2007 Suzuki Hayabusa Review

Fast and furious are images that come to mind with the Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle that was first manufactured by Suzuki in 1999. Designed by Kojii Roshirua, who also designed the Suzuki Bandit, the Hayabusa won accolades for being the fastest production motorcycle of the day, outstripping its fastest competitors by 10 mph to 14 mph. That’s the fast part. The furious part concerns its name. ""Hayabusa"" is Japanese for peregrine falcon, a fast bird of prey that can swoop at speeds of up to 200 miles an hour. The falcon finds blackbirds particularly tasty. The Suzuki Hayabusa’s intended prey was Honda’s CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, then the fastest production motorcycle in the world. This 1300 cc sport bike, with a top speed of 194 mph, quickly stripped this title away from Honda.

The Hayabusa isn’t a pretty motorcycle; even Kojii Roshirua described it as having a grotesque design. But there is a reason for its long, lean, ugly look. The aerodynamic shape was instrumental in allowing it to set speed records. The Hayabusa has more going for it than speed, however. The 2007 model accelerates quickly and easily, which means riders need to be paying attention. Once on board, the ride is comfortable; the engine is relatively quiet with minimal vibration. The Hayabusa, which gets good marks for reliability from owners, has a thickly padded seat and the windshield offers relatively good wind protection. These two things are important in a touring bike as the Hayabusa doesn’t spend all its time on racetracks. The Hayabusa carries both driver and passenger; a hump in the rear can be removed to accommodate the passenger. The 2007 Hayabusa comes in black, red, and blue.