Almost 20 years after its introduction the mighty Suzuki Hayabusa has reached the end of the road. Unable to pass new European emission regulations and already being badly in need of a complete refresh made it an expected move in my opinion.



Given the success of supercharged Kawasaki H2 I cant help but think Suzuki will introduce some form of supercharged or turbo charged bike in the next two years to replace the Hayabusa.

Link to article

I loved my Busa while I had it. It is a great bike.

An amazing bike for its time.

You don't ride a Busa, you wear it. I rode my buddy's a couple of times. Amazing, but too much ball for my alley.

I bought a 1993 ZX-11C Ninja and it was the legit fastest production bike on the market (until the D came out of course). All the markings were stickers and I promptly peeled them off so the CBR900 guys would leave me alone

Then this damn thing came on the scene... the Busa was one smooth machine.

The falcon will return I'm sure. I can't really think of a more iconic rice rocket.

It had its’ day. Hopefully they’ll introduce some great handling with whatever they bring next.

Looking forward to upgraded frame geometry, carbon fiber, titanium and other exotica in the refresh.

It's literally the antithesis of what I like in motorcycles, but they're fast as shit.

Sucks for the Locost 7 and other kit cars community, though.

My Hayabusa story:

My brother had a Hayabusa. I never accepted his offer to take it for a ride: It scared me. Eventually, it scared him enough for him to trade it off. The kid that ended-up with it rear-ended a pickup at a high rate of speed; his (remains) flew through the cab of the pickup and the front wheel was wrapped around the rear axle of the truck.

I'm more upset about the end of the Kawasaki KLR650.

Any bike will only go as fast as you twist the throttle, no need to be afraid so long as you don't exceed your skill level. I own a 2017 ZX14R and love ringing it out every now and then but I also respect the engine and don't get over confident.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
It's literally the antithesis of what I like in motorcycles...

Same with me, and while they are of no interest to me I admire them for what they are and Suzuki for producing it.

Not a rice rocket but I read today 2018 may be the last year for the KLR.

I was always a bigger fan, and proud owner, of the 12r.

It had more superbike handling then the other hyperbikes, albeit, the busa was the straight line leader.

quote:

Originally posted by mesabi:
My Hayabusa story:

My brother had a Hayabusa. I never accepted his offer to take it for a ride: It scared me. Eventually, it scared him enough for him to trade it off. The kid that ended-up with it rear-ended a pickup at a high rate of speed; his (remains) flew through the cab of the pickup and the front wheel was wrapped around the rear axle of the truck.

I'm more upset about the end of the Kawasaki KLR650.

Is it bad that every time I read this and get to “(remains)” that I crack up laughing?

I don't think it's THAT bad.... The third-hand story from the truck driver went like "I saw a headlight in the rear view mirror, looked like it was about a half mile back. Next thing I knew, it felt like an explosion went off in the cab."

The truck driver was lucky.

46&2 there are other engines on the market that can perform at and often past the Hayabusa’s engine. Kit car companies could probably get by sourcing. s1000RR, ZX14 or Panigale V4s. Yes, it is a wonderful engine Suzuki made and even better with some modifications so it does suck that production is ending. It looks like the US market will have them for sale just a tad longer than those in Europe but with zero new Hayabusa models in production going into 2019 its only a matter of time until they all sell.

By 2020 or 2021 at the latest I think we will see a new forced induction (turbo or supercharged) Hayabusa.

I'm a motorcycle road racer and bikes that weigh this much and handle at this level really don't interest me on the surface. But what I ride on the track versus the street is a completely different game. I truly enjoyed owning a blackbird and a hayabusa. For what they are as legal road bikes they were really great. Power beyond belief at literally any rpm and any gear. Effortless highway cruising at speed. Totally bulletproof in stock form. Comfortable. What's not to love. I'm sure there will be some form of followon. I hope it isn't super/turbo charged as at this power point that's simply not necessary. As for the people who use the motor in other applications, the death of the road bike means nothing. There are series that use older motorcycle engines (think legend cars and the Yamaha air cooled motor) and the mfg. are normally willing to supply if you can commit to some volume.

I watched a dude do donuts and such in a parking lot in a Locost7 with a Busa motor. It was impressive, performance wise, but sounded weird hearing that sound from a car format.

Stickman, is that 2008 Blue/Gold yours?