The Hayabusa has been burning up roadways for a quarter century and has become a sportbike icon. Speed comes easy for the Busa, so whether your destination is the end of a dragstrip or another state, it can get there quicker than almost anything else on wheels. (Photos by Kevin Wing and courtesy Suzuki.) There are countless excellent motorcycles in the world, but there are just a few veritable icons. Of all the Japanese bikes launched in the last 25 years, the Suzuki Hayabusa is perhaps most worthy of icon status.  The Hayabusa is globally renowned for major-league power, seen here in its third generation. The sportbike paradigm shifted in 1999 when Suzuki introduced the GSX1300R Hayabusa. It had the most powerful engine in a production motorcycle and aerodynamic bodywork that looked like nothing else on the road.  The Suzuki Hayabusa celebrates 25 years with a special-edition 25th Anniversary Edition model. For a quarter century, the Hayabusa has defined what an ultra-fast motorcycle should be. More than 200,000 Busas have found their way into the hands of speed-addled enthusiasts, from lightning-quick dragracers to sport-touring mavens who strap on luggage and blaze highways at blurring speeds.  Fast Design | Suzuki Hayabusa There’s always been a need for speed, and velocities ramped up in 1990 with the introduction of Kawasaki’s ZX-11, which could exceed 170 mph. Honda retaliated in 1996 with its CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, which could hit 174 mph.  An early design sketch shows more conventional styling than the bulbous bodywork and stacked headlights that became Suzuki Hayabusa hallmarks. Suzuki wanted in on this high-speed action and began developing a monumental motorcycle, with the goal of being “the most powerful production bike in the world, but at the same time have usable, rider-friendly performance.” We weren’t quite prepared for the groundbreaking machine that emerged from Suzuki’s drawing boards. Over three model generations, wind-tunnel testing has ensured the Busa is as slippery as possible. Big speed requires keen attention to aerodynamics, so Suzuki’s new flagship would need to slip cleanly through the air to become the king of speed. The fastest animal in the world is the peregrine falcon, a bird renowned for its ability to hit 200 mph during a steep dive.  Suzuki drew inspiration for the Hayabusa’s design from the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on earth. The Japanese word for the falcon is “hayabusa,” and the kanji character for the word was emblazoned on the bike. Peregrine falcons sometimes eat blackbirds for lunch, and so would the motorcycle that shares its Japanese name. At the bike’s launch in 1999, Suzuki proclaimed class-leading aero. The Busa’s bullet-shaped nose featured a stacked headlight arrangement to narrow the bike’s frontal area. The front turnsignals were integrated into the nose to help funnel air to the pressurized airbox to boost power at high speeds.  With sculpted bodywork, integrated front turnsignals, and stacked headlights, the Hayabusa’s styling broke new ground. The Busa’s chassis was more conventional: a twin-spar aluminum frame with an inverted fork and a monoshock, both fully adjustable. Offsetting the bike’s 550-lb curb weight was a 24.2-degree rake (the steepest in the category) and a mere 3.9 inches of trail. A 58.5-inch wheelbase and a steering damper helped provide high-speed stability. The front brakes featured 6-piston Tokico calipers biting on 320mm discs. The kanji character on the bodywork is the Busa’s calling card. Fast and Furious | Suzuki Hayabusa Suzuki used lessons learned in developing its GSX-R motors, using 81mm forged-aluminum pistons reciprocating over a 63mm stroke to yield 1,299cc. The Busa also featured fuel injection, a novelty in that era, and an air injection system minimized emissions without hurting performance. A 4-2-1-2 exhaust included a catalytic converter to keep it EPA-legal. A gear-driven counterbalancer reduced vibration. In 2003, a limited-edition Suzuki Hayabusa with metallic orange paint and special badging celebrated the 40th anniversary of American Suzuki. Suzuki blew us away with an unprecedented 173 crankshaft horsepower. That number dwarfed the GSX-R1100W’s output by 20 horses and easily outgunned Honda’s Blackbird. Put it all together, and the Busa was able to reach an astounding 194 mph when tested by Cycle World.  The Hayabusa’s engine architecture has stayed essentially the same for 25 years. Displacement increased from 1,299cc to 1,340cc in its second generation. I got my first crack at the Busa in 1999 and was thrust into hyperspace. “It’s mind-bendingly fast,” I wrote, “and the explosions inside the engine feel like little sticks of dynamite are being fed through the intake valves, igniting the mixture with greater force than what had been considered possible from a production streetbike.”  