Suzuki Hayabusa 2021 — Specifications

Can a motorcycle become a legend simply by going fast? For the Suzuki Hayabusa, the answer is yes, but it is much more than that. Since its explosive arrival in 1999, this name has been synonymous with excess, a challenge to the laws of physics, and a silhouette that divides as much as it fascinates. So when the new 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa appeared, many held their breath. Would it betray its DNA by becoming tamed? The answer is subtle, like this third generation that plays the card of sophistication rather than brute excess.

Let's be clear, the figures are enough to surprise purists. With 190 horsepower, this new Suzuki Hayabusa displays 7 fewer ponies than its predecessor. A first for an engine whose reputation was built on extravagance. But spending time scrutinizing the power meter is missing the point. Suzuki has worked on its large 1340 cm3 four-cylinder engine to make it more substantial, more generous from low revs. The 155 Nm of torque, available earlier, transforms this rocket into a locomotive, offering surprisingly easy acceleration. Yes, it is still limited to 299 km/h, but who really rides at that speed today? The idea was rather to make this extravagance exploitable, almost everyday.

And that's where Suzuki's work impresses. This new 2021 Hayabusa has not lost its soul. Its TGV profile, its aggressive front and its spatial rear make it immediately recognizable. Yet, every body panel is new, more taut, more modern. It displays 264 kilograms when fully fueled, a weight that remains considerable compared to a modern hypersportive, but which is consistent with its status as an interstellar cruiser. The riding position, slightly upright thanks to the rear-set handlebars, and a 800 mm seat make it a surprisingly accessible touring machine. We are far from the torture posture of supersports.

Under this redesigned suit, the rider will find a dive into high-tech. Suzuki has finally caught up electronically with a suite worthy of a spaceship. An inertial unit controls traction control and wheelie control, adjustable on 10 levels, a launch control, a speed limiter and even a cruise control. The braking, entrusted to Brembo Stylema calipers and an incline-meter ABS, is up to the mass to be slowed. It is a revolution for the model, which goes from the status of a simple brute to that of an intelligent giant.

So, who should take a look at this new Suzuki Hayabusa? Certainly not a beginner. It is the motorcycle of the expert touring rider, of the one who travels hundreds of kilometers at a time and for whom the cruising speed begins where that of others stops. At 18,499 euros, it is not cheap, but it simply has no direct competitor. The Kawasaki Ninja H2 is an over-boosted madness, the Ducati Panigale V4 a track weapon. The Hayabusa, on the other hand, remains that unique experience, a mixture of comfort, insane stability at high speed and raw character. It no longer seeks to be the most powerful, it wants to be the most sovereign. And in that area, it still reigns supreme. Finding a used Suzuki Hayabusa can be a good deal, but the latest model, with its electronic arsenal, justifies its new price for those who want the quintessence of high-speed travel. It is a magnificent anachronism, a middle finger to compromises, and that is precisely why we love it.