The Suzuki Hayabusa is unbelievably good. With a cult following world over, it is no surprise that post its launch in India with the Dhoom movie it already has its cult following in the country.

The Busa has one clear purpose – top speed. It’s design offbeat and unique. The original Hayabusa was a pig ugly bronze-silver motorcycle that seemed misshapen to the extreme. But even when the charm of derestricted top speed wore off thanks to the limiter, Suzuki realized that the Hayabusa was still selling! So from 1998 till the last model change, the Busa has received only a succession of tweaks, mostly to the paintwork. And it’s only since last year, when the Kawasaki ZZR-1400 finally brought in direct competition, that Suzuki has felt the need to upgrade the Hayabusa firepower.

OverDrive (Jan. ’09) takes a test to check out whether the ‘Busa is worth its hype.

The Hayabusa is a design icon. The odd lumpy shape, almost entirely the result of wind tunnel work, may not be initially easy on the eye but for the very same reasons the Busa is one of the most recognizable motorcycles in the world. The motorcycle is extremely well put together and is fully furnished. Expansive clocks use a smart combination of analogue and digital meters and very little is left out - Speedo, tacho, odo, tripmeters, gear position, time, fuel gauge, coolant temperature and even a shift light. The seats are comfortable and the ergonomics are sporty, so if you aren’t averse to a tipped forward riding position, you and your pillion will love the ‘Busa’.

It has its practical points too. There is a small but useful amount of storage under the pillion seat and if one adds a stick-on tank guard and a crash kit (nylon or PVC mushroom knobs built to absorb small falls without scratching the brightwork), this is the motorcycle that will handle your commute, your weekend touring and your track days with equal cheer.

 On the face of it, the Hayabusa features a pretty simple 1340cc, 198PS inline four engine. However, achieving a stunning top speed and remaining in character as a hypertourer requires an engine with a sublime balance of torque and speed. Which this motorcycle has in spades. The 2008 engine redesign saw the stroke grow 2mm to make the motor less oversquare along with other changes like higher lift cams, titanium valves, stronger internals and raised compression. So not only does the big displacement allow torque to be produced, the well spread out gearing allows you to hang around in one gear and exploit the flat spread to the maximum. Also the linear power characteristic ensures that in any gears and at any revs, one is never waiting for power to come. It’s just there. Supporting this is the fully revamped twin injector per cylinder fuel injection setup that fires one based on how the computer reads the current situation. The result is a slick, smooth engine with a towering, unflagging ability to produce power.

The ‘Busa has marvelous flexibility. It can roll along at low speeds without a grumble and can gather frightening speed without lag or delay on acceleration. The force of the acceleration though is fearsome. The ease with which a Hayabusa tears through time and space can leave a super-intelligent physicist with a nasty migraine. If one can visualize the laws of physics as a clearly defined curve that may not be crossed, the kink in the curve would be the Hayabusa pushing the limit with unerring focus. At once, it’ll have one cowed and awed. Like all sporting Suzukis, the Hayabusa also has the S-DMS switch, that flicks the engine into full power (A), lots of power (B) and rookie (C) modes do feel restrictive, but it isn’t hard to appreciate their utility on our roads. Heading into traffic on broken roads? C is all one needs. Gentle highway work, use B. and when wants to unleash the beast within – A is the way to go.

Moving onto ride and handling. While the performance of a motorcycle of this size can be taken as a near guarantee, it’s the dynamic character that is usually the hiccup for a new rider. Strange as it sounds, says OverDrive (Jan. ’09), the Hayabusa actually makes for a great newbie motorcycle. Ride quality is pliant and the handling is great too. The wheelbase, one of the longest among sport bikes, takes only the slightest amount of time to get used to and it just hangs in the back, offering unmatched stability, both in high speed runs and around corners. Leaning over requires zero effort and the ‘Busa runs true to your lines and intentions. Few motorcycles this long display this kind of neutral handling.

It has been noted that the Hayabusa’s brakes feel a little weak. Sure, they don’t have the bite that current litre-bikes flaunt, but there’s no lack of power.

So is it perfect? Not quite. The sole problem that the Hayabusa has on the dynamic front is tramlining. The low profile tyres are pretty sensitive to road imperfections which is quite disconcerting, especially at low speeds.

That apart, for Rs. 13.50 lakh on road, Pune, OverDrive (Jan. ’09) cannot recommend the Hayabusa enough. It is truly worth being the world’s favourite bike.

At Glance

Engine: Inline, 4-cyinder, liquid cooled, Max Torque: 154.5nm@7200rpm, Max Power: 197PS@9500rpm, Fuel Efficiency: City – 11kmpl, Highway – 15kmpl, Overall – 12kmpl, Acceleration: 0-60: 2.54sec, 0-400m: 11.9sec, Top Speed: 299kmph (claimed)