The three model generations – Gen 1 on the left, Gen 2 on the right, and Gen 3 in the middle – show the evolution of styling yet all are unmistakably Hayabusas. During dyno testing, the motor piled on at least 20 hp every 1,000 rpm from 2,500 to 7,500 rpm! Additionally, it generated 73 lb-ft at just 2,500 rpm, the same torque as Yamaha’s 1999 YZF-R1 made at its peak. Describing the Busa as “fast” is like calling the Sistine Chapel “pretty.”  Also impressive was the bike’s finish quality, which exceeded most other Suzukis of the era. Its 10-disc back-torque limiting slipper clutch was stout, and its 6-speed gearbox shifted precisely.  The three model generations – Gen 1 on the left, Gen 2 on the right, and Gen 3 in the middle – show the evolution of styling yet all are unmistakably Hayabusas. Fast Limit | Suzuki Hayabusa Kawasaki didn’t like Suzuki stealing the top-speed throne and retaliated in 2000 with the 178-hp ZX-12R. Surprisingly, it could only reach a top speed of 186 mph. That’s when we learned that manufacturers had voluntarily agreed to an arbitrary speed limit of 300 kph (186 mph) to avoid potential regulations on sportbikes. The top-speed wars ended by unofficial decree.  The Hayabusa graced the cover of Rider’s March 2008 issue when we compared it to Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-14. The Hayabusa again graced our cover in September 2021 with the launch of the third generation. Meanwhile, the Hayabusa kept on rolling as the poster child for motorcycle excess. Wild custom paint jobs covered the Busa’s distinctive bodywork, turbos and nitrous kits were added, and extended swingarms with fat tires became all the rage.  But it wasn’t just sportbike jockeys who appreciated the Hayabusa’s effortless speed. Travelers who needed to get to faraway places in a hurry often chose Busas as sport-touring rigs, creating the hypersport-touring niche.  Outfitted with a tankbag and a tailbag, the Hayabusa becomes a hypersport-tourer. The Busa’s rivals were vastly overshadowed by its massive impact on this market – more than 115,000 Gen 1s were sold. The Blackbird’s run ended in 2002. Kawasaki revamped its 1,198cc ZX-12R in 2002, but it wasn’t able to elbow its way into the Busa’s dominance among speed freaks.  Fast Reignition: Gen 2 | Suzuki Hayabusa Kawasaki killed off the 12R and replaced it in 2006 with the ZX-14. It was a worthy challenger but lacked the Busa’s rowdiness and street cred. The slugfest escalated in 2008 when Kawasaki introduced the ZX-14R and Suzuki gave the Busa its first significant makeover.  Related: 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa vs. Kawasaki ZX-14 – Comparison Review The engine’s displacement was bumped to 1,340cc by increasing its stroke 2mm. Lighter and stronger forged pistons bumped compression up to 12.5:1, and a forged crank spun chromoly rods shot-peened for extra strength. Up top were 16 titanium valves, and new camshafts offered greater lift and revised timing. Cam-chain tension was switched over to a hydraulic system. Suzuki claimed a 12% improvement in horsepower, stretching to 194 hp at the crankshaft, a 21-horse boost. Torque was bumped 8.5% to 114 lb-ft. Harnessing the bigger power was a revised clutch that offered better feedback and employed the Suzuki Clutch Assist System.  The ultimate speedy commuter. Modest chassis tweaks included fork sliders with a DLC coating to minimize stiction, a stiffer swingarm, and upgraded Brembo 4-piston radial calipers. Refreshed bodywork featured smoother body panel joints with hidden fasteners and a tailsection with integrated turnsignals that were said to evoke a jet-engine exhaust. The bike looked sharper and more modern without losing its distinctive appearance, but it was saddled with a pair of ungainly triangular mufflers – a product of new emissions standards. Curb weight went up by 7 lb, and so did sales of aftermarket exhaust systems. Ergonomic tweaks consisted of a lower fuel tank so riders could better tuck behind the taller windscreen and a lowered rear subframe with a plusher rear seat. The tailsection included attachment points for securing luggage, and the area under the solo-seat hump offered additional storage. The revised Busa was faster, handled better, and stopped with more authority, and it offered steering that was more neutral and direct than the formidable ZX-14R. As usual, the Busa impressed with its effortless power output. In Rider’s 2008 comparison test, Bill Stermer quipped: “Being in a dither about whether they make more power is like wondering if Jennifer Lopez would be more attractive if she parted her hair differently.” Fast Money | Suzuki Hayabusa Motorcycle sales had been on an unprecedented upward surge during the 2000s. Hayabusas were soaring off showroom floors, and aftermarket support was robust.  