2006 Hayabusa - Auto-Trend Repairs and Service Information Forums

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

2006 Hayabusa

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Rastus, I must say you have VERY GOOOD taste in bikes!

I remember when the Hayabusa first came out, there was a LOT of talk about the insane power and the fact it was the fastest thing on the planet! Just insane power! Now I've never had the honor of getting on a Hayabusa but as a fellow Café biker fan I can only imagine!

Damn shame about 3rd gear on the other bike, however my Katana lost third gear too! It's pretty much why I got rid of the bike since it was a daunting nightmare getting it apart. Had to rip almost all the plastic covers off and at the time I was maybe 19 years old with no idea how bike transmissions worked. It ended up getting stolen so I lucked out!

Hayabusa is one of them bikes where you don't even really need a photo to know it's bad ass... Like a Lamborghini or Bugatti, and while a good photo is always nice, you pretty much know it's bad ass even without one!

I'd say you made a smart buy! I'm sure you agree.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey guys,

Thanks mate for the thumbs-up ! Yes, the Hayabusa has some amazing torque & power eveywhere, & it really doesn't make much sense how they managed it. All I mean to say is that the 1100 is not slow, & is actually the perfect blend of power for my tastes & usage, but the Hayabusa has around 170-more-cc's, & is Fuel Injected, but it feels like its gained another 500-cc's or more on the 1100.

Let me clarify a little...The RF900R & GSXR-1100 were very similar engine-power wise, with the 1100 definitely having a more urgent thrust & more torque when riding through the hills, but they revved at the same RPM's for road-speed, pulled & very similarly through the revs, eg, strong up to 4-K, awesome up to 7-8-K, & hang-on-for your life over that.

There is 190-cc's difference in engine capacity, the RF was water-cooled & displaced 937-cc's with the 1100 air / oil cooled, & displacing 1127-cc's. The Hayabusa is around 170-cc's larger again than the 1100, but it has unimaginably heaps more power everywhere. Its great fun. Just slip through the gears & into top, & use the throttle to release a FAT-STACK of torque & power. They are so different, you really do need to ride one to experience the sensation LOL.

But in all honesty, the Hayabusa is not just all about big torque & power, the bike handles really, really well. In fact I'd even say that it's handling is its best attribute. For a huge looking bike, & it is quite heavy too, once your going, it's really as nimble as anything else out there, but has an over-all balance & poise that sees me at least going 10-20Km faster around my favorite corners than the 900 or 1100 could manage. No bullshit. I didn't expect this.

I'll post some photo's after the next wash, likely this weekend, & hopefully they'll be clearer than the last one.

Cheers,

Rastus

-- Edited by Rastus on Tuesday 6th of September 2016 09:26:36 PM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Yeah that sounds like one hell of a bike. What is the redline? Is it still over 10k on a large CC bike too? That's one thing about the crotch rocket that I always liked, that sound and feel when you wind them up! Just an amazing feeling! When I was single and had mine it was like living in a dream for awhile, always had a chick on the back. It was great times until the trans gave up the ghost!

IIRC we were talking about you getting a new bike awhile back, I think maybe in the Credit Union thread.. Is this the same bike? I'm thinking of moving that thread to the V8 Café, as there are a lot of big names in there that really, now that things might be stabilizing, I don't want to cause any more waves. I can always bring it back out of retirement if needed, no point in risking it? What do you think? Seems to be getting one heck of a lot of hits.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hi SELLC,

I just had a read through the thread ( Credit Union ), & yes, I'd say it's not a bad idea to pop it in here, the V-8 Cafe. There's bits of everything in there, & maybe enough ammunition for an unknown enemy to start stirring a shit-pot.

The bottom line is back then, you were venting for being screwed. Now "things" have found relative peace, it may be best placed in here. ( It is a funny thread though, with lots of real-life troubles mixed in too. hell, even Stoma made me laugh LOL).

I was only comparing my 1100 to the 900 in that thread, & trying to paint a picture of the legend that was the air / oil cooled 1100 motors. A Hayabusa being mentioned was just a coincidence.

It was honestly the fact that my 3rd-gear-set still had not arrived 4-months after ordering it, & the insurance cash for my crashed RF-900R arriving that got me searching for a day-to-day runner again. Things were quiet around here, & I wasn't so sure about posting about motor-cycles, especially new ones, when we're all doing-it pretty-hard at the moment.

