Hayabusa's Losing The Competition Against Newer Liter Bikes?

[peregrinerider]

Hello fellow riders! I have searched for a similar thread that applies what I am about to talk about but have not found one (a recent thread regarding this topic). Anyway, my question is this: Are Hayabusa's (specifically gen II since it is the latest model) starting to fall behind performance-wise to newer liter bikes?

By newer, I mean 2015+ and especially 2016-2017. As most of you know, the Gen II Hayabusa made approximately and currently makes a staggering 197 hp and 114.3 lb/ft or torque. That is a LOT of power! However, it seems like these newer liter bikes are starting to catch up...and catch up FAST. My main focus are on the big 4 manufactures: Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. For example, Suzuki's 2017 GSX-R 1000 is already making more horsepower than the current hayabusa at 199 brake horsepower. That being said, it still does not have as much torque (87 ft/lbs). Kawasaki's 2016 ZX-10r is at 197hp and 83.7 torque. The 2017 Yamaha R1 200hp and Honda's 2017 fireblade 189 horsepower. Is it just me or are these new liter bikes getting INSANE? Plus, you have to factor in the ~130 lb. difference in weight between these bikes and hayabusa...making them 1000cc rockets. I'm not here to bash the 'busa by any means because I think it is an amazing machine! It just seems like Suzuki has put off the release of the Gen III by too long...or at least long enough for 'smaller' liter bikes to catch up.

What are y'alls thoughts on this? Has anyone else realized that these other bikes keep on getting faster or is it just me? I'm hoping it won't be too long before the Gen III comes out even though I'm thinking it won't be until 2019.

 

[RedBull]

Hello fellow riders !

I have searched for a similar thread that applies what I am about to talk about
but have not found one ( a recent thread regarding this topic ) .

Anyway, my question is this:
Are Hayabusa's ( specifically gen II since it is the latest model )
starting to fall behind performance-wise to newer liter bikes ?

By newer, I mean 2015+ and especially 2016-2017 .

As most of you know, the Gen II Hayabusa
made approximately and currently makes
a staggering 197 hp and 114.3 lb/ft or torque .

That is a LOT of power !

However, it seems like these newer liter bikes
are starting to catch up . . . and catch up FAST .

My main focus are on the big 4 manufactures:
Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha .

For example, Suzuki's 2017 G S X - R 1000
is already making more horsepower
than the current Hayabusa
at 199 brake horsepower .

That being said, it still does not have as much torque ( 87 ft/lbs ) .

Kawasaki's 2016 ZX-10 r is at 197 hp and 83.7 torque .

The 2017 Yamaha R 1 200 hp and Honda's 2017 Fire blade 189 horsepower .

Is it just me or are these new liter bikes getting INSANE ?

Plus, you have to factor in the ~130 pound difference in weight
between these bikes and Hayabusa . . . making them 1000 cc rockets .

I'm not here to bash the Hayabusa by any means
because I think it is an amazing machine !

It just seems like Suzuki has put off the release of the Gen III by too long . . .
or at least long enough for 'smaller' liter bikes to catch up .

What are you all thoughts on this ?

Has anyone else realized that these other bikes keep on getting faster or is it just me ?

I'm hoping it won't be too long before the Gen III comes out even though I'm thinking it won't be until 2019 .

My little red RSV4 moves out pretty quick for a liter bike ~ it is easier for my fat A$$ to ride inside my Hayabusa . . .

 

[greg3852]

The Hayabusa is due for an update, but keep in mind, it is far more comfortable and much larger. Yes the liter bikes are extremely fast, but take one for a 500 mile ride in one day. No thanks. I'll take the busa and still be extremely fast.

I don't think there is any competition with liter bikes personally. They have the same power and are much lighter. They serve a different purpose.

 

[RedBull]

The Hayabusa is due for an update,
but keep in mind, it is far more comfortable and much larger .

Yes the liter bikes are extremely fast,
but take one for a 500 mile ride in one day .

No thanks .

I'll take the Hayabusa and still be extremely fast .

I don't think there is any competition with liter bikes personally .

They have the same power and are much lighter .

They serve a different purpose .

A couple of other bikes try to compete ~ the Hayabusa has a cult following already . . .

 

[VIPER]

Apples and Oranges OP. Use the search function. This has been beaten to death by trolls sooo many times its not even funny.

 

[peregrinerider]

The Hayabusa is due for an update, but keep in mind, it is far more comfortable and much larger. Yes the liter bikes are extremely fast, but take one for a 500 mile ride in one day. No thanks. I'll take the busa and still be extremely fast.

I don't think there is any competition with liter bikes personally. They have the same power and are much lighter. They serve a different purpose.

