Suzuki’s insane Hayabusa returns February 5
Suzuki just released a teaser for a coming announcement on Friday, February 5, and all signs point to the unveiling of a new Hayabusa. The clip is only 26 seconds long, but look closely and you’ll see what we mean.
There’s not a lot to go on, but the subtle hints are there. For one, a well-timed pause gives a bit of scale between rider and machine. The bike in this case is big—bigger than anything that would fall into the GSXR lineup. That larger size and fairing style are essential to the Hayabusa brand, as is drag racing, something hinted at in a separate teaser video that features no shots of the bike.
The Hayabusa is what Suzuki calls the “Ultimate Sportbike,” and it has a devout following that runs a wide range. Drag racers and sport touring riders alike seek out the 1340-cc, four-cylinder-powered machine for big power. The first video showing the gauge cluster—a pretty good looking gauge cluster, we might add—shows it with the speedometer needle buried deep into the 180-mph range. The gauge layout also aligns with previous generation ’busa styling.
It’s uncertain what this announcement will bring though. A design refresh is welcome, but the Hayabusa is best known for its big horsepower and, quite frankly, the current model’s 194 hp isn’t noteworthy compared to the forced-induction Kawasaki H2 or N/A Ducati Panigale, which makes an additional 20 hp despite having 200cc less displacement. What ever Suzuki has coming, the bar is tall and we’re curious how it is going to get there. Needless to say, we’ll be tuned in next week.
