Even if you don’t know anything about motorcycles, you likely know that the GSX1300R Hayabusa is a ridiculously fast one. It debuted back in 1999 with an unrestricted top-speed alleged to be 194 miles per hour, and it could run tens in the quarter mile. With the Hayabusa, Suzuki completely dunked on the competition in an all out motorcycle arms race in the late 1990s. And as of December 31st, 2018, the bike will be phased out of existence.
With fears of regulatory backlash looming, an informal agreement was struck between Japanese and European motorcycle manufacturers to voluntarily limit their bikes to 186 mph. Because Suzuki was the top of the speed heap when the agreement went into effect, those 1999 bikes held the production speed record for many years afterward.
It’s since been beaten only by Ducati’s Panigale R and Kawasaki’s Ninja H2. The high-horsepower Suzuki, twenty years on and ten years into its second generation, is still as awe inspiring as ever. It was the first of what probably should be called Hyperbikes to catch my attention as a young enthusiast. I’m still afraid of them (and all bikes a liter plus, to be honest), and likely will never ride one out of respect for my lack of talent.
When the Euro 4 emissions rules went into effect back in 2016, Suzuki knew the Hayabusa didn’t meet them, and likely never would. Rather than develop a new engine, the Japanese manufacturer is letting its most impressive bike slip into the annals of history.
Source: https://jalopnik.com/suzuki-ends-production-of-the-legendary-hayabusa-after-1830970250
