The Suzuki Hayabusa is a sports bike made by Japanese automotive giant Suzuki.
It was first released in 1999 but is still in production, making it one of the longest-lasting bike models in the industry.
The Hayabusa is manufactured at Suzuki’s Toyokawa plant in Aichi, Japan, and also in India at the Gurgaon plant.
This article explains: “8 crucial problems with Suzuki Hayabusa”…
Table of Contents
Gearbox Problems:
Over the years, a number of gearbox issues have been reported on Suzuki models, mostly connected to the creation of “false neutrals.”
The problem was believed to be caused by bent forks, but also by a bad transmission drum.
Most difficulties have centered on shifting between fifth and sixth gear.
Every generation of Hayabusa has had a 6-speed constant-mesh manual transmission.
The most common issue was experiencing a neutral gear setting between fifth and sixth gear, necessitating riders to shift twice in order to get up to sixth gear.
Other riders have also reported some issues with the bike popping out of gear when high-revving in first gear.
Other gearbox problems have been traced to damaged shaft bearing and other gearbox bearings, which need to be switched out if they are causing these kinds of issues.
Clutch Problems:
One particular problem that was identified on the Suzuki Hayabusa clutch was that bolts within the clutch were coming loose and then hitting the clutch cover, making a very unpleasant noise when riding.
Clutch noise, in general, has been an issue on the Hayabusa throughout the years, even since the first-generation models.
Other issues have been caused by warped steels and faulty damper springs.
Starting Problems:
Engine starting problems on the Suzuki Hayabusa have been among the most frustrating for owners because they are so hard to trace.
There are so many possible causes, some of them, normal or expected, and some of them down to Hayabusa’s own problems.
One particular issue was a buildup of water/oil mixture around the starter motor that was creating problems.
This also contributed to overheating in the starter motor, which caused expansion and difficulty in starting.
Other issues include the starter relay, regulator, ground contact from the batteries, and other elements.
Users report that it’s unfortunately the majority of the time that the bike has trouble starting and doesn’t start up on the first attempt.
Suzuki Hayabusa starting problems can sometimes be traced back to the carburetor, as well.
If you haven’t cleaned the carburetor jets in a long time, and you now have trouble starting, then that could be the main reason for it.
Electrical Problems:
The most common electrical problem experienced by Hayabusa owners was fast-draining of the battery.
Many users reported that having purchased their Hayabusa, it worked for a short time before suddenly dying on the road, or being unable to start it again.
There are some reports of owners actually buying a brand-new battery for their Hayabusa and still experiencing the same problems, with the battery being completely drained after just a short ride.
Problems have been traced to the rectifier, stator, and blown fuses.
The strangest thing is that most report the battery looks completely fine, even when they were clearly having problems.
It was most common for the fuses for the fan and the fuel systems were still receiving power when the bike was switched off, no key in the ignition, and the kill-switch set to off.
This would obviously be as much of a drain as if leaving a dome light on in your car.
Overheating Problems:
The Suzuki Hayabusa has been known to suffer from cooling fan failures, which leads to overheating of the engine.
When overheating, many people first look to the radiator and coolant as the potential source of the problem, but frequently they discover these are fine.
The strangest thing was that the bike would even overheat when in slow-moving traffic.
The cooling fan on the Hayabusa was discovered to be stopping at random even when the engine was continuing to heat up.
The issue appears to be a failure of current to reach the fan, which caused it to switch off.
Some users report that manually turning the fan would cause the current to return, but that’s obviously not a practical step when you’re on the road.
The only remedy was to repair the current or replace the cooling fan unit.
Minor Common Problems:
Another common issue on Suzuki Hayabusa is the quality of the finish in many of its mechanical components.
Users commonly report that parts of their bike have rusted at worst, or become discolored at best.
The only remedy for these issues is constant cleaning of the components.
If you regularly clean every single dark corner of your bike like it’s your religion, then you will likely avoid this, but most people don’t because on most bikes it’s not necessary.
