The Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa is a
sports motorcycle made by
Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
since 1999. It immediately won acclaim as the world's
fastest production motorcycle
The fastest production motorcycle for a given year is the unmodified motorcycle with the highest tested top speed that was manufactured in series and available for purchase by the general public. Modified or specially produced motorcycles are a dif ...
, with a top speed of .
In 1999, fears of a European regulatory backlash or import ban
led to an informal agreement between the Japanese and European manufacturers to
govern
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
the top speed of their motorcycles at an arbitrary limit starting in late 2000.
The media-reported value for the speed agreement in miles per hour was consistently 186 mph, while in kilometers per hour it varied from 299 to 303 km/h, which is typical given
unit conversion
Conversion of units is the conversion between different units of measurement for the same quantity, typically through multiplicative conversion factors which change the measured quantity value without changing its effects.
Overview
The process ...
rounding
Rounding means replacing a number with an approximate value that has a shorter, simpler, or more explicit representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression with .
Rounding is often done to obta ...
errors. This figure may also be affected by a number of external factors,
as can the power and torque values.
The conditions under which this limitation was adopted led to the 1999 and 2000
Hayabusa's title remaining, at least technically, unassailable, since no subsequent model could go faster without being tampered with sans early 2000 models.
[ p. 31]
After the much anticipated
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series made by Kawasaki from 2000 through 2006. The inline-four engine produced at low speed, and increased to at high speed due to its ram-air intake, making it the most power ...
of 2000 fell short of claiming the title, the Hayabusa secured its place as the fastest standard production bike of the 20th century.
[The Hayabusa could just as easily be called the "fastest production motorcycle of the millennium." ]Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
, in 2001, lists the Hayabusa as "the fastest production bike in the world," with a top speed of . See p. 179, p. 139[ pp. 284-285][. "Among the accolades, the Hayabusa was named Cycle World's 'Superbike Of The Year' and Motorcyclist's 'Motorcycle Of The Year.' It also won Popular Mechanics' 2000 Design & Engineering Award and was named the 'World's Fastest Production Bike' in the millennium issue of the Guinness Book Of World Records. Consumer's Digest picked the SV650 as the 'Best Buy' in motorcycles, 'and several of the buff books singled out the SV650 for special recognition... Even our dealership information center won an award,' noted Harris. The Point-Of-Purchase Advertising Institute awarded Suzuki's Literature Information Center/Video Monitor Display a bronze medal."] This gives the unrestricted 1999
models even more cachet with collectors.
[ p. 230]
Besides its speed, the Hayabusa has been lauded by many reviewers for its all-round performance, in that it does not drastically compromise other qualities like handling, comfort, reliability, noise, fuel economy or price in pursuit of a single function.
[ Jay Koblenz of '']Motorcycle Consumer News
''Motorcycle Consumer News'' (MCN) was a monthly motorcycling magazine that reviewed motorcycles and accessories, and covered motorcycle safety, training and industry news. Unlike most publications, it was wholly subscriber-supported and did no ...
'' commented, "If you think the ability of a motorcycle to approach 190 mph or reach the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds is at best frivolous and at worst offensive, this still remains a motorcycle worthy of just consideration. The Hayabusa is Speed in all its glory. But Speed is not all the Hayabusa is."[
]
First generation (1999–2007)
When first shown to the press in 1999, the first Hayabusas made a profound impression. No previous motorcycle has broken the production model top speed record by such a margin, , depending on which measured speeds the source was relying on for the CBR1100XX and the GSX-1300R.[
is Japanese for "]peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
", a bird that often serves as a metaphor for speed due to its vertical hunting dive, or ''stoop'', speed of , the fastest of any bird. In particular, the choice of name was made because the peregrine falcon preys on blackbirds, which reflected the intent of the original Hayabusa to unseat the Honda CBR1100XX
The Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird is a Honda motorcycle, part of the CBR series made from 1996 to 2007. The bike was developed to challenge the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 as the world's fastest production motorcycle, and Honda succeeded with a top sp ...