I'm liking these replies! Yeah I am new to the forum and plan on getting a 'busa in the next few months (yeah, I'm excited!). Anyway, you're totally right: liter bikes serve a different purpose. I currently have a gsxr 600 and can tell you right now that I almost daily commute ~45 minutes a day on the interstate. It's not terrible, but there are days where would love to ride a hayabusa. I also find that I ride on the highway almost 100% of the time and don't see the twisties very much (hardly unless I group ride or find someone who wants to ride somewhere other than the highway lol). As far as the busa updates are concerned, I recently spoke to the local Suzuki dealer about it and they told me they will find out in two weeks. However, to my disappointment, they told me they believe 2018 will remain unchanged because when the factory submitted the emissions report details (I think that's what he said) they were unchanged. That's at least their reasoning word for word and that we will most likely see an update in 2019 because that will be the 20th anniversary but who knows!

 

[peregrinerider]

Apples and Oranges OP. Use the search function. This has been beaten to death by trolls sooo many times its not even funny.

I have. Last one I saw about this was posted back in 2011 that I could find. The reason I posted this is because I wanted to focus on the idea of the Busa vs the more RECENT liter bikes since their manufacturers have significantly improved the performance on them. That's all.

 

[peregrinerider]

I will say this though: the busa has still got gobs of torque and seems to be ahead of the game for that. ☺

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Apples and Oranges OP. Use the search function. This has been beaten to death by trolls sooo many times its not even funny.

True enough. They're quite different bikes with a different purpose. I'm waiting to see what the 20 year anniversary model will look like, maybe the return of the 99 color schemes, more ccs and/or a supercharger or turbo as well. It's hard to improve on a masterpiece. Personally it doesn't matter to me as I doubt I'll buy one no matter what it may be but it makes sense sales wise to wait for the 20th year to upgrade the model. It's always been (the) uber sports touring machine. You can't say that about liter bikes.

 

[Bailey9r]

Exactly ^^^^^ Horsepower is nice but torque is what moves any type vehicle, and it is sure easier to pull 20 more HP out of a 1340 than a liter.
AND if just track days I'd rather a 600 most of the time anyway. To me IMHO if not a Busa I would go for a nekkid (Superduke or Tuono) anyway making liter bikes pretty much obsolete.

 

[c10]

I have said this before in another similar thread . The bird is simply put a dam good all around motorcycle , and shines in the world of Drag race / Land speed record racing . No other bike / model has accomplished this fame . The Hayabusa also make a great tour plat form , Track day or SHOW BIKE . It has the same rear wheel HP as most liter bikes 172 ( stock to the rear wheel ) 180 ish with a flash of the ECU , pipe , tune .
It Brings low end Torque to the TABLE that not ONE Liter bike does , Have a look at Torque graphs of all bikes in question .
A Stock motor Gen 2 bird with ECU flash , pipe , small pilot , 2 teeth gearing change , and mirror removal is the only bike I know off other than a ZX14R that can nudge in to the 200 mph club . Liter bikes need serious aids to get to 200 plus ( not that one cant do it but hard )
All your liter bikes are nearly as light as they can get 445 ish wet avg BRAND X , and with a light battery / exhaust you may be 425 lb wet
The bird @ 589 wet with a Titanium exhaust swap loses nearly 35 lb keep going like I have when in no touring gear form my bird is 530 wet
with room to lose more . There are a few birds in the high 400 pound range with 200 plus rear wheel hp that will wipe the table with a liter bike.
Now the Bird carries a passenger with ease . Try that with a liter bike . 5.5 gallons of fuel so your not stopping at every pump . Most liter bikes 3.8 g to 4.4 gallons avg tank amount .

 

[fallenarch]

The liter bikes are amazing and yes, out of the box they can give a Busa a pretty good fight, if not beat them. But who races a stock Busa? The Busa engine has hp and massive torque even in a relatively mild OEM level of tune. Also the busa is comfortable, and will easily exceed 150K miles with just oil changes. So are the liter bikes catching up? Absolutely. Stock for Stock many liter bikes maybe faster than a Busa. But no bike I know of can put down that kind of power and still be a great all around ride. I hope they keep this character in the Gen III. After all, you can get massive power out of most any engine, but that doesn't make it a bike that can rule for 2 decades.

 

[c10]

Great points Willie !

 

[1busa]

There are a few birds in the high 400 pound range with 200 plus rear wheel hp that will wipe the table with a liter bike.

..........

 

[captain]

I have said this before in another similar thread . The bird is simply put a dam good all around motorcycle , and shines in the world of Drag race / Land speed record racing . No other bike / model has accomplished this fame . The Hayabusa also make a great tour plat form , Track day or SHOW BIKE . It has the same rear wheel HP as most liter bikes 172 ( stock to the rear wheel ) 180 ish with a flash of the ECU , pipe , tune .
It Brings low end Torque to the TABLE that not ONE Liter bike does , Have a look at Torque graphs of all bikes in question .
A Stock motor Gen 2 bird with ECU flash , pipe , small pilot , 2 teeth gearing change , and mirror removal is the only bike I know off other than a ZX14R that can nudge in to the 200 mph club . Liter bikes need serious aids to get to 200 plus ( not that one cant do it but hard )
All your liter bikes are nearly as light as they can get 445 ish wet avg BRAND X , and with a light battery / exhaust you may be 425 lb wet
The bird @ 589 wet with a Titanium exhaust swap loses nearly 35 lb keep going like I have when in no touring gear form my bird is 530 wet
with room to lose more . There are a few birds in the high 400 pound range with 200 plus rear wheel hp that will wipe the table with a liter bike.
Now the Bird carries a passenger with ease . Try that with a liter bike . 5.5 gallons of fuel so your not stopping at every pump . Most liter bikes 3.8 g to 4.4 gallons avg tank amount .

