Introduced in 1999, the Suzuki Hayabusa is the fastest, most powerful production sportbike motorcycle available today. Named after a swift flying falcon, the original Hayabusa was capable of reaching a speed of almost 200 mph. It was designed to compete directly against the now defunct Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12 and now ZX-14 motorcycles.
Arriving on the scene in 1999, the Hayabusa (the Japanese name for the Peregrine Falcon), has become a flagship for Suzuki and created an entire subculture in the motorcycling community.
Currently in its second iteration the GSX13000R Hayabusa is one of Suzuki’s most successful sport motorcycle ever built. It received a makeover for the 2008 model year. Some of the updates include a larger 1340cc liquid-cooled Inline-Four cylinder engine, an updated fuel-injection system, slipper clutch, revised riding ergonomics and new streamlined bodywork.
Although top speed has been reduced and is now electronically limited to 186 miles per hour, the bigger engine allows the latest Hayabusa to accelerate under 10 seconds within a quarter mile. Other attributes include its high amount of stability and comfort at speed making the Hayabusa an ideal sport motorcycle for long road trips. It’s also extremely popular in the aftermarket world with many companies producing bolt-on performance and aesthetic components which allow for customization of the Hayabusa motorcycle.
