Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa - MCN

OLD V NEW

1999-’02 SUZUKI HAYABUSA H 2003-’05 SUZUKI HAYABUSA

1999-’02 HAYABUSA

4 Bonkers speed machine that handles and tours, too 8 Rear sub-frames can fail; limited to 186mph from 2001

Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa Once the fastest production bike PERFORMANCE in the world, the Busa’s wings were lightly igh clipped in 2001. We ask which is the preferred model SUZUKI HAYABUSA OWNERS’ PANEL GARY COLES

GARY is a 41-year-old joiner and lives in Telford. He rode a mate’s ’99 Hayabusa in 2004 and was so smitten he bought a brand new one. He has since tweaked both its looks and performance.

IAN MCGLINCHEY

32-YEAR-OLD Ian runs MacX motorcycle accessory shop in Widnes, Cheshire and has owned – and drag raced – a 2000 model, but now has a slightly tweaked 2004 Busa as his own road bike.

TONY BOYLE

TONY, 47, is a sales manager based in Bradford, Yorkshire, and bought a 1999 Hayabusa brand new. He sold it a few years later, but bought an ’03 model after missing the old bike so much.

Gary: “I bought a new Hayabusa in 2004 and was a bit disappointed at first, as the power delivery was a little notchy somehow and I also thought that the clutch could have been better. “The throttle response smoothed out a bit as I ran the bike in, but I was still surprised that Suzuki don’t seem to have done much to the bike over the last five or six years. I mean, apart from restricting the top end and changing the colour schemes each year, it’s much the same bike. “Since buying mine, I’ve spent a fair bit on it, with a one-off titanium exhaust system, modified airbox, wavy discs, aftermarket six-pots, braided lines, small clear indicators, carbon inserts on the bodywork and so on. “Overall, I reckon that fitting the exhaust, de-seaming the innards of the airbox, dyno time, plus the new calipers

have made the biggest difference to the performance of the bike. It now goes and stops loads better – sounds great too. I think just dumping the stock exhaust system probably saved about 4kg in weight.”

Ian: “The W-plate Hayabusa I had ended up being transformed from a standard road bike – admittedly an insanely fast one – into an almost unrideable missile. Freakin’ good fun, though – even if I was only getting 80 miles out of each tankful! “The 2004 Busa I have now is more laid back and easier to ride, plus it’s a showcase for the accessories and stuff I can do in the shop: polished wheels, wavy discs, braided lines. Plus I put a Blue Flame can on it, set the bike up at the dyno and re-chipped the ECU so it doesn’t stop at 186mph. But I’m still not 100% happy with the brakes

– I really think the Hayabusa needs more stopping power.”

Tony: “There’s no great difference in performance between the older Hayabusa and the later, so-called ‘restricted’ versions. The only restriction is that at 186mph the ECU tells the fuel injectors to cut the supply to one cylinder, which stops it from going any faster. Otherwise, there’s still the same amazing amount of power, although the 2003-on bikes feel a touch smoother in their overall throttle response, due to their remapped fuelling and ignition. “The brakes are equally weak on both models and fitting braided lines and some different pads is a must if you want serious stopping power. Apart from that, I would say the performance is more than most riders will ever need on the public road.”

OLD Hayabusas hold their value well on the secondhand market

OLD

THE old model had old-fashioned orange indicator lenses...

34 | MOT MO OR C CY YCLE NEWS OCTOBER 26, 2005 YC

NEW

...WHILE most recent ones are graced with modern clear jobs

OLD

THE Hayabusa’s brakes were never quite a match for its power

NEW

THE new model also benefits from an aftermarket upgrade

2003-’05 HAYABUSA

MODEL GUIDE

1999

ONE DAY WITH... BUELL XB12SS LIGHTNING LONG

Suzuki launch Hayabusa in UK. It fails to crack the double-ton.

2000

New colour schemes.

