The new 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa has been launched in India at Rs 16.40 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Hayabusa made its global debut in February this year and has been introduced in the Indian market roughly three months later. Like the previous-gen model, the 2021 Hayabusa will also be assembled at Suzuki’s facility in Haryana. It costs around Rs 3 lakh more than the outgoing Hayabusa, which was priced at Rs 13.75 lakh. Deliveries of the new Hayabusa will begin in May, and bookings for the superbike will soon open online.
A cursory look will have most people wondering if the new Hayabusa is new at all. After all, it retains its predecessors look great and is still a pretty long motorcycle with a relatively bulbous fairing. However, Suzuki has chiselled the Hayabusa’s bodywork, so it now looks sharper and has more definition on the surface.
The stacked LED headlights are new and are flanked by LED DRLs that double up as turn indicators – a first for a Suzuki motorcycle. The completely redesigned taillights are all-LED as well. Also, they function as turn indicators to eliminate the need for a separate set of blinkers and make the new Hayabusa as aerodynamically efficient as it can be. In fact, the design tweaks have been dictated by a need to match the second-gen bike’s aerodynamic efficiency, and Suzuki claims the new Hayabusa’s drag coefficient is among the best in the world for street-legal motorcycles.
On the face of it, not much has changed with the new Suzuki Hayabusa’s engine. It’s still the same inline-four unit and even has the same 1,340 cc displacement. However, Suzuki has refined and lightened the pistons and conrods to enhance engine performance further. The new Busa complies with Euro 5 emission norms (equivalent to India’s Bharat Stage 6 norms), and unsurprisingly, is a little less powerful than its predecessor, making 190 hp and 150 Nm. That said, Suzuki promises improved power delivery and more mid-range torque, and most importantly, the new Hayabusa is said to be quicker – it’ll do 0-100 kph in a claimed 3.2 seconds and go on to a ‘nominal’ top speed of 299 kph. Suzuki chose not to equip the Hayabusa’s engine with variable valve timing to keep costs low and maintenance easy.
While the new Hayabusa retains the twin-spar aluminium chassis of the second-gen bike, it features a lighter sub-frame. Also, it gets a new exhaust system (with hexagonal exhaust cans), which help bring kerb weight down to 264 kg, a reduction of 2 kg over the outgoing model. Like with the rest of the bike, Suzuki opted against making a radical change to the Hayabusa’s construction as the aluminium frame was more balanced than the alternatives.
The electronics package is a major talking point with the new Hayabusa. As standard, the new Busa gets Suzuki Drive Mode Selector Alpha (SDMS-a), which brings six power modes (three pre-set and three configurable); 10-step traction control; a two-way quick shifter; 10-stage anti-lift control; three-mode engine braking control; user-set speed limiter; 3-mode launch control; emergency stop warning system; cruise control; combined braking system; cornering ABS; slope dependent braking control and hill hold control. The Hayabusa now has a ride-by-wire throttle, as well as a six-axis inertial measurement unit from Bosch.
The new Hayabusa gets a fully adjustable upside-down fork from KYB and an adjustable KYB mono-shock at the back. Once again, Suzuki has avoided adding electronic adjustment or semi-active suspension in the interests of keeping costs and complications low. The Hayabusa gets redesigned seven-spoke alloy wheels and has Brembo Stylema monoblocs up front with twin 320mm discs and a single 260mm disc at the back. With this setup, Suzuki says the new Hayabusa’s braking performance will be a step toward the outgoing bike.
Hayabusa fans will surely love how Suzuki has retained the analogue dials for the instrument cluster but has freshened up the arrangement and added an LCD screen between the dials to relay vital information. That said, the new Hayabusa doesn’t get any new-age connectivity features, a decision taken once again to keep things relatively simple. Rider ergonomics have been tweaked, with the handlebar now sitting 12mm closer to the rider to make long-distance journeys more comfortable.