Taking a Suzuki Hayabusa is not an every day occurrence, and it turns out that is for good reason, especially with an almost completely stock version of the bike.
Having strapped a dirt bike to the back of a Gold Wing before taking said Gold Wing enduro’ing, and then ripping a Gold Wing up a hillclimb (which ended probably as you’d expect), Matt Spears has now decided that another iconic street bike needs taking off-road.
Specifically, Spears has decided on the Suzuki Hayabusa, which he took for a tear through some gravel roads and single-track dirt roads.
The assumption might be that this is not just an ordinary second-generation Hayabusa, but a tricked-out version with off-road suspension, a jacked-up ride height and knobbies. Not the case.
There’s an aftermarket pipe on the bike Spears rode, but the tyres are standard street tyres and the entire bike, essentially, is a bone stocker.
For some reason, Spears decided that gloves were surplus to his requirements for this ride, which took him over fairly large rocks and down sandy paths.
In any case, it was not the Hayabusa that called an end to the ride, rather than any injuries. A hard hit over a rock resulted in an oil leak, and an end to the day’s adventure on the Hayabusa.
Spears says that he wants to turn the bike into a more purposeful off-roader, with more crash protection, for example, but repairing the damage from this first ride with it is clearly the first job.
Image credit: Matt Spears/YouTube.
