OF all the nicknames given to bikes over the years, the one awarded to this limited edition Hayabusa has to be my favourite. Affectionately referred to as ‘the 200mph fridge’, this really is the ultimate in white goods.

And just as all fridges should be, it’s very cool indeed. Most people are quite happy to ignore motorcycles, but the white ’Busa appeals to all and sundry - from old grannies trying to cross the road, to school kids, to my work colleagues who thought it was a concept bike, heads just kept on turning.

But, without fail, every biker I met was interested in the model. And pretty much all for the same reason -- because they hadn’t seen one before. Suzuki have limited sales of the white version to just 200 in the UK, making them almost as rare as coconuts in Antarctica. But the finish isn’t plain white, it’s a lustrous, pearlescent finish that looks like the bike is covered in hoar frost.

Suzuki needed plenty of paint to cover this bike too, because the Hayabusa is one substantial machine. The bulbous fairing, which gives the bike its instant recognition, covers the engine area completely. It’s shaped for the ultimate in aerodynamics, giving the rider (or should that be pilot?) total protection from windblast, allowing effortless high-speed cruising.

Nine years since its introduction the Hayabusa -- also known as the GSX1300R -- has been given a well-deserved mechanical makeover. There is a saying which goes ‘The more things change, the more things stay the same’, and that could very well be applied to this new model. Think evolution, rather than revolution. For 2008 the Hayabusa gets a bigger engine with an extra 25bhp, greatly improved brakes, uprated suspension, stylish new clocks and huge triangular exhausts. Much of the original styling remains, because as Suzuki readily admit, if they changed the outward appearance too much it would no longer be a Hayabusa.

The old bike was astonishingly rapid, but with tweaks in all the right places its replacement really is a sensational ride. As a hyper sports machine, it’s too heavy to be an outright sports bike, and too hunched over to be a sports tourer, but where it wins is in its almighty stomp. This aerodynamic Suzuki revels in the fact that it’s the quickest-accelerating machine out there, and the figures speak volumes: a new 1340cc engine; an enormous 197bhp at the crank; and 114 lb ft of torque. It may tip the scales at 220kg, but the Hayabusa will go from standstill to 60mph in just 2.9 seconds. And the party doesn’t stop there. Another two and a half seconds and you’re at the ton, yet the engine has still barely begun to work...

The most noticeable thing about the new Hayabusa is that it’s outrageously fast in all gears at all revs. Roll-on power just comes on stronger and smoother than you will ever have experienced on a standard production bike. A squeeze of the throttle, a glance at the speedo and it’s back on the new four-pot radial brakes for fear of attracting unwanted attention. And that seemed to be a pattern with the Hayabusa. Out on the roads it simply obliterates everything else in sight. Overtaking cars just takes a flick of the wrist, on and off the throttle, and you shoot past, catapult-style. Trouble is, it’s hard to work the motor on British roads as anything over 7,000 rpm in anything other than first gear and your licence is already in jeopardy.

Luckily I had the opportunity to take the Busa for a swift session on the track to explore what else it could do. For a big old bus its handling is exquisite. It’s a spacious machine, and as such allows plenty of room to slide across the well-padded seat and hang off the sides. Onto the back straight and it’s time to put the throttle on the stop. Tuck in tight to avoid the G-forces as the speedo needle races round. Anywhere between 7,000 and the 11,000 rpm redline is verging on intergalactic. Flick up through the fabulous gearbox again and again and the world becomes a blur as adrenaline courses through your veins, your helmet pushing back against your cheeks and your guts still playing catch-up. This isn’t just fast, this is obscene.

Sensibly (if you can call it that) Suzuki have seen fit to limit the top end to 186mph. Sensibly, too, they have not changed the steering geometry from the previous model. Knee-down action on the new one is an absolute breeze, and that means you can have some fun on the straights, comfortable in the knowledge you’ll be able to get round the corner at the end. To top it all off, the 2008 Hayabusa’s brakes, unsurprisingly, are outrageously good. And if the previous model is anything to go by, there should be no reliability problems whatsoever. Which is handy, because you’ll need all your spare cash to insure the beast.

The new ’Busa is still the daddy, and Fowlers have secured a white one in stock which can be yours for just £9,120. If what makes you happy is the knowledge that you can outblast absolutely anything else on the road, then don’t hang around -- because the Hayabusa certainly doesn’t.

The white Suzuki Hayabusa was kindly loaned by Suzuki GB plc. Fowlers Motorcycles of Bath Road, Bristol, have a black model available for demo rides. For details, call Fowlers on 0117 977 0466.

Article written: October 16, 2008

OUR STEER ON THE WHITE HAYABUSA

Price: £ 9,120

Engine: 1340cc, inline four

Top speed: 186 mph (limited)

Power: 197 bhp at 9,500 rpm

Torque: 114 lb ft at 7,200 rpm

Transmission: six-speed, chain drive

Weight: 220 kg

Fuel capacity: 21 litres

Seat height: 805 mm

by Jon Bennett