We are still a little less than a week away from the official unveiling of the next-generation of the Suzuki Hayabusa, and it seems we have our first leaked photo of the machine.
The image looks like it has been lifted from a promotional video, and while the lighting is dark, and the resolution low, we can glean some important details from the photo.
First, we can see that the basic Suzuki Hayabusa fairing shape remains, which isn’t that surprising considering how integral the bike’s iconic look is to the Hayabusa name.
Looking closer though, we can see strakes partially hidden from what looks like a dual-layer side fairing – very similar to what Aprilia has been playing with in its RSV4 and RS 660 motorbikes.
Whether this is for downforce creation, heat management, or a combination of the two remains to be seen, but it does show that Suzuki continues to play with aerodynamics on its Hayabusa street bikes.
Moving further along the profile view, we can also see the giant exhaust can (it is rather hard to miss), which is certainly going to be necessary to get the Suzuki Hayabusa past the emission standards in markets like Japan, Europe, and the United States.
The expectation is that the Suzuki Hayabusa will be a world-market motorcycle, which means it will see a welcomed return to a number of regions (namely Europe), where it hasn’t been for sale for quite some time.
Of course, the big question this image has us asking is what is beneath the fairings of the bike shown here.
There had been rumors of forced induction for the four-cylinder engine, which would be inline with what Kawasaki has shown with its H2 lineup.
More recently, the rumors have suggested a naturally aspirated engine with a displacement increase to well over 1,400cc.
Full electronics with an IMU is expected, and from the teaser videos posted last week, that seems to be confirmed.
A basic modernization of the chassis and other parts should account for a sizable weight reduction as well (remember, the current Hayabusa tips the scales at a massive 586 lbs. Surely the Suzuki engineers can shave 100 lbs off that figure.
More importantly, we ask we wonder the following questions: has Suzuki just gently massaged the Hayabusa to modern standards? Or has the Japanese brand created the next headline-grabbing hyperbike?
We will know the answer to those questions, and many more, on Friday of this week. Thanks for the tip, Anthony!
Source: hayabusa__taiwan (Instagram)
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