The Hayabusa’s fluid curves and shapes not only enhance aerodynamics but also convey a sense of speed. But then the Great Recession hit, and motorcycle sales dropped by more than half almost overnight. The battles for hyperbike supremacy took a hiatus until 2012 when Kawi unveiled a new ZX-14R, which packed 1,441cc of heat that trumped the Busa on the dyno by 17 hp. But the Suzuki was 11 lb lighter and was able to give its rival a run for the money. I logged a blistering 9.8-second E.T. on the Busa at the dragstrip, just a tenth behind the Kawi.  As recessionary forces continued to depress the moto market, the colorful hyperbike scene faded.  Fast Gen 3 | Suzuki Hayabusa The Busa’s third generation was introduced in May 2021 and labeled “The Refined Beast.” Billed as a 2022 model, it received a styling update yet was unmistakably a Hayabusa. Suzuki slathered its new hyperbike with the latest technology and priced it at $18,599. Related: 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa | Road Test Review The Hayabusa entered its third generation with the 2022 model. Never before could you get a Busa with TFT instrumentation, cruise control, a bi-directional quickshifter, or traction control, but those all became standard equipment. Brakes got an upgrade with the addition of Brembo’s vaunted Stylema calipers paired with 320mm discs and cornering ABS. The Busa’s IMU-based electronics package includes six riding modes and adjustable traction control, engine braking, and wheelie control, along with launch control and hill-hold control.  In homage to the original, the new Busa’s instrument panel includes analog gauges that, as in 1999, use stepper motors to ratchet up the needles to their max values when the ignition is switched on. A small TFT display sits in the center. Analog gauges are augmented by a central TFT panel. The engine architecture and displacement carried over into Gen 3, but most internal components were lightened, strengthened, or refined for less friction. Cam profiles were revised to reduce valve lift overlap and help achieve Euro 5 emissions standards. A new exhaust system shaved 4.5 lb, bringing the bike’s curb weight to 582 lb. Suzuki rates the 1,340cc inline-Four at 188 hp, down 6 ponies from previous but with additional low- and midrange power. When we tested the Busa on Jett Tuning’s dyno, it generated a vigorous 173 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque at its rear tire.  Fast 25 | Suzuki Hayabusa It’s exceedingly rare when a motorcycle model endures for a quarter century, so Suzuki celebrated the milestone with a special 25th Anniversary Edition Hayabusa in 2024. It features a special Glass Blaze Orange / Glass Sparkle Black paint scheme, a 25th-anniversary emblem atop the fuel tank, and anniversary logos etched on each muffler.  The Hayabusa’s third generation debuted in 2021 as “The Refined Beast,” updated with IMU-based electronics, a TFT instrument display, and cruise control. I had the honor of putting some miles on one and revisiting the majesty of the venerable Busa. As usual, the engine is so omnipotent that it makes the numbers on the speedo seem like they’re in kilometers per hour rather than mph. Traveling at 100 mph is absolutely effortless, so riders need to keep a watchful eye on the speedo or risk running afoul of speed limits. First gear alone will take you to 85 mph.  The 25th Anniversary Edition’s color scheme harkens back to a Gen 2 favorite. The bike exhibits confident and stable handling, and the stiff chassis responds immediately without any flex. The KYB suspension is well-dialed, and the 31.5-inch seat retains the cushiness of previous Busas, but there’s not much room between the saddle and the high footpegs. The reach for the bars is relatively long, but the fairing offers excellent wind protection for a sportbike. Its 5.3-gallon tank offers a touring-worthy 200 miles of range. The mufflers are etched with the anniversary logo. Fast Legacy  | Suzuki Hayabusa The Hayabusa’s 25-year run proves that nothing exceeds like excess. The Busa’s legendary lump of an engine continues to thrill riders today, and it has proven to be almost unkillable – some owners have racked up six-figure mileage on the odometer.  But the Busa is more than just one of the fastest earth-bound missiles ever created. Its bulbous and smooth styling, which previously looked almost cartoonish, has become a staple of sportbike design and continues to impress passersby. While the Hayabusa is overkill for tight twisty roads, its cocktail of speed and style makes for high levels of excitement on wide-open asphalt from coast to coast.  We are wary of using the term “icon” to describe a motorcycle, but the word certainly fits when it comes to Suzuki’s incredible Hayabusa. The king still reigns. The kanji character on the side fairings is set off with a red graphic. The post Suzuki Hayabusa, 1999-2024: Your Majesty for 25 Years appeared first on Rider Magazine.

