We tested the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa for two days on the street and track. (Photo by Kevin Wing)
We test the third-generation 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa, a 1,340cc, 188-horsepower sportbike received its first major update since 2008.
Compared to the previous model, peak horsepower and torque are lower — 188 horsepower at 9,700 rpm (down from 194) and 111 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm (down from 114) — but there are sizable gains in the heart of the rev range. Suzuki claims the new Hayabusa goes 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, a couple of tenths faster than its predecessor.
The Hayabusa has updated styling, new instrumentation, and a new IMU-based electronics package called the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System. Six riding modes (three presets, three customizable) adjust power, engine braking, traction control, and quickshifter mode. SIRS also includes linked cornering ABS, a speed limiter, launch control, slope-descent control, hill-hold control, and cruise control.
We tested the 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa for two days on the street and on the track in Utah. It’s insanely fast, makes a ton of velvety smooth power at all times, and handles well for a 582-pound sportbike. Check it out in our video review:
Riding the 2021 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone Centenario (photo by Larry Chen Photo)
Moto Guzzi is celebrating 100 years of continuous production this year. Its updated V7 Stone is available in a special Centenario edition for 2021 that’s a tribute to Moto Guzzi’s Otto cilindri V-8 GP racer, which went over 170 mph in 1955. The Centenario livery, with a silver tank, green fenders and side panels, a brown seat, and special badging, is also available on 2021 Moto Guzzi V85 TT and V9 Bobber models for an extra $200.
For 2021, the V7 Stone ($8,990) and V7 Special ($9,490) have a larger 853cc V-twin that makes 65 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 54 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm, measured at the crank. Other updates include reduced effort from the single-disc dry clutch; a stiffer frame and a bigger swingarm with a new bevel gear for the cardan shaft drive; revised damping and a longer stroke for the preload-adjustable rear shocks; an updated ABS module; a wider rear tire (now 150/70-17); vibration-damping footpegs; a thicker passenger seat; an updated styling.
The 2021 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone is solid, predictable, carefree. Find out more by watching our video review:
To find a Moto Guzzi dealer near you, visit motoguzzi.com.
Phil with his trusty Honda Aero 1100 near the St. Johns River in Florida, not long before he had to say goodbye.
On April 8, 2021, at 8:47 p.m. near Sarasota, Florida, my 2001 Honda Aero 1100, a trusted traveling companion for the last 14 years, met its unceremonious end when the driver of a car ran a red left-turn arrow and crossed my lane of travel.
I bought my Aero in 2007, and ended up owning it longer than I’ve owned any other motorcycle. To say that it was a great bike is a major understatement. The Aero was steadfast, reliable and enjoyable for many magnificent motorcycle tours. Recently I had the thought that it might be the last motorcycle I’d ever own. Drawn to its classic styling, even after a decade and a half owning the bike, I would still smile when I looked at it parked in the garage.
On the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2008
Yeah, okay, so I loved the bike.
When I bought the Aero in 2007, it already had a windshield, auxiliary lights and highway bars, and within a short time I added a Corbin seat, Champion hard saddlebags and a throttle lock. Once outfitted, the bike was completely comfortable and suited for long-distance travel. I rode many 12-hour-plus days without complaint. Together, we logged nearly 100,000 miles from coast to coast.
Some of the best of these rides have been documented in the pages of Rider. Riding the Aero the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway culminated in my first article published in the magazine, “A Ride on the Ridge,” in the July 2009 issue. Living in the Atlanta area for many years, we explored well-known roads, like Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway, and hidden gems throughout the Southeast.
When I moved to Seattle, Washington, in 2010, I rode the Aero through the Ozarks, on Route 66 west of Flagstaff, over the Hoover Dam and through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. While living in the Pacific Northwest, new routes up and around Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and the Cascades, as well as east into the high desert around Yakima took us through some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen. More unforgettable memories and and more features in Rider, such as “Olympic Peninsula, Motorcycle Heaven in the Northwest” (May 2012) and “The Cascade Loop” (January 2014).
