Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa

The 1st in the series tracing the History of the Most iconics Modern Day Motorcycles..

SUZUKI GSX1300R HAYABUSA

The Japanese can be a little uptight; they're salarymen who live to work, wear pressed corporate overalls, give total deference to the boss and generally live by "The Rules."

But they've also got a dark side. Once they get into the karaoke bars and throw a few Scotch whiskies down their necks they loosen right up, tearfully singing Elvis songs while drinking their socks off. Then they huddle in a corner and make wacked-out plans; one such concept was to build the fastest road bike in the world, name it after a peregrine falcon and then paint the whole thing metallic beige.

OK, so that might not be exactly how the Hayabusa was conceived. Back in the late 1990s, Kawasaki and Honda made the fastest bikes in existence: the ZX-11 and CBR1100XX Super Blackbird respectively. Both these heavyweights had 1100cc inline-four motors draped in slippery, aerodynamic bodywork, and they could easily hit the nasty side of 175mph. Suzuki, meanwhile, was watching its GSX-R1100 fade into obscurity, and while its GSX-R750 was busy building on its legendary status, the guys from Hamamatsu needed a new flagship. Why not join the fight for top-speed superiority?

This is about the only part of the Hayabusa that most challengers at the strip ever saw for a number of years.

The Tech
The original Hayabusa continued unchanged for almost a decade, which suggests that Suzuki got it pretty much spot-on to begin with. And you'll look in vain for anything even vaguely revolutionary in the 'Busa's design. Starting with the motor, you find a basic layout that's pretty similar to the GSX-R750 SRAD: a 16-valve DOHC, water-cooled, fuel-injected, inline-four with a six-speed gearbox. Ditto the chassis: twin-spar aluminum frame with USD front forks, six-piston front brake calipers and a braced swingarm. The suspension was fully-adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping, and the tire fitment was a special version of Bridgestone's BT-56-the sportiest road rubber the Japanese firm offered at the time. The BT-56 was the only tire Suzuki recommended to fit to the Hayabusa because its reinforced carcass yet soft tread compound gave great grip and stable handling. There was a cost though: a rear BT-56 could be destroyed in under 800 miles if you were over-enthusiastic with the throttle.

There was one major part of the bike that did stand out though-the fairing. Honda had shown the way with the Blackbird's aerodynamic fairing design which helped increase the top speed without needing more horsepower. But Suzuki went a step further than even the curious looks of the Blackbird with a crazy bulbous fairing, massive ram-air intake scoops and an enormous "duck tail" seat unit. It looked nuts, and plenty of folks pelted it with abuse. But for most people that hatred evaporated as soon as they rode the thing.

It was the 2008 model year before anything new happened to the 'Busa, and even then it wasn't an all-new bike. The engine grew an extra 42cc to 1,340cc courtesy of a 2mm longer stroke. The bore was the same as before at 81mm, and much of the engine's basic architecture was unchanged. The valves were now titanium, which made them lighter (inlets are 14.1g lighter each, exhausts 11.7g), which allowed Suzuki to use lighter single valve springs. Compression ratio went up from 11.1:1 to 12.4:1, and channels machined in the bottom of the barrels reduced friction and pumping losses.

The 2008 model introduced the SDMS system which allowed riders to change fuel maps on the fly for different power delivery.

The new Hayabusa also benefited from Suzuki's various advances in fuel injection over the previous decade and wore the latest dual-valve, dual-injector throttle bodies. These were 2mm smaller than before but had 12-hole injectors for better fuel atomization and consequent improvements in power delivery, more fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions. The ECU was smarter, and incorporated a new Suzuki Drive Mode System (SDMS) switch. This let you choose between three different power deliveries: 'A' was full power, 'B' was softer with a little less peak power, while 'C' cut considerable power off the output.

A new exhaust system retained the dual silencers of before, but swapped the old-school round cans for swoopy triangular silencers. Packed with catalysts, sound-deadening chambers and butterfly valves, the new exhaust is responsible for much of the extra ten pounds carried on the 2008 bike.