The November 2024 issue of Rider Magazine has arrived! All hail the 2024 Suzuki Hayabusa 25th Anniversary Edition, one of the fastest and most powerful production motorcycles ever built.  Subscribe Now Additional stories in the November issue of Rider: Suzuki Hayabusa, 1999-2024 | Retrospective Motorcycle of the Year | Winner’s Circle 2024 Yamaha MT-09 and MT-09 SP | First Ride Royal Enfield’s Build. Train. Race. All-women racing program | Moto People 2024 Honda CB650R and CBR650R | First Ride California Superbike School Level I | Riding Skills Exploring balds, gaps, and curves in the Blue Ridge Mountains | Favorite Ride And more! Subscribe to Rider Magazine The post November 2024 appeared first on Rider Magazine.

A cop has been killed and four others were left wounded after a terrorist attack took place in central Israel on Tuesday. 

by James M. Thunder   Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, has recently stated on national television, “The View,” Oct. 8, that she cannot think of a single thing that she would do differently than President Biden during his four years in office: Would you have done something differently than President […] The post ELECT HARRIS AND FUND OUR ENEMIES appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The New York Times on Monday attempted to downplay evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris plagiarized sections of her 2009 book “Smart on Crime.” The Times repeatedly suggested that only “five sections” or “passages” from the book were plagiarized, citing a plagiarism “expert” who said the passages amounted “to an error and not an intent to defraud.” Chris Rufo, the conservative activist who brought attention to the plagiarism which was first discovered by Austrian “Plagiarism Hunter” Stefan Weber, took to X on Monday afternoon to debunk the Times article. Rufo provided emails sent to Times reporter Stephanie Saul, one of three authors of the article, the headline of which reads: “Conservative Activist Seizes on Passages From Harris Book.” “The Times claims that I only argued that Kamala Harris plagiarized ‘five sections’ involving ‘about 500 words,’” Rufo wrote. “But this isn’t true. In my story, I wrote that Stefan Weber argued there are ‘more than a dozen’ instances of ‘vicious plagiarism.’ This past Saturday, I provided the Times not only with my written analysis, which argues that there are ‘more than a dozen,’ but with Weber’s full dossier, which included 18 allegations of varying severity.” “So, the Times deliberately withheld this crucial contextual information from its readers and from the supposed plagiarism expert, who, based on this limited information, called it ‘not serious,’” Rufo continued. “They could have easily confirmed the “more than a dozen” point, but instead, lied by omission.” The New York Times is lying about my plagiarism story and I have the receipts to prove it: 1. The Times claims that I only argued that Kamala Harris plagiarized “five sections” involving “about 500 words.” But this isn’t true. In my story, I wrote that Stefan Weber argued there… pic.twitter.com/gAyPdbwZIn — Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 14, 2024 Rufo also criticized the Times for claiming “none of the passages in question took the ideas or thoughts of another writer.” Rufo argued that reasoning was “preposterous.” “Harris not only copied multiple paragraphs of other people’s work verbatim, but she often lifted those ideas directly and at face value,” Rufo said. “In one case, she came to the wrong conclusion because she copied Wikipedia—i.e., she stole a bad idea, copied the language verbatim, and got the point wrong.” MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28 The Times consulted Jonathan Bailey, a plagiarism consultant, who told the outlet that Rufo had taken a relatively small amount of the book and was trying to “make a big deal of it.” But on X, Bailey addressed concerns by saying he had “NOT performed a full analysis of the book,” adding that his comments “were based on information provided to me by the reporters and spoke only about those passages.” For those coming here from the NY Times Article. I want to be clear that I have NOT performed a full analysis of the book. My quotes were based on information provided to me by the reporters and spoke only about those passages. — Jonathan Bailey (@plagiarismtoday) October 14, 2024 Rufo commented on Bailey’s post, noting that the Times only provided Bailey with five passages, “in