Mount St. Helens, Washington, in 2011
One of my most memorable rides was taking the Aero the “back way” to Idaho on the Brownlee-Oxbow Highway, along the Snake River and into Hells Canyon. On all these rides, through hundreds of hours and countless miles through some of the most deserted roads in America, I never doubted that the Honda would get me there and back. Many times I patted its tank like a cowboy pats his horse.
In 2016, at a career dead end and financially tapped out, I moved to southwest Florida, where my extended family lived. With no income, hustling to find a job and get back on my feet, the logical thing to do was sell the bike. Sadly I did, but I told the buyer, “When you buy your Harley” — everyone rides them here — “I want first call on buying it back.” Fourteen months later, my Aero came back home.
Near Harmony, Washington, in 2012
Our last tour was just a few weeks ago, a whirlwind five-day, 1,000-mile ride around northern Florida, with overnight stays in Cedar Key, Apalachicola, Jacksonville and Crescent Beach. A lovely ride.
But now it’s gone. Due to a split-second error by an impatient driver, the Aero suffered terminal front-end damage. It’s never easy to say goodbye to those we love. My Aero will be missed, but I’ll always have great memories of our years and miles together.
Harley-Davidson provided this teaser image when announcing the upcoming global reveal.
Harley-Davidson has announced a new mid-season motorcycle reveal, “From Evolution to Revolution.” The virtual launch event will be held July 13, 2021, at 10 a.m. CDT, and is open to anyone who registers.
“Following the successful launch of our first adventure touring motorcycle, the Pan America, we are excited to reveal another all-new motorcycle, built on the Revolution Max platform in the sport segment, showcasing unmatched Harley-Davidson technology, performance, and style,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO Harley-Davidson.
In 2018, when H-D rolled out its “More Road to Harley-Davidson” strategic plan, it provided prototype images of the Pan America as well as the Bronx streetfighter and 1250 Custom, all to be powered by a new modular engine platform, which we now know is the Revolution Max. The Bronx was said to be a 975cc motorcycle, while the Custom was 1,250cc. The teaser image for the new motorcycle says “1250” and looks similar to the 1250 Custom.
Prototype image of the Harley-Davidson BronxPrototype image of the Harley-Davidson 1250 Custom.
The reveal event will preview details of the new motorcycle and include presentations by Harley-Davidson leadership, product experts, and riders. To take part in the “From Evolution to Revolution” virtual launch event, you can register at H-D.com/JulyReveal.
We swing a leg over Yamaha’s latest entry into its supersport line-up: the 2022 YZF-R7. (Drew Ruiz/)
Yamaha repurposes its MT-07 platform to create a new parallel-twin powered sportbike. (Drew Ruiz/)
Despite only weighing five pounds less than the outgoing YZF-R6. The parallel-twin powered R7 feels much lighter in action. (Drew Ruiz/)
Although the R7 employs an inverted fork with full adjustment, it’s components don’t have the same level of lofty performance as the YZF-R6 and YZF-R1. (Drew Ruiz/)
The YZF-R7 is a fun little sportbike. It offers just enough performance to keep you engaged but not so much to intimidate riders. (Drew Ruiz/)
The R7 shares its basic underpinnings from the MT-07. (Drew Ruiz/)
Yamaha offers value in the sportbike class with its sharp looking and affordable YZF-R7 ($8,999). (Drew Ruiz/)
Instrumentation is basic but functional. One gripe: we wish the gear position indicator was larger. (Drew Ruiz/)
We throw a leg over Suzuki’s 2022 Hayabusa hypersport bike in this review. (Kevin Wing/)
Suzuki’s 2022 Hayabusa ($18,599) represents the top of the spear in its current motorcycle model line-up. (Kevin Wing/)
As usual, the Hayabusa sports a comfy rider seat that is well suited to long days in the saddle. (Kevin Wing/)
We’re always impressed by how well Suzuki’s Hayabusa handles for a nearly 600-pound sportbike. Its handling is even more effortless for 2022. (Kevin Wing/)
Like before, the Suzuki Hayabusa’s ergonomics package favors taller than average riders. (Kevin Wing/)
The instrument display is a mix of old and new. It’s easy to read and we like the switchgear and menu navigation. (Kevin Wing/)
Suzuki joins the modern sportbike era with a suite of electronic rider aids. The electronics are easy to setup and allow the Hayabusa to go from mild to wild with a push of a button. (Kevin Wing/)
We are big fans of the sleeker and more modern appearance of Suzuki’s ‘22 Hayabusa hypersport bike. (Kevin Wing/)
Leaner and meaner, the Hayabusa is sure to turn heads with its windtunnel born styling. (Kevin Wing/)
Harley-Davidson shared a pic of a new motorcycle for “the sport segment” this morning, powered by the new 150-horsepower 1250cc Revolution Max engine it uses in the critically acclaimed Pan America. A “virtual launch” of the new bike is scheduled for July 13, 2021, at 10 a.m. CDT – and the link to sign up is down below.