Super Blackbird as the world's fastest production motorcycle.[ "When Suzuki first launched the bike, it explained that hayabusa was the Japanese word for a very fast falcon that, not coincidentally, fed on blackbirds."] Eventually, the Hayabusa managed to surpass the Super Blackbird by at least a full .[ pp. 242–243, 276–277]
The first generation had a liquid-cooled, inline-4
A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...
engine with sixteen valves driven by dual-overhead camshafts. This configuration, technologically unremarkable for that time, delivered a record-setting claimed at the crankshaft by virtue of the largest displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and Physics
*Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
ever in a sport bike, and a ram air system that forced cool, pressurized air into the cylinders at speed.[ Combined with sophisticated aerodynamics, this powerful engine pushed the Hayabusa's top speed above the Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird by a significant leap, contrasting with the incremental gains that preceded the Suzuki hyper sport entry. The 1997 carbureted CBR1100XX had previously only inched past the previous top speed record holder, the ]Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11
The ZZ-R1100 or ZX-11 is a sport bike in Kawasaki's Ninja series made from 1990 to 2001, as the successor to the 1988–1990 Tomcat ZX-10. With a top speed of , it was the fastest production motorcycle from its introduction until 1996, surpass ...
of 1990.[
The Hayabusa's abundance of power at any engine speed made the Hayabusa easier to ride by giving the rider a greater choice of gear selection for a given speed and stunning acceleration.][
The ram air ducts at the front of the drooping, rounded nose squeezed the frontal area away from the headlight, and this, along with the need for a narrow frontal area, necessitated a stacked headlight and high beam behind a single lens. Moreover, the need to reduce the extreme drag encountered at high speeds determined the Hayabusa's entire bulbous, and much-criticized, bodywork design. Koblenz remarked, "non-traditional styling generates the main controversy of the Hayabusa."][ When viewed through the eyes of those who judged its beauty on the basis of its functionality, or given a little time to get used to it, the bike's looks did find admirers.] The striking two-tone brown/silver paint scheme was similarly loved by some and hated by others but was successful if the intent of an all-new, flagship product is to make a bold statement.[ So while it was called ugly by some in the press,][. " or/nowiki> those who aren't appalled by its bulbous silhouette... Styling reminiscent of a walleye pike."] this aerodynamic shape was key to the Hayabusa's ability to reach record-setting speeds.[
]
Reflecting in 2009 on the initial design, the creator of the Hayabusa's look, Suzuki's Koji Yoshirua, said that the intent in 1999 was, "to create a somewhat grotesque design and create a strong initial impact... The mission was to create a total new styling that will not be out of date within few years, and a styling that will be the 'Face' of Suzuki." Yoshirua also said that the goal was not to achieve the status of the fastest production motorcycle, which in early stages was slated to be only , but that, "as a consequence of, pursuing the best handling, acceleration, safety, power, riding ability, original styling, etc., for the good of the customers, it became the 'Fastest production motorcycle' … By doing this, once the model was out in the market and the performance of it been proven, I thought that people will start to show interest to the weird design, and then the design would be caked in peoples mind."
The engine used a gear-driven counterbalancer to reduce vibration to the point that the engine could be solidly mounted to the frame, for the purpose of increasing chassis rigidity. Employing a conventional twin beam frame, fully adjustable upside down forks, using specially developed Bridgestone
is a Japanese multinational tire manufacturer founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of , meaning 'stone bridge' in Japan ...
tires, and being relatively light at dry, the Hayabusa's handling was considered excellent for a machine of this class.[ One reviewer, Koblenz, noted a hesitation perhaps related to poor low-rpm mapping at low speeds, noticeable as a "pause and slight lurch" when rolling on and back off the throttle.][
]
Top speed limited by agreement
With rumors and then pre-release announcements of much greater power in Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-12R in 2000, clearly attempting to unseat Suzuki and regain lucrative bragging rights, the speed war appeared to be escalating. There were growing fears of carnage and mayhem from motorcycles getting outrageously faster every year, and there was talk of regulating hyper sport motorcycles, or banning their import to Europe.[
The response was a so-called ]gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement, or gentleman's agreement, is an informal and legally non-binding agreement between two or more parties. It is typically oral, but it may be written or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or th ...
between the Japanese and European manufacturers to electronically limit the speed of their motorcycles to 300 km/h (186 mph).[Sources vary as to whether this unofficial agreement is precise or only approximate, and whether it is defined as 300 km/h or as 186 mph, though the European and Japanese manufactures normally use metric units.] The informal agreement went fully into effect for the 2001 model year. So for 2001 models, and those since, the question of which bike was fastest could only be answered by tampering with the speed limiting system, meaning that it was no longer a contest between stock, production motorcycles, absolving the manufacturer of blame and letting those not quite as fast avoid losing face.[ Both Kawasaki and Suzuki would claim, at least technically, to have the world's fastest production motorcycle.
