise control systems, its radar would be having a meltdown right now. While the runway is 0.8 miles, that’s its total length – the reality is we’ve only been accelerating for around half-a-mile before it’s time to hit the brakes. Fitted with new Brembos and bigger discs they should send me over the handlebars when I grab the lever hard, but they don’t and that’s because the hardware is only as good as its electronic brake-by-wire system. Like most Japanese machines
‘Leave it in top gear and ride a wave of thrust so strong it’ll make a supercharged H2 SX feel like a two-stroke by comparison’
For the first time the Busa gets six riding modes (three pre-set, three custom), three power modes, anti-wheelie and cornering traction control (both ten stage), engine braking and launch control (three stage), cornering ABS with linked brakes (front to rear), rear wheel lift control, a speed limiter and hill hold. With the exception of its very useful cruise control and up/ down quickshifter the electronics blend into the background and don’t add anything to the riding experience of a bike that’s so mechanically impressive. If you’re the type who’ll buy a Busa in the first place you’ll leave it in full power and for fast starts (and wheelies) you’ll want to turn off the launch, wheelie and traction control.
these days the ABS is set more for safety than performance, so while the Busa’s brakes are always fine on the road, they lack feel at the limit where amount of brake pressure you’ve dialled in doesn’t match how quickly you stop. A dab of rear brake helps the job along and we come to a graceful halt. I could’ve braked a bit later, but the fear of turning the Busa into a high-speed lawn mower gets the better of me. My amateur attempts at being a drag racer for the day aren’t a patch on a pro’s. The logger shows 0-60mph in 3.08 seconds, which is around 0.4 of a second slower than we’re sure it’s capable of, and my quarter-mile time is 10.36s@145.9mph. But even I could get into the 9s with a bit more practice. On my trundle back to the start line I sneak in a 40-80mph top gear roll-on (5.37s) and a 70mph-0 braking test (54.4 meters).
But here’s the thing, despite me being a bit rubbish, the new less powerful Hayabusa still pulls it out of the bag and its 0-60mph time is better than any superbike or super naked tested by our racing Stig, Bruce Dunn. The latest Honda Blade SP does it in 3.29s, the Yamaha R1M: 3.21s and 3.4s for both the Ducati Streetfighter V4S and KTM 1290 Super Duke R.
My roll-on time still kicks the butt of any 200bhp race rep, fancy super naked or even the new Triumph Rocket 3 and the quarter mile is dispensed with as fast as an S1000RR.
‘It barely moves the game on and is arguably more irrelevant than ever. But none of that matters’
Braking is always limited on a bike with ABS, but it still stops from 70mph one metre sooner than the R1M… but that isn’t much to shout about, as the Yamaha’s brakes are comprehensively ruined by its intrusive electronics.
All this shows that the new Hayabusa is still rapid beyond belief without even trying. It’s also more refined than before, has more grunt, a plusher ride and is safer, thanks to its raft of electronics. But it barely moves the game on and is arguably more irrelevant than ever – adventure bikes do a better job of touring and the latest superbikes are more powerful and handle better.
None of that matters, though because the main thing is this mad and wonderful creation still exists in the world. No bike shouts speed quite so loudly, while being so calm and easy to get on with. And none will cover ground quite so effortlessly and with such a sense of occasion. The Busa is back and we salute it.
