2023 Suzuki Hayabusa Review - Riding to Laguna Seca

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Motorcyclist Magazine evaluates the 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R ($18,799) in touring format.

Photos/video: Adam Waheed

Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Transcript
00:00 Good morning folks! Look what we have here. Suzuki's 2023 GSX 1300R Hayabusa.
00:09 This is a hyper sport bike from Suzuki Motors out of Hamamatsu, Japan.
00:14 And we have a real fun one in store for you today. We are going sport touring all the way up to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the annual Superbike races.
00:25 What a better way to get up to Monterey, California than on a speedy bike like the Hayabusa.
00:32 Who's ready to go for a ride?
00:34 Well folks, there it is. Suzuki's 2023 GSX 1300R Hayabusa.
00:42 This is a hyper sport bike from Suzuki out of Hamamatsu, Japan.
00:46 It debuted for the 1999 model year and it received its last major overhaul last year for 2022.
00:55 Before that, the last overhaul it had, it was 2013 model year. So it really needed it.
01:01 Now these Suzuki Hayabusas are so awesome because they just are built to go extremely fast and to go extremely fast very comfortably.
01:10 We've covered the update of this 2023 model extensively during the official US press introduction.
01:18 We published three videos all in 4K, hours of real world commentary that you're going to find details about this bike that don't exist at any other YouTube channel or blog.
01:30 So check that out. Motorcyclist Mag, three videos from the 2022 Hayabusa press intro.
01:35 We also have a couple thousand words, a couple articles on this vehicle.
01:40 You have to remember that we craft our content for folks in the United States of America who are interested in purchasing this vehicle or if you're a lifelong Hayabusa enthusiast.
01:52 You just want to know what's the latest and greatest from Suzuki Motor and its Hayabusa.
01:56 That's who we craft this content for.
01:58 So please check it out if you're interested in this bike.
02:01 You're going to learn a lot of fun facts about this vehicle.
02:04 All right. Now, even though Suzuki has been making this bike since 1999 model year, and even though this bike is really good at sport touring, even though it's a sport bike,
02:15 it's kind of surprising that Suzuki never really made an official sport touring bike with some hard case luggage, heated grips, a taller windscreen, that type of stuff.
02:24 So basically we did it for them.
02:26 We fit our Ogeo Power Sports Super Tanker Mini Tank Bag.
02:32 This thing costs around $120, super easy to install.
02:35 Put our wallet and our phone chargers and our gadgets in here so we can be prepared on the ride.
02:41 We also have Ogeo Power Sports Saddle Bag 2.0.
02:44 I love these things.
02:46 They swallow a ton of gear and are super easy to install.
02:50 You remove the rear seat, remove the front seat, Velcro attach the apparatus together, put the soft ties on there just to make sure everything stays nice and tight.
02:59 It won't scratch your bike. Very slick.
03:01 There's even a rain guard in there in case it rains.
03:04 Not that it's going to rain, but still very nice.
03:06 We also have our tried and true Ogeo 450 Fanny Pack.
03:11 This Fanny Pack goes with me whenever I operate any type of vehicle, whether it's a street bike, dirt bike, ADV bike.
03:19 As long as I'm not on the racetrack, this thing is coming with me.
03:22 I put all my chargers in there, my cameras, my drone, all my gadgets that allow us to produce the premium content that you view on a weekly basis here on the Motorcyclist Mag channel.
03:35 Back to the Hayabusa 1340cc inline 4 dual overhead cam, 16 valve cylinder head, liquid cooled.
03:42 This thing puts out around 172, 168 horsepower at the business end of the 190/50 series.
03:50 Bridgestone Batlax S22 rubber.
03:52 I love these tires.
03:54 You'd be surprised how good this almost 600 pound bike handles.
03:59 It really dances really well, and we're going to really get into it on our 500 mile ride today.
04:06 All right, folks, we got a big day today ahead of us.
04:09 Time to ride.
04:11 All right, folks, here we are in Malibu, California.
04:16 The boo.
04:19 We are on our way to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on our 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa.
04:28 Now, we didn't do our typical starting procedure.
04:31 We fast forward through that segment, but this bike is endowed with a good old fashioned mechanical key.
04:38 This mechanical key is the same type of key that Suzuki uses on the rest of its modern sport bikes,
04:45 like the GSX-R1000, GSX-R1000R, the GSX-1000GT+.
04:52 So nice mechanical key, makes things interesting.
05:00 This bike also has Suzuki's easy start assist.
05:03 Basically, you press the starter button and the starter motor whirs to life and fires the engine.
05:11 You don't have to hold the starter, but you just press it once and it starts.
05:16 Suzuki kind of makes a moderately big deal about that feature, but realistically, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
05:23 Sitting on this motorcycle, gosh, I love these Hayabusas.
05:30 They are very comfortable for me.
05:33 If you're a taller than average rider, you're going to fit this bike really well.
05:37 Suzuki Hayabusas are always made for larger humans.