]
Other developments
After the inclusion of the speed limiting system in 2001, the Hayabusa remained substantially the same through the 2007 model year. An exception was a response to the problem of the aluminum rear subframe on 1999 and 2000 models breaking when the bike may have been overloaded with a passenger and luggage, and/or stressed by an aftermarket exhaust modification, so 2001 and later Hayabusas had a steel instead of aluminum rear subframe, adding to the 1999 and 2000 models' approximately wet weight
Wet may refer to:
* Moisture, the condition of containing liquid or being covered or saturated in liquid
* Wetting (or wetness), a measure of how well a liquid sticks to a solid rather than forming a sphere on the surface
Wet or WET may also refe ...
.
Performance and measurements
Second generation (2008–2020)
Suzuki lightly revised the GSX1300R for the 2008 model year, with a minor restyling of the bodywork, and fine-tuning of the engine's head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...
, pistons and exhaust. Though the engine changes were relatively limited, they still yielded a large horsepower increase, and brought the bike into compliance with new noise and emissions requirements.[. "An all-new 2008 Hayabusa featuring a engine with a claimed eleven percent increase in performance headlines this late June announcement"]
Planning
In 2004, market research
Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers: know about them, starting with who they are. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining competitiveness. Mark ...
ers from the US and Japan began working to identify which elements of the Hayabusa design had attracted so many buyers, discovering that, in spite of having its looks sometimes disparaged in print, customers were much enamored with the old Hayabusa. A redesign meant to strengthen the bike's appearance without departing much from the original found approval with dealers and focus groups. Underneath the skin, Suzuki decided to save considerable development cost by keeping major portions of the frame and engine unchanged.[ This was because engineers had determined greater power was possible without a significant redesign of the old engine, even faced with the need to comply with more stringent noise and air pollution rules.] The target was to produce more than at the crankshaft, and they delivered , an 11 or 12 percent increase over the previous output. When the new Hayabusa was released, independent tests bore this out, with @ 10,100 rpm measured at the rear wheel.[
Suzuki's Koji Yoshiura designed the look of the new Hayabusa. He had previously styled the first generation Hayabusa, as well as the Suzuki Bandit 400, RF600R, TL1000S and the SV650. For research, Yoshiura traveled around the United States to bike nights and clubs for a first-hand look at the styling aesthetic of the Hayabusa ]custom
Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to:
Traditions, laws, and religion
* Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom
* Norm (social), a r ...
scene and was inspired as much by the look and build of the Hayabusa rider as their custom bikes. While the second generation is very close to the first in overall shape and is largely dictated by wind tunnel tests, the raised lines and curves are meant to suggest a muscular build. Said Yoshiura, "I wanted to create a masculine form that complements a rider's muscular structure with hints of developed bicep, forearm, and calves."
Technical revisions
Engine changes consisted of an increase in stroke by 2 mm, enlarging displacement to . The compression ratio was boosted from 11:1 to 12.5:1 and the cylinder head was made more compact and was given lighter titanium valves, saving and on each intake and exhaust valve, respectively. The valves were driven by a chain with a new hydraulic tensioner. The pistons were made lighter by [ and used ion-coated rings and shot peened ]connecting rod
A connecting rod, also called a 'con rod', is the part of a piston engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. Together with the crank, the connecting rod converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotation of the cranksh ...
s.[ The crankcase breather system had ]reed valve
Reed valves are a type of check valve which restrict the flow of fluids to a single direction, opening and closing under changing pressure on each face. Modern versions often consist of flexible metal or composite materials (fiberglass or carbon f ...
s added to control pressure waves in the intake airbox, a way of avoiding power loss.[
Fuel injectors from the GSX-R1000 were used, with smaller throttle bodies, called the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) system. It has three selectable options of power delivery for a range of touring to wide open high performance.][ The exhaust system was overhauled, using a 4-2-1-2 system, meaning four exhaust outlets merging into two pipes, and then joining into a single pipe before splitting into two enlarged, quieter mufflers, which added a few pounds of weight compared to the first generation Hayabusa. The exhaust also included a ]catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction. Catalytic converters are usually ...
and an oxygen sensor
An oxygen sensor (or lambda sensor, where lambda refers to air–fuel equivalence ratio, usually denoted by λ) or probe or sond, is an electronic device that measures the proportion of oxygen (O2) in the gas or liquid being analysed.
