Return of the King

If history has taught us anything it is that every era comes to an end and sadly that is true of the golden age of the larger-than-life sports tourers. Thankfully, Suzuki, has reintroduced the iconic GSX1300R Hayabusa. Yes, it doesn’t have any direct competition anymore as Kawasaki decided to retire its arch-nemesis the Ninja ZX-14R last year. Like many motorcycles, the 2021 Hayabusa’s power output has reduced fractionally due to the strict BS6 emission norms, but does that make any difference in the real world? Let us find out.  Suzuki has retained Hayabusa’s unique design which is based on the peregrine falcon as this makes it one of the most recognised sports bikes in the world and very popular in India. The new Hayabusa does look chiselled and has managed to lose some weight. The front fascia looks sharper and now houses vertically stacked LEDs and projector headlamps along with fang like daytime running lights which double up as indicators. The Hayabusa continues to flex its muscles with a colossal fairing, which now gets a chrome finish and new air intake to keep the engine cool. Its silhouette continues to hold a road presence like no other sports tourer, while