Hayabusa turned 25 this year, and Suzuki India has launched its 25th Anniversary Edition in India. The bike mostly receives cosmetic updates and only comes in the unmistakable Glass Blaze Orange with Glass Sparkle Black colour scheme.
First shown at the 1998 Intermot show in Germany as the "Hayabusa (GSX1300R)," and the first production bike rolled out of the factory later in 1999. Hayabusa quickly made a name for itself by breaking multiple speed records, thanks to its Peregrine Falcon-inspired body. The fastest animal on earth inspires the fastest motorcycle on earth – fair enough. The design and silhouette are largely unchanged and not to everyone's taste. However, being built in a wind tunnel in the 90s solely for speed made it a head-turner for real. Now, let's delve into the changes for the legend on its silver jubilee.
Apart from the exclusive dual-tone paint, the Hayabusa now arrives with a unique 25th-anniversary emblem on the tank and 25th-anniversary logos etched on both mufflers. Taking a closer look, you'll notice a 3D Suzuki logo on each side of the fuel tank and the iconic Hayabusa Kanji logo with a red decal below on the fairing. Even closer inspection reveals the meticulous Hayabusa Kanji logo applied to the drive chain plates. The front brake rotor carrier and drive chain adjusters boast anodized gold, making the bike a masterpiece of jewellery. At the rear, the single-seat cowling is now standard and receives a gloss black finish for the 25th-anniversary edition.
The 25th-anniversary special edition doesn't get any mechanical updates and carries forward the legendary 1340cc Hayabusa engine. The liquid-cooled DOHC four-cylinder uses modern technologies like ride-by-wire and produces a peak power of 190bhp at 9,700rpm and 142Nm at 7,000rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox equipped with the much-needed bi-directional quick shifters. The motorcycle's nose incorporates air vents (SRAD) to meet its air intake demands. Moreover, the Suzuki Hayabusa 25th-anniversary edition employs an advanced version of the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.). While all of the above are undeniably impressive, they are also available with the Rs 80,000 cheaper third-generation Hayabusa.
The 25th-anniversary edition of Hayabusa is priced at Rs 17.70 lakh (Ex-Showroom). Since the Kawasaki ZX-14R is discontinued, Hayabusa has no direct competitors. Although the Kawasaki ZX-10R isn't quite a straight-line missile like the Hayabusa, it falls into the same ballpark due to its Indian pricing.