It was ...
in order to meet Euro 3 emissions requirements.[
The suspension was upgraded with a 43 mm Kayaba inverted fork with sliders having a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. The rear shock is also a Kayaba, and the overall suspension is firmer than the previous model. The swingarm is similar in design to the old one but was strengthened. The front and rear remain fully adjustable. The transmission was given a heavier-duty, ]slipper clutch
A slipper clutch ''(also known as a back-torque limiter)'' is a specialized clutch with an integrated freewheel mechanism, developed for performance-oriented motorcycles to mitigate the effects of engine braking when riders decelerate.
The main pu ...
. The final drive ratio was slightly lower, and gears 5-6 were spaced farther apart, and gear ratios 1-2 moved closer together.[
Ergonomic and cosmetic changes for the 2008 model include a higher windscreen, and interlocking gauge faces with a digital speedometer, as well as a new gear indicator and adjustable shift light. The fairing fasteners were hidden to uncomplicate custom paint work. The twin-spar aluminum frame was carried over from the previous version, and wheelbase, rake/trail, and seat height were the same, while overall length grew by two inches, and the taller windscreen added about ½ inch.][ Weight was saved by omitting the centerstand.][
Technical improvements in the chassis include Tokico ]radial
Radial is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
Mathematics and Direction
* Vector (geometric), a line
* Radius, adjective form of
* Radial distance, a directional coordinate in a polar coordinate system
* Radial set
* A bearing f ...
brake calipers
A caliper (British spelling also calliper, or in plurale tantum sense a pair of calipers) is a device used to measure the dimensions of an object.
Many types of calipers permit reading out a measurement on a ruled scale, a dial, or a digital dis ...
, allowing smaller discs and therefore lower unsprung weight
The unsprung mass (colloquially unsprung weight) of a vehicle is the mass of the suspension, wheels or tracks (as applicable), and other components directly connected to them. This contrasts with the sprung mass (or weight) supported by the ...
, translating into superior handling. Increased front braking power necessitated a sturdier lower triple clamp
A telescopic fork is a form of motorcycle front suspension whose use is so common that it is virtually universal. The telescopic fork uses fork tubes and sliders which contain the springs and dampers.
The main advantages of the telescopic for ...
. The rear brake caliper was moved to the top of the disc, giving a cleaner visual appearance. New 17 inch wheels were designed, using Bridgestone BT-015 radials taken almost directly from the GSX-R1000.[
Other changes were a ]steering damper
Originally designed in 1966 by Leonard R Jordan Jr the steering damper, or steering stabiliser is a damping device designed to inhibit an undesirable, uncontrolled movement or oscillation of a vehicle steering mechanism, a phenomenon known in moto ...
with a reservoir and dual cooling fans with a larger, curved radiator. Because of increased vibration from the longer stroke, the fuel tank was put on floating mounts. All told, the changes for 2008 resulted in a dry weight of , heavier than the prior generation.[
]
Other developments
Suzuki has dropped the GSX1300R designation in some countries and simply called the motorcycle the Hayabusa.
In October 2009, the company celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Hayabusa in Santa Pod raceway where more than 500 owners of Hayabusas converged. Many events were organized and prizes were distributed to people who visited the event.
There were no changes through the 2011 model year except for new colors.
Alongside the second generation Hayabusa, Suzuki developed the new B-King, a naked bike
The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', and ''dual-purpose''. ''Sport touring'' is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the ''touring' ...
in the streetfighter
A streetfighter, muscle bike, or super naked is a motorcycle of high displacement and horsepower. It is typically a super bike with the fairings and windscreen removed. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the street ...
mold, using the same engine but with a different intake and exhaust.