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

I went ahead and moved the thread... Some of the names in that thread are of some upper crust folks, Federal Judges... Heck even the President of the United States! I've read it over myself too, and I still feel like I got the shaft... I got some new V8 Café news I am going to post up here in a moment that makes me feel like they are at least trying to make improvements, but we will see. I could be just getting fleeced for $400! LOL.

I am going to have to brush up on my Hayabusa specs because it sounds like you're saying it's closer to 1300 CC's!?

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

Yes, it was a good move IMO to move all that thread over here, you can't stay angry at it for-ever, & it was generally a run of bad-luck that had its way...So what was written, was in the heat-of-the-moment.

The Japanese are crafty lying people, that will take advantage of all available laws to their favor, & twist facts to suit themselves, as we're finding out with the on-going nuke-crisis. But it's also with motorcycles too LOL, where they'll change facts & figures "legally" to make some thing look good...

All I'm trying to say, is that yes, the Hayabusa has some incredible thrust available, & yes SELLC, like all big-bore sport-bike engines, revs to 11,000-rpm & peak power is at 10,000-rpm. And since it's geared for 33-km per 1,000-rpm in top-gear, you can see where the claims of a genuine 334-kmph or over 200-mph are derived from. However.....

I've discovered that there's a likely 10% error in just about everything that they've claimed, at least as far as the bikes weight goes, & the odometer readings.

I calculated that my trip from QLD was going to be in the vicinity of 26-2700 km. The bike's odometer showed a distance traveled of over 3,000-km when I arrived at my folks place in Victoria, on the mainland. Further testing here in Tas revealed that when a genuine posted 5.0-km is traveled, the Hayabusa is showing 5.5km traveled

My GSXR-1100 is supposed to weigh 228-kg dry weight, & the Hayabusa 215-kg's...Yet the Hayabusa feels like it has a 20-kg sack-of potatoes loaded on it as extra weight when you push them both around the back yard.

Anyhow, the law says that they can sell & advertise the bikes with up-to 15% error, to allow for different countries rates of measurement, & I'm not complaining at all, just revealing some observations.

For the bikes made from 1999 - 2007, Max. HP = 173 @ the crank @ 10,000-rpm, with 1.4 KNm of torque @ 7,500-rpm. And even allowing for a possible 10% error in speedo reading, will still net a genuine 300-kmph, or 186-mph.

Photos still to come, we've been having rain down here !

Ciao,

Rastus

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey guys,

Here's some photos that I finally got around to taking ! They're not the best, but do make the bike look pretty good lol. The black & silver color-combination works well on these bikes IMO. I've seen other colors that just aren't appealing at all, so I got really lucky in that regard. It's first major service is just about due now, with nearly 54,000-km on the clock...( I bought it with 40,800-km ). I should mention that I've been changing its oil every 3,000-km, but a Major service means filters & plugs, plus I'll change all the fluids too, so I have my own datum to work from time-wise with regards to brake-fluid & antifreeze. Valve clearances need to be checked also, & adjusted if necessary.

It's still major-fun to ride around on too. If you're thinking about one, grab it, as I couldn't think of any better bang-for-buck motorcycle to be honest. They've made & sold so many of these world-wide, that parts will be around for a long time, & the market just kills them off regarding depreciation. Very little money gets you a lot of easy-going motorcycle !!!

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

A GSXR 1300 eh? LOL! That's like riding around on a missile!

Geebus Rastus, you've gone motorcycle mad! lol... Just kidding... That's what people would always tell me when I went thru a buying binge of Mercedes 420/560's back in the early 2000's. Looks like a real clean bike! I am sure you could enjoy it for years and still sell it off for what you paid, and thats IF you ever sold it! I had a Katana 600 @ 18 y/o and I had a lot of fun with that bike! Blew the trans, but maybe it was for the best as I was getting pretty brave there towards the end.

Nice bike! When did you acquire this beast?

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey SELLC,

It is a regular missile LOL, just short-shift as needed into top-gear, & then point & go ! Its really quite a bi-polar beast, being so laid-back & torquey, & then......

I do hope to keep it for a long time ! I've been pretty lucky with crashes over the years, in the sense that I've come out-of-them OK, & most times the bike too. That's how the RF-900R lasted for so long, we both kept each other alive & well lol !

