Production of the Suzuki Hayabusa has ended after 20 years

Production of the Suzuki Hayabusa has ended after 20 years

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Discussion

rodericb

6,657 posts

125 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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You may not like the look of it, or it has associations with various sub-groups, but it's great that Suzuki actually produced the thing and had in in production all this time.

Don Roque

Original Poster:

17,990 posts

158 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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podman said:
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.



That is just stunning. I always thought the copper coloured ones were the best looking ones, followed by the black and red scheme that was shared with the late 90's SRADs.


graylag

685 posts

66 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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m_cozzy said:
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.
Too much bike? Most modern litre bikes produce more power in an infinitely more useable frame. The Hayabusa is an American muscle car. Engine is too big, power too low, can’t go round corners and old tech. Much like a Brontosaurus



PIGINAWIG

2,339 posts

164 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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graylag said:
Too much bike? Most modern litre bikes produce more power in an infinitely more useable frame. The Hayabusa is an American muscle car. Engine is too big, power too low, can’t go round corners and old tech. Much like a Brontosaurus
Have you ridden one? And do you consider yourself a capable rider?

Turn7

23,500 posts

220 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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graylag said:
m_cozzy said:
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.
Too much bike? Most modern litre bikes produce more power in an infinitely more useable frame. The Hayabusa is an American muscle car. Engine is too big, power too low, can’t go round corners and old tech. Much like a Brontosaurus
And about the same weight......

graylag

685 posts

66 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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PIGINAWIG said:
Have you ridden one? And do you consider yourself a capable rider?
No

I do OK

Rubin215

3,985 posts

155 months

Saturday 8th December 2018
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I was the second owner of the first Hayabusa registered in the UK, if you sat on one at a show in 98 or early 99 it was my one.

Stupid fast, brakes weren't good enough, hours comfortable.

Don't know if I would ever want another one.

Don Roque

Original Poster:

17,990 posts

158 months

Sunday 9th December 2018
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graylag said:
No

I do OK
Speaking from experience then? laugh

They're a product of the power wars of the 90's and may seem a bit of a dinosaur these days, particularly since a litre bike was always a better choice for belting up B roads, but the Hayabusa maintains a strong following and there are plenty of current and former owners with plenty of good to say about them. If they had a shaft drive I'd have one now.

robbocop33

1,184 posts

106 months

Sunday 9th December 2018
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Only bike i ever owned that people would cancel indicators at roundabouts just to bait me for a race, got that a lot! For some reason.
Highlight being an, ahem, 'meeting' with a yellow 1000hp Skyline on a basically aircraft landing strip straight bit of road, only time i felt the throttle stop on it! :-)
Think there's a clip of Jeremy Clarkson in it on youtube. That car could shift!

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Monday 10th December 2018
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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.
I'm a fat fk and ended up with some camo draggin jeans cos they were 40 quid, does that mean I can get rid of my crappy old Blackbird and get a 'busa?

My only worry is that I'll have to get rid of my givi rack which I leave on the bike but never use. biggrin

sjtscott

4,215 posts

230 months

Monday 10th December 2018
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I always secretly admired the first ones and thought about it but then I ended up with the Blackbird which to be honest was more than enough for me. I'd had a SV650s and GSXR600 a few years before and their build quality wasn't the best for year round commuting use, neither were the front brakes up to much either. The build quality and poor brakes on those did put me off having another Suzuki sadly.
My blackbird took all the daily year round abuse thrown at it with minimal to no cleaning just servicing every 4k miles.

tezzer

983 posts

185 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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Bought a 2000 model (full power, 220mph clocks) from a dealer in Bradford, brand new in 2002. A lot of bike for a 5'4" weakling, but bugger me did it go.

Record for a bck tyre was 1500 miles, and tht was during the running in period from new. Went to Assen a couple of times on it, and loved it, a bit of a handful on a Cadwell trackday, passed everything in sight on park straight only for them all to come pass on the twisties, but that was probably more down to me, than the bike.

Still miss it (now and again) but self preservation got the better of me

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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Don Roque said:
Speaking from experience then? laugh

They're a product of the power wars of the 90's and may seem a bit of a dinosaur these days, particularly since a litre bike was always a better choice for belting up B roads, but the Hayabusa maintains a strong following and there are plenty of current and former owners with plenty of good to say about them. If they had a shaft drive I'd have one now.
To be fair he is objectively correctly that they're heavier, less powerful, and less able to turn than modern superbikes. It doesn't matter what his experience of the bike is as long as he's not making an argument based on experience.

Also, he was probably responding to the obligatory "millennials are pussies" argument, which is clearly baseless (again see above).

As for a shaft drive, just what it needs, another 20kg+ of unsprung weight.

The 'Busa is being pulled because it's not relevant anymore, it had it's day but it's niche is now very small, and it's time for an update. It's nothing to do with people being softer, time has just finally caught up with the previous 'Busa. There's no need to be sensitive about it.



3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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Probably 10 years too late.

My old man had new ones in 99, 03 and 06, coming from ZZR1100s.

I remember being 23 and riding the '99 one he bought - absolutely awesome power, 220mph speedo etc. Most other quick sports bikes were only 40kg lighter but had 40 bhp less, so the combination of slippery fairing, torque and power was fantastic.

