Inverted telescopic coil springs, spring preload, rebound and compression
damping fully adjustable.
Rear Suspension
Link type, oil damped, coil springs, spring preload, rebound and
compression damping fully adjustable.
Front Brakes
2 x 310 mm Discs, 4 piston calipers
Rear Brakes
Single 260 mm disc, 1 piston caliper
Wheels Front
17 M/C x MT3.50, cast aluminum alloy
Wheels Rear
17 M/C x MT6.00, cast aluminum alloy
Front Tyre
120/70 ZR17
Rear Tyre
190/50 ZR17
Rake
24.2°
Trail
98 mm / 3.8 in
Dimensions
Length 2190 mm
/ 86.2 in
Width 735 mm
/ 28.9 in
Height 1165 mm
/ 45.9 in
Wheelbase
1480 mm / 58.3in
Seat Height
805 mm / 31.7 in
Ground Clearance
120 mm / 4.7 in
Dry Weight
220 kg / 485 lbs
Wet
Weight
266 kg / 586 lbs
Fuel Capacity
21 Litres
/ 5.5
US gal / 4.6 Imp gal
Consumption Average
6.1 L/100 km / 16.3 km/l / 38.3 US mpg / 46.0 Imp mpg
Standing 0 - 100km
3.0 sec
Standing 0 - 140km
4.4 sec
Standing 0 - 200km
7.3 sec
Acceleration
60-140 km/h
3.9 sec
Acceleration
60-140 km/h
7.1 sec
Acceleration
100 - 140 km/h
3.2 sec
Acceleration
140 - 180 km/h
3.4 sec
Standing
¼ Mile
10.2 sec
Top Speed
296.9 km/h / 184.49 mph
From the beginning, Suzuki's Hayabusa has been all about standing out from
the crowd.
Since its debut in 1999, the Hayabusa's over-the-top styling and prodigious
top speed have made it unlike anything else on the street. That the Guinness
Book of World Records lists the Hayabusa as the world's fastest production
motorcycle doesn't hurt either, especially because Japanese manufacturers
have since electronically limited their motorcycles to 299 kph (186 mph),
making future comparisons impossible.
The 'Busa has become nothing short of a modern motorcycling icon, a
10,000-a-year seller and a rock star at bike nights across the country,
where they're often decked out in one-off paint and customized with
everything from NOS bottles to extended swingarms.
So when it came time to update the GSX1300, Suzuki's designers took the
logical approach: They took everything the Hayabusa does well and maxxed it
out.
As the world's press discovered at the bike's intro at Great Lakes Dragway
and Road America Raceway in Wisconsin, Suzuki engineers have created a bike
that can do a quarter-mile pass in the 9s, bury the speedo at 180 mph on the
racetrack and still be a surprisingly manageable streetbike.
Changes for '08 start with the engine. Instead of a full makeover, engineers
stroked the motor 2 mm to increase displacement from 1,298cc to 1,340cc and
bumped compression from 11.0:1 to 12.5:1. Valves are now titanium and lift
was increased on both the intake and exhaust sides.
The curved radiator is new and is fitted with two electric cooling fans.
Throttle bodies now sport two butterflies, with a computer controlling the
downstream valve and the rider controlling the other. Engine power is said
to be up 12 percent, to a claimed 194 horsepower. Helping control that power
is the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, similar to the system introduced on the
2007 GSX-R1000 sportbike
As for styling, Koji Yoshiura, who also designed the original Hayabusa, said
he was influenced by a visit to the United States, where Suzuki collected
opinions from riders at bike nights and sportbike gatherings. Prior to that
trip, he was leaning toward a sleeker, more slimmed-down look. Instead,
based on the input from owners, the 'Busa's muscular and beefy look was
accentuated.
Viewed on its own, the new bike is obviously a Hayabusa. But when it's
compared side by side with the previous model, the differences jump out.
Ultimately, the new design does what many thought was impossible: It makes
the old 'Busa look conservative. The '08 model continues the grand Hayabusa
tradition of looking like nothing else on the road.
My first minutes aboard the new 'Busa were for two runs on the drag strip.
My rookie launches resulted in quarter-mile times in the low 11-second
range, with several riders dropping into the low 10s—all with no experience
on the bike. After five runs, Jordan Suzuki AMA Superbike pro Aaron Yates
managed to drop just into the 9s, and that was on an allegedly stock bike.
Impressive.
From the drag strip, we left for the street ride portion of the intro. The
following 160 miles of asphalt gave me more time to appreciate the
re-designed dash, which updates the original nicely while keeping both an
analog tach and speedo. It also gave me a chance to get a feel for the bike
in the real world: construction zones, 45 and 35 mph speed limits and
small-town traffic. While not exactly an A-list route, these roads did prove
that the Hayabusa has surprisingly predictable and relatively nimble street
manners for a 485-pound bike with an 58.3-inch wheelbase.
