The Suzuki Hayabusa (or GSX1300R) is a sport bike motorcycle made by Suzuki since 1999.

It
immediately won acclaim as the world's fastest production motorcycle, with a top speed of 303 to
312 km/h (188 to 194 mph).
In 1999, fears of a European regulatory backlash or import ban[7][8][9][10] led to an informal
agreement between the Japanese and European manufacturers to govern the top speed of their
motorcycles at an arbitrary limit.[11] The media-reported value for the speed agreement in miles
per hour was consistently 186 mph, while in kilometers per hour it varied from 299 to 303 km/h,
which is typical given unit conversion rounding errors. This figure may also be affected by a
number of external factors,[12] as can the power and torque values.[13]
The conditions under which this limitation was adopted led to the 1999[3][4] Hayabusa's title
remaining, at least technically, unassailable, since no subsequent model could go faster without
being tampered with.[14] After the much anticipated[15][16][17] Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R of 2000 fell
6 km/h (4 mph) short of claiming the title, the Hayabusa secured its place as the fastest standard
production bike of the 20th century.[18][19][20] This gives the unrestricted 1999[3][4] models even more
cachet with collectors.[21]
Besides its speed, the Hayabusa has been lauded by many reviewers for its all-round
performance, in that it does not drastically compromise other qualities like handling, comfort,
reliability, noise, fuel economy or price in pursuit of a single function.[6][22][23] Jay Koblenz
of Motorcycle Consumer News commented, "If you think the ability of a motorcycle to approach
190 mph or reach the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds is at best frivolous and at worst offensive,
this still remains a motorcycle worthy of just consideration. The Hayabusa is Speed in all its
glory. But Speed is not all the Hayabusa is."[22]
When first shown to the press in 1999, the first Hayabusas made a profound impression.[6] No
previous motorcycle has broken the production model top speed record by such a margin, 16 to
23 km/h (10 to 14 mph), depending on which measured speeds the source was relying on for the
CBR1100XX and the GSX-1300R.[5][22]
Hayabusa (隼) is Japanese for "peregrine falcon", a bird that often serves as a metaphor for
speed due to its vertical hunting dive, or stoop, speed of 290 to 325 km/h (180 to 202 mph), the
fastest of any bird.[26][27] In particular, the choice of name was made because the peregrine falcon
preys on blackbirds,[28] which reflected the intent of the original Hayabusa to unseat the Honda
CBR1100XX Super Blackbird as the world's fastest production motorcycle.[29][30][31] Eventually, the
Hayabusa managed to surpass the Super Blackbird by at least a full 16 km/h (10 mph).[5][32]
The first generation had a 1,299 cc (79.3 cu in) liquid-cooled, inline-4 engine with sixteen
valves driven by double-overhead cams. This configuration, technologically unremarkable for that
time, delivered a record-setting claimed 129 kW (173 bhp) at the crankshaft by virtue of the
largest displacement ever in a sport bike, and a ram air system that forced cool, pressurized air
into the cylinders at speed.[5][22] Combined with sophisticated aerodynamics, this powerful engine
pushed the Hayabusa's top speed far above the Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird by a significant
leap, contrasting with the incremental gains that preceded the Suzuki hyper sport entry. The
1997 carbureted CBR1100XX had previously only inched past the previous top speed record
holder, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 of 1990.[6]
The Hayabusa's abundance of power at any engine speed made the Hayabusa easier to ride by
giving the rider a greater choice of gear selection for a given speed and stunning acceleration.[22]
The ram air ducts at the front of the drooping, rounded nose squeezed frontal area away from the
headlight, and this, along with the need for a narrow frontal area, necessitated a stacked
headlight and high beam behind a single lens. Moreover, the need to reduce the extreme drag
encountered at high speeds determined the Hayabusa's entire bulbous, and much-criticized,
bodywork design. Koblenz remarked, "non-traditional styling generates the main controversy of
the Hayabusa."[22] When viewed through the eyes of those who judged its beauty on the basis of
its functionality, or given a little time to get used to it, the bike's looks did find admirers.[22][33] The
striking two-tone copper/silver paint scheme was similarly loved by some and hated by others,
but was successful if the intent of an all-new, flagship product is to make a bold statement.[22] So
while it was called ugly by some in the press,[16][21][34] this aerodynamic shape was key to the
Hayabusa's ability to reach record-setting speeds.[