05:44 Think NBA basketball player, think taller human.
05:49 These bikes are set up really well for you.
05:53 I haven't ridden a sport bike in a while, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that the rear sets are a little bit aggressive,
06:02 a little bit rearward, a little bit high.
06:06 Granted, my 44-year-old knees don't bend like they used to.
06:12 So the riding position is a little bit aggressive, but to be fair, I haven't really been riding sport bikes in a while.
06:18 So I'm sure this deep knee bend will actually help me and give me a little bit more knee flexion as the ride continues.
06:27 So a little bit aggressive, but realistically, in the grand scheme of things, it has very relaxed rear sets for a sport bike.
06:37 But you can still have a high degree of cornering clearance on this bike.
06:44 During the official press introduction, we operated at Miller Motorsports Park in Tulela, Utah, and this bike gets up on the track.
06:55 For this episode, we're not going to be able to operate the bike on the track,
07:01 but rest assured we have previously, and watch our exclusive track review where we review it from the official press introduction while we're riding on track.
07:10 No one else did that, so check out our review there. Lots of good fun facts on that as well.
07:17 So I like that the clip-on style handlebar is relatively high.
07:22 You're not really hunched over that aggressively.
07:25 Of course, you're on a sport bike, so you're a little bit hunched over, but it's not that aggressive.
07:30 The seat on this bike, gosh, the seat's awesome.
07:33 It's super thick. It's super wide.
07:37 This is probably one of probably the most comfortable sport bike seat in the sport bike segment.
07:45 It's really nice. The passenger seat's equally large.
07:53 So if the missus is tagging along with you or the mister, if that's the way you roll, they're going to have some good support.
08:02 There's also a passenger grab handle on the back, so they don't have to hold on to you.
08:07 They don't have to press up on the fuel tank.
08:10 They can just squeeze or hold on to that lever during braking to help keep themselves stable.
08:17 So a very comfortable motorcycle.
08:21 I really like this windscreen.
08:25 It's fairly tall. Realistically, I wish it was even more tall, especially for this sport-touring type application we're going to do.
08:32 But it's decently tall in its normal configuration.
08:36 I also really like how broad this front fairing is.
08:40 This whole cockpit's very broad and does a good job of blocking the elements.
08:47 So my only gripe is I wish the windscreen was taller.
08:53 This windscreen has a nice little smoke, light smoke tint to it, which looks very nice.
09:01 Clutch release on this motorcycle has a hydraulic clutch.
09:06 The hydraulic clutch has, it's got some good assist to it.
09:11 You're still going to have to have, you're not going to have to have the strongest hand, but it does require a decent level of hand strength to actuate.
09:20 We have four position adjustments, so you can adjust the position of the clutch lever forward or aft based on the size of your hand.
09:30 Like we said before, these motorcycles are designed for taller, bigger riders, so the levers have quite a bit of adjustment out.
09:40 So if you have really big hands, you're going to like this motorcycle because you're going to be able to adjust the levers very far out.
09:48 Conversely, if you have really small hands, the adjustment window, it's got good range of adjustment, but it definitely favors riders with larger hands.
10:00 We have size medium hands and it works really good.
10:05 This engine obviously puts out just a whopping spread of torque, which makes launching so easy.
10:11 All you have to really do is just let off the clutch and the engine carries so much, so much torque that just takes you off the line.
10:20 To be fair, this Suzuki motorcycle also employs Suzuki's technology where when you release the clutch lever,
10:29 it bumps up the engine idle, gives the engine some fuel, and helps you get rolling without having to use the throttle.
10:38 I forget what technology that Suzuki calls that technology, but they've had it in a lot of their other motorcycles for quite a long time.
10:48 And it works nice because you just don't have to give the motorcycle barely any throttle, if any, to get it moving.
10:54 You just let the clutch out slowly and the bike will just take off.
10:57 So it's really nice for newer riders.
11:00 Speaking of newer riders, the returning SDMS, adjustable engine power modes and throttle mapping, that works really good too.
11:10 If you're a new rider, you can select, you can hit the mode button, hit this button, and now we're in B mode, which makes for milder power.
11:21 C mode's even more mild, so not saying a novice is going to buy an $18,000 sport bike, hyper sport bike, mind you,
11:32 but you could if you wanted to, and you can put it in C mode and the motorcycle's going to be generally pretty easy to operate.
11:40 And then as you get comfortable, you can go up into B mode.
11:45 B mode's intermediate power, so that's good for intermediate riders, and then when you're ready for the full Monte, you can get in A mode.
11:54 To make that adjustment, you can do it on the fly while riding, which is awesome, but you have to have the throttle twist grip closed to do it.
12:02 So neat technology.
12:05 Got to remember, Suzuki was an early innovator in electronics, if you can even believe that.
12:11 They were the first Japanese motorcycle to offer fuel injection with its '97, I think it was, GSX-R 750,
12:21 and then a few years later, they came out with the SDMS, adjustable engine power mode system on their, I believe it was the 2007 GSX-R 1000.
