Suzuki Hayabusa Discontinued In Europe, Will Continue To Be Sold In India

After two decades of pure motorcycle mayhem, Suzuki has finally decided to pull the plug on the Hayabusa for the European markets. The 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa will be the last examples made for EU with the next generation or replacement model yet to be announced. Having said that, the Suzuki Hayabusa will continue to be sold in India as a 2019 model, which is likely to be the iconic motorcycle's final year of production globally. The news does emerge as rather bitter-sweet given the following the motorcycle garnered over the years globally. In India, the Hayabusa is priced at Rs. 13.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Production of the Suzuki Hayabusa will end in Europe by the end of this month. In its current setup, the Hayabusa does not comply with the Euro 4 emission norms which came into effect on January 1, 2016. The European emissions regulatory body had given manufacturers two years to clear existing stocks of non-compliant vehicles that ends on December 31, 2018. This means, the Hayabusa won't be street-legal in Europe starting next year.

suzuki hayabusa creed community

August 23 is marked as 'World Hayabusa Day' by Suzuki Japan

Meanwhile, for markets like India and the US, the Hayabusa will continue to remain in production. The US emission norms are different from that of Europe, which makes it eligible to be sold in the country. That said, Suzuki will sell the motorcycle till the stocks last. In India, meanwhile, Suzuki is expected to continue selling the Hayabusa till 2020, possibly until the BS6 norms kick-in. The motorcycle continues to garner strong demand and is in fact locally assembled for the Indian market.

The Suzuki Hayabusa made its debut in 1999 and quickly became the fastest production motorcycle in the world with with a top speed of 303-312 kmph. The bike was named the 'Hayabusa' not only because it means peregrine falcon, which is the world's fastest bird, but also because peregrine falcons eat blackbirds. The Suzuki offering had dethroned the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird as the fastest production motorcycle at the time.

2018 suzuki hayabusa

The Suzuki Hayabusa will continue to be sold in India until 2020

The Suzuki Hayabusa garnered praises not only for being the fastest bike around but also for being an overall accessible bike to live with. Owners appreciated the fact that it could handle well - especially the second generation model that came around in 2008 - returned a decent fuel economy and you did not have to break the bank for owning. The Hayabusa's success and acceleration prompted motorcycle manufacturers to establish the unofficial gentleman's agreement in Europe, limiting top speeds to 300 kmph. Such was the impact of the Hayabusa on the motorcycle market.

In its current setup, the Suzuki Hayabusa is powered by a 1340 cc in-line four-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that is tuned for a whopping 194 bhp and 154 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 6-speed transmission. The bike comes with the Suzuki Drive Mode that allows you to select between different engine control maps. Suspension duties are handled by 43 mm KYB USD forks up front and a link-type suspension at the rear. Braking performance comes from 310 mm discs at the front and a 260 mm twin disc setup at the rear. The bike weighs a hefty 266 kg.

The next generation Suzuki Hayabusa has been rumoured for a long time now and is expected to be showcased in production form around 2020. Speculations suggest a lot of new technologies on the 'Busa including turbocharging. That said, the all-new offering will have a lot to live up to!



from NDTV CarAndBike - Latest News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harley-Davidson Streetfighter Spotted In Flesh For The First Time

Image
Harley-Davidson unveiled a range of new motorcycles last year that included an adventure tourer, streetfighter and Custom range. This, along with the LiveWire electric motorcycle defines the new-age 21st century offerings from the manufacturer as it taps into newer markets and caters to an evolving customer base. Now, giving a glimpse of the new models out in the open, the new Harley-Davidson Streetfighter was spotted in the prototype version at what seems to be a trade show in the US, giving a good glimpse at motorcycle looks like in flesh. While board says 'Styling Prototype', the production-spec version of the Streetfighter is likely to stay identical to the model showcased here. In addition to the Streetfighter, the Pan America was also showcased at the same event. The production spec versions of both bikes could be unveiled at EICMA this year. Also Read: Harley-Davidson Livewire To Be Unveiled In India In August The Harley-Davidson Streetfighter is a completely new mot
Read more

Brixton 1200 To Rival Triumph Bonneville T120

Image
A 1200 cc modern classic with similar design lines as Triumph's iconic Bonneville series, has reportedly been cleared for production. The bike was showcased as a concept at last year's EICMA motorcycle show, and from the looks of it, this is a model developed in China with the Triumph Bonneville T120 in its sights. The Brixton brand though is part of Austria's KSR Group, which imports bikes from several Chinese manufacturers, including CF Moto. And while the new Bonneville rival will be manufactured in China, the design and engineering has been created at KSR's design centre in Krups, Austria. Also Read: Triumph Bonnville T120 First Ride Review The Brixton 1200 cc motorcycle has not been named yet, or a launch timeline announced So far, the company has not committed to a launch date yet, but says that it will eventually make it to production. And from the looks of it, that may well be sometime later this year, maybe even at the EICMA 2020 show in Milan, Italy, in
Read more

Zongshen Cyclone RX6 Based On Norton 650 Nearing Completion

Image
While there still doesn't seem to be a buyer for iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles which went into administration in January this year, the firm's 650 cc parallel-twin seems to be finding life in China. While Norton apparently sold off the engine rights of its 961 engine to China's Jinglang just before the brand went into administration, the deal for the 650 cc engine was finalized way back in 2017 with Chinese giant Zongshen. The 650 cc parallel-twin engine was due to be used in Norton's Atlas and Superlight models, but now it looks like that engine platform will make its debut in a Zongshen motorcycle, called the Cyclone R6. Also Read: How Much Is Norton Motorcycles Worth Now? One of the patent designs shows the Cyclone RX6 with full touring accessories and luggage Two prototypes fitted with the 650 cc parallel-twin engine were shown in China late last year, on the Zongshen Cyclone RX6 adventure bike and the RX6 sport tourer. Both bikes used Zongshen-made
Read more