The hyper bike motorcycle category was born out of an arms race between manufacturers to claim the accolade of highest top speed through the nineties.
Bikes like the Suzuki Hayabusa, Honda Super Blackbird and Kawasaki ZZR1100 (and later Kawasaki ZZR1400) were so big and powerful that they led to talk of imposed speed limiters by governments and a gentleman’s agreement between manufacturers to stick to a top speed of 300kmph (around 187mph).
But with constant performance improvements and capacity increases in the superbike category and a shift in focus away from sportsbikes and towards adventure bikes through the ’00s and ’10s, demand for hyper bikes waned.
By 2023, the last remaining machine in the hyper bike market is the Suzuki Hayabusa, which took a brief hiatus from the market to update for Euro5 before returning for 2021.
2021 Suzuki Hayabusa vs original Suzuki Hayabusa
We took the 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa around the UK’s toughest test route, the MCN 250, with a beautiful example of the original hyper bike to find out what had changed.
Great power requires great control and there is one motorcycle that has always demanded an unbelievable amount of restraint: Suzuki’s Hayabusa. Launched in 1999, the Busa was designed to go fast, very fast.
Thanks to its unique styling, monster motor and ability to more than fulfil on its promise, the Busa soon became a cult bike, loved by speed-freaks the world over. And remarkably, considering the outcry it created, the Hayabusa has managed to outlast not only all its hyperbike rivals but also those in authority who attempted to kill it off.
And now, in its 22nd year of production, Suzuki have released a third generation. But do modern electronics and refinements such as cruise and even hill hold control detract from the raw surging-power thrills that have always been at the heart of the hyper bike?
With a fine 1999 example and the latest 2021 model, we took to the MCN250 to decide if the latest generation can still deliver the kind of ride that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck while also slotting more comfortably into 21st century motoring habits.
I should confess that I love the Hayabusa and I’m one of those souls who has seen bonkers speeds displayed on its analogue speedo – on a closed road, naturally.
But it has to be said, over the years Suzuki have failed to deliver on technology and where the likes of the ZZR evolved, the Busa just stayed the same. Thankfully, this wrong has now been righted because the 2021 bike has all the bells and whistles – yet it still is unmistakably a Busa.
Due to its dedication to speed the Busa has always sat long and low and that’s exactly how the new bike feels. You know instantly it is a Hayabusa as the oddly sporty riding position, soft seat, high pegs and bulbous tank remain. Blindfolded, you would struggle to tell if you were sat on the 1999 or 2021 model, which is something fans will love.
Not sure there's a comparison there!! 
- not for me! but I didn't have chicken strips on the rear wheel and I was 99% road rider back then!! LOL Although my first couple of trackdays were on the BB 
