The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Is an Evolution of a Revolution

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The 2022 Suzuki GSX1300RR Hayabusa. Take note of the additional “R.” (Suzuki/)

It’s been 14 years since we’ve laid eyes on a new Suzuki Hayabusa. The long wait for the third-generation ‘Busa is over—today Suzuki is pulling the covers off the 2022 GSX1300RR Hayabusa. The model year 2022 Hayabusa has an MSRP of $18,599 ($3,800 more than the outgoing model). There’s no word yet on when the bike will hit dealers.

The 2022 Hayabusa will be available in three color schemes: Glass Sparkle Black and Candy Burnt Gold; Metallic Matte Sword Silver and Candy Daring Red; Pearl Brilliant White and Metallic Matte Stellar Blue. (Suzuki/)

Suzuki says the reborn ‘Busa boasts more than 550 new parts, but the changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary. The goal was making its substantial 188 claimed horsepower more controllable and usable than ever with the implementation of the most advanced electronic rider aid suite we’ve yet seen from the Hamamatsu factory. Beneath the slippery redesigned bodywork, Suzuki engineers have aimed their magnifying glasses at the chassis and engine as well, making subtle changes to improve performance and durability while meeting increasingly stringent global emissions standards.

The 1,340cc inline-four engine is now Euro 5 compliant. Suzuki claims the third-gen Hayabusa produces 187.74 hp at 9,700 rpm and 110.6 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm—figures that are slightly down compared to the previous generation, which produced a claimed 194.4 hp at 9,500 rpm and 114.3 pound-feet of torque at 7,200 rpm. However, Suzuki says that power and torque delivery are improved in the low- to midrange.

The all-new bodywork immediately reads “Hayabusa” while looking different and fresh. (Suzuki/)

While some motorcycle fans were hoping for an all-new engine, Suzuki’s pursuit of refinement demonstrates the lengths its engineers went to in order to get the most out of its long-proven powerplant. Changes include revised cam profiles; stronger, lower-mass pistons and connecting rods for improved durability; a redesigned combustion chamber; and redesigned crankcases for improved oil lubrication—the list goes on and on, really. Sure, shorter piston pins and longer transmission-shaft needle bearings may not ignite the imagination, but perhaps it’s enough. As Mary Poppins says, “Enough is as good as a feast.” Is it obvious I’ve been stuck indoors with a toddler for far too long? I, for one, could use a good blast on a ‘Busa to reclaim my dwindling self-respect and regain some high-speed perspective.

Anyway, other changes include a new exhaust system, ride-by-wire system, airbox, and ram air system (SRAD, or Suzuki Ram Air Direct, in case you needed reminding).

Three generations of Hayabusas. From the left: the 1999 model, the 2008 model, and the 2022 “double R.” (Suzuki/)

On the chassis side, there’s a new subframe that’s 1.5 pounds lighter than that of the previous generation. The Hayabusa uses fully adjustable suspension units from KYB and top-shelf Brembo Stylema calipers with 320/310mm discs front/rear. It’s equipped with Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tires. On the ergonomics front, Suzuki mounted the handlebars 12mm closer to the rider to improve comfort.

From an engineering standpoint, while it’s commendable that a motorcycle with more than 150 hp can be deemed easy to ride when all it has in the way of electronic “intervention” is a drive mode selector, today’s sport riders have become accustomed to rider aids that not only improve safety, but are capable of entirely altering the character of a motorcycle to suit use-case or preference. One of Suzuki’s biggest priorities was bringing the Hayabusa up to par on this electronics front. Suzuki’s electronic rider aid suite, Suzuki Intelligent Ride Suite (SIRS), is managed by a Bosch six-direction, three-axis IMU. As such, there’s lean-sensitive traction control and ABS; wheelie control; launch control; engine brake control; rear-wheel lift control; three power maps; hill hold control; and even a speed limiter that allows riders to set a top speed limit, which can be overridden with a twist of the grip or deactivated with the touch of a button. Suzuki has also fitted the Hayabusa with an up/down quickshifter and cruise control.

The new dash mixes the analog and digital. Check out the shift light front and center. (Suzuki/)

Another first for Suzuki is the use of a TFT dash. The screen sits between familiar-looking analog gauges. While we’re used to seeing a similar old-new blend on touring-style motorcycles, it’s a welcome whimsy on a sportbike. Glancing down to glimpse the very rapid upward sweep of the tach needle will be a pleasurable throwback for a certain set. LED lighting further brings proceedings up to date.

In the final print issue of Cycle World, EIC Hoyer describes the impact of the first-generation Hayabusa. “It changed my life,” he says.

“As much as Suzuki’s soul gets its divine light from the GSX-R,” he continues, “the Hayabusa is where engineering put supernatural powers, with lights and a license plate, in our hands. We never envisioned the aftermarket industry it would spawn and how fast so many could go, or how beautiful it was to ride this bike at ‘normal’ speeds, knowing at any moment you could sample a kind of freedom never experienced by mortals.”

A sharper Hayabusa. (Suzuki/)

For those of us who’ve been waiting out a long winter (and an even longer pandemic), who find ourselves humiliatingly quoting Mary Poppins because we’re held captive by a Poppins-loving toddler, or who simply get caught up in the monotony that’s sometimes our lot (which is the case for the majority of us, I think), the Hayabusa has always been a kind of otherworldly, love-letter-to-excess panacea.

The headlight is pure GSX-R and bears a passing resemblance to the 2003 GSX-R1000. (Suzuki/)

After a 14-year wait, many were hoping the new ‘Busa would have more than new electronics and modest engine and chassis changes. The changes may be “enough,” but are they, as Mary Poppins would say, as good as a feast? After all, what does Mary Poppins know about motorcycles? Nothing, that’s what. The Hayabusa has always been about bringing transcendence into reach. It always suggested too much is just enough.

The ‘Busa is back! (Suzuki/)

There’s a lot to be excited about with the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa. While it may not be as all-new as some would hope, it’s an evolution of one of the great sportbikes of our time and its changes bring it right up to date. If that’s not enough, maybe we’re asking for too much. That’s for you to decide. The original Hayabusa was a revelation—if not a revolution. So what’s the evolution of a revolution? From the looks of things, that’s the 2022 Hayabusa.

 

 

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