Erstwhile, the motorcycle gained traction the moment it was launched, but in India, it gained traction after John Abraham nailed his character as the leader of a motorcycle gang, riding the legendary Busa
Japanese motorcycle maker Suzuki is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the legendary Hayabusa, a motorcycle often called the Japanese Peregrine Falcon, named after the fastest animal in Japan. Originally, the 25th anniversary special edition was launched globally nine months ago, but the motorcycle has just reached the Indian shores with a price tag of INR 17.70 lakh, ex-showroom.
The engine remains the same: a 1,340cc, in-line four, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled DOHC engine mated to a six-speed gearbox that churns out 190hp of peak power and 150Nm with a bidirectional quick shifter. What’s special is the new black and orange paint scheme, the drive chain adjuster rotor finished in the gold anodised shade, and the 25th-anniversary logo on the muffler.
The 25th-anniversary edition of the Suzuki Hayabusa in orange and black shade
Given that Hayabusa is a legendary company with a huge fan base in India, let us revisit the motorcycle’s timeline in the following paragraphs.
The year was 1999 when the Hayabusa was released, but the motorcycle’s name and overall design did not impress or bother many until, within a few months, the motorcycle received the title of the ‘Fastest Production Motorcycle’ with a top speed of 312 kilometres per hour back in 1999—an era when another road legal motorcycle could barely touch 270 kilometres per hour.
What made the Hayabusa superior was its bigger engine of 1,298cc compared to other closest rivals such as the ZZR1100 and Blackbird with 1,052cc and 1,137cc powertrains. Not to forget, engineers also developed the SRAD (Suzuki Ram Air Direct) and coupled it with an electronic fuel injection system. Furthermore, special emphasis was put on getting the motorcycle’s aerodynamics on point, thanks to the wind tunnel’s dictation.
2008 witnessed the second generation of the Hayabusa with a larger engine of 1,340cc four-stroke, four-cylinder liquid-cooled that made 196hp at 9,800rpm of maximum power and 154Nm of torque at 7,200rpm. In 2013, the motorcycle was further improved with the addition of ABS, Brembo callipers, and a reworked underbody. However, the motorcycle’s top speed was reduced to 297 kilometres per hour, given that new laws state that road-legal motorcycles can only have a maximum top speed of 299 kilometres per hour worldwide.
In 2021, Suzuki introduced the third-generation Hayabusa, which is presently available in the market at a price of INR 16 lakh and is an ex-showroom in India. The third-generation model retains some of the design language from the first generation. The engine size, i.e., 1,340cc, four-cylinder, was retained from 2008, but the bore of 81mm and stroke of 65mm were taken from the 1999 model to keep the motorcycle in line with recent emission norms, due to which a change in power was also witnessed at 190hp compared to the 196hp of 2008.
In 25 years, Suzuki has sold over 2,00,000 units of the coveted Hayabusa, one of the most expensive and fastest motorcycles the world has ever witnessed. When it comes to India, the motorcycle became a rage when it featured in 2004’s blockbuster starring John Abraham. The motorcycle has since been a hot favourite among the Indian motorcycle community.
As of now, Hayabusa has no direct rival, but in terms of pricing, it is battling against the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.
