Ninja ZX-14 vs Suzuki Hayabusa

Bart Madson
Bashing away at an MCUSA keyboard for more than half a decade, Madson lends his scribbling input on everything from bike reviews to industry features and motorcycle racing reports.

The open-class sportbike heavyweights return for a rematch, with the re-designed Suzuki Hayabusa aiming to retake its crown from the re-tuned Kawasaki ZX-14.

Ladies and gentlemen, may we have your attention ringside please. MotorcycleUSA.com is proud to present, for your adrenaline-pulsing entertainment, a comparo of felonious extraordinariousness! A merciless exhibition of titanic magnificence! A heavyweight bout of such gravity, such weight, it can only be described as the greatest two-wheeled extravaganza of all time! Two masters of the dojo from the land of Tojo... The biggest show outta Tokyo! A bitter duel between monster mounts mightier than the majestic massiveness of the Pacific Ocean they cross - the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 and the Suzuki GSX-R1300 Hayabusa!

Okay, so our Don King impersonation is third-rate, at best, but the ZX-14 and Hayabusa are the epitome of two-wheeled heavyweight brawlers. Sure, pound for pound, the 1000cc Superbikes may be the ultimate in production two-wheeled performance, but these two are the bad boys, the big cheese, the meanest monkeys in the sportbike jungle.

We discovered as much when we pitted the duo against each other in our 2006 Hayabusa vs. ZX-14 Comparo. In that encounter, the all-new ZX-14 got the better of the, until that point, unchallenged Busa. Fast forward to 2008 and we have new versions of each bike in our garage. But which contestant will come out on top in this latest clash of the titans?

In the challenger's corner, wearing orange and black, is the Hamamatsu Hammer, the Duke of the Dragstrip, the purveyor of horsepower porn - Suzuki's 2008 Hayabusa! Alright, alright... We'll drop the ringside announcer shtick.

Now, the Suzuki may be the challenger by our '06 comparo score, but there is no doubting the potency of the mighty Hayabusa through the years. Anyone who thinks otherwise need only be reminded that in 2005 John Noonan took a turbocharged Zook up to 256 mph on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, making it the fastest conventional, non-streamlined motorcycle in the world.

The Hayabusa did not take kindly to its split-decision loss at the end of '06 so the '08 machine comes to the table ripped to the nuts, fueled by rage and more powerful than ever. We'll get into the nitty gritty details later, but the long and short is Suzuki bumped the displacement to 1340cc, an answer to the stinging 1352cc Kawasaki salvo. The result is increased horsepower and torque complimented with upgraded brakes and suspension.

The train may crank out a couple thousand extra ponies, but pound for pound, the Ninja is about as potent a machine as you can get - dead even with the Busa.

As for the title-holding Kawasaki, the Ninja ZX-14 was the new kid on the block back in 2006, but this year it's back as the mean knuckle-busting punk - the kind that don't like to be called kid. In '06 the Ninja came out off the corner swinging and bloodied up the stalwart Busa, knocking it off the top of the hyper-sportbike heap with its combination of a smooth motor, comfy ergos and just enough power to keep the Busa on its heels.

The mad Kaw is also changed for 2008. It would be easy to assume the mods are nothing more than standard fare upgrades, but Kawaski did make some internal tweaks to the motor. The latest ZX-14's new tuning promises improved power off the low end while also meeting stricter emissions and noise regulations. All this was accomplished while maintaining similar overall peak power numbers of the original.

Claims, schmaims. As the saying goes: If PR claims were fishes, we'd all cast nets. So, let's test these ink and paper assertions with our own real-world observations. Our own, tale of the tape, as it were. Since the headlines for both these bikes are their monster motors, a showdown on the dyno will reveal just how monstrous these beasts really are.

Both 16-valve DOHC Inline Fours herald power numbers close to 200 hp at the crank, so we rolled the giants onto our Dynojet 200i to sample rear-wheel horsepower. Back in 2006 it was the Kawasaki that got the upper hand, humbling the Suzuki in both horsepower (169.1 to 155.9) and torque (103 to 94). This time around the reverse was true, at least in horsepower.

Peaking at 166.8 hp at 9600 rpm, the new Hayabusa mill enjoys an advantage of 5.1 ponies over the ZX-14, which registered 161.7 hp at 9200 rpm. Torque saw the Kawi hold its mastery with 102 lb-ft at 7700 rpm, but the new Busa is right there at 101.4 lb-ft at 7200 rpm, 500 rpm quicker than the Ninja. Just for the maniacal hell of it, we also buried the speedos during our final dyno runs. Pinned in sixth gear until they hit the rev-limiter, we saw a top speed of 182 mph for the Suzuki and 185 mph for the Kawasaki.

On the drag strip, the Suzuki Hayabusa smokes the ZX-14, but by the slimmest of margins - 0.02 to be exact.