12:36 So they've been doing it for quite a long time, and it really works well.
12:42 Not so much for advanced riders, but if you're someone who's a newbie or you're transitioning through the ranks, that's really good technology.
12:50 I mean, realistically, all the manufacturers offer, not all of them, but a good majority of them offer adjustable engine power modes too now.
12:59 So that's neat to see that Suzuki was an early innovator for once in that department.
13:07 We also have launch control, three-way adjustable launch control, you can select the RPM hold.
13:15 So that's really good for all of you folks who are going out to the drag strip.
13:20 You want to have some nice launches, try to get a sub-10 second quarter mile time, which this motorcycle is fully capable of,
13:28 if you know what you're doing with your reflexes and your clutch release hand.
13:36 We also have wheelie control or lift control, this bike has that integrated into the track control.
13:47 And we have cruise control, which let's enable right now.
13:56 Cruise control is on, no hands, 62 miles per hour in top gear, pulling just north of 3,000 RPM.
14:07 I love cruise control. Cruise control just makes for a more pleasurable riding experience.
14:15 I just wish this bike had heated grips. Heated grips would really boost things in our opinion.
14:25 Alright folks, we're just riding on this Highway 1.
14:30 We have to take a little bit of a detour from what we've done in years past.
14:36 The Highway 33 is closed.
14:39 If you didn't know, Southern California had a very hefty rainy season this calendar year.
14:46 Very hefty rainy season. A lot of the roads got severely damaged, like Highway 33.
14:52 So it's closed for repairs, so we're going to have to modify our route a little bit.
14:57 But we still wanted to take some fun rides and go along the coast where the marine layer keeps things nice and cool.
15:06 Alright folks, we'll check in with you in a little bit.
15:09 Alright folks, here we are. We just exited Malibu, California.
15:15 We're entering Oxnard and then we're going to go east toward Ojai.
15:19 We mistakenly said that this vehicle has non-IMU power traction control,
15:26 when in fact this vehicle does have IMU power traction control.
15:31 I totally misspoke. I forgot because when Suzuki redesigned its 2017 GSX-R1000 and GSX-R1000R,
15:42 that bike did not have IMU power traction control.
15:48 Suzuki's always dragged behind its Japanese competitors and Italian competitors in the electronics department.
15:56 The modern electronics department.
15:59 But this bike does have IMU power traction control.
16:05 It also has engine brake control, which we didn't mention before.
16:08 We're going to go in the menu at a stop and show you all the various settings and show you how to manipulate that.
16:16 Well folks, we are still in the chilly weather.
16:20 We are going to be riding through this for a little bit and then we're going to hit the curvy roads.
16:27 So stay tuned.
16:29 Alright folks, we just took a fuel stop in Ojai, California.
16:33 We topped off the 5.3 gallon fuel tank.
16:39 We're averaging right now 35 miles per gallon, which is actually pretty good.
16:44 Because obviously it's a Hayabusa, so we're going to be riding this thing a little bit faster than we would on other bikes,
16:51 just because it's so smooth and so capable of high speeds.
16:58 So at an elevated cruising pace, 35 miles per gallon is pretty good in our books.
17:06 So we got some gas, we're going to continue heading north.
17:10 We were going to take Highway 33 north out of Ojai, but if you can even believe it, it's closed.
17:17 And we know it's closed because Caltrans, the California State Transportation Department, has that 1-800 hotline.
17:27 You can dial this hotline and enter in the highway number and it will tell you the current status.
17:33 So that road is closed, so we're going to have to take the 101 heading north.
17:38 It's kind of a freeway slog, which isn't the best, but it's not bad either because this Hayabusa,
17:45 Hayabusa is just so dang comfortable.
17:49 So we'll get to that highway section in a minute, and then after that we're going to tackle some fun curvy roads,
17:57 which will really prove the merit of this bike in the twisties.
18:03 So hang tight, because we're going for a ride.
18:07 Hey folks, we just hopped off the 101 northbound lanes and now we're heading inland to Lake Kachuma.
18:15 Lake Kachuma is a huge lake that sits in this basin above Santa Barbara, California.
18:23 There's actually a cool road, a really cool curvy tight road that goes up through Santa Barbara.
18:32 And when I say tight, I mean you want like an SV650, you want a very small motorcycle to get up this road.
18:41 But I couldn't find it on the maps, so we'll have to just take this highway route right now.
18:48 But after about, what time is it? 137?
18:54 After about 4 or 5 hours in the saddle of this thing, 4 hours, nearly 5, this GSX 1300R, I love this bike.
19:03 It's just crazy comfortable. That seat, this seat is well suited to long days in the saddle.
19:13 And like I thought would happen, the aggressive sport bike rear sets are starting to loosen up my knees,
19:21 and it's becoming more comfortable. This is a very forgiving riding sport touring bike, especially in terms of the suspension.