It's a shame about your Katana, but maybe it was for the best. I think you have a better survival rate if you get these babies in your mid-20's or later, if only because you've acquired some responsibilities in real-life, so that can & does, often stop you from going "full-on" everywhere you go...(Oddly enough, I was only ever really into off-road-bikes until license-time arrived, & then I liked riding on the road too. I never ever really wanted a road-bike, & just couldn't imagine the power a Katana-11000 must have had, when I was over-whelmed with the power of my mates KX-250 two-stroke. It just didn't compute LOL).

And then you learn that road-bikes are geared so tall, that you need an 1100cc-bike to carry over the same sort of throttle response of your dirt-bikes...So after discovering 1100's for myself in the early 1990's the rest is history LOL ! And cars though fun, were more cruisers than an 1100-cc motor bike was....

I picked the Hayabusa up in mid-May this year, & it's not played-up or stepped-out-of-line once yet. Very happy owner right here LOL. The photos do make it appear better than it actually is, with marks & scratches that don't carry over to the camera, but I don't mind, as it saves me the guilt of putting them there myself LOL. Most motorbikes after 3-4 years, will need the lower-fairings at least re-sprayed, to keep them looking fresh & new, so I'll blow some paint over her & fix everything in the next couple of years.

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

I must admit that I didn't even realize the GSX 1300R was a "Hayabusa"! You learn something new every day!

My Can-a-tuna was only a 600... Not even half that of the Hayabusa! I would imagine it takes great respect for the machine when riding bikes over 1000 CC's because honestly, it really is like riding on a rocket! They aren't called crotch rockets for nothing!

Seems like you are enjoying the bikes, and Ill agree with you about having a few flaws here and there when you buy them used. There is no worse feeling than that 1st scratch and every single one thereafter. At least with a gently used bike/car you can always trick yourself into thinking it was already there, or justify it as having had a few small blemishes when you got it! LOL, I know that exact feeling you are talking about! Having waxed my car almost a dozen times already, I can pretty much name every little chip, scratch or flaw. I've actually waxed it so much that I have rubbed off a few very small spots of touch up paint the dealer must have applied. It was crazy because I thought man, who the heck got this little chip on my car! Then as I looked closer you could see old trails of the touch up paint. While I felt better, I started thinking I better get some quality touch up paint!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

I know it's not Christmas just yet, but I'd over-estimated my expenses for my Certificate renewals, so I'm treating the Hayabusa to a full Yoshimura 4-into-1 stainless-steel exhaust system... ( Yoshimura stuff is to Suzuki ( & other Jap-bikes ) what AMG is to Mercedes Benz).

I'll post some pictures once it arrives, though I may take my time fitting it all up, since I'll likely wait for the BIG 60,000-km service to arrive ( likely early New Year ) & do it all in one hit, over a long day, changing all the fluids as well.

Cheers,

Rastus

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

Well the pipe arrived about a week ago, & I fitted it all-up the next day LOL. The quality of workmanship is amazing, & I'm very impressed...Everything fitted-up simply, & all the bends, welds, tags etc lined-up like OEM stuff, so there was literally no ****ing around in fitting. I took my time taking the old system off, as that's where you may cause damage from hitting things, as it comes off in three sections, or 5-pieces, so care is demanded.

The Yoshi pipes are sectioned all the way through, & attached / held together with rubber-damped springs, that pull each section into perfect alignment. I've saved ( apparently ) around 15-kg's ( 33-lbs ) just by fitting this system up, & it's about 1/3 the cost of a full OEM system replacement...

The HP & Torque gains are quite noticeable, with the engine free-spinning to higher rpm's at min-throttle through the gears when riding normally. ( I do mean minimum throttle opening here, as for riding around town & speed limits ). The engine used to pull-up to around the 4,000-rpm mark for the shift, & now its closer to 5,000-rpm, so the speed comes-on much quicker, so you have to be careful not to cop a speeding fine even lulling around town, off-the-lights, with no hooliganism intent at all...

Open the throttle wide open from 2nd-gear on-wards & your pretty much accelerating at such a rate, that all your hoping is that the front wheel finds the road again, which it likely does by the time you find 5th-gear, but the rate of acceleration has not changed, even in top-gear, 6th. It just halls-ass at maximum velocity in ever-gear, & now it just happens to come-on earlier, with a massive mid-range improvement ( yeah, like I needed more power LOL ), & the RPM peak power-spread has moved further up the scale, to around 10,500-rpm, from 10,000-rpm. And this is without a re-map, Power-Commander fitment, or any dyno tuning...

