Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RK8

A sharper tool

WHAT IS IT?
Suzuki's much-awaited update of the legendary Haybusa performance bike.

WHAT'S IT LIKE?
Love of hate the styling (we like it), it's a sharper tool and very much in the 'Busa tradition.

THE BIKE
One of the catches with producing a cult bike is the owners become deeply possessive of the brand and suspicious of change. So to some extent Suzuki was taking some risks when the inevitable update for the Hayabusa came along.

What we've ended up with is new styling that mixes GSX-R and Hayabusa influences, upgraded mechanicals and an improved chassis, while keeping the price much the same as it was.

Most obvious is the revised bodywork, with GSX-R influences in the snout, and a very different treatment of the rear aero hump. The latter is not as tall as the original and has incorporated the indicators, but has caused quite a bit of controversy among owners. Some swear they can't cope with the new shape, though I suspect they'll soften.

It seems like history repeating itself, as people took quite a while to get used to the original styling which, to some eyes, looked as though the bike had developed a nasty allergy.

From a functional point of view, the company's most important styling change has been to lift the windscreen profile. Not only does this offer a little more protection for the rider, but fixes a whinge for tall riders, which was you could not see much of the speedo when you were sitting up.

In the engine department, the 32-bit processor has been given more grunt, claiming finer throttle control as part of its brief. Unusually, the company decided to stroke the powerplant rather than bore it, adding 2mm to the specs. That gives it the 1340 capacity (up from 1299cc), while the compression has been lifted from 11:1 to 12.5:1. New shot-peened conrods are in place, to go with the redesigned alloy pistons. Valve sizes have been kept the same (33mm intake and 27.5mm exhaust) though the material has been changed over to titanium.

The last most significant change is for the fuel injection, which runs a variation of the corporate dual throttle valve design with two rather than one injector per cylinder.

And the end result? A claimed boost in power from 173 to 194 while torque is claimed to have gone from 138Nm to 154. The actual dyno results suggest the boost is a little less at the back wheel. A typical first-gen Busa would score low 150s at the back wheel (though some early 32-bit models broke into the 160s) while the 2008 version seems to be scoring high 160s. In any case, that's enough power to flatten your eyeballs and is sufficient to reclaim the sport-tourer performance crown for the time being.

CHASSIS
There are numerous minor changes to the chassis, and the two big-ticket items are the front fork plus the brakes. The former has been redesigned and feels very different to the old set-up.

As for the brakes, the sharp end scores a four-piston set of radial mount Tokicos, replacing the old six-piston set-up. There's a four-piston calliper on the rear.

Jump aboard the thing, and there's no doubt the front end is by far the biggest improvement from the rider's point of view. The previous-gen Hayabusa actually had pretty good suspenders, but was a bit of truck in the steering department, which was a mixed blessing - good for stability but not so hot in the turns.

The new set-up is far better, giving the bike a much more nimble feel and a greater sense of precision. Its lighter wheels and brake rotors no doubt help a little here. There's far less resistance when tipping in, and mid-corner feel is good. High-speed stability remains solid.

Rear suspension feel is fine, matching the front to absorb most things the average road will throw at you while providing a reasonably comfortable ride - certainly more plush than a GSX-R, though not quite as controlled.

As for the brakes, the front stoppers are a big improvement. The original six-spotters, despite their exotic spec, never really delivered what they promised, lacking a little in feel (which could be alleviated by fitting braided steel fluid lines) and requiring a lot of lever pressure to get full retardation. The new calipers solve that, bringing the braking up to current expectations, which is just as well, as the bike is a bit of a lump.

Claimed weight has gone up 5kg to 220, which equates to a real wet figure of closer to 245. It's not something that's noticeable when you're in the saddle. In fact the bike feels lighter when you're flinging it down your favourite bit of sports tar, thanks to the steering alterations.

PERFORMANCE
Is it quicker? The dyno numbers say yes.. From the saddle, without having a first-gen stocker side by side, it's hard to tell. Frankly you're too busy being mesmerised by the appalling rate at which the thing is accelerating to worry greatly over whether it's a poofteenth quicker than the last one.

Throttle response is crisp and feels perhaps a tad sharper than before. That's about it, really. In any case there's a huge wad of power everywhere, with max actually chiming in at a relatively modest (these days) 9600rpm.

Like it's predecessor, there is a retardation system in place which limits top speed to 296 and alters the power delivery characteristics in the lower couple of gears.

The bike is actually dead easy to ride and a little more forgiving than its predecessor. While Suzuki offers three electronically-switched engine modes, there's rarely a case for using anything other than the default setting, which is max. It's perfectly predictable.

The ride position is typically 'Busa, which means a longish reach to the handlebars and a fair bit of weight on the wrists. Some of the weight disappears once you get up to highway speed. We had riders varying from 160 to around 190cm in height on it, with no real dramas. The shortest of our riders was sometimes on her toes to reach the ground, but seemed to be too busy having to fun to worry about it.

Surprisingly, Hayabusas have historically been reasonably good pillion mounts, and this one is too. The co-pilot seat has been lowered, which may have cut into the legroom a touch but gets their weight lower and their head out of the airstream. All up, a good move. I wouldn't call it a luxurious two-up bike, but it's tolerable.

Fuel consumption is modest, until you let it off the leash. Expect around 16km to the litre at legal speeds and more like very low teens, or even less, at track velocity.

Few motorcycles sum up what riding has to offer better than the 'Busa, where you're getting truckloads of performance at budget prices.