19:30 This thing has nearly 5 inches of suspension travel front and back, and this thing just glides over the road.
19:37 It's crazy how comfortable this thing rides.
19:43 Usually sport bikes get a bad rap for being uncomfortable on the road, not this thing.
19:50 Suspension on this bike, we have an inverted fork with dual cartridge damping.
19:57 What that means is spring preload and the dampening cartridge is independent of each fork leg.
20:05 So a lot of times in some modern sport bikes, they are trying to make these front suspension systems lighter and more affordable to manufacture.
20:17 So they'll have spring preload in one leg of the fork and the dampening cartridge in the other.
20:24 And while that's nice because it is lighter and it's more simple, it's also not as effective as a conventional dual cartridge setup.
20:32 And that's what this Hayabusa uses. It has independent compression and rebound damping.
20:39 Rebound damping is atop the fork leg, compression is at the bottom, and of course we have spring preload.
20:46 The fork is awesome, has a great range of adjustability. You can really feel the difference in each individual setting. I like that a lot.
20:56 Now at the back, we have a linkage equipped shock absorber.
21:01 This shock absorber also has rebound and compression damping so you can get the way the shock sits under load to the way you like.
21:11 I really like that a lot. This is good high quality components.
21:14 And it should be for an $18,000+ motorcycle.
21:19 Alright folks, here is that fun canyon back road. It's up here on the right.
21:31 We were trying to head up it from the southwest, but I couldn't find it.
21:38 But here it comes out here. So if we wanted to do it, we would take a right up here and go on the super small, tight, fun, but tight SV650 capable back road.
21:50 It would be a real hoot to ride in first gear on this Busa. It's right up here on the right.
21:56 And that takes you down into, basically, into the meat of Santa Barbara.
22:01 El East Camino Cielo. That is the road. East Camino Cielo.
22:15 Yeah, we just passed it.
22:18 Alright folks, time to log some more miles on the Busa!
22:22 Alright folks, we just departed Coldwater Springs Tavern, the site of the old stagecoach from 1886.
22:32 I love American history. It's so neat to understand where we have come from.
22:39 Here's Vista Point. This is a beautiful vista which shows off Lake Kachuma.
22:47 So it's over here on the, oh look at it! It's up there in the front. Do you see it ahead?
22:52 So like we said earlier, the same precipitation this calendar year that destroyed a lot of roads, also made these lakes and reservoirs and rivers just full of water.
23:07 So as everything, you gotta take the good, or the bad with the good.
23:12 And look at that lake. Look how much water is in there. Look at this beautiful valley.
23:19 This is awesome.
23:22 Now even though sport touring isn't really what this Hayabusa is designated with, you put some luggage on this bike and voila!
23:32 This thing's a pretty capable sport touring rig.
23:37 Alright folks, time to log some more miles. We'll check in with you in a little bit.
23:41 Alright folks, here we are on the highway heading north.
23:46 And I know we're going a little quick right now, but we're keeping up with traffic.
23:51 And that is one area where this Suzuki Hayabusa just, it never ceases to amaze me with how adept it is at gobbling up highway miles.
24:05 This thing is unbelievable. Not only is it crazy, crazy comfortable with the suspension that effortlessly floats over the road, yet still somehow has a good degree of road handling in spite of that awesome floating comfort.
24:22 This thing just hums right around your triple digit speeds and the engine is just purring just south of 5,000 RPM.
24:34 Cruise control is on, broad ferry, doing a great job of shielding the rider from the effects of the wind.
24:43 This is an exquisite motorcycle for covering ground.
24:49 And man, despite this higher than average speed we're obtaining right now, it still is registering 36.5 MPG.
25:02 That's crazy. It's crazy that a 1.3 liter engine can get that good of fuel mileage at these kind of speeds.
25:13 Unbelievable. That's why I love touring on this Suzuki Hayabusa. It rocks!
25:20 All right, folks, now we are here in downtown San Luis Obispo.
25:28 This is a central coast California city that is known for its California State University, which is here.
25:38 So because we're at a California coastal city, the air temperature is very mild at 73 degrees.
25:47 You can feel the ocean air going through our nice Revit jacket right now, and this is very nice.
25:57 So San Luis Obispo is a neat city because it's very beautiful. It's very historic.
26:02 It's got these nice tree aligned city streets, and it's just, it's a lot of parts of the Golden State are,
26:13 they're all new and they don't have history like this place does. This place is an old central coast city.
26:19 So it's cool going to a city that has some history behind it.
26:24 Relatively speaking, of course, you know, California is one of the newer states,
26:29 relatively speaking again, in the 50 state United States of America.
26:35 So California is a little bit more devoid of history than other states, but there's some here.
26:44 All right, folks, here we are in Paso Robles, California, riding on this twisty stretch of tarmac.
26:54 And what a better place to feel the handling performance of this 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa.
