2009 Suzuki Hayabusa Preview

Competition

Back in the days when it was first introduced, the Suzuki Hayabusa would have competed with the previously mentioned Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird and later on with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R.

2009 Kawasaki ZX-14

Now, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is Hayabusa’s fierce competitor. This bike is the result of some serious development in Kawasaki’s technological department and it is actually considered the fastest production bike at this moment. No wonder, after all, it does rely on 203 hp at 9,500 rpm. Similar to the Busa, the Ninja is powered by a 1,352cc four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve per cylinder, inline-four engine that is as well fed through a fuel injection system with 44mm throttle bodies. Even though Kawasaki did its homework with this model and even offers a Special edition model for 2009, the bike seems to get uglier and uglier with each year that passes, making the Hayabusa stand for refinement and good taste. The standard Ninja has an MSRP of $12,099 while the Special Edition version adds another $300 to that.

On another hand, the BMW K 1300 S is one of the latest introductions of the German maker and, definitely, one greater opponent than the K 1200 S from which the bike is derived. In fact, by producing 173 hp and 103 ft-lb at 8,250rpm, the S model from the entirely new K series is the fastest production Beemer ever made. This one is backed up by a 1,293 cc water-cooled, four-stroke, straight-four power unit with two camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The price is yet to be announced, but this is quite the alternative for the Suzi and Kawi as it meets European style with performance that would make any Japanese hyper sport proud.

Exterior

2009 Suzuki Hayabusa

From the very beginning, the Suzuki Hayabusa was designed as a speed machine and that’s also the way it is presented today, only that a little more refined. Almost a brand of its own, the bike retains the centrally positioned headlight and signal lights that are close to the air intakes as well as its characteristic extremely low mounted screen. Suzuki designers had to position the gas tank well into the frame in order for the rider to have room to tuck into the fairing, but that was an issue solved from 1999 as the Hayabusa models are very similar in design.

Heavily tested in the wind tunnel, it actually gives the idea of being actually molded by the wind as it hurled down the freeway. The last big redesign of the fairing was in 2008 and that is when it became more aerodynamic and stylish, but, still, it retains the design lines of that first ever model. The four-into-two-into-one exhaust system definitely makes a difference, but, yet again, the matte black colored silencer comes from the present model year.

New for 2009 are the Black/Gray, Gray/Silver and White Silver.

Price

MSRP for the 2009 Hayabusa is $12,499, a little bit more even than Kawi’s special edition Ninja ZX-14R, but we reckon that as soon as BMW will announce the price of the K 1300 S, the Busa will seem a bargain.

Conclusion

Given to the fact that 2009 marks ten years since the introduction of the world’s probably most notorious sports motorcycle, we’d expect at an anniversary model. But, Suzuki didn’t plan anything special for the bike apart the shiny new colors and the consecrated technologies that we previously mentioned. At least it could come with a bottle champagne. ;)

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