4 Why change a good thing? 8 Untouched by the latest technical developments

2001

ECU remapped for 186mph limit. Sub-frame material now steel.

2002

New colours.

2003

Facelift model appears. New ECM chip for emissions regs.

2005

Clear indicators replace orange lenses, new colours again.

AN EXPERT SAYS: Martin Crooks, Crooks Suzuki, Barrow, Cumbria: “The Hayabusa attracts owners who love touring abroad on them, plus the speed boys who often accessorise them. Good secondhand values reflect the loyalty the bike attracts, its durability and the relatively short supply of them on the used market. Many short-in-the leg riders spend a while searching out a really good Hayabusa, after struggling a little bit on R1s, Blades etc.”

PARKER’S PRICE GUIDE NOW INCLUDES BIKES! RIDING

Gary: “My first rear tyre lasted 3000 miles, which was great, but now the Busa is breathing better and has good brakes, I’m riding it harder and rubber mileage is down to about 800 miles per rear. “One thing that has surprised me is how easy the bike is to ride in the wet. The smooth power delivery helps, as does the bodywork, which is very good at keeping the bad weather off you. “Fuel consumption? Am I arsed really? Probably not.” Ian: “A Hayabusa may not be the prettiest motorcycle you can buy, but it is one of the most comfortable. Great saddle, proper pillion seat which is ‘missus-friendly’ and decent protection from the bodywork, once you add a double bubble screen.” Tony: “I’m on the tall side, so I always felt the Hayabusa was a bit too low for me, as it does have a low seat height. On longer runs it can feel a little cramped for taller riders.

But that same low seat, and the comfort of the pillion perch, is one of the reasons my lass tore a strip off me when I sold the first Busa. She felt really secure on it.”

OWNING:

Gary: “100% reliable, no problems. Servicing isn’t too expensive, either – about £120 for a 4000-mile service. I’ve had some fun getting the Hayabusa modded and I love it.”

I know that was the main reason why the sub-frames cracked – once you had a can which didn’t join up at the pillion footpeg mount, you’d weakened the overall structure of the back end. “To me, the Busa has a loyal following because it does so many things so well, and the resale values are still fairly high too. You can own a bike for a few years and still get back pretty much what you paid – not bad, eh?”

VERDICT:

Ian: “My first Busa was a 2000 model with a retro-fitted steel sub-frame from the later model. No reliability problems with it, even when I put the turbo on it and went drag racing. The motor is amazingly tough. “The later 2004 Busa has been no problem to me, either. I just think the Hayabusa is a great motorcycle – apart from the expensive insurance and the brakes, you can’t really fault it.”

Ian: “Buy a later one. If the 186mph restriction bothers you, it can be remapped for £50. You’ll have to get the brakes sorted whatever you buy, so why bother with the early one?”

Tony: “Both models were totally reliable for me. I never had trouble with the sub-frame on the early bike as I didn’t fit an end can to it. As far as

Tony: “Probably a later one as it is the more developed bike, if only by a fraction. But let’s face it, 186mph on the road is enough for anyone.”

APART from emissions mods, Suzuki has adopted the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach with the Busa

Gary: “Go for an older one. You can get a nice ’99 model for £4500, then spend another 1500 notes tweaking it up in your own way.”

1999-2002 SUZUKI HAYABUSA

2003-2005 SUZUKI HAYABUSA

COST NEW IN 1999: £7699 USED VALUES: 1999-00 £3300-£4800 2001-02 £4100-£6100

COST NEW: £8649 USED PRICES: 2004 £5700-£6700 2005 £6500-£7200

Ins group: 16 Servicing: £130 minor, £250 main

Ins group: 16 Servicing: £130 minor, £250 main

TECH SPEC:

TECH SPEC:

Engine: 1299cc four-cylinder four-stroke Power: 175bhp Chassis: Alloy twin spar Weight: 215kg Top speed: 191mph MPG/Range: 35mpg/160 miles

Engine: 1299cc four-cylinder four-stroke Power: 175bhp Chassis: Alloy twin spar Weight: 215kg Top speed: 186mph MPG/Range: 35mpg/160 miles

Built that bit bigger for the larger gentleman

WHAT’S THIS ‘LONG’ NONSENSE ALL ABOUT THEN?

