SUZUKI HAYABUSA PERFORMANCE AND CAPABILITY

The electronic fandanglery on the Hayabusa dives deep into the engine control area via Suzuki’s Intelligent Ride System that bundles all the fandanglery together under one banner. It starts out with a new ride-by-wire throttle control that conveys rider demand to the brain box. From there, the signal is modified by a number of variables and handful of on-board sub-systems.

First among the SIRS features is a trio of Drive Mode power-delivery profiles plus a fourth rider-tuneable profile that you can set up for a power curve all your own. The Drive Mode tunes more than the final output, much more, with Power Mode, Engine Brake Control, Anti-Lift control, lean-sensitive traction control, and a quickshifter that’ll send you both up and down the range without touching the clutch lever or even rolling off the throttle for solid holeshots and controlled quarter miles

If you do feel the need to actually use the hand lever, the slip-and-assist clutch ensures a light pull with built-in backtorque mitigation for additional safety on hard downshifts and engine-braking actions. A six-speed transmission crunches the ratios to deliver a top speed around 190 mph, but if you don’t trust yourself with that kind of power, you can set the Launch Control for smooth, tractable take-offs and the Active Speed Limiter for an absolute performance ceiling to keep you from overdoing it on public roads.

As for the mechanical bits, the liquid-cooled powerplant comes in an inline-four configuration that’s mounted transversely in the frame. Bore and stroke mic out at 81 mm and 65 mm respectively for an overall displacement of 1,340 cc with a smokin’ hot 12.5-to-1 compression ratio.

Dual overhead cams time the valvetrain and come ground this year for a broader tractable torque band. Claimed horsepower is 187.75 ponies at 9,700 rpm while the claimed torque is clocked at 110.64 pound-feet at 7 grand even, same as the 2021 model. It was plenty then, and it’s plenty now with the same sort of blistering holeshots and straight-line drag-tastic performance that ’Busa riders have come to expect.

Suzuki Hayabusa top speed is governed at 186 mph, but the limiter can be bypassed. That’s something that is completely unnecessary unless you’re setting up a dedicated drag bike.

Even the more mundane features are noteworthy. Hidden away in the cases are larger oil galleries that deliver more volume to the tune of a whopping 54-percent more flow to the critical components. Cutouts in the bottom end vent air pressure between cylinders to limit pumping losses.

If you do feel the need to actually use the hand lever, the slip-and-assist clutch ensures a light pull with built-in backtorque mitigation for additional safety on hard downshifts and engine-braking actions. A six-speed transmission crunches the ratios to deliver a top speed around 190 mph, but if you don’t trust yourself with that kind of power, you can set the Launch Control for smooth, tractable take-offs and the Active Speed Limiter for an absolute performance ceiling to keep you from overdoing it on public roads.

As for the mechanical bits, the liquid-cooled powerplant comes in an inline-four configuration that’s mounted transversely in the frame. Bore and stroke mic out at 81 mm and 65 mm respectively for an overall displacement of 1,340 cc with a smokin’ hot 12.5-to-1 compression ratio.

Dual overhead cams time the valvetrain and come ground this year for a broader tractable torque band. Claimed horsepower is 187.75 ponies at 9,700 rpm while the claimed torque is clocked at 110.64 pound-feet at 7 grand even, same as the 2021 model. It was plenty then, and it’s plenty now with the same sort of blistering holeshots and straight-line drag-tastic performance that ’Busa riders have come to expect.

Suzuki Hayabusa top speed is governed at 186 mph, but the limiter can be bypassed. That’s something that is completely unnecessary unless you’re setting up a dedicated drag bike.

Even the more mundane features are noteworthy. Hidden away in the cases are larger oil galleries that deliver more volume to the tune of a whopping 54-percent more flow to the critical components. Cutouts in the bottom end vent air pressure between cylinders to limit pumping losses.

