Few motorcycles hold as much influence in pop culture as the Suzuki Hayabusa. The peregrine falcon, as it was called, was arguably one of the craziest, most outlandish bikes of the time, and was one of the machines responsible for the so-called speed war between Japanese manufacturers. Indeed, the Hayabusa, for a time, held the title as the fastest production motorcycle in the world.
Now, if we fast forward to the present day, it’s an unfortunate reality for Suzuki that tightening emissions standards have all but bumped the Hayabusa off of the list of fastest motorcycles in the world. After seeing a hiatus of four years, the Hayabusa was relaunched in 2021, now compliant with Euro 5 regulations, and far from the top spot in terms of speed. Nevertheless, the Hayabusa is still no slouch. With a 1,340cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, in-line four cylinder engine, the Hayabusa has an impressive power output of 190 horsepower at 9,700 rpm, and 105 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm.
Clearly, however, with Suzuki putting a halt to all its motorsports-related endeavors, the Japanese manufacturer has no intentions of competing with other companies for the title of world’s fastest bike. In fact, with the GSX-R1000 axed in the European market, we’re lucky even just to have the Hayabusa around to this day. The fact that Suzuki has released the Hayabusa in new colorways for 2023 means that this massive supersport will live to see another year.
For the 2023 model year, Suzuki has debuted the Hayabusa in three colorways for the European market. There’s a stealthy and elegant all-black paint finish, as well as a gray and red livery reminiscent of the first-generation Hayabusa from two decades ago. My favorite one, however, has to be the white and blue motif that gives the Hayabusa a clean and streamlined aesthetic. On top of that, the bike now comes with an optional rear seat cowl to give it an even sportier look. This can then be removed for when you hit the road with a passenger.
In the French market, the 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa will retail for 19,199 Euros, which translates to approximately $21,000 USD. Do note that pricing and availability in other markets may vary.
