Suzuki Hayabusa held the title of "world's fastest motorcycle" for a record period in the sportbike segment. Last year, Suzuki reduced the horsepower from 197 to 190 due to emission norms. Bike World's acceleration test supported the Japanese bikemaker's claim that the Hayabusa is fast as ever.
Chris (host of Bike World) insisted there was more in the Busa's tank, and he made some not-so-significant updates to prove it. What is the result? Hayabusa's real prowess can be seen in some even faster times.
Superchargers, an extended swingarm, and lowered suspension are crucial for serious straight-line speed, right? No, not exactly. As Bike World has demonstrated, there are many (relatively) small modifications that can yield big results.
There are only a few modifications to the Suzuki Hayabusa, including an Akrapovic exhaust system, seat cowl, fender eliminator kit, and an ECU flash. Although these updates won't make you set a world speed record, they are nonetheless significant.
In addition to a 15 horsepower gain (dyno-tested), the Akrapovic exhaust saves 30 pounds of weight. A fine-tuning of the stock ECU yielded an extra eight horsepower across the rev range, though this wasn't the end. With 213 horsepower, the Hayabusa now outperforms its stock 190 horsepower by 23 horsepower.
How does this apply to real life? During the straight-line test, the Hayabusa reached 62mph in 2.7 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds. This is nearly two-tenths faster than the stock gen-3 Hayabusa, and the host claims it can go even faster with lower crosswinds. Despite this impressive performance, the Hayabusa also has a meatier midrange, making it more tractable.
Overall, this is a good example of the importance of basic motorcycle modifications and why you should start with them before moving on to more serious modifications. Furthermore, all the aforementioned updates will only cost you $3,000 (the exhaust itself retails for $2,000), which we think is a good deal.
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