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