Sayonara, Suzuki Hayabusa… for now

For many, the Suzuki Hayabusa remains the most iconic motorcycle ever made if your interests begin and end with eye-watering power figures and its wild fully faired design.

Indeed, the Hayabusa has remained largely unchanged since it powered onto the scene in 1999 at more than 300km/h to claim the title of the fastest production machine, with sales remaining fairly steady among those keen to brag about their performance figures down the pub.

The Hayabusa may be an acquired taste, but as far as halo models go, Suzuki has wrung every ounce out of its status for nearly 20 plus years.

However, an era is steadily coming to an end now as ever tightening emissions regulations clip the wings of this bird of prey, not least in Europe where it has been pulled from sale because it doesn’t comply with Euro5 standards.

Now another crucial sales market has fallen by the wayside with the last of its stock being snapped up in India, where it just about met regulations until the introduction of BS-VI recently ultimately swung the axe. As such, getting your hands on a 2020 Hayabusa gives you limited options as to where you could part cash for a new one.

Is this the end for the Suzuki Hayabusa?

All signs point to a new Suzuki Hayabusa coming our way… one day.

Indeed, it seems unlikely Suzuki will allow one of its most storied models to simply disappear into the sunset without a send-off, so we’re confident an updated version of the Hayabusa is ultimately on the way.

There have been hints too with Suzuki filing a few patents that look suspiciously connected to new tech that will be introduced to clean up the Hayabusa’s act.

Indeed, Suzuki is rumoured to be using this slow disappearance from various domestic line-ups as the opportunity to give the Hayabusa an overhaul that will see it meet the modern demands of emissions regulations with new technologies, an updated engine – possibly growing to 1400cc – and maybe some tweaks to that distinctive, if divisive styling.

Last year, patents were filed for a more eco-friendly exhaust system which looked as though it was attached to a Hayabusa motor, before a second one revealed a gearbox position sensor. Then in August, we got a glimpse at a brand-new lightweight alloy beam frame, which appeared to feature a ‘Busa engine but with some modifications, no doubt aimed at meeting those emissions targets.

What we do know is Suzuki takes its time when it comes to developing new motorcycles, so we could be a couple of years away from seeing anything tangible

Whether or not this will lead to anything remains to be seen, but given the Hayabusa remains one of the best-known motorcycles in world among enthusiasts and your average buddy, we just can’t see it disappearing forever…