Suzuki Hayabusa v Kawasaki ZX-14R Review

Both the recently updated Suzuki Hayabusa and its veteran-campaigner nemesis, the Kawasaki ZX-14R, will get you where you’re going in relative comfort and with potentially gaol-term-quick velocity. But how do they compare? Let’s put them under the microscope... 

There are many examples of arch-rivals across the motorcycle landscape, and the Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki ZX-14R is just one. While we haven’t put both head to head at the same time, we have conducted full tests of each in recent months, and here we’ll be examining their specs and strengths, along with their drawbacks. 

Related reading: 
New Gen III 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa revealed
2022 Suzuki Hayabusa: Seven swift facts 
2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R ABS on sale 

2022 Suzuki Hayabusa 

The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa, or GSX1300RRQM2, has only recently reached our shores and represents the first generational update of the model since 2013 (and only the third generation since its launch in 1999).

In addition to reaching Euro 5 emissions compliance, the Hayabusa has also undergone a major tech upgrade, with the arrival of its Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS). Incorporating a six-axis Bosch inertial measurement unit (IMU), the suite packages lean-angle sensitive antilock brakes and traction control with features spanning wheelie control, launch control, multiple engine braking modes and more. 

A total of six ride modes are available – three preset, three custom – and the bike also has a choice of engine maps, plus electronic cruise control, a speed limiter, emergency brake light and a hill hold control. 

It's a big step up for a model where the tech was previously limited to standard ABS and a few ride modes, but it doesn’t extend to smartphone connectivity (or even a USB charger) or keyless starting. 

The 1340cc, in-line four-cylinder engine has been massaged and is now significantly more refined, although peak power and torque are actually slightly down on the previous generation. The new 'Busa produces up to 190hp (140kW) at 9700rpm and 150Nm at 7000rpm, down from 197hp (145kW) at 9500rpm and 155Nm at 7200rpm in the old model. 

Despite the deficit, Suzuki says the new Hayabusa is actually stronger and accelerates harder through its midrange, while its (electronically limited) top speed of 299km/h continues. 

The styling has been revised and the Suzuki Hayabusa now receives full LED lighting and new instrumentation, the latter with a small TFT display centred between its two main analogue clocks. 

Finally, the braking has been boosted with the appearance of Brembo’s Stylema radial-mount, four-piston front calipers, now backed by the aforementioned cornering ABS. 

But the chassis and swingarm carry over while Suzuki says the suspension – fully adjustable at each end, but still manual – has been “optimised”. 

The new 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa retails for $27,690 ride away. That’s an eye-watering $8200 more than its predecessor, although to be fair the old model’s pricing had changed very little over the years (rendering the previous generation one of the bargain buys of the big-bore world in recent times). 

Specs: 2020 Suzuki GSX1300RRQM2 Hayabusa 

ENGINE 
Type: Liquid-cooled, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder 
Capacity: 1340cc 
Bore x stroke: 81mm x 65mm 
Compression ratio: 12.5:1 
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection 

TRANSMISSION 
Type: Six-speed 
Final drive: Chain 
Clutch: Wet 

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR 
Frame type: Aluminium twin-spar 
Front suspension: 43mm upside-down Kayaba fork, fully adjustable 
Rear suspension: Kayaba monoshock, fully adjustable 
Front brakes: Twin 320mm discs with Brembo four-piston radial Stylema calipers, ABS equipped 
Rear brakes: Single disc, with Tokico single-piston caliper, ABS equipped 
Wheels: Cast aluminium, front 3.50 x 17, rear 6.00 x 17 
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP, front 120/70-17, rear 190/50-17 

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES 
Claimed wet weight: 264kg 
Seat height: 800mm 
Wheelbase: 1480mm 
Ground clearance: 125mm 
Fuel capacity: 20 litres 

PERFORMANCE 
Claimed maximum power: 190hp (140kW) at 9700rpm 
Claimed maximum torque: 150Nm at 7000rpm 

OTHER STUFF 
Price: $27,690 ride away 
Colours: Glass Sparkle Black/Candy Burnt Gold or Metallic Matte Sword Silver/Candy Daring Red 
Bike supplied by: Suzuki Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres 

New and used examples of the Suzuki Hayabusa

See our full review of the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa

2021 Kawasaki ZX-14R 

And in the green corner, we have Kawasaki’s hypersports journeyman, the 2021 Kawasaki ZX-14R. Billed by Kawasaki as ‘The King of all Sports Bikes’, this high-speed blaster was spawned by the ZX-12R in 2006 and underwent a generational shift in 2012, when it copped a capacity hike and added an ‘R’ to become the ZX-14R. 

But it’s remained virtually unchanged since, Kawasaki adopting the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, and – like the Hayabusa – it's won a legion of hardcore fans over the intervening years. 

But we still haven’t heard anything official on whether the ZX-14R will be updated to meet Euro 5 – an update that would, one would think, also encompass a raft of other improvements – and it’s already disappeared from European showrooms. Here in Oz, however, it’s still available brand new as a 2021 model, and it still offers a heap of appeal. 

There’s no fancy electronics here and technologically it’s overshadowed these days by its newer, supercharged siblings, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 and Ninja H2 SX. But it does have ABS, a choice of two ride modes (effectively ‘full power’ and ‘rain’), and three-level traction control, along with a pretty basic trip computer and distinctive quad projector-beam lighting up front. 