SUZUKI HAYABUSA DESIGN

The design team for the new Hayabusa had its work cut out for it from the get-go. You don’t simply redesign something with a look as iconic as the earlier ’Busa versions,. Yet that’s just what the factory did and they managed to maintain much of the flyline and visual weight long associated with this family. Just a nip here and tuck there, and voila, you have a leaner and meaner machine that’s still clearly a member of the Hayabusa family line, just with less-voluptuous curves than the previous body styles.

The characteristic tail hump that long defined the ass end of the ’Busa bikes remains the dominant feature. To keep the rear end clean, the factory crammed the new taillight, brake light, and turn signals all into a single LED lightbar that spans the width of the tail section. Back up front, a series of new adjustments in the cowl vents steer the hot air away from the pilot and deliver low-drag reintegration with the slipstream.

In spite of the tweaks to the body panels, the ’Busa maintains the peregrine falcon-inspired panache that sets the line apart from everything else on two wheels. Not only is the body slimmer, but the trimmed-down mufflers match the leaner overall lines.

The cowling and fairings are windtunnel tested thoroughly to minimize drag and boost penetration, but that’s not all they do. A pair of inlet ports ride abreast of the stacked front headlight to take advantage of the ram-air effect. This delivers pressurized air into the Suzuki Ram Air Direct system for a built-in boost to volumetric efficiency and a concurrent performance gain. In full disclosure, the ram-air effect is negligible at lower speeds with the full benefits being felt at something upwards of 80 mph

LED headlight projectors ensure good two-way visibility with the rest of the world, and the LED front turn signals come integrated with the front fairing to reduce drag and streamline the look. Dead-short bars pull the pilot into an aggressive, forward-leaning position with jockey pegs and a narrow waist, though the bar is pulled back 12 mm than it was previously for a little more touring comfort.

The skinny midsection rides behind a broad-shouldered cowling effectively pulling the rider’s legs into the bike, instead of just around it, for a feeling of man-machine integration.

SUZUKI HAYABUSA CHASSIS

Aluminum is the material of choice for the new twin-spar frame on the Hayabusa that lends the finished product a lower center-of-gravity with 50:50 weight distribution between the front and rear axles. Stock wheelbase is fairly compact with 58.3 inches between contact-patch centers, though since this bike is popular around the drag strips you can expect to see them out there with a stretched swingarm and significantly longer wheelbase.

Curb weight is 582 pounds, so the ’Busa rates dual front discs with new, four-piston Brembo calipers for the bulk of the stopping power opposite a single-piston Nissin caliper out back with stock ABS protection front and rear. A six-axis inertial measurement unit enables a Motion Track ABS feature that modulates its intervention based on the calculated available traction for continuous protection around the curve.

Additionally, the brakes come with a Combined Brake feature that delivers pressure to the calipers at both ends according to pressure at the front brake lever. It also has a Slope Dependent brake control that keeps you from going ass over appetite when braking head-first downhill.

It also has Hill Hold Control that holds the rear brake and allows you to put both feet down when stopped on a grade. The HHC holds the brake for you until released, at which point the system smoothly eases up on the brake pressure as you come out of the hole. Needless to say, the ability to nail the holeshot is a very desirable trait for a drag-bike/stoplight burner such as this.

Handling and ride-quality control falls to fully-adjustable KYB forks up front opposite a shock hidden under the tail. Both have long-service DLC treatment at the wear points that extends component life considerably.

The 2023 Hayabusa comes in a trio of two-tone paint packages: Metallic Matte Black No. 2 & Glass Sparkle Black, Metallic Thunder Gray & Candy Daring Red, or Pearl Brilliant White & Pearl Vigor Blue . Base MSRP is rolling out at $18,799

The 2023 Hayabusa comes in a trio of two-tone paint packages: Metallic Matte Black No. 2 & Glass Sparkle Black, Metallic Thunder Gray & Candy Daring Red, or Pearl Brilliant White & Pearl Vigor Blue . Base MSRP is rolling out at $18,799

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