There’s nothing like a Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R. Riding position, style, performance, handling, reputation, no other two-wheeler delivers the same overwhelming sensation of endless, immeasurable, breakneck speed.
And the engine in the Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R that stands proudly: a monumental gem of engineering that seamlessly blends manners and ease of use with performance ridiculously undiluted enough to scramble your brain for half a six. clean changes. Third does it all: from mindlessly loafing around town at 30mph, eyeing up delicious mummies to indicating 60mph on the test track and smearing the landscape in a three-year-old’s paint. Useless? Definitely. But fantastically life-affirming, a nice take on the gloriously outrageous in our world of cotton.
There’s such a rush of handling that even the ZZR feels lacking and the BMW spiky and harsh next to Suzuki’s transcendent long-stroke might. On a power-to-weight basis, it trails a GSX-R1000 or a Fireblade, but with plenty of torque anywhere in the rev range, nothing comes close to its instant, fluid clout. For most of us, it brings a new meaning to effortless power. For those with Bruce’s feel and balance, it means 100-yard black lines at each corner. And a new tire within 1000 miles.
In their munificence, Suzuki has included a three-way switch on the right handlebar: mode A provides maximum power and response, while mode B and C gradually reduce both reaction and power. Smart, and I understand the theory behind limiting super torque in rough conditions. But in C mode on a cold wet morning, I end up using larger throttle openings to get the drive I want. The engine is so civilized that I’m happiest in full A mode, where it delivers exactly what I expect.
Even the riding position is a subtle reminder of the bewildering speed of the Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R. Don’t sit on a Hayabusa, but wrap yourself over it, bottom close to the ground, feet apart, and torso stretched out to the wide bars. With the view on the lowered screen and the wraparound fairing, there is no doubt about the potential.
However, it is not the best posture for control. Both the ZZR and BMW sit you taller, with narrower bars that are easier to push and pull. They feel sportier, more modern. Both feel lighter than the Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R too, the Kawasaki in particular being more nimble at low speed. The 1400 also has a better chassis for our twisty B-road, staying level and unfazed over the blemishes and fast sections that make the Busa squat and twist. It seems that he will never get you on stage, but the others make it easier for you.
Open A-roads are friendly terrain. The Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R floats with graceful violence; better damped than the Kawasaki and shaking off the BMW at the lightest of touches. It is the king of point and blast. The highways are equally stress-free, with only a low screen to complain about. Gadget nerds may complain about the lack of travel gadgetry on the gorgeous watches, but there’s a fuel gauge and you don’t really miss the extra information.
But those peripheral details don’t matter. It’s a Hayabusa. It doesn’t handle as lightly as the ZZR, it doesn’t have the useful gadgets of the BMW, and it’s wasted at legal speeds. Instead, it’s the fastest, the one that leaves you sputtering after every encounter with the bike with the clearest mission statement. Do you want more? Buy the Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R.