It is important to note that we used a more-seasoned dyno in '06 than we did this year. Head to head, however, the most obvious difference from '06 is the Suzuki moving past its nemesis in peak horsepower and evening the score in torque. Yet, although it loses ground, when comparing '06 and '08 the ZX-14 curve shows improved torque and hp in the low end - just like Kawasaki promised.

While the Kawasaki's raw dyno numbers are a bit of a setback, at weigh-in the Ninja gets its mojo back. In 2006 the duo were a mere three pounds apart on the scales (527 for the ZX-14 to 530 for the Busa - tank empty). The Hayabusa has since added some bulk, tipping the scales at a tank-empty 546.5 lbs, compared to the ZX-14, which is almost identical to its '06 fighting trim at 528.7 lbs. Those numbers equate to tank-empty power-to-weight ratios of 0.3051 for the Busa and 0.3058 for the lighter Kawi. You can't get much closer than 0.0007.



Well, it turns out you almost can, as we would discover at the Phoenix, AZ, Firebird International Raceway. Any definitive answers we sought about overall performance on the dragstrip were dashed, as the quarter-mile results were also razor thin. In our best uncorrected runs the Suzuki just nipped the Kawasaki, running a 10.378 to the Ninja's 10.398. To put that disparity into context, 0.02 is less time than it takes for some species of hummingbird to flap their wings. Trap speed was also marginal, with the Busa coming out on top 139.36 to 139.08 mph.



That's not to say our two drag testers, MCUSA Editorial Director Ken Hutchison and Associate Editor Adam Waheed, didn't have an opinion about the duo's abilities at the strip.

"At the drag strip the Hayabusa just barely has the ZX covered," argues Hutch. "While the ZX is easier to get a strong launch on, my fastest run was set on the Suzuki by a couple hundredths so it's tough to pick a winner there. In almost every clean pass the Busa was faster in outright speed and that shows the Suzuki seems to have an edge. Then again, Adam was significantly faster on the Kawasaki than he was on the Busa."

Although the Ninja was easier to launch for beginners, our greener tester confirmed Hutch's assertions.

"The ZX is easier for a novice to go fast on and have fun," explains Adam. "On the other hand, I believe an experienced rider who knows how to extort full performance out of a bike will have more fun on the Busa. I feel confident that given more time on both bikes, I would go faster and have a better time on the Busa."

Limited to just six runs apiece, the raw numbers seem to give the Hayabusa the early edge, but it's time to take these two monsters out on the pavement to determine a winner.
2008 Suzuki Hayabusa

Our street evaluations came in polar opposite weather conditions, with our Southern California testers enjoying sunny skies, while our Oregon contingent piled on the miles in below freezing 27-degree temps. Warm or cold, however, it doesn't take long for the action to heat up on these machines. Just twist the key, thumb the starter and hold on tight.

Arriving on the scene in 1999, the Hayabusa (the Japanese name for the Peregrine Falcon), has become a flagship for Suzuki and created an entire subculture in the motorcycling community. The 2008 Hayabusa is the first significant change to Suzuki's popular platform.

Headlining the changes is a redesigned liquid-cooled Inline-Four. Now measuring an oversquare 81 x 65mm, the extra 2mm of stroke pushes displacement up to 1340cc, with compression ratio also increasing from 11:1 to 12.5:1. Other internal engine alterations include lighter aluminum-alloy pistons with modified crowns, as well as new valves, which retain the same diameter (33mm intake and 27.5 exhaust) but are now made of titanium. A new ECU is also utilized, which controls the fueling via a pair of 44mm SDTV (Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve) throttle bodies and a pair of 12-hole fuel injectors per cylinder. Technical mumbo jumbo aside, the engine mods are responsible for the Busa's improved dyno results.

While we can't make an apples-to-apples comparison to the old machine, as we used different dynos, there's no denying the '08 Busa has more power on demand. The hard numbers equate to 10.9 horsepower and 7.4 lb-ft of torque increases, but the real-world application is a motor that flat out hauls.

Hauls being a massive understatement, as a rider pulling up to a stop light has a veritable bundle of TNT underneath just waiting for the green light to light the fuse. Head-to-head the throttle response is not quite as crisp as the ZX-14's, but there seems to be an unending well of power all the way up to the 11,000 rpm redline.

"This definitely felt like the fastest motorcycle I have ever ridden," said Adam. "Accelerating through the gears feels surreal, as everything around you passes by in an absolute blur."

This is all in the default A-Mode, as the '08 Hayabusa incorporates the S-DMS (Suzuki Drive Mode Selector) found on its smaller GSX-R siblings. Featuring three engine maps, the differences are evident on our dyno sheet: A-Mode is brutish power which spikes around 9K. B-Mode delivers almost 13-less ponies, but makes power in a very linear manner. C-Mode mirrors the A-Mode curve, but about 50 horsepower lower.

