1999 Suzuki GSX1300R Haybusa
Hey! Lets take a ride on the Hay-Bus!!!

A very small FedEx package landed here this morning, from American Suzuki, and in it was a CD with introductions for Suzuki's 1999 model line-up. The big news is the confirmation of the Big Bird, the much rumored about 1999 GSXR1300.

Yes, 1300. In fact, it's called the GSX1300R Haybusa. Yes, the R is on the end, and the machine is in fact named after a Japanese bird.


Image from the Adobe (PDF) file
We'd love to show you photos of this machine (seen a TLR? Seen a GSX-R750? Then you've seen a 1300, they look almost the same, kinda) but the files on the CD from Suzuki are EPS files that neither my copy of PhotoShop Mac not PhotoShop PC will open. I'll upload the Adobe Acrobat reader file, but to read it, you'll need the viewer. Click here to view it.

Anyway, Suzuki answers a couple of questions only asked by the truly brave. Questions like, what would happen if you took the engine out of John Ulrich's Endurance racer and put it in the chassis of a GSX-R750 (an oversimplification but sort of on the mark). And also, how much will it cost to insure a 1300cc sport bike?

To be sure, the new Suzuki will have horsepower-a-plenty (none were cited in the press kit CDR) and will contest the all-out fastest motorcycle trials.

And, for the record, remember that the actual Haybusa bird can go 186mph. Think this bike will be far off?
--Dean

Text from press kit to follow:
 

SUZUKI GSX1300R HAYABUSA:
ULTIMATE SPORT
When Suzuki engineers began designing the GSX1300R they set out to produce a motorcycle so advanced that it didn’t fit in any established categories. A motorcycle with breathtaking acceleration, nimble handling, and world-class fit
and finish. A machine so advanced it demanded a new performance category: Ultimate Sport. With Suzuki’s experience in building high-performance motorcycles, meeting the engine performance goals and building an excellent chassis wouldn’t be a problem. But to make this kind of performance seem effortless would be the ultimate challenge. One of the engineers recalled seeing the incredible flight of a small Falcon indigenous to Japan called Hayabusa. The Hayabusa is not the biggest or strongest bird in Japan, but it has the amazing ability to slice through the air reaching speeds of over 186 mph, making normal flight seem effortless. The engineer realized he had discovered the key element to the design. Make the bike able to slice through the air like a Hayabusa and normal performance would be almost effortless. It would be the most aerodynamic Suzuki ever built and it would be called the Hayabusa. Suzuki engineers used an integrated design approach with careful thought given to engine type, size, placement, as well as rider position and airflow over every part of the bike. Maximum aerodynamic efficiency required a precise
fairing shape which could not be achieved with conventional headlights and turn signals. By blending the front turn signals in the fairing and using a unique projector beam headlight, the CdA became the lowest of any Suzuki ever
produced. The turn signals also help force air into the ram-air intake tracts which have been carefully placed near the point of maximum air pressure.
Meeting the performance goal required a powerful yet compact, liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder engine – the most powerful four-cylinder ever built by Suzuki. Based on experience from unlimited-class road racing, the engine developed some impressive specifications: 1298cc, liquid-cooled with additional oil-jet cooling, DOHC 16-valves with a narrow 14º valve angle, electronic fuel injection with ram-air intake, direct ignition, gear-driven counterbalancer to reduce vibration and a six-speed transmission with a large capacity clutch. To keep the engine compact the cam chain is driven from the right side of a short, five-journal crankshaft. The GSX1300R chassis is built around an aluminum alloy twin-spar frame and bridged aluminum swingarm. Supporting the frame are fully adjustable, 43mm inverted forks with 120 mm of wheel travel, and a link-type rear suspension with a fully adjustable shock absorber and 140mm of wheel travel. Wide radial tires are mounted on cast aluminum wheels provide plenty of traction, while six-piston front brake calipers with large 320 mm rotors and a twin-piston rear caliper with a 240 mm rotor provide powerful braking performance. The Hayabusa has many other convenience features such as a hinged fuel tank for easier maintenance, storage area for a U-lock and full instrumentation including a fuel gauge, twin-tripmeters, and even a LCD-type fuel consumption gauge.
With all these features and outstanding performance, the 1999 GSX1300R Hayabusa is truly in a class of its own: Ultimate Sport.

GSX1300RX AT A GLANCE


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