This year it is exactly 25 years ago that Suzuki turned the world upside down with the GSX-R1300 Hayabusa, the world’s first motorcycle that had to be able to go faster than 300 km/h. That should be celebrated appropriately and so they have released a special 25th Anniversary Edition of Busa in Hamamatsu, which will be available from August.
No motorcycle has such a much-debated reputation as the Hayabusa, which was either adored or crushed by bikers for its controversial looks, but has gone down in history as the world’s first motorcycle to be the subject of a political debate at European level.
Not inhibited by any knowledge of the matter (as is almost always the case with politicians), one member of parliament shouted even louder than the other that these types of engines should be banned – where our Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management at the time, Tineke Netelenbos, even called on a European level. has done.
The call for a ban has only played into the hands of the Hayabusa, who became an instant legend for that fact alone and have only expanded that status over the years. The Hayabusa rivaled its competitors, the Honda Blackbird and Kawasaki ZZR1100, in every way. In terms of top power, top speed, handling and aerodynamics.
In 2007, the second generation was introduced, an engine that we had the honor of being the first to drive in the Netherlands. That first test resulted in the shortest video ever of less than twenty seconds from standstill to top speed on the German Autobahn.
The second generation had a slightly larger displacement of 1,340cc and was the second model after the GSX-R1000 K7 to be equipped with the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, taking performance to an even higher level.
After two decades, the end of the Hayabusa seemed near. The supersport segment had completely collapsed, so that there seemed to be no market for engines like the Hayabusa and with the Euro5 emission requirements on the doorstep, the engine disappeared from the Suzuki range. That is, in Europe, because on the other side of the ocean the engine (just like the GSX-R600 and GSXR-750) remained available.
The farewell turned out to be short-lived. What fans had hoped for, but certainly no longer expected, turned out to be a fact in 2021, when a third generation Hayabusa was announced by Suzuki, allowing the myth to continue.
With the introduction of the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System, the third generation was the most advanced Suzuki ever, including Launch Control System, Motion Track Traction System, Anti-lift Control, and IMU and an up/down quickshifter. That plus a small TFT display between the traditional large counters and useful things like cruise control. Otherwise, check our test from 2021 again.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the GSX-R1300 Hayabusa, Suzuki has now released an exclusive anniversary model with a unique color scheme and details. The Dutch introduction of the 25th anniversary model is scheduled for August 2023, its price will be announced at a later stage.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.