27:03 Now, for a bike that weighs nearly 600 pounds at 582 pounds with a full 5.3 gallons of fuel,
27:12 this bike is crazy nimble. You wouldn't believe how nimble this heavy, long wheelbase bike is.
27:22 It's truly remarkable what Suzuki Motor has done with this vehicle.
27:28 It's just so maneuverable for a long heavy bike.
27:34 Obviously with this extended wheelbase, that makes for a very stable bike,
27:40 which is really awesome when you're going fast.
27:44 But when you're not going fast, when you're going 55 miles per hour in the twisties,
27:49 you want a motorcycle that is ready and apt to change directions.
27:55 And that's what this bike is. This thing is crazy maneuverable.
28:01 As we talked about before on the freeway section, that dual cartridge show a fork,
28:10 or I'm sorry, the dual cartridge fork really pays dividends because this bike has good road holding.
28:18 Now, obviously we're riding at a little bit elevated pace, not crazy elevated, but a little bit.
28:24 Right away, I know that this bike is going to need a little bit extra compression damping.
28:30 I can feel that the fork gets a little bit low when I get on the brakes at a moderate pace.
28:36 But thankfully, this thing has the dual adjustment circuits on each fork, like at the bottom.
28:45 So I can tweak that damping dynamic on this fork.
28:50 I also probably am going to add a little bit of preload to the fork,
28:54 just so it travels a little bit higher in the stroke during braking maneuvers.
29:01 Very nice Suzuki.
29:05 All right, folks, we are back riding.
29:10 Very maneuverable bike. I like the triple adjustment of the suspension circuit
29:15 in terms of preload, compression, and rebound damping for or after the Bridgestone Batlax S22 tires.
29:24 Wow. These are a tremendous improvement over the Batlax BT015s that were fitted on its predecessor, the 2013 Hayabusa.
29:36 So it's kind of funny because if the manufacturer doesn't overhaul the vehicle,
29:42 they're going to run the same OE fitted tires that they've run,
29:47 despite the tire manufacturer offering more contemporary rubber for that vehicle.
29:55 You know, these tires that they fit on these vehicles, these things have to be tested and approved for use on that bike.
30:04 So I'm happy that Suzuki decided to overhaul the Hayabusa,
30:08 because at that time they fitted Bridgestone's latest and greatest Batlax B, I'm sorry, S22 rubber,
30:18 and these tires work really good.
30:20 Realistically, I wouldn't mind a little bit taller rear tire.
30:24 This is a 190/50, a 190/55, or even a 190/60.
30:29 Wouldn't be bad. That would pick up the back end of the bike a little bit and just make it even more sharp handling.
30:36 You know, obviously with that, it would probably compromise stability a little bit,
30:41 but just considering how long and low this bike is, I don't think it would be that much of a deal.
30:48 And I think it'd be a worthwhile compromise for someone who wants to eat up more corners
30:55 and focus on that rather than just straight aligned speed and riding.
31:02 Now we talked about the engine, 1340cc inline-four.
31:08 This thing now comes equipped with an electronic quickshifter, both up and down,
31:15 and this quickshifter works really good.
31:17 Oh, yeah!
31:18 Laying down the torque, baby.
31:21 This quickshifter works really good.
31:23 It has good response.
31:25 It allows you to downshift without having to use the clutch,
31:30 and that just basically elevates the level of adhesion of the rear tire.
31:37 Because when you downshift and you have to use the clutch,
31:40 for a split second, you are unweighting the back tire.
31:45 And with this quickshifter, you don't have to worry about that.
31:50 You just downshift and the rear tire stays connected to the ground.
31:55 I love it!
31:57 Conversely, on the upshifts, all you have to do is just lift up on the shift lever
32:05 and you're in the next cog.
32:09 Very nice Suzuki motor.
32:11 Well, folks, here we are nearing Lake Nacimento.
32:16 That was some fun, tight corners on this Hayabusa.
32:21 Wow!
32:22 This 582-pound, hyper-sport bike sure does dance really well.
32:28 Brakes on this bike, triple disc hydraulic brakes with IMU-powered ABS.
32:41 This bike has quartering ABS, but Suzuki motor won't call it that.
32:49 And the brakes on this bike, I really like that Suzuki fitted those Stylema Brembo calipers.
32:57 Not only do those calipers look like jewelry, but they have good stopping power,
33:03 realistically, with its 582-pound curb weight.
33:09 The brakes are certainly adept at shedding speed,
33:12 especially with this Brembo radial mount master cylinder,
33:16 but more brakes would be even better.
33:19 Look at this beautiful lake, folks.
33:21 This is Lake Nacimento.
33:24 How fun would it be to ride a personal watercraft?
33:29 Did you guys know that Suzuki used to make a personal watercraft in the '80s?
33:34 It was called a wet bike.
33:36 That would be perfect on this lake right here.
33:42 All right, folks, where were we?
33:44 Oh, yeah, triple disc hydraulic brakes, IMU-powered ABS on this 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa.
33:55 And the brakes on this bike, wow.
