It’s Time for a Suzuki Hayabusa Side-By-Side

One company is conspicuously absent from the side-by-side party: Suzuki. While Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha are all turning out competitive recreation and sport UTVs, Suzuki hasn’t so much as dropped a hint that an S-badged rig is in the works. And that’s a shame. Collectively, we’ve owned a pile of Suzuki motorcycles—from the agricultural DR650 and DR-Z400 to the mighty TL1000R, we have thousands of miles of fault-free riding on Suzuki machines. They’ve offered a combination of bone-cheap, fun, and reliability that’s hard to beat. Who wouldn’t want all that in a side-by-side?

Which got us thinking: How could Suzuki make a big splash in the side-by-side market? The answer seems simple enough. Last year, the company pulled the sheets back on a new Hayabusa. That machine is powered by a 1,340cc inline four-cylinder engine that dumps a claimed 187 hp to the rear wheel at 9,800 rpm. That naturally aspirated number is right on top of the turbocharged Rotax twin-cylinder engine in the Can-Am Maverick X3, and the aftermarket has been bolting turbos to Hayabusa motorcycles for years with hilarious results. You want a 300 hp side-by-side? This is how you get a 300 hp side-by-side.

Does any of this seem likely? No. Suzuki is notoriously risk-averse, churning out the same unchanged motorcycles year after year. What worries us is that while its competitors have filled their coffers by providing buyers with compelling side-by-sides, Suzuki has entirely missed out on those funds. It makes us wonder how long the big S can keep its head above water without joining in.

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