Looking at the dyno, the power characteristics of the A, B and C modes on the S-DMS (Suzuki Drive Mode Selector) are apparent.

All three positions are noticeable, with the C-Mode feeling, dare we say it, sluggish - in particular during low-end acceleration. There's nothing wrong with the system, which is operated by a thumb switch on the right handlebar, but we are still scratching our heads over why anyone would want it. The raw, uninhibited power of A-Mode is addictive, even if you're just twisting the throttle from stop sign to stop sign on city streets. Asking a rider to flip it down to C is akin to asking a drug addict to control their own dosage. Whenever shuffling through the modes on the road, we found ourselves dabbing up to A and leaving it there.

Our testers give the nod in the engine department to the Suzuki, but not by much. Looking at the dyno chart shows where the two motors swap places across the rev range, holding dead even on the low end before the Suzuki dips before punching back into contention around mid 6K, falling again until owning the top end from 8K on.

"The Hayabusa motor just feels more-gnarly than the ZX," explains Hutch. "Both are fast, but its just got some rip-snorting power to it that makes it feel faster during roll-ons and general riding."

Divvying out the abundant power is a 6-speed transmission with slipper clutch. The tranny is smooth, with no missed shifts reported, although the precise Ninja gearbox garnered more praise. Clutch lever pull is lighter on the Suzuki, but engagement is less seamless than its competitor. The slipper clutch is a coveted addition, however, which we would have appreciated during a track evaluation (unfortunately our trackday plans were thwarted by the weather).

One area where the old Busa was lacking in our '06 comparo was in the braking department. This has been remedied by swapping the traditionally-mounted six-piston arrangement from the previous version with new radial-mount four-piston Tokico calipers pinching down on 310mm rotors. The improved stopping power up front is now on par with the Kawasaki, with the Busa stoppers providing a better initial bite. Out back, however, the rear 260mm disc/single-piston caliper configuration felt vague, a step behind the more responsive Kawi.

The defining difference between these two big-bore thrill machines is the riding position. The Haybusa compromises comfort for a sportier feel, pitching the rider forward like its smaller-displacement Gixxer siblings. The aggressive position causes a rider's wrists to tap out after a few miles in the saddle, but the discomfort is forgotten once the road starts to kink.

The most distinctive advantage on the Busa comes once the road starts to twist and turn, with the Suzuki cutting corners with ease.

Here, the Busa riding position is a big advantage over the Ninja. There is just no question: the Busa is the sportier feeling bike. The question is whether the rider places more stock in comfort than handling. From turn-in, to transition, the aggressive ergonomics of the Busa make cornering easier by a slim margin.

"As soon as you swap from the ZX to the Busa you can feel the bars are lower and the general riding position is much more sporty," said Hutch on the Busa's position. "This aids in the sensation that the Suzuki is more at home straightening out canyon roads than the Kawasaki, even though the hard numbers seem to contradict it."

The hard numbers mentioned above being the Busa's steering geometry, with a lazier rake angle (24.2 to 23 degrees) and longer trail (98 to 94mm) than the ZX. Along with the riding position, credit the new Kayaba fork and KYB rear shock for the stellar handling - with the suspenders providing a solid and stable platform for the effortless steering.

At lower speeds, however, the handling advantage reverses. The Zook's inch-longer 58.5-inch wheelbase (unchanged on both machines since '06), combines with a wider, bulkier front end to make low-speed maneuvers less deft than the Kaw. The Suzuki's turning radius in particular felt tighter. That said, on canyon carving jaunts, the Hayabusa is the superior mount.
 2008 Kawasaki ZX-14

Like any challenger that knocks off the champ, the Kawasaki ZX-14 must have known that Suzuki would be out for blood. Entering this fight the Kawasaki would have both the privilege and pressure of holding its top position with only minimal changes to the spec sheet.

Even though the Suzuki gets a slim nod by our testers in the engine department, the Kawasaki motor is a beautiful thing. A dangerous beauty, as the potent 16-valve Inline-Four can get you in trouble just as easy as the Busa mill. Although overall power numbers fell from '06, the big Ninja still crested 160 horsepower and matched its torque figures. The 7.4-horsepower drop from '06 can in part be explained by our dyno, which tends to be more modest in its power numbers. That said, the internal tweaks to meet Euro III emissions and sound regs, which include the addition of a third exhaust catalyzer, must have played a part as well.

The new ZX does produce power earlier in the powerband compared to its predecessor. In doing so, the ZX-14 answered our '06 criticism that it was too neutered on the bottom end.

So while it was deemed the ZX pulls arms out of sockets at a slightly less aggressive rate than the hairball Hayabusa, there's a lot to like about the Kawasaki motor. In particular, we loved the Kawasaki's responsive throttle - a necessity for a machine putting out over a cavalry regiment's worth of horsepower.

