A few months ago I flew off to Cape Town to ride this new version of Suzuki’s Hayabusa, and came away very impressed. But one thing irritated me more than a thousand mosquitoes, and that was the claim that the new bike made less horsepower than the previous model. Oh yes, Suzuki says it makes a few horsepower less and more torque throughout the mid-range, from its (still), 1,340cc engine. Yes, I know it’s stuffed with new internals, but… Well there’s only one way to settle this and that was to get the bike again and take it to ‘our’ Noddy and his state-of-the-art Dynojet dyno (which is an industry benchmark around the world). We run all of our test/press bikes on this dyno to keep the figure equal and relative, so there’s no childish arguing with other dynos reading more, so there!
The result was a little surprising, as the graphs show below for you to peruse. It seems that Suzuki has told a ‘lie’, because according to us the new bike makes more power and torque. We discovered that the new bike makes seven horsepower more and an extra seven Nm of torque. Not only that but the fueling on the new bike is close to perfection, so well done to Suzuki engineers on all counts. And with close to 140Nm and 170hp at the wheel that’s one seriously strong motor. 120Nm arrives at only 4,000rpm, with peak torque at a mere 7,000rpm, which is nice for lightning launches away from the lights.
But my recent acquisition wasn’t just about finding output figures. On the launch I only had the pleasure of the Hayabusa for day, this time it dwelled in my garage for a few weeks. During this time I was allowed to bond more, go shopping, take a few pillions and generally become a big show off. I did have the black version for a few days in-between, but this striking white option definitely attracted more attention. A few stickers and it would make a perfect police pursuit vehicle, but let’s not give ‘them’ any ideas, because in Dubai ‘they’ have already cottoned on.
Even though it weighs a hefty 265kg it seems to fall away when you ride it every day. This mass does give uncanny stability though, where track-based superbikes can become a bit lively when thrown onto uneven and bumpy roads. The suspension on the new Hayabusa is, without doubt, one of the best I’ve come across. It absorbs violent undulations in an effortless manner and I never once thought I needed to adjust either front or rear units. I even took a lady around Redstar circuit on the back, and again the suspension was commendable on all counts. She on the other hand didn’t speak for a few moments and tore through a few cigarettes at a commendable rate, seeing as it was her first time to enjoy some lean angle entertainment.
It will devour a lap or two with ease but the fun lies in road use, or more specifically wanting to race anything and everything away from the lights. I even found myself sitting at the side of the road waiting for an overpriced expensive car with an overpriced and expensive driver nestled inside. I did indeed find one in some type of Porsche covered in badges and spoilers and making a lot of noise, some GT3 RS thing I recall. He revved, launched hard in a deafening display of exhaust noise and I disappeared into the distance. Wish I could have seen his face as my silent white missile departed like a rat up a drainpipe.
That’s another thing I liked, the relatively silent sound from those large twin mufflers. Personally, I wouldn’t fit a loud pipe, as its executive demeanor seems to bond well with the ‘whoosh’ as you wind on the power, but that’s just me.
The beauty of the Hayabusa is it’s so easy to ride, but so easy to get into trouble. An everyday friend you can crawl around on, or unleash hell. Can’t really ask more from a 300km/h + motorcycle than that?
Go to www.suzukimotorcycle.co.za to book a highly recommended test ride from your local dealer, and to view Suzuki’s 2022 range. 
Images: Kyle and Sudoku 
