2003 Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa

The 'Busa was a winner straight out of the box, and has been the premier bike in its class ever sinc e "The Ultimate Predator" - so said the ads for the Suzuki Hayabusa when it was launched in 1999. It was a fairly accurate tagline, actually, as the Hayabusa was a class leader upon its debut and has remained near the top of the Sports Tourer foodchain ever since.

The name 'Hayabusa' was a none-too-subtle dig at the incumbent in the big Sports Tourer class, Honda's CBR 1100XX Blackbird. If you're up on your ornithology, you'll probably know that 'Hayabusa' is the name of a peregrine falcon native to Japan whose favourite prey is, you guessed it, blackbirds.

Upon its debut, the design of the Hayabusa was a major talking point. With the rear seat hump, "lumpy" fairing and curiously-shaped nose, the 'Busa was never going to win any beauty contests, but it wasn't designed to be pretty. It was all about aerodynamics, not aesthetics. The Hayabusa was designed to cut through the air and eat up the miles with ridiculous ease. Ram air induction utilised the aerodynamic body shape to feed air into the engine, while even the shape and placement of the indicators was dictated by the least possible restriction to airflow.

Allied with the slippery, wind-cheating body was 1298cc of power and acceleration that could rival a lot of lighter and smaller capacity sportsbikes. For many years, the Hayabusa held the title of the World's Fastest Volume Production Motorcycle, only recently losing the title to MV Agusta's F4 and Kawasaki's ZX14. Acceleration and handling are impressive for a bike of the Hayabusa's size and weight, too, while the brakes - with 6 piston calipers on the twin disc front - offer more than enough stopping power.

The GSX-R moniker has always designated a sportsbike, so the Hayabusa had to live up to that label. To that end, suspension is stiffer than it arguably should be for a 'tourer', but comfort hasn't been sacrificed in the quest for out-and-out sportsbike thrills. The seat is comfortable and the riding position more so, with no excess weight on your wrists, so day-long rides are accomplished without discomfort. Thick rubber shrouds on the footpegs dampen engine vibration to enhance comfort levels. The instrument panel features large, easy-to-read analogue gauges, with digital clock and mileage indicators, as well as the usual temp/fuel gauges and neutral/indicator/high beam lights, all encased in a faux carbon fibre panel.

It's a testimony to the success of the original design that very little has been changed, aside from colours, since its launch. For 2003, the changes were minimal. The ECU was redesigned to be lighter and offer more precise control over ignition timing and injector control for each cylinder. The generator rotor was also lighter. In some markets, a polished stainless steel exhaust, black front forks and gold-coloured brake calipers were new for '03. Available colours for 2003 included an attractive two-tone silver metallic grey, or metallic black and grey. Solid black was also available in some markets, as were special Limited Edition colour schemes.

Overall, there is little to fault on a 2003 GSX 1300R Hayabusa. The engine and transmission are both very reliable, and the quality of componentry and finish is of the high standard you'd expect from one of the big four Japanese brands. Aftermarket mufflers are a common addition, and some bikes may also have had mods done to the engine tuning in an attempt to extract more performance. Both of these can potentially have a detrimental effect if not done correctly, so it pays to ask what's not stock when looking to buy.

The only real negative with a Hayabusa, if you could call it that, is the fact it's easy to go quick - licence-losing quick if you're not careful. The smooth power delivery means it's not screaming through the gears, so the speed sneaks up on you, which means you need to keep an eye on the speedo. Ironically, that same factor is probably what makes the Hayabusa so popular! You'll go through tyres quickly, too, but that's the trade off for a bike with so much grunt - one that most riders are happy to accept.

Specifications - 2003 Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa

Engine: 1298cc DOHC 16V transverse four cylinder four stroke
Bore/Stroke: 81 x 63 mm
Compression: 11.0:1
Power/Torque: 127.6kW (175hp)@9800rpm / 140Nm@7000rpm
Fuel system: Mikuni Denso fuel injection
Cooling system: Liquid
Electrical system: 12 volt
Transmission/Drive: 6 speed manual/chain drive
Front Suspension: Inverted fully adjustable 43 mm telescopic forks
Rear Suspension: Fully adjustable link-type, gas/oil damped
Front Brake: twin 320mm ventilated discs w/6 piston calipers
Rear Brake: single 240mm ventilated disc w/2 piston caliper
Front Tyre: 120/70 ZR17
Rear Tyre: 190/50 ZR17
Dry Weight: 215 kg
Seat Height: 805 mm
Length: 2140 mm
Wheelbase: 1485 mm
Ground Clearance: 120 mm
Fuel Capacity: 21 lt
Top Speed: 306 kph

TRIVIA
Hayabusas featured in the 2003 movie, 'Biker Boyz'. In the lamentably poor film, Laurence Fishburne's character, "Smoke" rides a Hayabusa with a wild silver and red tribal paint job.
For 2003, two limited edition model Hayabusas were offered for the US and Canadian markets. Both were mechanically the same as a stock GSX 1300R, but featured special paint - 'Midnight Black' for Canada and 'Golden Orange' for the USA - to mark American Suzuki's 40th Anniversary.

Source: JUST BIKES, November 2010, Issue #257