Suzuki Ceases Production of the Legendary Hayabusa

Suzuki Ceases Production of the Legendary Hayabusa

Suzuki Motorcycles has announced the cessation of production on their legendary GSX1300R Hayabusa sportbike, after a 20-year model run. The announcement came as a surprise to some (author included), amid speculation that Suzuki would actually soon debut an upgraded model. This is truly the end of an era in the world of +1000cc Superbikes, or as one writer called them, “Hyperbikes.”

Since its premiere back in 1999, the Suzuki Hayabusa has been a dominating force of a street bike, leaving other manufacturers chasing shadow and exhaust for years. With an initially unrestricted top speed of (allegedly) 194 mph, the ‘Busa could consistently turn 10s in the quarter mile, and for years blew away everything it faced on the road or drag strip. Only in recent years has its early numbers been topped, by the incredible Ducati Panigale R and the supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2.

Unable to meet the new Euro-4 emissions regulations, Suzuki decided to pull the plug on development and production of the vaunted machine, letting it slip into the annals of motorcycle history and legend, effective December 31, 2018. The Hayabusa will only be sold in Japan and Europe up until that date, then all remaining stock will be shipped to North America, where they will be sold off until gone in 2019. So get one while you can.

Interestingly, Suzuki has renewed the trademarks for the Hayabusa name, so it’s within the realm of possibility that the company could introduce a third-gen of the bike in the future. In the meantime, a chapter in motorcycle history has been inked and closed. The ‘Busa set a high bar for street bike performance that to this day has been hard to top. Definitely a bike for the ages.

Rob Brooks