Thought I would share this article with you (long, but good):
Free Wheelers: Handling the Hottest Handlebars
Bird of Prey, Wings of Steel
By Bill Heald
Names can be deceptive especially when it comes to the world of machines. In the automotive realm, the name of a car is often at odds with its performance, such as the Pontiac Grand Prix, the Chevy Impala, or the Ford Thunderbird. Granted, the AMC Gremlin was just that, but it’s a notable exception.
The motorcycle world doesn’t really have this problem. The Honda Interceptor is quite good at catching hell from cops when you exceed the posted speed limit, and the Kawasaki Ninja is amazingly adept at slicing through traffic with speed and dexterity. But no sport bike has ever been truer to its name than Suzuki’s Hayabusa GSX1300R, one of the fastest production machines ever to land at your local dealership.
Named after the peregrine falcon, which can dive-bomb its prey at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour, the Hayabusa is a totally unique mount that is masterfully engineered to catapult you down the road at tremendous velocities with total control. What’s really amazing about this bike is not just its seemingly limitless power, but also how it isn’t a single-purpose tool for motorheads that compromises good road manners in the quest for top speed. In fact, the Hayabusa is more sport-touring machine than hard-core race replica, and it’s quite civilized considering that with a mere twist of the wrist, it can rip the feathers off just about anything on wheels.
The ‘Busa’s wicked penchant for velocity is primarily due to two factors: muscle an aerodynamics. The engine is a massive 1,300-cc in-line four cylinder, with 16 valves and sophisticated fuel injection. Suzuki won’t quote a factory horsepower figure, but trust me – there’s at least 150 horsepower at the rear wheel, and a veritable mountain of torque. The six-speed transmission, hydraulic clutch, and chain final drive are built to handle all this power, yet shifting action is typical of a Suzuki bike: light, precise, and quick.
The chassis features a massive twin-spar aluminum frame, and since the motor is solidly mounted as a stressed member, there’s a gear-driven counterbalancer to quell the vibes. Inverted 43-mm front forks and a fully adjustable rear shock ride on a long 58.5-inch wheelbase – a design that aids high-speed stability without sacrificing handling. Brakes are huge and powerful but easy to modulate, and badly needed on this beast.
When it comes to aerodynamics, the Hayabusa has the lowest drag coefficients of any Suzuki ever manufactured. Extensive wind-tunnel work shows in the shape of every part that encounters the breeze. Because of this, the bike has one of the weirdest silhouettes on the road. Function doesn’t always follow fashion. But it slices through the air like a bird of prey should, and stays rock-stable even at extremely high speeds.
This is not to say you have to throw good judgment to the wind to enjoy the Hayabusa. True, you have sphincter-puckering power on tap at all times, and it can reduce whatever’s behind you to a tiny speck in seconds. But this machine is also surprisingly refined, well behaved in heavy traffic, and is ergonomically comfortable enough for a trip across town or a trek across the continent (which won’t take long, either). While steering is quick and overall handling excellent, this is no featherweight. As such, the Hayabusa is better suited to high-speed cruising than canyon-carving. The instrument cluster even has a trip computer to tell you what kind of mileage you’re squeezing out of the 5.5-gallon tank (oh, like you even care as you approach escape velocity). MSRPs start at $10,999. SuzukiCycles.com
Free Wheelers: Handling the Hottest Handlebars
Bird of Prey, Wings of Steel
By Bill Heald
Names can be deceptive especially when it comes to the world of machines. In the automotive realm, the name of a car is often at odds with its performance, such as the Pontiac Grand Prix, the Chevy Impala, or the Ford Thunderbird. Granted, the AMC Gremlin was just that, but it’s a notable exception.
The motorcycle world doesn’t really have this problem. The Honda Interceptor is quite good at catching hell from cops when you exceed the posted speed limit, and the Kawasaki Ninja is amazingly adept at slicing through traffic with speed and dexterity. But no sport bike has ever been truer to its name than Suzuki’s Hayabusa GSX1300R, one of the fastest production machines ever to land at your local dealership.
Named after the peregrine falcon, which can dive-bomb its prey at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour, the Hayabusa is a totally unique mount that is masterfully engineered to catapult you down the road at tremendous velocities with total control. What’s really amazing about this bike is not just its seemingly limitless power, but also how it isn’t a single-purpose tool for motorheads that compromises good road manners in the quest for top speed. In fact, the Hayabusa is more sport-touring machine than hard-core race replica, and it’s quite civilized considering that with a mere twist of the wrist, it can rip the feathers off just about anything on wheels.
The ‘Busa’s wicked penchant for velocity is primarily due to two factors: muscle an aerodynamics. The engine is a massive 1,300-cc in-line four cylinder, with 16 valves and sophisticated fuel injection. Suzuki won’t quote a factory horsepower figure, but trust me – there’s at least 150 horsepower at the rear wheel, and a veritable mountain of torque. The six-speed transmission, hydraulic clutch, and chain final drive are built to handle all this power, yet shifting action is typical of a Suzuki bike: light, precise, and quick.
The chassis features a massive twin-spar aluminum frame, and since the motor is solidly mounted as a stressed member, there’s a gear-driven counterbalancer to quell the vibes. Inverted 43-mm front forks and a fully adjustable rear shock ride on a long 58.5-inch wheelbase – a design that aids high-speed stability without sacrificing handling. Brakes are huge and powerful but easy to modulate, and badly needed on this beast.
When it comes to aerodynamics, the Hayabusa has the lowest drag coefficients of any Suzuki ever manufactured. Extensive wind-tunnel work shows in the shape of every part that encounters the breeze. Because of this, the bike has one of the weirdest silhouettes on the road. Function doesn’t always follow fashion. But it slices through the air like a bird of prey should, and stays rock-stable even at extremely high speeds.
This is not to say you have to throw good judgment to the wind to enjoy the Hayabusa. True, you have sphincter-puckering power on tap at all times, and it can reduce whatever’s behind you to a tiny speck in seconds. But this machine is also surprisingly refined, well behaved in heavy traffic, and is ergonomically comfortable enough for a trip across town or a trek across the continent (which won’t take long, either). While steering is quick and overall handling excellent, this is no featherweight. As such, the Hayabusa is better suited to high-speed cruising than canyon-carving. The instrument cluster even has a trip computer to tell you what kind of mileage you’re squeezing out of the 5.5-gallon tank (oh, like you even care as you approach escape velocity). MSRPs start at $10,999. SuzukiCycles.com
