Is Suzuki Stuck Regarding the Future of the Hayabusa?

The 'Busa is legendary. But Is that legend fading with each year?

Photo by: RideApart.com

By: Jonathon Klein

Jul 22, at 8:16am ET

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Suzuki's Hayabusa is one of those legendary nameplates that immediately brings something to the forefront of your mind. You hear "Hayabusa," and motorcyclists' brains automatically conjure the falcon-like shape of the world's once-fastest motorcycle. That curved front fairing, the extended swingarm, the slanted tail that barely looks big enough to keep you glued to the seat as you crank the throttle and watch the speedometer and tachometer climb nearly in unison.

The 'Busa is big. It's loud. It's unmatched. Well, it was at one time. But not really now.

Recent years have shown that the Hayabusa ain't the leader of the pack any longer. Superbikes from Ducati, Aprilia, Kawasaki, and even Honda all have more horsepower, more speed, more downforce, and are, generally, faster than the legend that is the Hayabusa. And the tech they all pack, while also being simultaneously lighter than the Hayabusa, means they're not just quicker in a straight line; they're quicker literally everywhere. In some cases, too, they're also cheaper.

Yet, while other brands have seen their competitors grow and gain speed, which has spawned updates or full-scale all-new platforms and models and engines, Suzuki has just kept the Hayabusa as it was when it first introduced the motorcycle a number of decades ago. Big, fast, and that's about it. Still a great motorcycle, but with each year it sees little to no updates, its age gets easier and easier to see. And because of that, it feels like it's time either Suzuki gives consumers an all-new Hayabusa or, sadly, gives this legend the rest it deserves and lets it go out on a high note.

I've come to this conclusion after seeing what amounts to just another fancy paint job being slapped on the aging icon for what feels like the tenth year in a row, with little to no substantive changes to speak of. It's still just a Hayabusa. The iconic visage hasn't even really changed since Suzuki first introduced the motorcycle in 1999, even though the company claims the motorcycle is now in its third generation—maybe if you squint really, really, really hard.

Even the powertrain, a naturally aspirated 1,300cc inline four-cylinder, has barely changed since its first debut. The biggest change being a more limited top speed after the Gentleman's Agreement, though that really doesn't count. It still is just the Hayabusa of old, which could speak to the staying power and attraction the original design had, but in my eyes, after looking at this motorcycle for nearly 30 years, it just looks dated, and that Suzuki doesn't know where to go with the nameplate.

What do you think?

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And for what it's worth, I don't think Suzuki needs to lose the ethos of the Hayabusa. The concept of a big, burly, badass motorcycle that folks can customize, tune, and drag race to their heart's content is a good one. As is the ability to go ungodly fast—on closed circuits, obviously. But there's room for the Hayabusa to evolve, to grow, and come into the 21st century in a real and tangible way, just like Kawasaki's H2 platform has done after taking over for the ZX-14. There has to be something up Suzuki's sleeve to do just that. What that looks like, however, I don't know.

What I do know is that the longer the Hayabusa remains as is, the more likely it goes out not like the champ it is, but as if Suzuki didn't care about its lineage. Didn't care about the 'Busa's legacy or impact. Didn't care about how to ensure the future has a Hayabusa in it. It goes out like the Dodo, which most definitely isn't a peregrine freakin' falcon.