Motorcycle specifications Suzuki1300 GSX-R Hayabusa 1999 A little closer to the stars

an archetype of excess, the Hayabusa is one of the most incredible machines on the planet. Above all, it is the fastest production motorcycle in the world. Highly aerodynamic (which gives it its distinctive look), the missile is capable of breaking the 300 km/h barrier. Its enormous boiler develops 175 hp and its torque peaks at 14 mkg - a monster. Extremely smooth, the 4-cylinder is a delight at all rev ranges, and totally demonic at the top end of the rev counter. Acceleration and acceleration, it's simply madness, furious and intoxicating. You'll love this inexhaustible, expressive engine. Both on the track and on the road, the chassis is impressively agile and lively for its size and weight. However, ground clearance is too limited: with a bleeding attack on the track, even though the "falcon" lends itself willingly to the exercise, the footrests taste, the fairing is scratched and the alternator housing pulls its head. Even when downsized to 100hp on French soil, the bike is still very enjoyable, thanks in particular to its high torque and suspension, which keeps it comfortable on forgotten DDE roads. It's a pity that the protection is too limited; in the quest for maximum speed, the engineers have created a veritable ground-to-ground aircraft, but the rider starts to suffer from 160 km/h onwards - high bubble recommended if you ride for more than an hour on each outing. If this machine appeals to you, but you're worried about keeping your pink slip, you'll be out of your license in no time!

Thursday 1:30 pm! The sun has been shining on the region for a month now, and we're still not wearing T-shirts (because of the damn wind), but jackets and helmets. Easy, because our friends the "Smurfs" are keeping watch with their magic binoculars. In keeping with the tone of our beloved Minister's measures, let's salute the imminent arrival of spring with the provocative 1300 GSX-R - the Hayabusa, the superlative machine that needs no introduction. The first to break the 300 km/h barrier! The Hayabusa has regained its voice with the adoption of two Micron exhausts, adding a handful of horsepower to the 175 already grunting in the mill.

even at a standstill, the beast impresses: provocative, beastly, with lines that shock and make it look like no other, a timeless face... something crazy? Surely... something for me then. Let's find out. Settling in: no surprise - seated on a saddle that's not too firm, legs tucked in but not overly so, chest bent forward, the position is sporty in the spirit of speed, but not as uncomfortable as the beast suggests. It's a far cry from the stooped position of a hypersport. The dashboard is full of good old-fashioned analog dials that will certainly disappear in the next generation. They're still perfectly informative, but just a little old-fashioned. Engine - Start ! BBBBbbbrrrraaaooouuuu... The big 4-legger has a big voice, and you can feel that there are a lot of people inside. First turns of the wheel and you're enchanted. The mechanics are smooth, as are the controls, which immediately put you at ease. Clutch, throttle, brake, gearbox; everything inspires voluptuousness... what a trap. Taken into the city, the machine doesn't feel at ease, but lets itself be driven around without flinching... you soon realize that you've got to get out of there! No sooner said than done. Once on the road, the "falcon" reveals itself: clear horizon: vvvvooouuuuRRRRRRBBBBBRRRROOAAAOOOUUUGGGG !!!!!!! Ouhla, it's growing! 2nd stage: 5000 - 8000, now it's getting dangerous. The thruster rages and you realize that the nice big cat has gone nuts and become a wild feline. Much more demonstrative than the CBR XX's block, it gets nasty and demonic at the 3rd gear: 8 - 11,000: it's furious madness. The feline has become a monster and your guts are crying out for help. With your feet firmly planted on the machine, you've got to be on fire to push a fury like this to the limit. 190 in second gear, believe me, it calms you down!

i'd always make the same criticism of Suzuki: the brakes. OK, it's powerful, but singularly lacking in bite (fortunately, that seems to be changing in 2003). And always the same joy of manipulating the gearbox: always a treat with Suz: real butter.

reading the figures - 220 kg dry weight, 175 bhp - you'd expect this to be a physical machine to throw around in corners... but no! Sure, it doesn't have the agility of an R6, but it bends with ease and swings with a lightness (that you wouldn't expect from such a big liner) from one virolo to the next, the weight disappearing thanks to a marvellous chassis and phenomenal torque. With the exception of city driving, where every sewer connection and manhole cover comes into view, the suspension is totally forgettable, leaving you free to concentrate on the ribbon of asphalt, the machine reacting with serenity. But be warned: with a wheelbase like a tanker truck, a supermotard will dislodge you in the bends of a small mountain road. Don't worry: you'll eat it in less than 2 seconds on the straight... until the next virolo!

M.B - manufacturer's photos