33:59 They work good.
34:02 They have good feel, decent stopping power,
34:05 but you definitely feel this bike's heft.
34:09 The 582 pounds, there's no getting around that thing.
34:12 This thing weighs a lot.
34:13 So even with the upgraded Brembo Stylema calipers,
34:17 this thing still requires a bit of front brake lever tug to get slowed down.
34:28 I like that the brake bite is not too sharp.
34:31 It's not too dull either.
34:34 You can really tell, though, like when you get in the fork,
34:37 the initial fork travel is a little bit light.
34:42 It's a little bit light.
34:43 So when you get in the brakes, that front end, it compresses.
34:48 I mean, I wouldn't say aggressively, but that initial little bit of stroke is a little bit fast.
34:56 But honestly, that's what really gives this bike a lot of comfort.
35:00 It's just that it's got good, soft suspension initially,
35:06 but then once you get a little bit into the stroke, it firms up really nicely.
35:11 The Suzuki motor engineering team out of Hamamatsu, Japan,
35:16 they did a really good job with the suspension settings of this bike.
35:20 This bike really skates the fine line between high levels of comfort
35:26 and still having a good level of road support when you're at the racetrack or when you're getting some.
35:34 Of course, this thing's not a super bike.
35:36 You know, when you get some, the suspension is going to collapse a little bit more than a super bike.
35:42 The brakes aren't quite as strong.
35:44 Everything's just a little bit lazier, not in a bad way.
35:48 I mean, again, this is a hyper sport bike, a touring-friendly hyper sport bike.
35:54 But it's still nice to know that this bike has that kind of performance underneath it.
36:03 Wow, folks, look at this.
36:06 It's just me, the Hayabusa, and this guy in a Chevy truck in front of us.
36:13 How beautiful is this, folks?
36:17 This is what the Suzuki Hayabusa is made for, open road with no one in front of you.
36:26 Oh, geez.
36:28 Triple-digit speeds are always nearing.
36:32 On this swept-face analog speedometer, this bike likes to run with the big dogs, no doubt.
36:45 Speaking of instrumentation, in addition to the swept-face speedometer, we have that analog swept-face tachometer.
36:54 Very nice, very easy to read.
36:57 We also have a conventional-style fuel gauge, which keeps tabs on the 5.3-gallon fuel tank.
37:05 And to the right, on the right flank side, we have an engine cooling temperature gauge.
37:12 If you go through the menus here, too, we can get into--how do we get there? There we went.
37:21 You keep pressing the mode button, and then you can get to this bottom little trip base.
37:27 And you can see the trip information, the alternator voltage, 14.2 volts, our MPG, which we've already talked about, 36.5, I think is our average.
37:41 Which is incredible on this bike.
37:43 We also have distance to MD, 65 miles.
37:48 So--oh, my God, there's water in that little creek. That's crazy.
37:53 I've never been up here when there was water in that creek. Unbelievable.
37:58 So 65 miles until we are out of gas. Thankfully, there is a gas station ahead of us within that range.
38:07 So I think we're going to be okay.
38:10 Alright, folks, in addition to the electronically adjustable cruise control that comes fitted on this 2.23 Hayabusa,
38:19 it also has an electronic speed limiter function that you can manipulate via this mode button.
38:27 With this speed limiter function, you can actually limit the top speed of the vehicle.
38:34 This is a very similar feature to what Yamaha used with its MT-10 and MT-10SP.
38:42 You have to remember, in Europe, speed cameras are a big deal.
38:47 So with the electronics, you can actually limit your top speed, so you never have to worry about speed or reaching a top speed that's higher than the posted speed limit.
39:01 It's cool that Suzuki's paying attention to the details and trying to make everyone's life easier,
39:08 both in terms of the rider and, of course, the legal jurisdiction and legal requirements in every state and country.
39:20 Alright, folks, here we are on the final end of the freeway slog toward Monterey, California.
39:29 Well, actually, we're going toward Serenis, California on Highway 101 heading northbound.
39:36 Sorry, it's a little bit dark.
39:38 We have our ND8 filter around our camera lens, which is making it even darker.
39:46 Obviously, it's 8.36 p.m. as you can see here on the clock, and the sun is setting or has set already.
39:55 So limited light left.
39:57 It is cold, 60 degrees F in our summer riding wear, so we are a little bit cold right now.
40:05 But this is kind of standard fare for riding to WeatherTech Race with Kunisenga during the summer months.
40:12 You have to remember, the Monterey Bay Peninsula, even though it's in California, realistically, the only month where the weather there really truly is nice is September, October.
40:24 September, October, November. Those are the actual warm months in Monterey Bay, if you can even believe that.
40:31 So even though it's after July 4, it is still chilly and very winter-like up there.
40:39 So that's okay. We have this broad ferry, we have this windscreen, we are cruising.
40:44 Engine hugging at 5,000 RPM, life is good aboard the Su-150.
