WHEN you dance with the devil in the pale moonlight, things are bound to get hot. Delivering temptation at its finest, the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Gen III is emotionally stirring and quite frankly, life altering.
The iconic hyperbike is so much more than the unbridled and relentless power it has built its reputation on. The Gen III receives a host of electronic and rider aid updates for 2022, all of them designed to enhance the overall experience.
First launched in 1999, the Hayabusa quickly established itself for its blistering top speed and performance. It set a benchmark for what an ultimate sports bike should be and set the scene for speed limiting production bikes.
Fast forward to right now, and the 2022 edition, affectionately known as the Gen III, is still unmistakably Hayabusa from which ever angle you throw an adoring glance. Its shape and stance are just slightly more streamlined and aerodynamic.
The English “Hayabusa” and Japanese Kanji logo design remain, although sharper and bolder. And for the keen eyes among us, you will also notice the change in muffler design over previous models.
The new mufflers are thinner than before. There is also an LED lighting package on the front and rear, with a new tail assembly redesign to increase the sharper aesthetics of the Hayabusa.
The soul of this beast remains its powerplant, and surely the work of the devil himself. The legendary 1340cc inline four cylinder engine has been refined and upgraded to achieve better overall performance too (and satisfies Euro5 standards).
Acceleration past half throttle is absolutely mind blowing; not only is it a little scary and will have you adding new expletives to your vocabulary, it is also addictive, as the power seems so effortless.
The Hayabusa pulls with a minimum of fuss, almost as if it is toying with you to see how far you are actually prepared to go. Speed limited to 299km/h, the Suzuki will take you there if you are prepared (we strongly recommend you do not do this on public roads).
A new twin swirl combustion chamber (TSCC) pairs with a new forged piston shape to complement a revised cam profile to not only increase performance but ensure the Hayabusa is easy to live with at low and mid range speeds.
In city cruising and commuting situations, the high performance Suzuki works well and doesn’t give the rider the feeling that they are piloting a caged beast. It has quite practical manners considering it’s the fastest accelerating ‘busa ever built.
And while it might be the quickest of its kind in the sprint from 0-100km/h and 0-200km/h, there is more to the Hayabusa than just power. It is how it adapts that power to the road that makes it truly desirable and brilliant.
The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Gen III adopts the latest version of the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System; a collection of electronic components designed to optimise performance characteristics and make the Hayabusa more controllable and predictable.
That’s pretty handy really when you are piloting a bike as powerful and capable as the Hayabusa. These systems make it easier for us mere mortals to extract more from our riding experience as well.
Suzuki Drive Mode Selector Alpha groups together five advanced electronic control systems while enabling riders to select individual settings for each to optimise performance characteristics to suit your style.
The Hayabusa features a BOSCH 6-Axis IMU, motion track control, launch and anti-lift control, engine braking control and a bi-directional quick shifter. These features alone will have previous generation Hayabusa owners heading to dealers.
There are three settings for launch control, designed to adjust the maximum revs for take off. We experienced the first setting at 4,000rpm and that was enough to make our butthole clinch tighter than a nun keeping her knees together at a Madonna concert.
The quick shifter is a beauty as well and gives a sweet little symphony as you click up and down through the 6-speed gearbox.
The first time you see it on the road, you’ll be wondering how heavy it will feel tipping into the corners, and with a wet weight of 264kg you could be forgiven for thinking that the Hayabusa would be a bit of a lump.
But that’s not the case at all. The Hayabusa, sultry curves and all, feels a little more like a 600cc bike. Its handling far outweighs expectation and further tempts the rider to test the limits.
The suspension settings can be adjusted and the setup on the front and rear works well. 43mm KY inverted diamond-like coated forks with adjustable compression, rebound dampening and spring load find a home on the front of the Hayabusa.
At the rear, a link-type KYB shock with adjustable compression, rebound dampening and spring load does the job.
Pulling the Hayabusa up is taken care of by Brembo Stylema radial-mount 4-piston callipers, with 320mm dual floating discs up front, while the rear sports Nissin a single piston calliper with a 260mm disc. Both front and rear setups feature ABS.
Being a larger gent, this reviewer really enjoyed and appreciated the fact the Hayabusa didn’t feel as cramped as other super bike models. This allowed further enjoyment on longer rides, without as much discomfort some sports bikes can provide.
Another nice feature on the new Hayabusa is the TFT LCD panel mounted in the centre of the handlebars, between the two main meters. It displays either current SDMS-α settings or an active data display with a number of important bits of information.
These include lean angle, front and rear brake pressure, rate of forward/reverse acceleration, and the current accelerator position. The panel also shows clock, gear position, odometer, dual trip meter, and ambient temperature.
Additional information includes instantaneous fuel consumption, riding range, trip time, average fuel consumption, and voltmeter. The 2022 Hayabusa also features cruise control, active speed limiter, hill hold control and an emergency stop signal as standard.
Available in Glass Sparkle Black/Candy Burnt Orange or Metallic Matte Sword Silver/Candy Daring Red (as tested), the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Gen III is priced from $27,690 ride away and comes with a 2-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
So if you’re ready to get down and dirty with the devil and climb aboard this beast to see where it will take you, visit your local Suzuki dealer and get aboard the Hayabusa.
Our test bike was provided by Suzuki Motorcycles Australia. To find out more about the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Gen III, contact your local Suzuki Motorcycles dealership. Pictures courtesy of Jessica Jenkin Photography.