"Throttle response is extremely crisp and precise on the ZX," recalls Adam. "The ZX throttle feels like it has a direct connection to the engine, which really makes riding it fun at any speed."

While the clutch pull on the Busa feels lighter, the engagement on the Kawasaki is flawless and the transmission is more precise. The ZX rolls through the gears lickety-split, one reason why the ZX was a bit easier to run at the dragstrip. Downshifts are effortless on the street, even lacking a slipper clutch - although we admit a day at the track may have changed our minds in this regard.

The brakes on the two machines left us split. While the Busa's initial bite was better, the Kawi's radial-mount four-piston Nissin units were up to the task, with the rear stopper deemed superior. Although they get the job done, they aren't the "clear-cut favorite" they were back in 2006.

Although it lost its dominance over the Busa, the 2008 ZX-14 does make good on its promise of better power on the lower end of the powerband.

Even though its 160-plus horsepower motor will no doubt drive sales, the real feather in the Ninja's cap, and the distinguishing characteristic from the Busa, is its comfort. Yes, it sacrifices some handling, but the ZX-14 sports more comfortable and forgiving ergos. Although the two seats are similar, with near identical seat heights (31.5 Kawasaki, 31.7 Suzuki), the difference is in the riding position.

A rider on the ZX is not pitched as far forward. The handlebars are placed higher and footpegs feel lower than those on the Suzuki. Not that a rider will mistake the position of the ZX-14 for its Concours 14 touring sibling. A rider will still be shaking out sore wrists at riding stops, but not like their Busa-riding buddy.

Rider protection behind the windscreen and fairing is better on the Kawasaki, although the Suzuki delivers decent protection as well. At 31.7 inches wide the Suzuki is 1.8-inch wider, but the body of the Kawasaki behind the fairing is slimmer, increasing the fairing's effectiveness. One side note on the Kawasaki is the heat blowing off the engine. Believe us when we say that we didn't mind it during our 27-degree winter ride, but if we had held this test during triple-digit mid-July, we'd be bitching.

Now, even though we have lauded the Busa as the better handler at speed, the ZX-14 ain't exactly a schlub. The Kawi's more aggressive steering geometry and lighter weight make it more than capable in the corners. One test rider did express a lack of confidence in the front end, compared to Suzuki, with the Busa delivering a more planted feel up front.

The Kawi's fully-adjustable 41mm fork and Bottom-Link Uni-Trak rear shock deliver serious stability, though neither of the bike's suspension units outshine the other. As we already mention, at lower speeds the Kawasaki is the easier machine to handle. That said, unless you're feathering the clutch in first gear, there is no such thing as lower speeds on these bikes.

From behind the controls, most riders preferred the ZX instrumentation. It may be a matter of personal taste, but the all-analog configuration of circular dials on the Suzuki dash was not as clean as the analog tach and speedo framing the LED display screen on the ZX-14. The larger dials with white background on the Kawi are easier to read, but we did have one gripe about the ZX display, as we could use a handlebar button to shuffle through available info, rather than having to release our grip and poke around on the instrument console. Both bikes possess gear position indicators.

Fit and finish on both machines is top notch. In some aspects, the Suzuki was superior, like its stock steering damper, but the Kawi's overall package is bit more polished. It was little things, like the tidy switchgear and significantly better mirrors.

With a 160-horsepower engine underneath, ZX-14 owners should not be disappointed with the Kaw's power output.

"The Busa's hydraulic clutch and brake master cylinders aren't radial-style, so they look of lesser quality than the ZX's," opines Waheed. "The clutch and brake position adjustments also seemed to be designed for riders with extremely large hands. I had to have the lever adjustment all the way closest to the handlebar."

Appearance divided our testers. Some preferred the distinctive bug-eyed front end of the Kawi, while others dug the humpbacked Suzuki. On the whole, the Suzuki tends to polarize opinions.

"One of the subtle changes that help push the Hayabusa ahead of the ZX in my eyes are the changes to the bodywork," explains the pro-Busa Hutchison. "The new look does not stray too far from the original at first glance. Instead, it is the evolution of the Busa. Its bulging bodywork, muscular stance, new tail section and massive dual exhaust is more appealing to me now than it was before."

"Overall, I never cared for the original Busa's styling cues," argues Adam. "The new model continues with the original Busa theme, but with a new modern twist, but it still doesn't appeal to me as much as the ZX."

As far as value is concerned, the two bikes run side by side. The ZX-14 is $300 cheaper, but the advantage is offset by the Suzuki inclusion of OEM stabilizer and slipper clutch. The special-edition flames on flat-black paint scheme on our test Kawasaki brings the price up to dead even with the Hayabusa. But, like so many other things on these two mounts, it's a wash as to which is better. And so this leads us to the most difficult part of any comparison test - picking a winner