WBy: Jim Moore Photography: Bauer Archives/adam Duckworth ill Suzuki’s Hayabusa crack 200mph? That’s been the topic of debate since the GSX1300R first appeared in 1999. Fair to say most tests have Suzuki’s hyperbike topping out anywhere between the high-180s and mid-190s. The potential for a true 200 is clearly there, but how can it be unlocked? GT Motorcycles’ Mike Grainger knows about extracting pace from ’Busas, having used his own ’99 model to set a European speed record. ‘To get 200mph you need 200bhp at the back wheel. You can get close with a standard Hayabusa by fitting a quality 4-1 system and getting the ECU reflashed. I get mine done by Brock’s Performance in the USA.’ Suzuki claimed the first ’Busa (1999-2007) produced 175bhp and later bikes (2008-2018) 194bhp, but manufacturers measure horsepower at the crank. What matters is power at the rear wheel. BSD Motorcycle Developments have tested numerous Hayabusas on their dyno seeing 156bhp from a ’99 model and 166bhp from an ’08 machine – both Suzuki-prepped press bikes. Finding the extra 30-40bhp to make 200bhp is doable, says BSD’S Andy Cartledge, but it requires work. ‘A customer brought in a second generation ’Busa that he was using for sprinting. It made 175bhp as standard. Fitting a quality 4-1 system took it to 185bhp. We flowed the head, reprofiled the cams for more lift and duration, fitted a K&N and reflashed the ECU – that took it to 202bhp. That’s a safe tune and should be enough for 200mph.’ That lot equates to £2651 in parts and tuning, or £95.50 per horsepower: that’s £1285 for an Akrapovic 4-1, £70 for a K&N filter, £420 for an ECU reflash, £336 to have cams reprofiled and £540 to skim and port the head. Workshop and dyno time are extra, but even adding that it still works out cheaper than buying a new Hayabusa – quicker too. Jarrod ‘Jack’ Frost from Holeshot Racing is a racer turned tuner whose expert hands have helped many a ’Busa top the double-ton, and he shares the notion that 200bhp is the key to 200mph. ‘Overcoming the ECU’S limit of 186mph is key, and this can be done by flashing the unit or by using a simple resistor to kid the bike into thinking it’s still in fifth gear. A good pipe, airbox mods and mapping will boost power but it’s still not quite enough for 200mph, especially at Elvington where we run standing mile events. We see many get to 185mph – it’d be more with a longer run, or more power.
‘A set of cams will make the difference. Gearing is critical too. The stock gearing is already tall, so the trick is to not over-gear because the bike won’t have the power to pull it.’
If ultimate power is your aim, Jack is again the man. He’s the engineer behind Guy Martin’s ferociously fast turbo Hayabusa which the former racer is hoping to push beyond 300mph once Covid restrictions ease. ‘It ran to 708bhp at the tyre, but then we fitted bigger valves and changed the shape of the head. That should see it good for around 800bhp. To achieve that you need to run a knife-edged gen2 crank, Carrillo rods, CP pistons, oversize Inconel valves with heavy-duty springs and titanium retainers, a gas flowed and filled cylinder head, race cams, 12mm cylinder studs, a billet gearbox and lock-up clutch, high-capacity generator and high output coils.’
Prices for original 1999-model Suzuki Hayabusas are climbing. You can pay five, six or seven thousand for a good one, maybe more in that wishy-washy beige and gold scheme. Which is all very well if you’re of the modern-classic leaning or want to park the bike in your lounge with fingers crossed for appreciation. But if you want the finest combination of performance and pounds from a Busa that you’re going to use – which is surely the point – then the model to buy is a no-brainer. You want a ‘generation two’ bike from 2008-on.
While the original bike has all those 200mph rumours, the 2008-on model has a larger engine, improved finish, and is superior in almost every respect. ‘Earlier 1299cc models are slightly smoother than later 1340cc bikes, but revisions to the pistons, valve train, exhaust and the inclusion of Suzuki’s Dual Throttle Valve system make the 1340 superior in terms of power delivery and response,’ says Mike Grainger of GT Motorcycles, who’s set land-speed records on his turbo Busa and knows them inside out. ‘It revs more freely, has slightly more torque at a lower rpm and a boost in peak power, up from 156bhp to 180bhp.’
When Bike got hold of the first ’08 bike in the UK and found 180bhp at the rear wheel, it was the highest we’d ever seen from a road-legal production bike. It flung the Suzuki from 0-60mph in 2.74s, making it the first bike we’d datalogged at under three seconds, and covered the quarter mile in 9.985s at 148mph – the first bike to dip under 10 seconds. And the Busa hit 180mph in just 18 seconds.
‘The model to buy is a no-brainer… generation 2’
Though the model has always been luxurious, the 2008 bike also introduced a new level of sumptuousness. Despite its wild performance it was comfortable with easy steering and civility. Suspension was plusher without sacrificing the slightly surprising sportiness, overall finish and presentation were improved, and the paint gained a deep lustre. Suzuki tweaked the Hayabusa again for 2013, adding swanky one-piece Brembo brake calipers (with ABS). There’s more stopping power, but it’s not worth the extra cash. The bike you’ve been reading about on the preceding pages is a spruced up version – same engine, chassis, experience – and yet prices for good, clean, 2500-mile-peryear 2008 models start at £4500 from a dealer. That’s little more than 25% of what the spanker costs.