40:50 Well, folks, we have probably another 15, 20 miles, and then we'll drop into the canyon, which leads us past, actually it's Highway 16, which leads us past WeatherTech Race with Kunisenga, and then we'll be there.
41:08 So we'll probably wrap things up tomorrow just because it's getting late and things will be a little bit tough to wrap up tonight.
41:15 So wrap up our review tomorrow.
41:18 Folks, stay tuned. We'll check in with you tomorrow morning.
41:21 We did it! We are here in Monterey, California for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
41:31 We made it.
41:35 This is awesome.
41:40 [Breathing]
41:48 This is a great event right here.
41:51 We made it inside the track.
41:58 [Breathing]
42:00 [Breathing]
42:16 Well, folks, we made it here to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
42:21 There is a cool poster board of Wayne Rainey. He is a legendary 500cc championship winning racer who lives here in the Monterey Valley, Carmel Valley.
42:35 Wow, it's so cool to have ridden up here.
42:39 All told, we've logged 500 miles on this Hayabusa from Orange County, California to here. Not a bad day's ride at all.
42:53 Well, folks, we're going to pull into the racetrack, get settled, and then we are going to watch some racing action here.
43:04 We've got baggers racing, we've got super bike, we've got super sport, we've got it all.
43:09 I can't wait to sit under a nice tree, have a lemonade, and watch some motorcycle racing.
43:15 Alright, folks, we'll check in with you in a little bit.
43:18 Alright, folks, here we are inside the MotoAmerica paddock on our Suzuki Hayabusa.
43:28 Now, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has the distinction of that road that leads you out of the track, that's actually a public road.
43:38 That's a public highway, so you absolutely have to obey by the letter of the law.
43:45 We're in the state of California, so you obviously have to wear a DOT-labeled motorcycle helmet when you are on that road.
43:54 Here in the paddock, you technically don't need to wear a helmet, but we're going to wear a helmet because we like safety,
44:01 and it's set up with our 4K video production system.
44:08 So, it's kind of neat, with the right credentials, you can just cruise right along inside the paddock.
44:15 We have all these privateers wrenching on their machinery. Back in this section of the paddock is Privateer Row,
44:26 and as you get toward the pit lane, that's where all the big dogs are located.
44:33 More privateers, RS660, there's Oregonian racer Andy Debrino.
44:43 We've ridden motorcycles with him for a long time, he's a really good motorcycle rider across all disciplines.
44:51 Of course, there's the hooligan racing and the bagger racing, that is a big deal now.
44:58 Now, if you're really someone, you're going to have a pit garage here.
45:05 So, if you're really someone, pit garage is what you're going to have.
45:10 There's Bobby Fong, he just was talking on his phone, he crashed his motorcycle in this bagger sprint race.
45:22 Here we have the Roland Sands Design Crew over here.
45:27 Here is more people cruising around.
45:34 Today is Saturday, so there is practice, qualifying, and a couple races here today.
45:42 There's even a race at 5pm, which I think is neat. Usually the track goes cold at 5pm, but they're actually doing a race.
45:50 Look at all these people racing and competitors. So, so neat.
46:00 This Hayabusa is just such a friendly motorcycle, it just does everything good. You can just ride it like a pit bike.
46:07 Look, there's Kyle Weidman's '33 Harley Davidson Street Glide. That bike is boss.
46:15 There's the AMA Tech People checking over the bike, I think that's Bobby Fong's crashed bike.
46:20 Let's take a look at it there. You know, let's take a look.
46:29 And there is Ducati Island right there.
46:39 They are always showing off all of their motorcycles and their neat things, like that Ducati mountain bike.
46:46 There's a Ducati e-mountain bike that they have now. Pretty neat.
46:54 Of course, Ducati's bread and butter is the Panigale series sport bikes and super bikes.
47:02 The old El-- yeah, they're awesome! That guy's a Hayabusa enthusiast, he knows what's up.
47:09 The El Twin Ducati Panigale super bikes, those things were gnarly.
47:14 So, it's really neat to see that Ducati overhauled their bikes and made them a little bit more effective for on-track riding and racing.
47:30 Alright folks, that was a quick lap of the paddock.
47:34 There is the Umbrella Babes-- I'm sorry, the Umbrella Ladies that will be holding the umbrellas over the racers on the starting grid.
47:45 They will also be on the podium. So, when you are in the top three positions, you will be on the podium and you will get your award and your cash.
47:59 There's Dunlop with all their tires. You've got to remember Dunlop is the official tire of Moto America.
48:08 So, that is where they do all their tire changing and things of that nature.
48:14 Alright folks, that was a quick lap of the paddock. We're going to pull in and park our motorcycle.
48:21 Wow folks, look at all these people here at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to watch the Moto America super bike race. It's pretty neat.
48:30 Now, we were talking about climbing up toward the corkscrew, but our microphone was unplugged.
48:36 So, hopefully everyone picked up the audio. Our microphone is plugged in now.
