Thanks to tightening emissions regulations, it’s time for Suzuki to say goodbye to the Hayabusa.
In the world of performance bikes, the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa is a legendary name. When it launched in 1999, it immediately became the world’s fastest motorcycle. Back then it could do nearly 200 mph (194 mph to be exact), before it was reined in after 2000. Speed isn’t what killed this bike, though – that would be the Euro 4 emissions standards. This bike doesn’t meet stricter emissions regulations, so it will be consigned to the pages of history after December 2018. While it would still meet regulations for the American market, Suzuki decided to axe the bike globally anyway. U.S. dealers will sell any remaining Hayabusa stock through 2019. European dealers won’t be able to sell non-Euro 4 compliant bikes past December 31, 2018.
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For those of you lamenting the Hayabusa’s passing, though, there is some cause for hope. RideApart notes Suzuki did renew the trademarks on the Hayabusa name. So, there is some chance the name could return in the future. The current generation uses a 1,340cc liquid-cooled four-stroke inline-four engine with around 200 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque. Top speed is pegged at 186 mph, in contract to the old bike’s 194 mph figure.
Possible successor?
As we take a moment for the recently-passed Hayabusa, we can speculate on what its possible successor might look like. As RideApart states, any replacement bike would need to have a power bump to keep it competitive. Bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja H2 make the same amount of power as the current Hayabusa, thanks to its supercharged 998cc engine. The track-only version, the H2R, has managed to hit a whopping 249 mph.
Will we see a new Hayabusa anytime soon? Well, I’m not the world’s biggest motorcycle enthusiast, but even I’d like to see a new model emerge in the near future. Hopefully we’ll see something out of Suzuki soon, if it can tackle Europe’s emission regulations.
This article is here on TFLcar as it’s a street bike, but did you know we have another website for all things powersports? If heading off the beaten track is more your speed, check out our coverage on TFLoffroad.com!