It's claimed that with fitting these devices, a further 26-bhp is achievable, & I'd say I've gained more than 1/2 of those already LOL, as the bike has in a way, lost some class, & stealth with the std system fitted, & turned it back into a motorcycle that I'm familiar with, with an awesome menacing snarl from the tail-pipe that never loses its deep resonating tone. So the bike has effectively changed from a craft delivered by UFO's, into a more regular motorcycle again lol. This race-system is also banned in some states in the US-of-A, even though it's possibly designed & made there.

Ciao,

Rastus

PS SELLC, You really need to get yourself those Euro logs for your 560 !!!! Or custom build your own extractors !!!!

-- Edited by Rastus on Wednesday 28th of December 2016 09:31:25 AM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Nice work!!

And here I was all feeling proud that I changed a mono-valve on my 420SEL. LOL, I'd like to spend some time on my toys. That's why I was somewhat glad when I got the Corvette so I could feel like that urge was filled, but as you know, one just can't leave well enough alone for long! LOL

I bet you that thing sounds like a raped ape now! And yes, even before I read what you typed I could tell it was a quality fit! The fitment is quite impressive! Bet you that wasn't cheap!

Then again, I have fixed about 10 other cars since them, but none of them mine... Business has been brisk, it used to be that I had to run ads on Craigslist for work, now I can't seem to get a break, and I am not even advertising anymore! Then again, depending on the job, one or two cars could book me for the day. Wearing all the hats has it's ups and downs!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hi SELLC,

Thanks mate ! It does sound pretty mean I must admit, but no-where-near the loudness of your regular Harley or anything else that has open pipes ! My std system was quite OK, but its loudness was growing more & more, so I decided that I was better-off to fit a 4-1-system on, so that I could save the std-system if the day ever came to sell-the-bike-off. I'd guess that most folks like to see std OEM gear fitted to things when buying S/H. It actually appealed to me seeing it fitted for sure when I bought it.

If I ever happened to drop the bike & take-out a muffler in std form, it's cost is around $750:00 for each side...And since they were growing louder & burning-out, you'd have to replace both mufflers to maintain an even-balance of gas-flow from the engine. Two of the primary pipes from the std headers were crushed too by about 25% each, likely from dropping her down-too-hard at speed after a wheelie, so that was annoying me too, as I'd see the damaged pipes every-time I'd do an oil-change.

The cost for the system was expensive here in Oz, but the Yoshi 4-1 was a little over $1,000:00....But a full Suzuki replacement of the std system would cost ( are you sitting down ?)...$3,500:00+....No bull...

The Yoshi system also comes with an insert that you can fit to the muffler to quiet-it-down, as it reduces the size of the outlet by a large margin... I haven't measured it, but I guess it reduces it from say 40mm, to 20mm, or at least 50%. Needless to say, it won't ever be fitted LOL.

It is really good to hear that you're busy working !!! I actually thought that once you're snowed-in for the year, it's time to hibernate with the wife for a few months, & hope she doesn't fall pregnant lol !

Ciao,

Rastus

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

I met some really cool people down this way a little while ago ( as mentioned in another post ), & they also offered me a deal too good to refuse regarding tyres....Anyhow, the ones fitted on the Hayabusa are Pirelli Anget ST's, & I have no regrets using these, as they perform extraordinarily well, & last too. This is a very tough combination to achieve, but I've been buying these for years now, & I've been more than happy with the quality delivered for the outlay...

Many years ago, I used to mechanic for a Race Team in the Australian Road Racing Championships, & I was fed a very healthy diet of excellent condition used race tyres. Needless to say, these kept money in the bank, offered a huge safety margin in real-life riding, & kept me a & few lucky friends-at-need supplied with the best quality rubber available. Anyhow, this same opportunity to buy used-race-rubber has appeared again, & finally, after the Pirelli Angels finally wore out ( they've lasted all summer BTW, & provided over 8,000-k's of great riding ), I managed to put on a set of Pirelli Super Corsa SC's, & I can't get over how much better the grip, braking, & suspension characteristics have improved...Amazing....

The reason for the post was to actually say thanks to these folks, as all I had to do, was buy one remaining new pair sitting on their shelf of these Pirelli Super Corsa's,( they've been sponsored by Michelin this year ), & he threw in 4-sets of old Super Corsa's, that have had the edges flogged ( to varying degrees, meaning I've acquired average to great sets ), so I've got no rubber issues for a very long time...And I've also been offered the old Michelin stock once this season is over....To say I'm happy, is like saying SELLC's happy Trump won the election LOL !