Countering the lack of smarts then is a tried-and-true chassis and suspension package with a brute of an in-line four-cylinder engine. Kawasaki has a fearsome reputation for big, smooth and powerful fours that extends back decades, and the 1441cc unit in the ZX-14R typifies the bloodline. 

Producing 200hp/147.2kW (210hp/154.5kW with RAM air) at 10,000rpm 
and 158.2Nm at 7500rpm, it betters the Hayabusa on paper and in the real world it has the mumbo to launch you into interplanetary orbit. 

But the aluminium beam chassis and fully adjustable suspension (including an Ohlins TTX39 rear monoshock) take all this kinetic fury in their stride, while the Brembo M50 front brake calipers do an effective job of hauling the thing down from the speeds of which this rocket is capable. 

And while it’s no ‘flash Harry’ compared to the new Hayabusa, the big Ninja does have pricing on its side. At $24,104 ride away (ex-Sydney), it’s nearly $3600 cheaper than the ’Busa. 

Specs: 2021 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R 

ENGINE 
Type: 1441cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder 
Bore x stroke: 84.0mm x 65.0mm 
Compression ratio: 12.3:1 
Fuel system: Mikuni electronic fuel injection, 4 x 44mm throttle bodies 

PERFORMANCE 
Maximum power: 200hp/147.2kW (210hp/154.5kW with RAM air) at 10,000rpm 
Maximum torque: 158.2Nm at 7500rpm 

TRANSMISSION 
Type: Six-speed 
Final drive: Chain 

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR 
Frame type: Monocoque, aluminium 
Front suspension: 43mm inverted fork, fully adjustable 
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX39 monoshock, fully adjustable 
Front brakes: Dual semi-floating 310mm petal discs with radial-mount, four-piston Brembo M50 calipers, ABS equipped 
Rear brake: Single 250mm petal disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper, ABS equipped 
Tyres: Front 120/70ZR17; Rear 190/50ZR17 

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES 
Rake: N/A 
Trail: N/A 
Claimed kerb weight: 269kg 
Seat height: 800mm 
Wheelbase: 1480mm 
Fuel capacity: 22 litres 

OTHER STUFF 
Price: $24,104 ride away 
Colours: Pearl Storm Gray with Metallic Diablo Black 
Test bike supplied by: Kawasaki Motors Australia 
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres 

New and used examples of the Kawasaki ZX-14R for sale on bikesales

See our full review of the 2021 Kawasaki ZX-14R

The verdict 

So, you want an iconic speed machine and you’ve got $30k burning a hole in your back pocket – that will cover a new example of either one of these bullets, with some bucks left over for new tyres. You’re going to get through plenty in short order... 

What should you buy? Well, when you’re weighing up the pros and cons of the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa versus the 2021 Kawasaki ZX-14R, it boils down to this... 

Both are lightning-quick machines that will spin the earth backwards on its axis. But they both handle that output remarkably well, and – importantly – both can also be ridden sedately at around-town speeds with ease. They only go as fast as you twist the throttle, after all, although that devil on your shoulder will be a permanent fixture (you know, the one that’s always whispering for you to ‘give it a bit’...). 

Pre-Hayabusa update, I would have said the Kawasaki had the edge in terms of refinement, but the new Hayabusa has taken a big step forward in this respect – between its suspension and engine tweaks, it now feels a lot more polished in terms of vibration and just in how it rides. That flows through to the Hayabusa’s braking performance too – those Brembo Stylema calipers deliver so much feel and feedback, not that there’s anything wrong with the Brembo M50s on the Kawasaki. 

Of course, this much performance means that if things go wrong, they generally go wrong very quickly – and often at high velocity. That was very much in my mind when I rode the previous-gen Hayabusa at a cold and wet Phillip Island circuit, before switching to the new Hayabusa. Having the latter’s sophisticated electronic safety net was a big plus – it gave me more confidence and ultimately meant I got more enjoyment out of riding it.

You just don’t have that same level of assistance on the Kawasaki. And while both these models are strictly for experienced hands only, the Kawasaki perhaps now caters for a narrower window of veteran pilots – the Hayabusa’s smarts actually make its performance more safely accessible to a wider range of (still very competent) riders. 

Then again, the Kawasaki – in its current form, at least – is at the zenith of its evolution. It’s a rock-solid proposition, a near bulletproof offering that has stood the test of time, whereas the latest Hayabusa still has to earn its stripes, in terms of longevity and reliability (although it too is starting from a thoroughly dependable base). 

And there’s a simplicity to the Kawasaki that, for riders of a certain age (ahem...), will appeal. You can hop straight on it and ride, without having to bury your head in an owner's manual first. It’s old school, but it works. 

As for pricing, the Suzuki’s price hike is significant but I think it’s also a victim of the great value offered by its predecessor. When viewed relative to the Kawasaki’s price, and the extra tech the Hayabusa encompasses, I don’t think the Suzuki’s price is outlandish, although we would have liked to have seen electronic suspension included in the mix. 

Personally, we’d spend the extra for the reassurance of the Hayabusa’s up-to-date safety tech, and its myriad other new features. But if you’re a died-in-the-wool Team Green fan, you’ll still love every second aboard the ZX-14R. 

Do you own a Suzuki Hayabusa or Kawasaki ZX-14R? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it? Let us know in the comments below...