Based on many sources I have ascertained the following historical information about the Hayabusa. The name, as you may have already heard, comes from the Japanese for Peregrine Falcon. It is one of the few animals which can travel at about 300km per hour (in a dive). The designer apparently came up with the name whilst walking along the beach and seeing this bird. The colour scheme of gold/bronze and silver for the original launch model are similar to those of the falcon itself. Believe or not it is said that this falcon often hunts actual Blackbirds which some thought to be a PR stunt aimed at Honda’s Blackbird, the fastest bike in straight line at the time of the Busa’s birth in 1999! However its actually a fact that falcons do hunt Blackbirds, amongst others.
More info here:
The Suzuki GSXR1300 Hayabusa
However the use of Hayabusa to name a man made machine is by no means a new thing:
Is it a Plane?
Another fitting use of the name came with the 1940’s fighter plane the Nakajima Ki43, This was widely used by the Japanese Army Air Force in WWII was also named Hayabusa.
Faster than a Speeding Bullet (Train):
The name has also been applied to a high speed passenger train in Japan
(Image from Wikipedia)
The Final Frontier
There was even a small, rectangular space probe, that wasn’t exactly the starship Enterprise that was called Hayabusa
(Image from Wikipedia)
All at Sea
The name has even been applied to small, but quick and nimble war-ship, the Hayabusa Class Patrol Boat
(Image from Wikipedia)
Free as a Bird
But nothing touches the original…
(Image from Wikipedia)
So there you go!!
Words: Tony Donnelly
Pictures: Tony Donnelly & Wikipedia