The bottom line with the performance on The Hayabusa, is that the sectional profile of the said tyres is a 60-series, when a 50-series is actually specified....This means that now the speedo-error has improved from 10%, to less than 5%, as I can't confirm any more accuracy. The steering has also sharpened up too, not in a bad way, its just that the rear of the bike is sitting a little higher now, so the bikes balance is now forward biased, meaning less turning effort is required. Comfort has dropped a little though, as now more weight is place on our wrists, but its negligable at speeds over 65-mph.

I'll post some photos once I get around to it, just so that you folks can see that these babies are basically racing slicks, with a hanful of grooves in them to make them road legal.

Ciao,

Rastus

NB. Earlier versions of the Super Corsa's can be seen on the photographs on the RF-900R, & GSXR-1100 at the start of this thread, if you look closely...The edges aren't bald, they're racing slicks.

-- Edited by Rastus on Sunday 26th of February 2017 09:57:36 AM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Sweet!

That's one thing I didn't like doing on my bike was changing tires! What a PITA!

Do you change them yourself or take them in to be mounted? When I first got my bike I wore out the back tire in short order doing burnouts, because hey... @ 20 y/o that's the cool thing to do! LOL

Glad to hear you got some good tires! They can be quite expensive for bikes. Sounds like you do quite a few miles on your bike, or should I say it pretty much sounds like your bike is your daily driver if you're pulling down that kind of miles!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

Yes, tyres are very expensive, especially down this way...Typically if you buy a pair from the store, say these Pirelli Angels, they'll charge you around $550:00 fitted. I'd been buying these babies myself on-line, from a huge store in NSW ( Sydney ) for around $740:00 for 2 x pairs, & then ripping the wheels off myself, to then just have the rubber transferred over, & a quick balance check. The tyre fitting only costs $20:00 for me now at this new store, it used to cost $50:00 at the Suzuki shop. There is a fee for tyre disposal here though, so I just take my old tyres to the Suzuki store & leave them on their pile for free LOL ! Shhh, don't tell anyone...Besides, I feel like these guys have been ripping me off for a long time.

The new Race Rubber Pirelli Super Corsa's are around $650:00 per pair, which is nearly double the price of the Angels...I have to say here right now though, that the Angels are at least 90% as good as the Super-Corsa's, at least on the road in the real world. But at the same time, the extra 10% performance goes a long way to keeping you safer, though the tyres will only last 1/2 as long lol ! You don't get something for nothing ! If you want outstanding grip & performance, never expect long tyre-life !

To answer your questions SELLC, I've always removed the wheels myself to have new rubber fitted, as this nearly always guarantees fitment on the same day, as they usually will always find 20-minutes to swap-over your tyres. I have been long considering the purchase of a bead-breaker & tyre leavers, & doing the whole thing myself ( like on race-days ), but these new folks at the Kawasaki store are cool, & I'll just take my wheels in as needed.

Yes, while its summer or the weather is good, the bikes are the go-to vehicles for transport. The Hayabusa uses about a 1/3 the fuel when compared to the Mercedes. And since my job has been going no-where for the last couple of years ( the odd mechanical job only ), conservation of funds has been required. That's why the trigger-points in the 350SLC play up constantly, from lack of use, so that a layer of oxidisation forms. Drive the darn thing everyday however, & your problems go away.It's the cost of fuel that's hard to justify here. We pay for 1-liter, what you folks pay for a gallon, so you're 4-times better off expense wise with fuel costs. We're still about a full dollar cheaper than Europe per-liter however.

As mentioned before, the Police activity on the roads down here is predictable to a certain extent, so if you stay off the main roads, especially in town, you're pretty safe to have a ball, especially on the "B" roads, where you'd likely never find one. I can't belive I still have my license to be honest. I usually run out of demerit points every five years or so, but I'm still good with only say 5-points on the list at the moment, & they'll be wiped-off soon enough, over the next couple of years.

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

If I can make it one more season on my Vette tires, I'll be pretty happy.

I don't even want to know how much they are going to bend me over for them... The fronts are different sizes than the rear, and they require directional Z rated tires for the car to feel right. Since the fronts are different than the rears, and they are directional, you really can't rotate them front to back...

Glad to hear you scored some good rubber, as it always makes for a nicer ride.