“Sport segment” to Harley can be a bit loosely defined. If you’re thinking Bronx streetfighter, the truth may be closer to the cruiserish sportbike, possibly to be called Nightster or Custom 1250, that Dennis Chung wrote about in March and again in April. Whatever it is should be a hoot with that engine.
Harley-Davidson Press Release:
HARLEY-DAVIDSON ANNOUNCES “FROM EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION” GLOBAL REVEAL EVENT
Virtual Launch Registration Now Open
MILWAUKEE, WI (June 21, 2021) – Harley-Davidson announces a new mid-season motorcycle reveal, “From Evolution to Revolution.” This virtual launch experience will be held July 13, 2021, at 10 a.m. CDT. This new model follows the exciting arrival of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 with its all-new Revolution Max powertrain in dealerships around the world.
“Following the successful launch of our first adventure touring motorcycle, the Pan America, we are excited to reveal another all-new motorcycle, built on the Revolution Max platform in the sport segment, showcasing unmatched Harley-Davidson technology, performance and style,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO Harley-Davidson.
The one photo Harley sent out this morning, of just the engine, looks a lot like this pic of the Custom 1250 prototype they shared earlier in the year.
The reveal event will preview details of the new motorcycle model and will include presentations by Harley-Davidson leadership, product experts and the passionate riders who are developing and bringing to market another powerful new motorcycle coming to Harley-Davidson® dealerships in 2021.
To take part in the “From Evolution to Revolution” virtual launch experience, register now at www.H-D.com/JulyReveal.
With an increase in desire for travel, efficiency comes a blow-out to an entirely different corner of the market – and Taiwan has some numbers to bounce to the forefront.
The value increase of the motorcycle and scooter spare parts industry was measured from 2012 to 2020 and showed a beefy 5.2 annual increase rate across the board.
Record highs were logged in 2019, with the output value of the first quarter alone reaching an average of USD$1.29 billion. As if that weren’t all, the end of the year saw the spare parts industry value balloon out to a mind-boggling USD$4.4 billion.
2020 saw an even larger increase, hitting USD $4.7 billion by the end of the year, despite ongoing restrictions.
The overall increase in industry value is also apparently due to the explosion of exports in both gas-powered and electricity-powered motorcycles and scooters and the sale of ebikes.
Some further specs for the industry:
2020
The production value of gas-powered motorcycles and scooters rose 27.8%, compared to 2019.
The production value of electric-powered scooters rose 29.8%, compared to 2019.
The two main receivers of Taiwan exports for motorcycles and spare parts were the Netherlands and the US (Previously, Japan).
Exports to the Netherlands reached USD $480 million, up 29.8%, compared to 2019.
Exports to the US reached USD $400 million, up 20.7%, compared to 2019.
For more industry-related news, head over to WebBikeWorld.
One of the sport’s household names, the eight-time World Champion made a triumphant return to the top step at the Sachsenring, to make it 11 straight wins and defend his King of the Ring title. It has been a long, hard and well-publicized road to recovery, with tears of joy shed as he ended a two-year wait for victory and completed one of sport’s greatest comebacks.
