The Suzuki Hayabusa (or GSX1300R) was first introduced in 1999 and quickly won acclaim as the world's fastest production motorcycle, with a top speed of 188–194 miles per hour (303–312 km/h). Hayabusa is Japanese for Peregrine Falcon, the fastest of any bird. The choice of the name is due to its vertical hunting dive speed of 180-240 mph (290-390 km/h) and the fact that the peregrine falcon preys on blackbirds. The Hayabusa was originally introduced with the intent to take the "world's fastest production motorcycle" title from the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird.
However in 2000, due to the escalation of the speed war and to avoid a regulatory backlash or a potential import ban, an informal agreement between European and Japanese bike manufacturers introduced the 186mph (300km/h) electronic speed limit. The informal agreement went into effect for the 2001 MY, taking the speed war to the underground, meaning that it was no longer a contest between stock, production motorcycle. To become a member of the "200 mph club" all you had to do is bypass the electronic speed limiter.
A lightly revised second generation of the GSX1300R was introduced in 2008, featuring a minor restyling of the body and a small technical improvement that yielded a horsepower increase.
The Hayabusa now has a 1,340 cc (82 cu in) four stroke, inline-four, 16 valve engine producing 197 hp at 10,100 rpm and 102 lb-ft (138 Nm) of torque at 7,600 rpm.
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