other words, it deliberately withheld more than a dozen of the accusations in an attempt to manipulate the expert and run interference for Kamala Harris. This is pure corruption.” The New York Times provided its “plagiarism expert” with only five plagiarized passages—in other words, it deliberately withheld more than a dozen of the accusations in an attempt to manipulate the expert and run interference for Kamala Harris. This is pure corruption. https://t.co/KFlrJ1sSSm — Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 15, 2024 The authors of the Times article did not respond to a Daily Wire inquiry prior to press time. The Times’ handling of Harris’ plagiarism is markedly different than how it handled allegations of plagiarism against Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. When Paul was found to have plagiarized passages, the Times published at least three stories on the matter and one opinion piece. In each example, the word “plagiarism” was used in some form in the headline. As The Daily Wire reported on Monday, the publisher of Harris’ book, Chronicle Books, appears to be in “damage-control mode” after accidentally sending Rufo an email from a higher-up. Rufo posted a screenshot of the email to X, which showed Chronicle’s VP Lauren Hoffman telling staff that all inquiries about the book need to go through her. BREAKING: Kamala Harris’s publisher, Chronicle Books, is in damage control mode. The company accidentally sent my team an internal communication indicating that VP Lauren Hoffman is requiring that all inquiries about Harris’s plagiarism go through the higher ups. pic.twitter.com/seiF3bu0R2 — Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 14, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris and her presidential campaign faced backlash this week after they mocked former President Donald Trump for stopping a town hall event he was participating in after two attendees suffered medical emergencies. Trump was holding a town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Monday evening when two people in the audience fainted. The first person who fainted about 30 minutes into the town hall and had to be placed on a stretcher and taken out of the indoor event, a local ABC News affiliate reported. Shortly after that, another person fainted. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28 Trump called attention to the people who fainted and directed medical attention to them. The fainting may have been caused by the room being warm because the doors could not be opened for security reasons after Trump survived multiple assassination attempts. Trump then decided to end the formal question and answer portion of the town hall and opted to just have fun with his supporters by listening to music. “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music,” Trump said. “Who the hell wants to hear questions right?” Trump ends his town hall in Pennsylvania after 2 people in the audience suffered medical emergencies “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” This ability to be human is why he appeals to voters more than Kamala pic.twitter.com/s2qFBOXLGD — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 15, 2024 The Harris campaign mocked Trump over the incident, posting on X: “Trump appears lost, confused, and frozen on stage as multiple songs play for 30+ minutes and the crowd pours out of the venue early.” Video from the event showed that the crowd largely stayed to listen to music and had fun. Harris boosted the claims from her campaign’s account and mocked Trump in the process, writing: “Hope he’s okay.” Harris spokesperson Ian Sams also claimed that there was “no explanation of why” he stopped the formal part of the town hall. The Trump campaign fired back at the claims from the Harris campaign: “Meanwhile, back in the real world, what actually happened is President Trump listened to music with his supporters after multiple people needed medical attention.” “The more Kamala’s interns see her poll numbers, the more pathetic the lies become,” they added. The campaign also posted a clip from ABC News that debunked “the pathetic lie” from the Harris campaign. ?WATCH: ABC News completely debunks the pathetic lie spread by Kamala and her campaign that President Trump froze on stage at his town hall. As her poll numbers drop, Kamala’s lies become even more pathetic. https://t.co/E6GpGIHZ77 pic.twitter.com/tDpD18Dh4o — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 15, 2024