Production of the Suzuki Hayabusa has ended after 20 years

[Don Roque]

In another blow for the motorcycling world, the venerable Suzuki Hayabusa has ended production some twenty years after it first arrived.

It's always been a stalwart of the biking scene as long as I've known bikes and it was the 'hard lad' bike of my youth. The Super Blackbird was maybe cooler and sleeker but the Hayabusa was the name-bike. It harks back to a time which seems like ancient history now, when biking was less about portable commode Adventure bikes and more about performance.

I suppose changing market trends and Suzuki's never-ending cashflow problems meant that trying to update such a bike to be Euro 4 compliant was never going to happen.

I've never owned a Hayabusa but I think something of that ilk will be my next bike. A VFR1200, K1300S, Hayabusa or similar, I just love those comfy cruise missiles.

[Freakuk]

Butt ugly bike which we often use to take the p*ss out of at the bike shows not knowing which end was the front or back.

If you're fat and wear camo you'll probably be upset LOL.

[m_cozzy]

Im no longer into bikes but really was that 20 years ago? Too much bike for today millennials I guess. No doubt have to be electric or some such toss to appeal.

[sjg]

Quite a legacy. I don't think Suzuki ever had plans to make it compliant, just carried on selling through the grace period that's about to end.

I remember one of the bike mags years ago running a competition to win a GSX-R 1000 by finding "Britian's best biker" - all sorts of road and track tests to weed entrants down to the last few. Final test was a few days touring around Europe on Hayabusas - the hardcore sportsbike guy that won it got them to change the prize to the Hayabusa instead because he liked it so much.

I only saw on one of the articles about this that it's sold in India - they import kits of parts and assemble locally to avoid import taxes (still costs the equivalent of £15k mind). It apparently sells well and no plans to stop any time soon.

Edited by sjg on Friday 7th December 12:21

[Don Roque]

Freakuk said:

If you're fat and wear camo you'll probably be upset LOL.

Aye, they were always seen as a bit of a chav bike and were probably the stuff of dreams to hard-up Bandit 1200 riders who had fur mohawks on their lids. The Hayabusa probably suffered this more than most bikes, because they were a two wheeled equivalent of the 'Mitsi Turbo', as the knuckle draggers used to say.

[PIGINAWIG]

Freakuk said:

Butt ugly bike which we often use to take the p*ss out of at the bike shows not knowing which end was the front or back.

If you're fat and wear camo you'll probably be upset LOL.

Well I had four generation 2 Hayabusas, have never worn camouflage gear and as far as I’m aware I’m not that overweight . Iconic bike. Read the latest write up on MCN. Still rocks it today.

[black-k1]

Sad to see the demise of yet another hyper sports tourer (or should that be a sports hyper tourer?) Either way, a bike with road styling, breath taking performance, acceptable handling and the ability to eat continents comfortably.

I never got the Hayausa looks but I completely respect it's ability. Let's hope that the Kawasaki H2 SX pushes Suzuki into a competitor bike that will be the prodigal child of the Hayabusa. (Just better looking than the 'Busa please!!!)

[dibblecorse]

PIGINAWIG said:

Well I had four generation 2 Hayabusas, have never worn camouflage gear and as far as I’m aware I’m not that overweight . Iconic bike. Read the latest write up on MCN. Still rocks it today.

Which means you must have been one of the 'hard lads' .... just jesting .....

I've always had a passing admiration for them, I think they hustle well and in some color schemes look quite cool, in other completely gash, but that can be said of many bikes ......

Our last euro trackday trip there was a lad on a Hayabusa going great guns round Parcmotor in the novice group, he had a grin from ear to ear having never ridden on track before ..... its not the perfect tool for anything but an adequate tool for lots of things .....

[dibblecorse]

Freakuk said:

Butt ugly bike which we often use to take the p*ss out of at the bike shows not knowing which end was the front or back.

If you're fat and wear camo you'll probably be upset LOL.

No uglier than the series one Multi lol ... in fact if those 2 went on a night out, the Muttley would be the ugly sister ...... I rode my Muttley hard lol

[joema]

Didn't know they still made them!

[black-k1]

dibblecorse said:

..... its not the perfect tool for anything but an adequate tool for lots of things .....

Or, the other way to look at it is that it's the perfect tool for "lots-of-things" rather than just one thing!

[RemaL]

I was talking to the Suzuki Guys at the NEC about this and they said they have not got any info but expected to have something in the pipe line in the next few years

[Mr OCD]

RemaL said:

I was talking to the Suzuki Guys at the NEC about this and they said they have not got any info but expected to have something in the pipe line in the next few years

There is supposed to be a new one on the way next year likely to be shown at the NEC with production in 2020... patents have been applied for by Suzuki showing new technology for a hyper tourer bike.

[Ilovejapcrap]

The looks kinda grew on me over years I’ll kinda grew on me over years i liked it in the Perl white

[lazybike]

That's a shame, I had one as my only transport for a year back in 01, always enjoyed riding it and surprisingly practical.

[Andy XRV]

PIGINAWIG said:

Freakuk said:

Iconic bike. Read the latest write up on MCN. Still rocks it today.

I read that article too. Pretty balanced for MCN and up against the Turbo I agreed with his summary.

Watch the second prices start to rise as the speculators move in

[graham22]

black-k1 said:

dibblecorse said:

..... its not the perfect tool for anything but an adequate tool for lots of things .....

Or, the other way to look at it is that it's the perfect tool for "lots-of-things" rather than just one thing!

Great allrounder, fantastic mile eater. Universally slagged off by people who never owned one.

I bought mine in 2010 for a 2 up holiday to Portugal, I never got round to selling it until 2016, between trips to the South of France, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, every summer it ended up on a ferry to somewhere.

[Benni]

Regardless of the styling, the engine is very tuneable, as proved by thousands of Busas ripping up the quartermiles worldwide,

the quickest currently arriving at the top end in 6,4secs and at 220Mph ( without wheelie bar).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIJqj_D0SF0

The block is able to take 600 - 800 turbo hp and has been used in some kit cars, too, I think.

[podman]

In some ways wish I still had my original 1999 model, I sold it 3 years ago with less than 3,000 miles on it...I think its now still sitting totally un-used.





Heard many criticisms of the bike but never thought of it as one desirable for chavs or combat wearers!

I had 2 of them, the copper /bronze/st brown one was obviously hardly used but with my earlier one I toured around Europe several times on it, did a couple of straightliner events and did a couple of trackdays with it, it understeered quite a bit, the brakes faded when hot and it needed some muscle but I enjoyed riding around many a sportsbike.

As the litrebikes started to make Hayabusa power and indeed became more comfortable(solo) than one , there appeal was increasingly lost but everyone should try one, the motor is an amazingly torquey device, I honestly thought my GSXR was so weak low down something was wrong with it.

I hope Suzuki have a replacement on the drawing board anyway.

[MK3 Dan]

There will be another one in the pipeline and will be interesting to see what it is engine wise.

These have such a reputation within the bike engine'd car world I think it is a large part of where its status has come from. I earn my living based around this!

There is a 1000hp turbo bike out there, over 1000 engines in Radical Sportscars and you can go along most weekends to a field with 100 + buggys all with Hayabusa engines in.

There is not another engine like out there so will be interesting to see what the future holds!