Performance and measurements
Third generation (2022)
The third-generation Hayabusa was announced on February 5, 2021. ''Cycle World'' and ''Motorcyclist'' magazines referred to the third generation 2022 model year Hayabusa as GSX1300RR rather than GSX1300R, with no mention of what that might signify.
Sales
Typically, a new sportbike model sells well in its first year, and then sees its numbers decline every year as it grows older. The Hayabusa reversed this pattern, selling in greater numbers every year from the 1999 launch through the 2008 revision.[ From its debut in 1999 to June 2007 over 100,000 Hayabusas were sold worldwide.] In the United States in each of the years 2005 and 2006, over 10,000 units were sold.
It was predicted that the gentlemen's agreement speed cap would hurt sales, because buyers would not want a bike that was hobbled with a speed limiter, even riders who would never approach the hypothetical maximum.[ However, sales in the United States increased year after year between its release in 1999 and 2006, rising from just a few thousand units in 1999 to over 10,000 in 2006.][
]
Competitive motorsports
Many riders have found that the Hayabusa lends itself well to any number of functional purposes, including competitive motorsports.
The Hayabusa has been used in sanctioned closed course road racing, drag racing,[http://www.amadragbike.com/news/templates/classes_tmp.asp?articleid=55&zoneid=13] and top speed competition.
Top speeds of over 270 mph, engine outputs of over 700 horsepower, and performances in the standing quarter mile as quick as 6.9 seconds and as fast as 209.14 mph have been recorded by street registered Hayabusa motorcycles using standard-width (190mm) DOT-approved street-legal rear tires.
On July 17, 2011, riding a highly modified turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa, Bill Warner set a new world motorcycle land speed record of from a standing start to 1.5 miles at the Loring Timing Association's Land Speed Race, held at the Loring Commerce Centre
The Loring Commerce Centre is an industrial and aviation park in northeastern Maine, located in Aroostook County near Limestone. Developed from the former Loring Air Force Base which closed in 1994, it is home to over 20 employers with more th ...
(the former Loring Air Force Base
Loring Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation in northeastern Maine, near Limestone and Caribou in Aroostook County. It was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command during its existence, and was t ...
) in Limestone, Maine
Limestone is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,526 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
The town is best known for being the home of the Loring Commerce Centre (formerly Lori ...
.
Custom versions
The Hayabusa has been one of the top choices for streetbike customization, perhaps even the most popular customized sportbike. One reason may be the unique, instantly recognizable bodywork.[ The easy tunability of the engine, the wide selection of aftermarket parts, possibly more than any other Japanese motorcycle, and the interchangeability between models of Suzuki parts have also played a role.][ It was the vibrancy of this custom scene that prompted Suzuki to send Koji Yoshirua to the US for feedback and inspiration for the second generation design.][
Bikes are typically built to impress with being the most extreme, and most innovative. For professional custom shops, the status as the first builder to introduce a new style or customization — a 300 mm-series rear tire width, for example — is often hotly contested, and can pay dividends in media attention and in sales.][ Celebrity customers, such as ]rappers
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
or NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
stars, also serve to build the credibility of a custom shop.[ The bikes themselves, at shows, racetracks, dragstrips, and at build competitions, also serve as "rolling billboards" for their makers.]
Bikes are usually built around a theme,[ such as a ]NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
-inspired bike with retro-70s chrome wheels, racing numbers, flames, and sponsor insignia reminiscent of a stock car
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
, or a bike that takes its cues from popular films, such as Freddy Krueger
Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...
of ''A Nightmare on Elm Street
''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp ...
''. Other common motifs in custom artwork are sexy women, skulls, bones and other gruesome figures, and money and bling
Bling-bling, often shortened to just bling, is "flashy jewelry worn especially as an indication of wealth or status; broadly: expensive and ostentatious possessions" such as grills and designer bags. The term arose as slang, but grew into a cu ...
, such as " Ben Franklins," $100 bills.[
]
Power enhancement
Horsepower enhancements like nitrous
A Nitrous Oxide Engine, or Nitrous Oxide System commonly referred to and known as NOS, is an internal combustion engine in which oxygen for burning the fuel comes from the decomposition of nitrous oxide, N2O, rather than air. The system incre ...
injection, which can add , and turbocharging
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
, which can raise power to more than , are common.
