[sportrider - features] - 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa First Ride Review

[Ninjette Newsbot]

THE BUCK STOPS HERE
Competition is generally like a spurred kick to a manufacturer’s backside, and so when Kawasaki introduced its dominant ZX-14R to the hypersport category last year, we sat around and patiently waited for Suzuki’s return shot. The 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa is that response, and comes equipped with Brembo monobloc brakes that have been bolstered by way of ABS. “Kawasaki has come with the ZX-12, the ZX-12R, and the ZX-14R…and we continue outselling the Kawasaki brand in the hypersport segment,” says Suzuki, insinuating that the small changes will be enough to keep the Hayabusa near the forefront of the category—or at least at the leading edge of showroom-floor sales.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably just sat back and frustratingly thought to yourself, “Brakes! That’s all you’ve got for us, Suzuki?” Settle back into your seat, however, and consider this: the Hayabusa’s binders have always been atop the bike’s succinct list of shortcomings and have long been in need of some attention; a point Kento drove home while concluding Sport Rider’s two-bike, 2012 hypersport comparison test. “The Suzuki’s front brakes unfortunately are a comparative disappointment; the brake pad feel is wooden, with a very linear progressiveness that requires a death grip to get good braking power. An aftermarket set of brake pads and some brake lines are definitely in order for any ‘Busa owner,” argued El Jefe . Maybe a better set of anchors will suffice after all…

SMALL CHANGES, BIG BENEFITS?
Brembo brakes are nothing new to the Suzuki lineup, of course; the GSX-R600 and 750 were outfitted with a comparable set of binders back in 2011, and the GSX-R1000 followed suit by garnering monobloc calipers in early 2012. Differences between all three setups are minimal; “The calipers are basically the same but the brake pads are different,” says Suzuki, who later confirmed that, “The backing plate thickness of the brake pad is different on the Hayabusa than the GSX-R600, 750 and 1000 models.” The benefits, needless to say, are identical, and revolve around weight, caliper rigidity, and feedback.

The differences between the Brembo calipers and outgoing Tokico pieces are more substantial. The Brembo calipers are 300 grams lighter than the Tokico calipers, for example—a marginal difference that you’ll never feel considering the bike weighs a claimed 586 pounds—and run 32-32mm pistons rather than 30mm-32mm pistons, which should provide more initial bite in addition to more feedback. Interestingly, Suzuki decided to keep the Hayabusa’s Nissin master cylinder rather than replace it with a higher-spec piece from Brembo. Rubber lines go status quo as well.

ABS is a new-for-2013 feature and uses speed sensors on both wheels to measure tire slip under extreme braking conditions. The system, which works off of a diminutive control unit that rests under the fuel tank, adds just one or two pounds, according to Suzuki. Also new is a Limited Edition model, which wears Marble Daytona Yellow/ Glass Sparkle Black fairings and retails for $200 more than the $14,399 white/ gray and black/ gray models.

SURPRISE PERFORMANCE
In truth, it doesn’t take more than a few miles aboard the Hayabusa before you’re reminded of what it is that sets this bike apart from everything but its closest competitor, or more than a few panic stops to get a feel for its retooled brakes. Suzuki wasn’t about to call the bike’s reintroduction at that, however, and arranged for us to take the ‘Busa on a 200-mile ride through the mountains and freeways that neighbor the San Diego, CA, coast. We weren’t about to say no to the opportunity, and figured that the elongated ride would allow us to re-familiarize ourselves with the entire package.

The Hayabusa is still very much a sportbike, as evidenced by the tight-ish footpeg-to-seat gap and well-angled clip-ons, which are also far enough away from the saddle that you’ll have to stretch out a bit before you can wrap your hand around the throttle. The seat is cushier than most and the seat height measures just 31.7-inches, which is a huge plus considering that you’re still tasked with balancing 580-plus pounds of Japanese muscle between your legs. Is it the ideal bike for trepid riders or stoplight-to-stoplight riding? Probably not, but it’s no school bus either (insert jokes about our yellow test bike here).

The ‘Busa comes to life like Frankenstein once you get it out of the city and impresses with its freakish ability to take you from 25 mph to speeds that we won’t write about in nothing short of a few heartbeats. It’s amazingly stable at the far edge of the speedometer too, and almost never reminds you that you should probably start slowing down. The bike is almost sedate on the freeway, but feels planted on its side and is surprisingly lithe through a set of twisting canyon roads—its agility and flexibility will definitely surprise you.

We had the opportunity to test the bike’s ABS on the back side of a few elongated straights and, while we admit that it feels relatively crude after just getting off the Panigale R, walked away positive that it would get the job done in panic situations, especially since the system’s cycle rate isn’t overly aggressive and allows for just a bit of slip before it takes over. What’s more, there’s no obtrusive pulse through the lever and the intervention isn’t enough to upset the suspension. A downside of the system, at least in our opinion, is that you can’t turn it off. And, well, we generally appreciate that option.

The Brembo monobloc calipers are less distinguishable than the ABS, and while they do provide a little bit more feel, they still force you to pull the lever with some aggression and are a tick behind the times in regard to outright power through the pull. It probably doesn’t help that the brake fluid is being fed through ABS pipes, rubber lines, and that outdated Nissin master cylinder. In other news, we’re bummed to see Suzuki steer away from traction control, wheelie control, and a redesign, as any of these updates would surely have helped close the gap between the Hayabusa and the ZX-14R.

MORE TO COME
Regardless of what the 2013 model is missing, it’s still an undeniably great package, and one that’s just a few bolt-on parts away from completely obliterating your senses. Speaking of which, flip the page to see how we turned our first-ride companion into a quarter-mile addict with relative ease!

SPECIFICATIONS

2013 SUZUKI HAYABUSA ABS MSRP $14,399 ($14,599 in Limited Edition Marble Daytona Yellow / Glass Sparkle Black graphic) ENGINE Type Liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four, 4 valves/cyl. Displacement 1340cc Bore x stroke 81.0 x 65.0mm Compression ratio 12.5:1 Induction SDTV EFI, 44mm throttle bodies, dual injectors/cyl. CHASSIS Front tire 120/70ZR-17 Bridgestone BT015-F M Rear tire 190/50ZR-17 Bridgestone BT015-R M Rake/trail 23.4 degrees/3.7 in. (93mm) Wheelbase 58.3 in. (1480mm) Seat height 31.7 in. (805mm) Fuel capacity 5.5 gal. (21L) Claimed wet weight 586 lb. (266kg)


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