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2008 Hayabusa: More displacement, fresh styling

By Grant Parsons, photos by Kevin Wing and Brian J. Nelson

From the beginning, Suzuki's Hayabusa has been all about standing out from the crowd.

Since its debut in 1999, the Hayabusa's over-the-top styling and prodigious top speed have made it unlike anything else on the street. That the Guinness Book of World Records lists the Hayabusa as the world's fastest production motorcycle doesn't hurt either, especially because Japanese manufacturers have since electronically limited their motorcycles to 299 kph (186 mph), making future comparisons impossible.

The 'Busa has become nothing short of a modern motorcycling icon, a 10,000-a-year seller and a rock star at bike nights across the country, where they're often decked out in one-off paint and customized with everything from NOS bottles to extended swingarms.

So when it came time to update the GSX1300, Suzuki's designers took the logical approach: They took everything the Hayabusa does well and maxxed it out.

As the world's press discovered at the bike's intro at Great Lakes Dragway and Road America Raceway in Wisconsin, Suzuki engineers have created a bike that can do a quarter-mile pass in the 9s, bury the speedo at 180 mph on the racetrack and still be a surprisingly manageable streetbike.

Changes for '08 start with the engine. Instead of a full makeover, engineers stroked the motor 2 mm to increase displacement from 1,298cc to 1,340cc and bumped compression from 11.0:1 to 12.5:1. Valves are now titanium and lift was increased on both the intake and exhaust sides.

The curved radiator is new and is fitted with two electric cooling fans. Throttle bodies now sport two butterflies, with a computer controlling the downstream valve and the rider controlling the other. Engine power is said to be up 12 percent, to a claimed 194 horsepower.

Helping control that power is the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, similar to the system introduced on the 2007 GSX-R1000 sportbike (see sidebar, right).

As for styling, Koji Yoshiura, who also designed the original Hayabusa, said he was influenced by a visit to the United States, where Suzuki collected opinions from riders at bike nights and sportbike gatherings. Prior to that trip, he was leaning toward a sleeker, more slimmed-down look. Instead, based on the input from owners, the 'Busa's muscular and beefy look was accentuated.

Viewed on its own, the new bike is obviously a Hayabusa. But when it's compared side by side with the previous model, the differences jump out. Ultimately, the new design does what many thought was impossible: It makes the old 'Busa look conservative. The '08 model continues the grand Hayabusa tradition of looking like nothing else on the road.

My first minutes aboard the new 'Busa were for two runs on the drag strip. My rookie launches resulted in quarter-mile times in the low 11-second range, with several riders dropping into the low 10s—all with no experience on the bike. After five runs, Jordan Suzuki AMA Superbike pro Aaron Yates managed to drop just into the 9s, and that was on an allegedly stock bike. Impressive.

From the drag strip, we left for the street ride portion of the intro. The following 160 miles of asphalt gave me more time to appreciate the re-designed dash, which updates the original nicely while keeping both an analog tach and speedo. It also gave me a chance to get a feel for the bike in the real world: construction zones, 45 and 35 mph speed limits and small-town traffic. While not exactly an A-list route, these roads did prove that the Hayabusa has surprisingly predictable and relatively nimble street manners for a 485-pound bike with an 58.3-inch wheelbase.

The 'Busa is exactly the opposite of what I'd expect from a 9-second production bike. Its broad torque curve makes it downright docile at legal speeds, especially with the drive-mode selector on C, which would be perfect for wet roads or cold tires.

And if that's too docile for you, all it takes is moving the switch from C to A and twisting the throttle. No matter which gear you're in, the bike will launch to the horizon faster than you can say "speeding ticket."

Living with this bike would take pallet loads of self-restraint.

But luckily, on the ultra-fast straights of Road America Raceway, which we visit on the second day of the press intro, we don't need no steenking restraint.

Reaching an indicated 160 mph on the front straight is absurdly easy. And with only a little fear management involving turn one approaching at more than 270 feet per second, it's possible to max out the 180 mph speedo. Luckily, the redesigned radial-mount brakes are excellent, with great feel and power. A slipper clutch makes downshifts drama-free. And just in case things do start to get a little out of shape, the Hayabusa comes stock with a steering damper.

As I left the track, I felt like I could relate to a lot of 'Busa owners, who probably tell themselves, "I never plan to go that fast, but hey, if I ever need to…"

And that's kind of the point of the 'Busa. It's not that you necessarily need this kind of power, but it sure is nice to have it available, especially when you don't have to make any streetbike concessions to get it.

2008 Suzuki Hayabusa
Engine	Liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder, four valves/cylinder
Displacement	1,340cc
Bore x stroke	81.0mm x 65.0mm
Carburetion	Fuel injection, 44mm throttle bodies
Compression ratio	12.5:1
Transmission	6-speed
Final drive	Chain
Tires	120/70-17 front; 190/50-17 rear
Front brake	Dual 310mm rotors, radial-mount four-piston calipers
Rear brake	Single 260mm rotor, one-piston caliper
Seat height	31.7 inches
Front suspension	Inverted fork, adjustable for rebound and compression damping and preload; 4.7 inches of travel
Rear suspension	Link-type single shock, adjustable for rebound and compression damping and preload; 5.5 inches of travel
Wheelbase	58.3 inches
Fuel capacity	5.5 gallons
Dry weight	485 pounds
MSRP	$11,999