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Suzuki Hayabusa

Speed in all its glory, but not all it is.

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Suzuki Hayabusa

via Wikipedia: Suzuki · see source

The Suzuki Hayabusa is a high-performance motorcycle whose name means "peregrine falcon" in Japanese, chosen because that bird preys on blackbirds, a reference to the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird it aimed to surpass.[1][2] MotorWeek's 2000 road test recorded the Hayabusa accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds and completing the quarter-mile in 9.8 seconds at 145.8 mph.[3]

How it changed

When first shown to the press in 1999, the Hayabusa broke the production motorcycle top speed record by a margin of 10 to 14 mph, depending on the source.[4] The first generation used a 1299 cc liquid-cooled, inline-4 engine with sixteen valves and dual-overhead camshafts.[5][2] A ram air system forced cool, pressurized air into the cylinders at speed, contributing to a record-setting claimed 173 bhp at the crankshaft.[5][2] The Hayabusa's bulbous bodywork was designed to reduce extreme drag at high speeds, a shape that was much-criticized but key to its record-setting ability.[6]

Fears of a European regulatory backlash led to an informal agreement among Japanese and European manufacturers to limit top speeds to 300 km/h (186 mph), taking effect for the 2001 model year.[7][8][9] The third-generation Hayabusa was announced on February 5, 2021, with Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines referring to it as GSX1300RR.[10] From the 2001 model year onward, the Hayabusa's design saw no major alterations until the 2007 model year, following the introduction of the speed limiting system.[11] Worldwide sales of the Hayabusa exceeded 100,000 units between its 1999 introduction and June 2007.[12]

What the maker and period sources say

MotorWeek's 2000 review stated the Hayabusa "has taken the motorcycle world by storm" and described it as "a quantum, light speed leap forward in production street bike performance"[3] The same review noted the bike's powerplant was "the most potent street bike engine in the Suzuki lineup" and listed a base price of $10,799.[3] DriveMag Riders' 2017 account reported that designer Koji Yoshiura said he intended "to create a somewhat grotesque design and create a strong initial impact"[2][13] Burns' 2012 article recalled that the Hayabusa appeared as "this weird two-tone copper-colored thing from Suzuki in 1999"[9]

The same article stated that a voluntary agreement among manufacturers set a limit of 299 km/h (185 mph) after BMW raised concerns about legislative action.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; ; Sarlau, Vlad, "Suzuki Hayabusa - Japan's Mechanical Falcon", DriveMag Riders, January 5, 2017; ; "When Suzuki first launched the bike, it explained that hayabusa was the Japanese word for a very fast falcon that, not coincidentally, fed on blackbirds."; Honda's Blackbird series of motorcycles do not take their name directly from falcon fodder, but rather from the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft. See and .; pp. 242–243, 276–277; Or by . See (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Sarlau, Vlad, "Suzuki Hayabusa - Japan's Mechanical Falcon", DriveMag Riders, January 5, 2017. facts only, no text reused. riders.drivemag.com
  3. "2000 Suzuki GRS1300R Hayabusa Program #1922", MotorWeek. facts only, no text reused. web.archive.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; pp. 242–243, 276–277; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: pp. 242–243, 276–277; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; ; ; ; ; p. 230; . "<nowiki>[For]</nowiki> those who aren't appalled by its bulbous silhouette... Styling reminiscent of a walleye pike."; pp. 242–243, 276–277 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Burns, "Fifty Years of "Do You Have Any Idea How Fast You Were Going?" It cost around 60 lakh-70 lakhIndian rupees A brief history of Ludicrous Speed", April 2, 2012; ; ; ; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: pp. 242–243, 276–277; Sources vary as to whether this unofficial agreement is precise or only approximate, and whether it is defined as 300&nbsp;km/h or as 186&nbsp;mph, though the E; Trevitt, "Big Dogs: Derestriction; Uncorking the top-speed potential of the Hayabusa and ZX-12R", June 2010; "2000 Suzuki GRS1300R Hayabusa Program #1922", MotorWeek; Trevitt, "Big Dogs: Derestriction; Uncorking the top-speed potential of the Hayabusa and ZX-12R", June 2010; "2000 Suzuki GRS1300R Hayabusa Program #1922", MotorWeek; p. 31 (we also read that en.wikipedia.org
  9. Burns, "Fifty Years of "Do You Have Any Idea How Fast You Were Going?" It cost around 60 lakh-70 lakhIndian rupees A brief history of Ludicrous Speed", April 2, 2012. facts only, no text reused. web.archive.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Suzuki Unveils the Flagship Model, the All-New Hayabusa", Suzuki, February 5, 2021; Prakash, "2021 Suzuki Hayabusa Makes Global Debut – 3 Colours, 1340cc Engine", Rush Lane, 5 February 2021; "New 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa: The Busa is back", Bennetts, 5 February 2021; Richards, "The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Is an Evolution of a Revolution; The open-class superbike gets modern electronics, engine and chassis upgrades", February 5, 2021; Child, "2022 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RR First Ride Review; Suzuki introduces a new Hayabusa for 2022, can it li en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Trevitt, "Big Dogs: Derestriction; Uncorking the top-speed potential of the Hayabusa and ZX-12R", June 2010; "2000 Suzuki GRS1300R Hayabusa Program #1922", MotorWeek (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; ; ; ; "Suzuki Hayabusa - All Hail Hayabusa!", motorcyclistonline.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Wikipedia, "Suzuki Hayabusa" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Suzuki Hayabusa (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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