FOR those who think a Buell XB12S Lightning a bit on the small side, the American firm has made the new XB12SS ‘Long’ just for you. In fact ‘Long’ is a bit misleading – it should be called the ‘big’ or something, because not only is the wheelbase 52mm longer than the standard Lightning, it’s bigger in every other direction too. The Long uses the taller, longer chassis nicked from the big new Buell Ulysses ‘adventure’ bike, which gives it a loftier seat height of 775mm compared to the standard bike’s 764.5mm. The seat itself is physically longer, too – ideal if you’re the weird sort of person who likes their pillion to still be there at the end of your trip. The fuel capacity is also up – from a measly 14.5 litres to a useful 16.7 litres and, best of all, you get all this extra big-ness for just £100 more than the normal Lightning. Sitting astride the Buell, it still feels very small. The tank is impossibly short and you sit right over the front wheel, but for a six-footer there’s far more room to move around than before, and it’s easily as spacious as a Speed Triple.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

LIKE all 2006 Buell models, the Lightning Long gets a new gearbox with helical-cut gears, which run smoother and make changes slicker, at last! A new Goodyear final drive belt promises to be stronger than ever.

AND THE RIDE?

THE harder you ride it, the better it handles. No surprise, really, since the

MCN SAYS:

WITH a few suspension tweaks, it handles superbly

Lightning’s maker Eric Buell is fanatical about going round corners as fast as possible. So to reduce the bike’s unsprung weight and help the suspension work more effectively, the Long (as with the shorter Lightning) has superlightweight wheels, just one rim-mounted (and very powerful) front brake disc and caliper – plus, a heavy drive chain is replaced with that lightweight belt. To keep weight centralised in the chassis and further aid handling, the oil that feeds the 1203cc V-twin motor is carried in the swingarm; the fuel is held in the aluminium frame spars, and the stubby exhaust is contained beneath the motor (a feature now beginning to be copied by Kawasaki and Suzuki). The showroom suspension settings are too soft and make the Buell feel like an articulated City Hopper bus at speed, but a twiddle of the Showa’s damping adjusters back and front is enough to regain its composure. Once done, the Lightning’s handling is superb. Steering is super-fast (and can get a bit slappy on bumpy roads

4 Better for taller riders and pillions 4 Trademark superb Buell handling 8 Poor wind protection & steering lock 8 Chassis could handle more power

despite the extra-long wheelbase) and mid-corner stability is excellent.

ANY CHANGES TO THAT ENGINE?

THE Buell uses what is essentially a Harley engine, so you’ve only got between 2000-6000rpm to have fun with. You have to short-shift to get anywhere fast, but with a healthy 84ftlb on tap that’s hardly a problem. And it seems much smoother than Buells we’ve ridden before. But what that chassis is really screaming out for is a quicker engine. With a livelier, Italian V-twin slotted in, the Lightning would be truly epic.

BUELL LIGHTNING XB12SS LONG HHHHH COST: POWER: WEIGHT:

£7845 103bhp 181kg

Available: Now Colours: Orange, blue, black Insurance group: 16 Info: Buell UK, 0870-904-9984, www.buell.com

TECHNICAL SPEC

Engine: Air-cooled 1203cc (88.9 x 96.8mm) four-stroke V-twin. Chassis: Aluminium twin-spar frame, 43mm Showa upsidedown forks, fully-adjustable. Single Showa rear shock, fullyadjustable. Single rim-mounted 375mm front disc with six-piston caliper, 240mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 180/55 x 17 rear.

OCTOBER 26, 2005 MOT MO OR C CYCLE NEWS | 35