The chassis was basically an updated version of the old bike: the frame was largely unchanged, the swingarm got an extra brace and the subframe was a new design. The suspension had revised settings and DLC black coating on the fork sliders, but was essentially the same setup as before.

The second-gen saw a dramatic upgrade to the brakes and suspension.

What wasn't the same were the brakes. The old six-piston calipers were marginal from the beginning and were long overdue for replacement by 2007. A pair of radial-mount calipers bit on smaller 310mm discs, and they gave much more stopping power while cutting unsprung weight and reducing steering inertia.

Finally, Suzuki gave the bodywork a makeover. Nothing too dramatic-she's clearly still a 'Busa-but just enough to freshen the looks. The tail unit is more swooping with a definite curve and large blisters on either side. It's still no beauty, but together with the new exhaust it makes for a more modern-looking machine.

TIMELINE

1999
The first Hayabusa was launched at a superfast Spanish racetrack-Catalunya-underlining its serious sporting potential. With a 175 HP (crank), 1,298cc motor pushing a 473-pound chassis it blew the minds of the collected journalists before doing the same to everyone who rode it. Colors were bronze/silver, red/black, or silver black.

2000
Panicked by the notion of the lawmakers spotting a near-200mph roadbike for under $10K, the Japanese manufacturers self-impose a speed limit. The Hayabusa gets a rev limiter in top gear, which cuts the power at 186mph (300kph).

2001
Ongoing product development meant the fuel injection and cam chain tensioner received minor tweaks. Performance was unchanged, but reliability improved.

2002
The original aluminum subframe was swapped out for a stronger steel unit to combat some cracking issues. Suzuki claimed that the stock exhaust system helped support the rear subframe, so lightweight four-into-one systems and/or luggage systems were cracking the rear castings.

2008-Present
For 2008, we got an all-new model with a revised 1,340cc engine, swoopier fairings, updated fuel injection, radial-mount brake calipers and a three-way power mode switch. The engineers hadn't re-invented the wheel: it was still definitely a Hayabusa. But the extra grunt, better brakes and updated equipment gave it a better chance against the mighty ZX-14.

THE NUMBERS

1999-2000
Quarter-mile: 9.85@145 mph
Top Speed: 191 MPH
Weight: 474 pounds
Power: 160 HP

2001-2007
Quarter-mile: 9.95@143 mph
Top Speed: 186 MPH (limited)
Weight: 474 pounds
Power: 158 HP

2008-present
Quarter-mile: 9.68@148 mph
Top Speed: 186 MPH (limited)
Weight: 485 pounds
Power: 170 HP

Which Model?
That's pretty easy: the new one has more cubes, more power, better brakes and better handling. But if you're not sold on the newer model's looks or just don't fancy dropping all those extra Benjamins on it, try and track down a 1999 bike. The original didn't have the 186 mph speed limiter of later bikes, so it's actually faster on the top-end (in stock trim) than even the 2010 bike. And as the first of its kind, the '99 is the one collectors will be trying to track down in years to come.

The original bronze and copper...

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The original bronze and copper 'Busa is the most sought after.

What Breaks?
Considering the amount of power the Hayabusa makes it's remarkably reliable. In fact, if they're left stock you won't find any real problems with the powerplant or chassis, apart from the usual stuff high-powered bikes wear out. Clutches can suffer if you're buying from an ignorant wheelie merchant or a drag racer wannabe, and a badly burned clutch can send friction material through the lube system. The slave cylinder can also crack and leak fluid, a rattle on startup can be a tired camchain tensioner, and watch for cracks in the subframe on early bikes-especially if you've changed the pipe and often carry a passenger.

The starter motor clutch is a known weak spot, especially on high-compression tuned engines. The teeth can strip, and if you let your battery run a bit low the motor can kick back though the clutch and damage the gear train. Tougher aftermarket parts are available-or just make sure your battery is always in good order.