Suzuki Hayabusa Commercials Show What It's Like to Live Life at Almost 200 MPH

While Trinity got to ride a Ducati 998 in The Matrix Reloaded, the man who had played Morpheus was now enjoying a legendary motorcycle that had only been launched a few years back. But the story of the GSX 1300R takes us further back into the '90s, with a look at Suzuki's rival, Honda.

The Tokyo-based company had been aiming to build the world's fastest production motorcycle, a bike that would outshine Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-11. The Ninja could hit 175 mph (281 kph) at the time, and it ruled the scene for six years before Honda came along.

In 1996 we saw the introduction of the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, which soon proved it can hit 178.5 mph (287 kph) thus setting a new world record. We all know that competition is crucial for the development of any industry, and it didn't take long for Suzuki to make a statement of its own.

The origin of the Hayabusa name makes for one of the coolest stories in the automotive industry, as it translates to "peregrine falcon". And that's amazing for two reasons: the peregrine falcon can reach speeds of over 200 mph (321 kph) when diving for prey, and it often feeds on blackbirds.

With a 1,299 cc, inline-four engine, performance figures were up at 173 hp and over 92 lb-ft (126 Nm) of torque. With that in mind, the Hayabusa could hit a top speed of over 190 mph (305 kph). And it could also run the quarter-mile (402 meters) in about 10 seconds or less.

Kawasaki fell short of reclaiming the title with their ZX-12R, and it didn't take long for the Hayabusa to reach legendary status. By the time the second generation of the Busa was introduced in 2008, people had already started seeing the infamous Ghost Rider videos featuring a turbo GSX 1300R going all out on public roads.

In a way, the biker crowd looked at the Hayabusa in a similar way that the automotive world looked at the Toyota Supra. Just as Toothless was the Alpha Dragon of the How to Train Your Dragon series, the Hayabusa was the alpha wolf of all motorcycles.

This motorcycle has garnered a cult following around the world, and most bikers will know to stop bragging about how fast their crotch rocket is when they see one of these pulling up to a meet.

But seeing that October is autoevolution's Commercials Month, we are not here to preach about the sheer speed of the Hayabusa. Instead, we're going to look at some of the most interesting promo movies created by Suzuki to promote their product.

The first one was released in 1999, and it was focused on the same epic story we talked about earlier. It's only 36 seconds long, and it shows a peregrine falcon diving in at a high speed from the upper layers of the atmosphere.

In a movie worthy of a Transformers story, the metallic-like falcon turns into a motorcycle. The rider is wearing all-black gear and enjoying some wide-open-throttle action.

Using clever wordplay, Suzuki reveals their domination over Honda and Kawasaki: "Suddenly, everything else looks like prey." The GSX 1300R was dubbed "The Ultimate Predator", and it all fit perfectly with the company's motto: "Ride the winds of change."

As this was a pretty simple and short video, Suzuki followed up with an extensive six-minute long video. The short film explored the technical specifications of the motorcycle, further appealing to potential customers with in-depth explanations of it all.

As the second-generation model was ready to continue the legacy, a new commercial was out in the spotlight. There was no complex plotline here, but it looked quite inspiring all the same. Before seeing the new bike, we get prompted with several speed-inspiring appearances.

At first, there's a private jet, then there's a high-speed train, the peregrine falcon, a cheetah, and a performance swimmer, each of them showcasing one of the new Hayabusa's core strengths. This time we get to see a set of slow-motion and studio shots of the bike, and you can't help but think there's an almost mystical aura to it.

With all of the time and money poured into this project, Suzuki managed to sell almost 190,000 Hayabusas in a little over 20 years. But it's safe to say that the most heartwarming and exhilarating Hayabusa commercial of theirs is the one that introduced the third-generation model.

This video brings all three generations together, as Suzuki takes pride in the two-decade-long heritage of their high-speed machine. The "Perfectly Poised" commercial is exciting enough to have you start looking for Hayabusas online, regardless of the year they were manufactured.

If you can't afford the $18,799 MSRP before tax ($440 destination charge), you'll be happy to know that a first-generation model will only set you back about $5,000. Just don't jump on one with no prior motorcycle riding experience!