I just received the July issue of Motor Cyclist.
On the cover is GET REAL! SUPERBIKES you can live with. 177-hp Kawasaki ZX-14 & 133-hp Yamaha FZ1.
No mention of the Hayabusa in the 9 page article.
As far as I'm concerned and I'm sure most here are also the Busa is as good a real world superbike as any.
On the following page after the article is another:
What about the Busa? The king is dead? Long live the king
Call it Hay Bus, Busa or GSX 1300R. Suzuki's Hayabusa has endured atop the big-inch GT food chain on the strength of a 1299cc four that has defined strong since 1999. Challengers have come and gone, but the 'Busa perseveres as something of an icon in Suzuki's streetbike lineup. Given the international gentlemen's agreement among motorcycle manufacturers that caps top speed at 300 kph (186mph), the factory still calls it the fastest motorcycle in the world, even if Kawasaki can claim the same thing. The question is, at least until its second generation successor shows up, how does the 'Busa stack up against Kawasaki's new ZX-14? Better than a seven-year old design should.
Regardless of what you think about its distinctive silhouette, the Hayabusa still gets stares in the parking lot, even if it looks a bit dated to us. Instrumentation, amenities and general mechanical presence are beginning to look a bit out of date as well. The riding position remains a bit too cramped for comfort on extended sport-touring sorties. But throttle response is flawless, delivering a smooth flow of power from idle all the way up to 9750 rpm and that full 162.6 horsepower head of steam. Aside from a patch of vibration between 4500 and 5000 rpm, it's smooth going in between. More importantly, the engine that has become motorcycle drag racing's answer to the 426 Hemi churns out 97.4 lb.-ft of torque at 7000 rpm, making most twisty roads a one-gear proposition. And, if you are going drag racing , there are about as many go-fast parts out there in catalog-land for this big four as there are for Chrysler's celebrated V-8.
There's not much to whine about in the chassis. The six pot Tokico calipers are nearly powerless until they warm up and a bit wooden after that. But armed with a brick house of a chassis and firmer stock springs than Kawasaki's biggest gun, the Busa is a more confident carver on most twisty roads. And though it looks shorter, the 'Busa's 58.5-inch wheelbase is a full inch longer than the 14's. At 563 pounds, the Suzuki weighs exactly the same. Since most of that extra bulk sits relatively high in the chassis, flinging the Suzuki from side to side takes more effort.
At $11,099, you can pick up an'06 Hayabusa for $400 less than the price of a new '14, but there are better deals to be had. Suzuki's web site lists the '04 'Busa the same motorcycle in different colors at $10,899, which tells us there are good deals out there. It's not quite as light or as quick as the new king of quick, but if you actually ride the bike instead of obsessing on the spec sheet, it's clear there's more than enough life in this bird to keep things interesting until a new 'Busa shows up.
On the cover is GET REAL! SUPERBIKES you can live with. 177-hp Kawasaki ZX-14 & 133-hp Yamaha FZ1.
No mention of the Hayabusa in the 9 page article.
As far as I'm concerned and I'm sure most here are also the Busa is as good a real world superbike as any.
On the following page after the article is another:
What about the Busa? The king is dead? Long live the king
Call it Hay Bus, Busa or GSX 1300R. Suzuki's Hayabusa has endured atop the big-inch GT food chain on the strength of a 1299cc four that has defined strong since 1999. Challengers have come and gone, but the 'Busa perseveres as something of an icon in Suzuki's streetbike lineup. Given the international gentlemen's agreement among motorcycle manufacturers that caps top speed at 300 kph (186mph), the factory still calls it the fastest motorcycle in the world, even if Kawasaki can claim the same thing. The question is, at least until its second generation successor shows up, how does the 'Busa stack up against Kawasaki's new ZX-14? Better than a seven-year old design should.
Regardless of what you think about its distinctive silhouette, the Hayabusa still gets stares in the parking lot, even if it looks a bit dated to us. Instrumentation, amenities and general mechanical presence are beginning to look a bit out of date as well. The riding position remains a bit too cramped for comfort on extended sport-touring sorties. But throttle response is flawless, delivering a smooth flow of power from idle all the way up to 9750 rpm and that full 162.6 horsepower head of steam. Aside from a patch of vibration between 4500 and 5000 rpm, it's smooth going in between. More importantly, the engine that has become motorcycle drag racing's answer to the 426 Hemi churns out 97.4 lb.-ft of torque at 7000 rpm, making most twisty roads a one-gear proposition. And, if you are going drag racing , there are about as many go-fast parts out there in catalog-land for this big four as there are for Chrysler's celebrated V-8.
There's not much to whine about in the chassis. The six pot Tokico calipers are nearly powerless until they warm up and a bit wooden after that. But armed with a brick house of a chassis and firmer stock springs than Kawasaki's biggest gun, the Busa is a more confident carver on most twisty roads. And though it looks shorter, the 'Busa's 58.5-inch wheelbase is a full inch longer than the 14's. At 563 pounds, the Suzuki weighs exactly the same. Since most of that extra bulk sits relatively high in the chassis, flinging the Suzuki from side to side takes more effort.
At $11,099, you can pick up an'06 Hayabusa for $400 less than the price of a new '14, but there are better deals to be had. Suzuki's web site lists the '04 'Busa the same motorcycle in different colors at $10,899, which tells us there are good deals out there. It's not quite as light or as quick as the new king of quick, but if you actually ride the bike instead of obsessing on the spec sheet, it's clear there's more than enough life in this bird to keep things interesting until a new 'Busa shows up.