The 'Busa is exactly the opposite of what I'd expect from a 9-second
production bike. Its broad torque curve makes it downright docile at legal
speeds, especially with the drive-mode selector on C, which would be perfect
for wet roads or cold tires.
And if that's too docile for you, all it takes is moving the switch from C
to A and twisting the throttle. No matter which gear you're in, the bike
will launch to the horizon faster than you can say "speeding ticket."
Living with this bike would take pallet loads of self-restraint.
But luckily, on the ultra-fast straights of Road America Raceway, which we
visit on the second day of the press intro, we don't need no steenking
restraint.
Reaching an indicated 160 mph on the front straight is absurdly easy. And
with only a little fear management involving turn one approaching at more
than 270 feet per second, it's possible to max out the 180 mph speedo.
Luckily, the redesigned radial-mount brakes are excellent, with great feel
and power. A slipper clutch makes downshifts drama-free. And just in case
things do start to get a little out of shape, the Hayabusa comes stock with
a steering damper.
As I left the track, I felt like I could relate to a lot of 'Busa owners,
who probably tell themselves, "I never plan to go that fast, but hey, if I
ever need to…"
And that's kind of the point of the 'Busa. It's not that you necessarily
need this kind of power, but it sure is nice to have it available,
especially when you don't have to make any streetbike concessions to get it.
For the big redesign of its iconic, pavement-scorching Hayabusa,
Suzuki revisited the wind tunnel and gave the bike a muscular new look. The king
of speed's basic engine architecture remains the same, though attention to
detail—not to mention a 41cc bump in displacement—has added up to increased
power and acceleration. Strapped to Cycle World's dyno, the ’Busa’s
liquid-cooled inline-Four produced 173.4 horsepower and 103.9 foot-pounds of
torque at the rear wheel. That was backed by a 9.70-second, 148.48-mph pass
through the quarter-mile, making the new Hayabusa the quickest production bike
we've ever tested.
A 2mm stroke increase upped the cubes from 1299 to 1340 cc / 81.7 cu-incc. Stronger shotpeened
chrome-moly steel-alloy connecting rods carry new forged aluminum-alloy slipper
pistons fitted with lighter, smaller-diameter wristpins and new rings for
reduced blow-by with the motor's substantial bump in compression ratio (11.0 to
12.5:1). The cylinder bore is treated with a nickel-phosphorus-silicon-carbide
coating said to improve heat transfer, durability and ring seal. Valve diameter
remains unchanged, but titanium valves have replaced last year's heavier steel
poppets, allowing for both a reduction in valve-spring pressure and use of
higher valve lift for intake and exhaust. A new 4-into-2 exhaust is capped with
freer-flowing, large-volume mufflers. Feeding the beast is your typical ram-air
intake and dual-butterfly throttle body now featuring a twin-injector
arrangement with 12-hole nozzles said to offer improved fuel atomization for
better combustion efficiency.
Improvements to braking, handling and power delivery make the new 'Busa tough to
beat.
A new feature is the Suzuki Clutch Assist System that uses a ramp and cam to
increase clutch-plate pressure under load without use of heavier springs. Also
new is the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, first employed on the 2007 GSX-R1000. A
switch on the right handlebar toggles the S-DMS between a trio of engine control
maps, with the B and C modes reducing overall output and slowing the rate that
the secondary throttle valves open. That softens the power delivery for use in
less-than-ideal surface conditions.
As before, the 'Busa's ergos are roomy and accommodating for the 6-foot-plus
crowd. Engine vibration is subdued below 4500 rpm, but it seeps through the
bars, tank and pegs once you exceed an indicated 85 mph in sixth gear. Wind
protection has been improved with an 18mm-taller windscreen that results in a
remarkably low amount of turbulence. An upgraded KYB inverted-cartridge fork now
has black Diamond-Like Coating on its 43mm stanchion tubes, providing more
supple action and an improved freeway ride. Though the new 'Busa tips into
corners at street-legal speeds with reasonable ease, it weighs-in at 585 pounds
with its 5.5-gallon fuel tank topped up. That makes for an aerobic workout when
hustling the bike along a twisty road at speed. Still, for $11,999, there may
not be a quicker—or more thrilling—means of getting in shape.
Ups:
Quickest production bike ever
Legendary reputation
Generous underseat storage space
Downs:
Long reach to the bars
Can be a bit buzzy
Same 186-mph top speed as Kawasaki ZX-14