I used to say the same thing... I have literally ridden halfway across the country with luggage, pulled the racks off and put the solo cap on and ridden mountain roads. I've ridden to the dragstrip and beat other bikes, trailered to the track on a Sat gone home on Sun and was back on riding to work after changing tires and pulling some tape off my plastics.

All the time I had cruise control, bike to bike radios, XM, my favorite tunes and all the other comforts of home.

As an R1 or Beemer 1k guy how they felt after a 7000 mile road trip

Cap

 

[fallenarch]

View attachment 1577149

..........

Love that bike!

 

[peregrinerider]

True enough. They're quite different bikes with a different purpose. I'm waiting to see what the 20 year anniversary model will look like, maybe the return of the 99 color schemes, more ccs and/or a supercharger or turbo as well. It's hard to improve on a masterpiece. Personally it doesn't matter to me as I doubt I'll buy one no matter what it may be but it makes sense sales wise to wait for the 20th year to upgrade the model. It's always been (the) uber sports touring machine. You can't say that about liter bikes.

I am definitely excited to see what they have to offer for sure! I've heard rumors that they will have the Gen III equipped with a turbocharger. Here is the link I found about that: https://gearheads.org/turbocharged-hayabusa-for-2019/

 

[peregrinerider]

Exactly ^^^^^ Horsepower is nice but torque is what moves any type vehicle, and it is sure easier to pull 20 more HP out of a 1340 than a liter.
AND if just track days I'd rather a 600 most of the time anyway. To me IMHO if not a Busa I would go for a nekkid (Superduke or Tuono) anyway making liter bikes pretty much obsolete.

That makes sense. No replacement for displacement is the motto I guess, and that is something that the busa offers for sure!

 

[peregrinerider]

I have said this before in another similar thread . The bird is simply put a dam good all around motorcycle , and shines in the world of Drag race / Land speed record racing . No other bike / model has accomplished this fame . The Hayabusa also make a great tour plat form , Track day or SHOW BIKE . It has the same rear wheel HP as most liter bikes 172 ( stock to the rear wheel ) 180 ish with a flash of the ECU , pipe , tune .
It Brings low end Torque to the TABLE that not ONE Liter bike does , Have a look at Torque graphs of all bikes in question .
A Stock motor Gen 2 bird with ECU flash , pipe , small pilot , 2 teeth gearing change , and mirror removal is the only bike I know off other than a ZX14R that can nudge in to the 200 mph club . Liter bikes need serious aids to get to 200 plus ( not that one cant do it but hard )
All your liter bikes are nearly as light as they can get 445 ish wet avg BRAND X , and with a light battery / exhaust you may be 425 lb wet
The bird @ 589 wet with a Titanium exhaust swap loses nearly 35 lb keep going like I have when in no touring gear form my bird is 530 wet
with room to lose more . There are a few birds in the high 400 pound range with 200 plus rear wheel hp that will wipe the table with a liter bike.
Now the Bird carries a passenger with ease . Try that with a liter bike . 5.5 gallons of fuel so your not stopping at every pump . Most liter bikes 3.8 g to 4.4 gallons avg tank amount .

You're right. Over 110 ft/lbs of torque is MUCH higher than ~80 lb/ft liter bikes and I am sure you can feel the difference! Something I didn't think about too is that the hayabusa is not "raced" in things like moto gp and would make sense why most manufacturers focus on upgrading the 600cc and liter bikes instead. Because of this, there would be almost no incentive to improve its' performance especially since they are not losing sales for the 'Busa. However, I definitely can't wait to see what they have to offer for the Gen III.

 

[peregrinerider]

The liter bikes are amazing and yes, out of the box they can give a Busa a pretty good fight, if not beat them. But who races a stock Busa? The Busa engine has hp and massive torque even in a relatively mild OEM level of tune. Also the busa is comfortable, and will easily exceed 150K miles with just oil changes. So are the liter bikes catching up? Absolutely. Stock for Stock many liter bikes maybe faster than a Busa. But no bike I know of can put down that kind of power and still be a great all around ride. I hope they keep this character in the Gen III. After all, you can get massive power out of most any engine, but that doesn't make it a bike that can rule for 2 decades.

Good point. Liter bikes only seem to serve one purpose...and that's on a windy track or drag strip. Yeah I really hope they don't try to reduce the weight too much for the Gen III...because that seems to be the latest trend for liter bikes. I mean, look at the new Cbr1000...it looks like a flippin' 600! The Gsx-r 1000 even looks smaller as well. But looks are all subjective. I guess when you've been shopping, sitting, and looking at hayabusas anything will look like a scooter compared to it