Another issue is in the rear wheel bearings, which have been known to collapse, even when the bike is still at relatively low mileage.
The only solution is to replace them, which adds cost to ownership.
It’s more likely an occurrence than is healthy on a regular bike of this size and style.
One more issue is the rear tires, which apparently wear down very quickly.
The average expected lifespan on a Suzuki Hayabusa rear tire is just 1500-2000 miles.
Is The Hayabusa Reliable?
Despite its problems, the Suzuki Hayabusa is still recognized as a very reliable motorcycle.
Suzuki as a brand is regarded as one of the most reliable on the market, with only an 11 percent failure rate of its models after 3 years.
The engine is very well built, even though Suzuki still uses a relatively simple design.
It has been described by some review sites as “brutally effective” with efficient fuel injection and an incredibly durable build, even “bulletproof.”
In terms of reliability, one component that some riders should be careful with is the brake.
They aren’t inherently problematic, but they don’t respond well in the long term to hard use.
Actually, that’s true of just about any motorcycle brakes, but the Suzuki brakes in particular don’t last well under harsh braking habits.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
The biggest advantage of the Suzuki Hayabusa is the quality of the overall engine build.
The sheer strength, power, and precision of the engine as a whole make it one of the most overall reliable units that you can find on the market.
Another advantage is in replacement parts for when things get old or go wrong.
Unlike some brands like Ducati, Suzuki parts are readily available all over the world and if and when things do go wrong, you can easily and cheaply replace parts.
For a bike of its power and size, the Hayabusa also represents quite good value for money.
With a starting price comfortably under $20,000, it represents value in a space where for the same specification you can easily pay $23,000-25,000.
Finally, another benefit comes with its versatility.
The Hayabusa can ride like a sports bike, but also be easily accessorized into a very capable touring bike, too.
That versatile nature makes it even better value compared to its competition.
Cons:
The first downside to the Hayabusa is the looks of the individual components that make up the bike’s hardware.
The shape, frame, color, and overall style of the bike are nice, but some components like the fairings, for example, don’t fit with the rest of the design.
The components are also not always finished to the highest standards, which makes them more vulnerable to rust and additional wear and tear.
They easily pit and therefore require constant cleaning and maintenance attention to prevent that from happening.
One final con is high-speed handling.
One thing that’s a little out of place on the Hayabusa is that it’s capable of tremendous acceleration and top speed, but it’s also not advisable to ride it to those speeds or heights very often because it can’t withstand it, physically.
Is The 8 Suzuki Hayabusa Worth Buying?
Given the price point on even the newest Hayabusa, it is certainly a good-value purchase when you consider that you get the power and performance of a sports bike, but also the comfort and adaptability for it to be used as a touring bike, too.
Most reports of problems with the Suzuki Hayabusa remain minor.
It is not plagued with reliability problems in the same way that Ducati and BMW bikes are, for instance.
There is no “movement” against the Hayabusa, nor does it create any real enemies.
The worst that happens is a minor disappointment when some components go wrong, but all can be fixed very quickly and affordably thanks to the availability of Suzuki and aftermarket parts.
Therefore, despite its problems, it is definitely a bike worth purchasing.
Do They Still Make The Suzuki Hayabusa?
Yes, they do.
In fact, Suzuki has just launched the 2022 model-year Hayabusa, which includes a lot of reengineering as a way to address some of the problems discussed further above.
The MSRP for the new model is $18,599 plus a $410 destination charge.
There is also a rich second-hand market of Hayabusa bikes since it has been around for more than two decades in total and has been through three production generations.
What Is The Resale Price?
Like most motorcycles, a Hayabusa will lose about 12-15 percent of its value per year in the first four years.
In the fifth year, depreciation will slow down.
There are examples of Hayabusa models from 2008 with fewer than 20,000 miles available for just $7000-8000.
For a newer model from around 2015, you might pay between $11,000 and $12,000 for a low-mileage model of under 8,000 miles.
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