The impact of this bike was massive. I remember the main fear factor I had was its penchant for spinning up in the dry rather than power wheelieing like all other sports bikes did! Some proper brown trouser moments.

Fast forward to his 06 one and it was slower than the latest litre sports bikes, as it was 50kg heavier, had the same power, but still didn't handle, stop or turn and still wasn't comfortable.

I persuaded my old man to buy a new ZZR1400 in 2010 - leagues ahead, but also too heavy, too long, not really much more comfortable. It was still slower than litre bikes in a straight line. He liked it, I didn't.

I guess the future of these bikes is with the H2 SX - an ECU reflash and you get 225bhp and better comfort. Perhaps as litre sports bikes get smaller and more extreme and riders get older, there will be a renaissance. A lighter, more comfortable SC Hayabusa 1000 would be welcome.

Dug out some pics of his 03 and 06 ones. Can't find any of the red and black 99 one.







It used to romp away in a straight line from my tuned and lightened 119bhp ZX7R which was a 99 plate and a good example of a typical sports bike then.


TheCommuter

96 posts

77 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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Prof Prolapse said:
The 'Busa is being pulled because it's not relevant anymore,
Sort of disagree. I owned a gsxr1000 and yes it had plenty of power but wasn't comfortable during a long run or in town traffic... I've heard other litre bikes are worse comfort wise.

I own a zzr1400 which is in the same category as a Busa, has loads of low down torque and silly top end power like the gsxr and much more comfortable with superb wind protection and handles well too. I've put a top box on it and commute every day into London and intend to do a track day next year. These bikes do loads of things well.

It is a shame that Suzuki chose not to update the Busa.


trickywoo

11,701 posts

229 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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TheCommuter said:
Sort of disagree. I owned a gsxr1000 and yes it had plenty of power but wasn't comfortable during a long run or in town traffic... I've heard other litre bikes are worse comfort wise.

I own a zzr1400 which is in the same category as a Busa, has loads of low down torque and silly top end power like the gsxr and much more comfortable with superb wind protection and handles well too. I've put a top box on it and commute every day into London and intend to do a track day next year. These bikes do loads of things well.

It is a shame that Suzuki chose not to update the Busa.
Agree with this.

I haven't ridden a Busa or 1400 but fancy one, likely a 14 in the future. It would be the torque that I would go for. The 14 makes the same torque at 4k rpm as the ZX10 does at peak. I know the 10 would be as fast in a straight line and much better handling but its hard to argue with that kind of low rpm drive.

Its a bit like the 1000 cc vs 750 debate (that has been ended now). There isn't much in it straight line flat out acceleration (they are both 10s for the standing quarter) but most people will say they prefer a 1000 for the torque.

graylag

685 posts

66 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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People seem to be missing the fact that a litre Superbike is faster and more nimble, there seems to be some misunderstanding that the extra 300cc on a Hayabusa and 400 on a ZZR1400 somehow make them faster. It doesn’t.

Both of the larger capacity bikes are touring bikes and not built for throwing about on trackdays or blasts. They are grand tourers, the GTs of the bike world, continent eaters, or whatever phrase you want to use. There’s nothing wrong with that, but people who want to tour have found the GS type bikes and prefer them now, so the grand tourers of old are being put out to pasture. Plus there’s to added cost of making them Euro 5 (or whatever number) compliant in Europe, so probably not worth the cost when compared to sales volumes.

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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TheCommuter said:
Sort of disagree. I owned a gsxr1000 and yes it had plenty of power but wasn't comfortable during a long run or in town traffic... I've heard other litre bikes are worse comfort wise.

I own a zzr1400 which is in the same category as a Busa, has loads of low down torque and silly top end power like the gsxr and much more comfortable with superb wind protection and handles well too. I've put a top box on it and commute every day into London and intend to do a track day next year. These bikes do loads of things well.

It is a shame that Suzuki chose not to update the Busa.
Always good to disagree...

I think to my mind the reason that it's not relevant, is that if you take what this bike is good at, massive speed and comfort, the current solution (across almost all brands) seems to be to re/de-tune an existing sports engine, and stick it in a chassis that is more amiable to road riding.

I mean, the niche of fast and comfy, has been filled with bikes like the MT family, especially MT-10(touring), S1000XR, S1000R, and to a lesser extent stuff like the GSX1000-S and Honda CB1000R. I think they're all demonstrative that this is the way to combine those attributes, albeit without the big numbers, which is now reserved to promote halo sportsbikes.

Personally I wonder if the idea of just making what is effectively a huge sportsbike, then trying to engineer your way around the problems you've just introduced, is simply an outdated answer to the problem.

Only if your criteria is comfort and real world speed that is. I mean if you want have a drag bike, or a straight line monster, then obviously it's great shame.



tdm34

7,365 posts

209 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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Suzuki keep teasing us dealers with rumours, latest thinking is that there'll be a litre plus with supercharging 'Busa along
in the near future.....

TheCommuter

96 posts

77 months

Tuesday 11th December 2018
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graylag said:
People seem to be missing the fact that a litre Superbike is faster and more nimble, there seems to be some misunderstanding that the extra 300cc on a Hayabusa and 400 on a ZZR1400 somehow make them faster. It doesn’t.
Not massively scientific but a fun test to watch anyway if anyone gets a chance... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ep4uIxhtY May or may not change your mind.