Police use
In 2006 the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. A division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, the OHP has traffic enforcement jurisdiction throughout the state. OHP was legislat ...
(OHP) converted a seized Hayabusa into a pursuit vehicle, setting up the bike with equipment including a radar unit, police lights, and siren, and painting it in official colors and insignia. Impressed with the positive response from the public and the motorcycling community, the OHP purchased two more Hayabusas, to supplement their main fleet of Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
police motorcycle
A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by police and law enforcement. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States. Units t ...
s. While they are used for patrol, the primary function of the Hayabusas is public relations and community outreach, due to the kind of attention the exotic bikes attract. According to the OHP, "There are clear lines dividing sportbike and cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
motorcycle riders. We feel the sportbike community has not been given the proper amount of attention and focus in the area of community involvement and rider safety education."
In 2009, Humberside Police
Humberside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing The East Riding of Yorkshire including Hull and northern parts of Lincolnshire including Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
The chief constable since 2017 is Lee Freeman.
Histor ...
in the United Kingdom put an undercover
To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...
Hayabusa on the road, equipped with speed detection equipment and a video camera, as part of ''Operation Achilles'', which aimed to catch speeding motorists and motorcyclists.
In the town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, the ...
, the Puerto Rico Police
The Puerto Rico Police Department ( es, Policía de Puerto Rico), officially the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, is a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a division of the Puerto Rico Department ...
operates a "superbike unit" composed entirely of seized Hayabusas that have been outfitted with lights, sirens, police livery and radar equipment for speed enforcement duty in the northern region of Puerto Rico.
In late 2021, the Arecibo municipal government announced the acquisition of seized vehicles for the Arecibo Municipal Police in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, among them a Hayabusa. Like the Hayabusas owned by the PRPD, this Hayabusa has been outfitted with lights, sirens and police livery to be used as a patrol vehicle in Villas del Capitán Correa, located at the northern part of the town.
Other uses of the Hayabusa engine
![Suzuki GSX-R-4 Concept 2001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Suzuki_GSX-R-4_Concept_2001.jpg)
The high-powered lightweight engine in the Hayabusa lends itself to non-motorcycle applications. The Westfield Megabusa is an English sports car, based on the Lotus Seven
The Lotus Seven is a small, simple, lightweight, two-seater, open-top, open-wheel, sports car produced by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars (initially called Lotus Engineering) between 1957 and 1972.
It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Cha ...
, which uses the Hayabusa engine. Suzuki was the first to put the motorcycle's engine in a car, with two concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
s in 2001, the Suzuki GSX-R/4
The Suzuki GSX-R/4 is a concept car made by Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, ...
roadster and the Formula Hayabusa, an open wheel race car "designed for a new Japanese one-make competition series."
Mike Akatiff's 2004 land speed record
The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the highest speed achieved by a person using a vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") flying start regula ...
attempt TOP 1 Ack Attack
The TOP 1 Ack Attack is a specially constructed land-speed record streamliner motorcycle that, , has held the record for world's fastest motorcycle since recording a two-way average speed of on September 25, 2010 in the Cook Motorsports Top Sp ...
streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating wikt:streamline, streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "High-speed rail, bullet trai ...
used twin Hayabusa engines in an attempt to exceed at Bonneville Salt Flats. In 2006 and again in 2008 Akatiff's Ack Attack, ridden by Rocky Robinson, succeeded, first going in 2006, only to be surpassed two days later, then returning in 2008 to set another new record of . That record stood until 24 September 2009, when it was broken by Chris Carr with a speed of .
Radical Sportscars
Radical Motorsport is a British manufacturer and constructor of racing cars. The company was founded in January 1997 by amateur drivers and engineers Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott, who built open cockpit sportscars which could be registered for roa ...
use the Hayabusa engine in stock form in their SR1 entry level race car and in a modified form up to 1.6L in their SR3 and PR6 cars. They also designed a V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
based on the inline-four
A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...
Hayabusa engine using dual Hayabusa cylinder heads
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head (often abbreviated to simply "head") sits above the cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber.
In sidevalve engines, the head is a simple sheet of metal; whereas in more modern ove ...
mated to a custom bottom end, known as the Powertec RPA
RPE RP-V8 is the name of a naturally-aspirated V8 engine series developed by Radical Sportscars in Peterborough, England for use in the SR8 sportscar. The design is loosely based on the inline-four engine produced by Suzuki for their Hayabusa ...
