brembo Archives - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

The first Hayabusa has landed in South Africa but you’re going to have to wait in line for yours

vuyi on July 6, 2021

A symbol of engineering prowess and inheriting the proud legacy of the Ultimate Sport Bike that established the category in 1999, the Hayabusa – aka The Refined Beast – boasts power, performance, poise and the keen perceptive abilities possessed by a bird of prey.

The first 2021 Hayabusa has landed eMzansi but excited customers will have to hold their horses as the first shipment of 20, due to arrive in early October, has already sold out.

Before you rush to place your order for the next batch of adrenalin pumping 2-wheelers we have it on good authority that the shipment arriving towards early November has also been accounted for.

That’s right folks, all 42 motorcycles, priced at approximately R329,000 per unit, are already sold out before landing on our shores, proving just how dominate the Hayabusa brand is, in its segment.

Here are a few highlights about the incoming Refined Beast. It features:

Legendary Power And Reliability: Refinements implemented throughout the Hayabusa’s legendary 1,340cm3 liquid-cooled inline-four engine achieve an even better balance of overall performance, yet greater efficiency and durability, while also satisfying Euro 5 emissions standards. It weights 264kg and has a 20-litre fuel tank.
Poised And Ready To Fly: Aerodynamic performance is critically important on a motorcycle capable of reaching top speeds nearing 300km/h. As such, the Hayabusa features one of the best drag coefficients found on any street legal motorcycle.
Optimized Suspension: High quality new KYB suspension package, designed to combat the outrageous performance aspect. The KYB inverted cartridge forks provide 120mm of front wheel travel and feature diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on the 43mm outer diameter inner fork tubes to reduce friction and improve reaction to small irregularities in the road surface. The internal structure has been upgraded to better to absorb the road surface and ensure an even smoother, more stable ride with optimum grip.
Maximized Stopping Power: The new Hayabusa is equipped with new Brembo Stylema® front brake callipers, which feature a lighter, more compact and carefully sculpted design intended for use on high-performance motorcycles. These new callipers increase airflow around the brake pads to cool more quickly and deliver immediate response. Paired with front discs featuring a diameter increased from 310mm to 320mm these new callipers showcase a new hole pattern that further helps optimize cooling efficiency.
Exclusively Designed Bridgestone Tyres: New and exclusively designed BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyres wrap around all-new 7-spoke wheels to assist with the perfect 50/50 weight distribution of the chassis as well as improve grip in both dry and wet riding conditions and greater all-round traction agility to retain a heightened level of durability
Bi-Directional Quick-Shifter: Shift up or down more quickly and easily without the need to operate the clutch or throttle. Quick Shift offers two modes. Mode 1 reacts more quickly to replicate racing-style response, while Mode 2 offers a lighter touch.
Elegant Instrumentation: The familiar layout and functionality of the Hayabusa’s instrument cluster now benefits from bigger, bolder numbering on the analogue tach and speedometer to improve readability. The new TFT LCD panel mounted in the centre features an Active Data display that enhances the ride by offering a bird’s-eye view of the bike’s current operating status. This includes real-time display of the lean angle, front and rear brake pressure, rate of acceleration and throttle position.
Lighting Your Way In Style: The Hayabusa’s vertically stacked low beam and projector-type high beam headlights adopt LEDs. The distinctive signature of their lighting pattern provides clear illumination at night and makes the Hayabusa highly visible to pedestrians and other traffic. In the rear, a bold new LED taillight and rear turn signal design creates a single wide, sharp accent running horizontally across the bottom of the tail section.

The new Hayabusa features the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.) which includes:

Launch Control System
Active Speed Limiter
Cruise Control System
Emergency Stop Signal
Motion Track Brake System
Slope Dependent Control System
Hill Hold Control System

Priced from R 329 000-00

Pre-Ride Check List for Newbie Riders

vuyi on April 21, 2021

With the excitement of learning how to ride comes the responsibility of managing one’s safety; and a pre-ride inspection is probably the easiest way to do that.

– Vuyi Mpofu, editor, heels & horsepower magazine

Doing a pre-ride inspection helps you discover potential problems and gives you an opportunity to attend to them before they become major, life threatening issues. Experienced riders might have a quicker way of getting through a pre-ride check list but for us newbies, it is best not to take short-cuts.

Walking right round my motorbike and giving it a good looking over is the first step towards ensuring my safety.

vuyi mpofu, editor, heels & horsepower magazine

My pre-ride routine is a little detailed and adds 20 mins to my total ride time but I wouldn’t skip it for anything. Coupled with wearing proper riding gear each time I climb onto the saddle checking my ride before hitting the road gives me a lot of confidence.

Here is my pre-ride routine:

1. I walkabout the bike

As simple as this sounds, walking right round my motorbike and giving it a good looking over is the first step towards ensuring my safety. I look out for:

Loose wires and that all lights are securely fastened
Dangling parts from any part of the bike
Fluid seepage on the ground (engine oil, brake fluid, water etc)
Fluid leaks from engine parts e.g. fork seals and brake callipers
Nails and other foreign bodies embedded in the tyres
The correct tyre pressure
Dents in the rims
The chain and that it is well lubricated and is of the proper tension
The proper functionality of the engine kill switch

2. I sit on the bike without firing up the engine

I check that the various features needed for a safe ride feel and function normally. These are:

Side Stand: I check that it engages and disengages smoothly and that it ‘locks’ into place once it has been kicked up at the start of a ride.
Throttle: By rolling it back I check for good movement and that it springs back properly.
Front Brake & Clutch: By pulling on the front brake and clutch I ensure a smooth range of motion
Rear Brake: Stepping on the rear brake indicates correct pressure and setting. ‘Hard’ brakes are just at dangerous as ‘soft’ brakes.

Lastly, with the side stand down for safety and the bike upright, I swing the handlebars from side to side to check for any free play.

3. I fire up the engine

Firing up engine, I listen for any abnormal engine sounds which would indicate a mechanical issue, then check that the lights (including stop lights and headlight high beam), indicators, horn and other controls work optimally.

The 800m distance from the parking spot to my front gate gives me adequate time to further listen to the engine as well as focus on any vibrations I get from the bike.

One of the most important safety checks which I admittedly only remember once I am on the road is checking my fuel gauge. Thankfully I have never had to make a dash to the nearest fuel station on foot. Not only would it be somewhat embarrassing but I would look mighty weird bobbing down the road in my heavy-duty adventure boots with helmet in one hand and fuel in the other.