Suzuki Hayabusa

The Suzuki Hayabusa (also known as the GSX1300R prior to 2008) is a hyper sport motorcycle originally introduced by Suzuki in 1999. It has a 1340 cc inline-4 engine and was consistently tested as the fastest production motorcycle in the world before the 2001 detuning agreement referenced below. The 2008 model has a MSRP of $11,999USD.

History

1999
The name Hayabusa is the Japanese term for the Peregrine Falcon, known for its speed. When introduced in 1999, it overtook the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird as the fastest production motorcycle. Perhaps it is not coincidental that the Peregrine Falcon is a predator of the common blackbird. The first generation of the Hayabusa was called the GSX1300R and was powered by a 1299 cc inline-4 liquid-cooled engine. It would remain relatively unchanged up through the 2007 model year.

The motorcycle's performance in stock form is capable of the following:

1/4 mile (402 m): 10.02 seconds @ 143.7 mph (231.3 km/h)
60-80 mph: 3.13 seconds
80-100 mph: 3.31 seconds
Top speed: 189.6 mph
Power: 156.1 hp @ 9500 rpm

2008
Competition in the hyper sport bike segment would increase with the release of motorcycles like the BMW K1200S, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14. This increased competition would eventually lead to Suzuki heavily revising the GSX1300R for the 2008 model year. Suzuki dropped the GSX1300R designation and simply called the motorcycle the Hayabusa. The engine size was increased to 1340 cc with the compression ratio increasing to 12.5:1. The revised mill has a claimed 12% increase in power. Fuel is now fed through a pair of new 44 mm Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) throttle bodies. The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS), a technology introduced on the GSX-R line of motorcycles, provides three options of power delivery for a range of touring to wide open high performance. Some of the more notable features include a new 4-2-1-2 exhaust system meets Euro 3 and Tier 2 emission regulations, a slipper clutch, and redesigned bodywork. Performance numbers have not been released, nor has the bike been tested by print or online media publications yet.