Full Review: Suzuki Ups the Horsepower Ante with the 2008 Hayabusa
Wednesday April 9, 2008
When will this war end? No, not that war; I'm talking about the silly horsepower war between supersized superbikes.
Suzuki is determined to annihilate the competition with their 2008 Hayabusa, and this land missile... err, motorcycle... boasts a claimed 194 horsepower at the crank. To get the scoop, check out our 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa Review. You can also scope 'Busa pix in our photo gallery.Photo © Suzuki
Click for review
Comments
Basem…it’s absolutely a great bike, although not exactly a styling coup. I have a soft spot for Suzuki…I put almost 100,000km’s on a GS850 and it was stone axe reliable and a great bike.
I think (I’m sure lots will disagree with me) what Kawasaki and Suzuki started with the ZX12-13-14 and GSXR13/1400 represents a direction I’m not sure we want the industry to go. With police forces, legislators and insurance companies putting our sport under a microscope, the ‘magic’ 300 KPH mark on street legal bikes is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. They simply don’t understand bikes like this…all they see is the ridiculous top speeds in magazines. The comfort, smoothness, and everything else good that goes along with that technology is lost on them.
That, in combination with the Kawasaki commercials & the asinine licensing laws in the U.S. & Canada that will let anyone, regardless of experience ride them, make both those bikes more of a detriment than an asset.
I don’t find any particular allure to the whole top speed thing…dangerous as hell and get’s boring real quick too. I’m not sure either of those 2 bikes have anything ‘special’ to offer beyond that.
‘Sides..Again…the dreadfully slow Blackbird is a much nicer bike.
I agree… 240mph (youtube)is pretty fast. I have a 1986 Magna V65 which is plenty fast enough to pass anything with ease that isn’t racing me. And it’s a cool bike ta’-boot. Am I alone in thinking that for the most part all of the crotch-rockets look the same? Yes, they’re fast and look cool… but who wants to spend any time on one. My back hurts just looking!
Look people buy slow bikes and they buy fast bikes. I am a Harley converted sportbike guy. Making comments that you don’t think they should make bikes that go really fast is like saying they shouldn’t have made a V8 motor. Just because you old farts who never had fast bikes in your day are scared of speed. Don’t piss on our parade. Please do everyone a favor and stay in the SLOW lane with the other seniors.