Cult bike of the day: Suzuki Hayabusa

Call it a cult or a legend, the Suzuki Hayabusa still continues to send shivers to its rivals. Since its debut in 1999, this supersport motorcycle has was known for its blistering speed and its ability to reach a top speed of 312kmph. 

Known as the world’s fastest production motorcycle, the Hayabusa wrested this title away from the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird thanks to added 16kmph speed. This iconic tag was a result of marriage between the powerful 1000cc inline-four engine and the aerodynamic bodywork. Despite its bulky image, this Japanese motorcycle managed to beat everyone in the straights and be equally exciting in the corners. 

Since its debut in 1999, the Hayabusa has undergone a few iterations. There were subtle design changes, there were a few improvements in the performance, but even after all these, the Hayabusa retains its charm and the ability to leave its rivals in the dust. The Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the reasons why the famous Gentlemen’s agreement between the Japanese and European manufacturers came into existence. The agreement said to electronically limit the motorcycles to 300kmph. While the most of the bikes, including the Hayabusa, came like this from the factory, many Hayabusa owners loved to play with the ECU and take it on the drag strip. 

Suzuki has been selling this bike in India for many years now. In fact, it is the highest selling four-cylinder 1000cc motorcycle in India. The interesting bit about this bike is that it is assembled in India.