48:41 And away we go on the Hayabusa.
48:46 We've got some guys in front of us. Here we go. Down the hill.
48:54 This is the great thing about having a motorcycle here at Laguna Seca. You can cruise around and check things out.
49:02 There's our buddy, Bradley Adams. He's riding a 1290 KTM Super Duke, 1290 Super Duke R.
49:11 I believe we've tested that version of that vehicle when it was overhauled for the 2020 model year.
49:18 So, if you're curious about the performance of that configuration vehicle, check out our content.
49:25 MotorcyclistOnline.com is all there. MotorcyclistMeg on YouTube.
49:29 I think we made only one video from back then because we were wearing an AGV helmet.
49:34 And the AGV Corsa R helmet at the time was crazy loud. So, we didn't have the ability to record commentary while riding
49:44 because the wind noise from that helmet is so insanely loud.
49:48 AGV has since redesigned that Corsa R. Not redesigned it, but updated it.
49:54 And now that helmet is way more quiet and way better fitting.
50:01 There's my friend, the Dunstans. They were walking. They aren't savvy enough to be riding like us.
50:11 Gotta throw some revs to the homies, you know? Gotta let them know.
50:20 Alright folks, we're gonna get back on this public roadway and ride around to another spot. We'll check in with you in a little bit.
50:28 Wow folks, look at this view. Look at the circuit. Look how many people are here.
50:33 There is turn 2. We're going down the hill back in the paddock.
50:38 What a fun day at the Moto America races here at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
50:45 Tons of people. Great racing action on track. A lot of fun things to see and do. Cool vendors. What a blast.
50:54 And what a great way to get up here. The non-Suzuki's 2023 Hayabusa. This bike is a blast.
51:01 Alright folks, the day is wrapping up. We're gonna take off here and wrap things up for you guys in a little bit.
51:08 We'll check in with you a little later.
51:11 Well folks, there it is. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Those guys are out on a demo ride on Yamaha motorcycles.
51:18 We are out of here. That was a fun day at the races for the Moto America Superbike races.
51:24 Of course, this is a 2 day event. Well 3 if you count Friday too.
51:29 And today is the big day for all the major races. But we got a taste of it on Saturday. Just one day.
51:36 And we still get home in time.
51:38 Now we have another 500 or so mile ride ahead of us to get back home.
51:47 So, obviously, having ridden up here, this bike is so capable at sport touring it's not even funny.
51:55 And it's a good steed to be on for a long day in the saddle.
52:00 Alright folks, we got a boring highway slog in front of us.
52:04 We'll catch up with you in a little bit when the action starts happening.
52:10 Well folks, that wraps up our nearly 1000 mile sport touring ride on Suzuki's 2023 Hayabusa.
52:18 We all know that this bike goes fast. We all know it looks cool.
52:22 But who knew it could be such a capable all-arounder and competent sport touring bike.
52:29 Would I spend my $18,800 US dollars for this vehicle?
52:34 You know I sure would. I really like this bike.
52:37 It's crazy comfortable. It's mad fast. It's a real head turner.
52:42 Really in a bad way in terms of law enforcement.
52:45 I would absolutely opt for the black version instead of the white version.
52:49 The white just draws way too much attention, good or bad, on the road.
52:54 So I'd get a little bit more understated black color.
52:57 And that's how I would do things.
53:00 Well folks, that wraps up our official review.
53:02 Make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
53:05 That's where all of our written content lives.
53:08 As a reminder, check out our hours of premium content we've published on this vehicle from the official press introduction last year.
53:17 There's hours of great insight to this vehicle and to Suzuki Motor in general that you won't find anywhere else on the internet.
53:26 So check it out there.
53:27 And as always, give this video a thumbs up if you liked it. Thumbs it down if you didn't.
53:31 Because we'd love to hear from the naysayers out there. Everyone's opinion matters here at Motorcyclist.
53:36 And we'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for riding with us.
53:38 So folks, navigating the menu is super easy.
53:41 You press down on the set button. That brings you into the menu.
53:46 Here you can adjust everything.
53:49 Riding set, here's where things get fun.
53:52 Those are the custom modes.
53:54 Power, traction control, 10-way adjustable IMU power traction control with off.
54:00 Lift control, this is basically wheelie control.
54:03 3-position adjustable, I'm sorry, 10-position adjustable.
54:08 The higher the number, the smaller the wheelie.
54:11 Engine brake control, the higher the number, the more amount of engine braking.
54:18 And quick shift control, two modes here. One, two, I don't really know why you'd ever pick two.
54:23 But that is it.
54:25 We also have hill control set, on or off.
54:30 That allows you to have the rear brake being held when you're going up a hill and launching the vehicle.
54:37 Makes it a little bit easier to launch.
54:39 That's on and off.
54:41 And then a bunch of other nice settings here.
54:44 The switch gear and menu navigation on this vehicle is really easy to use.
54:49 We really like it. Good job, Suzuki.
54:52 (music)