A standard second-generation Suzuki Hayabusa, the kind of demon that commands respect from pretty much any vehicle on the road, makes 197 hp, which is more than what you get in an MX-5 Miata these days. However, the Busa that brought us here is a bit fiercer, given that it makes almost four times as much power. So, what happens when such an animal is unleashed at the drag strip?
The answer to the question above came a few months ago, when the Hayabusa in question visited Florida’s Bradenton Motorsports Park as part of That Racing Channel’s (TRC) Street Kings event.
And the name was appropiate since this Suzuki is a street bike that also spends time at the track. In fact, given its spec, it is one of the most potent street motorcycles in America.
The OG Hayabusa instantly rose to fame when it was introduced back in 1999, as it grabbed the production bike top speed record (the numbers may differ slightly, but the maximum value is listed at 194 mph/312 kph). And with Japanese and European bike makers reaching an agreement to limit their machines’ top speed to 186 mph (300 kph) in a bid to avoid a U.S. import ban, which was enforced for the 2000 model year, the Busa’s throne was secured.
200 mph in the quarter-mile? That’s cute
Well, this completely overhauled Gen II can not only go way above 200 mph, but it’s able to pull it off before the quarter-mile is over.
The bike comes from Chris Moore of Moore Mafia, a rider who’s familiar with 750 hp Suzukis. Back in 2020, he set the quarter-mile record for the quickest (Elapsed Time) and fastest (trap speed) street bike following a 6.3s run at 233 mph/375 kph in his turbocharged GSX-R 1,000, with the run being included in the fresh TRC video below.
The four-stroke, DOHC engine of the Hayabusa has been fully built and works with a monstrous turbo to deliver the said 750 hp. And if you think cars with turbochargers whose short pipes penetrate the hood are badass, you should see how this turbo spits fire just inches away from the rider’s leg.
Of course, power is just part of the equation here, with many other valuables affecting the performance of the machine (e.g., the carbon fiber diet of the Suzuki).
The majority of the action at the event saw a plethora of amazing bikes, including a fully built Busa on nitrous (8:59 timestamp), duking it out from a roll, with no numbers being showcased, so the riders can keep on doing what they do in the future (these enthusiasts often race for cash, so making their 1/4-mile numbers public wouldn’t have been a good idea).
However, in the video, you can also see Moore pulling some standing-start shenanigans in his 750 hp turbo Hayabusa. And while there’s no wheelie bar and there were no problems on the Z axis, the rider did quite a bit of a leg workout to keep the motorcycle from going sideways long after he left the starting line. Apparently, “go hard or go home” is an understatement for this kind of adventure.