V8 engine to power their SR8 car. The sports car set the record for the fastest production car at Nürburgring
The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...
.
John Hartley, president of a custom printing machine manufacturer, created a 75° V8 engine producing and torque that weighs , based on the Hayabusa engine, initially intended to power his Caterham Seven
The Caterham 7 (or Caterham Seven) is a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom. It is based on the Lotus Seven, a lightweight sports car sold in kit and factory-built form by Lotus Cars, from 1957 to 1972 ...
sports car. One of Hartley's engines has also been put in an Ariel Atom
The Ariel Atom is a road-legal high performance open-wheel car made by the British Ariel Motor Company based in Crewkerne, Somerset, England, and under license in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, ...
open wheel roadster.
SmartBUSA sells a conversion kit to install Hayabusa engines in Smart Car
Smart (stylized as smart) is a German automotive marque. Smart Automobile Co., Ltd. is a joint venture established by Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2019 and aimed at producing Smart-badged cars in China to be marketed glob ...
s.
The Vitabusa is a race car original designed by West Racing Cars, appeared in PIC, Taiwan.
A project to build a modern replica of the 1939 Bugatti Model 100
The Bugatti Model 100 was a purpose built air racer designed to compete in the 1939 Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup Race. The aircraft was not completed by the September 1939 deadline and was put in storage prior to the German invasion of France.
...
air racer
Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...
used twin Suzuki Hayabusa engines in place of the original design's pair of supercharged straight-eight engine
The straight-eight engine (also referred to as an inline-eight engine; abbreviated I8 or L8) is a piston engine with eight cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. The number of cylinders and perfect primary and secondary engi ...
.
Hayabusa engines have been used in sandrail
A sandrail, also called a sand rail, rail, or sand car, is a lightweight off-road motor vehicle specifically built for traveling in sandy terrain. Similar in some respects and often mistakenly referred to as a dune buggy or sand car, a sandrail i ...
s, lightweight space frame
In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure ( 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with ...
off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with dee ...
s for sand dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
racing and recreation. While many sandrails used in events like the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is an international rally raid race held in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates since 1991. The race is points scoring for the World Rally-Raid Championship and is organized by the Emirates Motorspor ...
have relied on car V8 engines, lighter motorcycle engine like the Hayabusa 1300 gives the sand car advantages in acceleration and maneuverability.
Introducing the Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo: the 'Hayabusa' Engine and Electrification Technology in an AWD Super Sport The base chassis is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout with a front mid-mounted engine, but adds electrification technology to combine the engine with electric motors, to complete the all-wheel drive system. The front mid-mounted engine is a 1340 cc inline 4 cylinder used on Suzuki’s ‘Hayabusa’ flagship sports bike. Furthermore, a total of three motors, two for the front drive and one for the rear drive, have been added. The combined total output of the system is 318 kW (432 PS) / 9700 rpm, with a maximum torque of 610 Nm (62 kgfm).
The Hayabusa engine has also proven a popular choice for use in single seaters within the British Hillclimb Championship, due to the integrated gearbox and light weight packaging. They are used in various configurations, ranging from stock sized engines, enlarged naturally aspirated engines, supercharged and turbocharger conversions. It is also not uncommon to see these engines run on methanol fuel, since it allows the naturally aspirated engines to run higher compression ratios and the force induction engines to not use an intercooler, thus further saving weight in the car. One of the more successful Hayabusa powered single seaters is the GWR Raptor, designed by Graeme Wight Jr.
Graeme Wight Jr. (born c. 1971) is a Scottish racing driver, best known for his success in hillclimbing, where he has won two British championships.
Wight began competing in hillclimbs at an early age, but in September 1992, still only 21, he wa ...
These cars have produced up to 480hp while weighing less than 400 kg with a driver aboard and prove competitive against the larger, heavier and more powerful V8 cars.
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{{Suzuki motorcycles timeline
Hayabusa
was a robotic spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis.
''Hayabusa'', formerly known as MUSES-C ...
Sport bikes
Motorcycles introduced in 1999
it:Suzuki GSX-R#GSX-R 1300 Hayabusa