Suzuki had their annual dealer show last week, and they introduced several new and updated models. At the top of the list is the new Hayabusa. A perennial favorite of the big bore sport class, it is back with a vengeance and taking aim at Kawasaki’s ZX14 with a reported 195 HP. Pictures and descriptions are from AMA.
At first glance, the front of the new ‘Busa looks much like the model it replaces. According to Suzuki, that’s to be expected. Many years were spent in the wind tunnel creating the slipperiest form possible for the first generation of the company’s flagship model, and Suzuki felt little more could be achieved with anything too radically removed from that.
n the engine bay, though, it’s a different story. Here we find so many upgrades to the old 1300cc mill that Suzuki classifies it as an all-new engine.
Suzuki stroked the motor by 2mm to 65mm, while keeping the old 81mm bore, bringing displacement up to 1340cc. The compression ratio was also increased from 11.5:1 to 12.5:1. These changes increase power output by 12 percent to an astonishing 195 horsepower, claims Suzuki.
The old- really old- Katana also gets a huge update. The new GSX650F is now water cooled and hopefully a little more competitive with the other “soft-core sportbikes”. Styling looks good since it bears a close resemblance to the GSXR’s. That will be good sales. The old Katanas were never very good looking, and often the object of scorn. Ugly and slow only sells if it is really cheap.
The GSX650F is another all-new model coming to the U.S. for 2008. The fully faired machine features styling and graphics lifted from Suzuki’s race-bred GSXR lineup, coupled with tubular handlebars and a relatively low 30.35-inch seat height. The combination is designed to strike an even balance between “sportiness and all-around comfort,” claims Suzuki.
The 650F is powered by a liquid-cooled, fuel injected, 656cc inline four which first saw light a year ago powering the European version of the Bandit.
There are some other new models that you are probably going to be interested in, so head over and take a look.
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