In 1999 Suzuki debuted what was going to become a cult phenomenon all over the world, the manic Hayabusa. Bulbous and ugly in the eyes of many, the Hayabusa made it clear it was here only for one reason, to be the fastest production bike on planet earth. It came, it achieved and it's still conquering ever since. Suzuki launched this big mutha of a bike in India recently amidst much fanfare.

The design of the Hayabusa had only one aim, to provide the least resistance to the wind blowing past the rider at 300 plus km/h. Designed in the wind tunnel for this sole purpose, the busa is at its bubbliest, most rotund shape with its long, wide and raked out windscreen that ends in the triangular headlamp, flanked by the snouty ram-air intakes on the inside of the indicators. Side on the big bike looks like a chisel all ready to cut through air. From the rear, the bike forms an indistinguishable drooping shape dominated by the large triangular tail lamp flanked by oval shaped indicators on either side. Build quality is exceptional with top notch detailing all around.

For the 2008 busa, you now get an upbored 1340cc engine between your legs. Power figures are now pegged at a whopping 197PS, and a torque of 140Nm which gives the bike enough grunt to hit 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds and reach time warping speeds of 300 km/h. To take care of that kind horsepower Suzuki has now included the Drive Mode Selector that let's you choose how much power the engine takes to the rear wheel, an excellent feature for the amateur superbiker in India.

With a 1480 mm wheelbase and a 220 kg dry weight, the busa isn't exactly the nimblest of all bikes, but weaving the bike around traffic is mostly an effortless affair. The stock suspension settings were impressive - pliant enough to take in bumps but well-damped and far from wallowy.

The only other bike which matches or comes close to the busa's credentials is the Yamaha R1. Although the R1 belongs to the sport biking category compared to the hyper touring busa, it's the only other bike that can scare the living daylights out of one. The busa comparatively is more relaxed, offers a more comfortable riding position and is an absolute doodle around town. Is it the best way to spend Rs 12.5 lakh then? aBUSAloutely.

View Slideshow:Suzuki Hayabusa

Go To : ZigWheels Car and Bike of the Year 2008