You keep the speeds within reason, I've hit June bugs at 80 MPH and yet they are nothing compared to the kind of $hit you guys got flying around down there! Still sounds like a bullet hitting your helmet! Speaking of which, do they require you to wear a helmet down there? i know here in Michigan they used to, but now it's optional. Even though it's optional, I don't think I would go flying down the road on a crotch rocket at high speed without one! Them Harley guys got it easy since it's pretty much all about show boating, putzing around racing the engine for all to see. Rare that you actually get a Harley guy into speed.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey mate,

Good luck with tyres for the Vette...I'd save for them now, & jump when some-one puts them on sale, whether you needed them at that time or not. Over many years, little things like this add-up, & before you know it, the tyres your riding on actually cost you nothing !

It's illegal in every state down here in Oz to ride without having a helmet on...That being said, I only buy myself average $200:00 helmets ( the cheapest with an Australian Design Approval rating ) as I figure that if I'm ever in an accident that's a bad one, I'd rather pass-away than spend the rest of my life in a wheel-chair. These folks that spend $1,000:00 + every year on a new helmet are only posing, & showing off how much money they can afford to waste IMO. But that's OK too, as long as your not like Stoma...Some of these folks are actually quite generous, & will offer you or your kin / friends some most excellent hand-me-downs, if you're not too proud to refuse the offer.

Even if I had the choice, I'd most certainly wear a helmet for sure ! Especially for those bugs you mentioned...Better they go splat on the visor than all over your face LOL !

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Rastus wrote:

Even if I had the choice, I'd most certainly wear a helmet for sure ! Especially for those bugs you mentioned...Better they go splat on the visor than all over your face LOL !

Cheers,

Rastus

Oh, I see.. But it's not okay when someone gets banned to prevent tomatoes from going splat on my kids face.... Because he does not fit into Stoma's scrawny image...

Oh the hypocrisy. I am starting to think Rastus hails from BenzWorld.org... So much in common with them...

Wasn't BenzWorld.org originally an Australian web forum before them Canooks bought it out?

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

LOL,

I couldn't tell you, as I don't know....I've never logged onto BW, only followed links from here.

The one thing I've learned from the links to other forums from here, is that there's going to be plenty of business to come for MB mechanics after some of these folks have "fixed" their own cars...

You have also made a few enemies SELLC on the WWW....As good as it is to share your experiences with your son & his car, I too am disappointed that people will shit on your son to get at you. I'd move the thread to somewhere where attack is unlikely, but that's just me. A helmet won't protect you from that stuff, only the bugs as mentioned.

Ciao,

Rastus

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

I thought I might as well update this thread, since I've cured the speedo error with the bike, to basically 100% accurate....The bike has no speedo-cable as such, but an electronic pick-up mounted to the front-sprocket cover, that senses the movement of a 4-post / crown component, that mounts onto the output-shaft of the gearbox, after the front sprocket.

Since I needed to fit up a new drive-chain, I bought a kit that included sprockets for the standard gearing of 17-teeth-front, & 40-teeth-rear. When doing the work, & checking the old sprockets, I learned that a 16-tooth front sprocket had been fitted...And since the speedo-sensor picks up its readings from the rotation of the drive-shaft, the smaller diameter 16-tooth sprocket was telling lies to the speedo...

Also, these race tyres I've got fitted, are significantly taller in profile being a rare 60-series. The standard fitment size is 190/50/17, & I have fitted a Pirelli 180/60/17. This combination of parts, by chance, has corrected the speedo error, but also cost me some power too, since the gearing ( even though now std by teeth on sprockets ) is taller via the tyre profile, as the side-wall is 10-mm taller. ( 3/8" taller ).

The best of both-worlds fix is obvious to me, where the use of the ever popular 180/55/17 tyre size will restore power, while keeping the speedo relatively honest, at a likely less than 5% error.

Pictures soon, as I've just found & replaced the weird 1220-sized battery that went flat in my camera. That's why some of the photo's have been out-of-focus.

Cheers,

Rastus

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

Here's a couple of snaps with the finished pipe, & new rubber fitted, that's essentially fixed the speedo error.

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Nice!

How does the new muffler sound? looks like a good job on the install!

Tire looks like it would be rather dangerous in wet weather! LOL, not many water channels! But on the bright side, looks like it would stick well on a hot sunny day!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

The muffler sounds much better than I expected it to. It has a deep-fat resonance that never disappears, even as the revs climb. I thought that with it being Yoshimura, & designed / likely made in the US-of-A, with all the noise laws etc, that it would be missing something, but I was completely wrong. It's a thoroughly well designed, built, & great sounding system. The snappy-raw-harshness has moderated too, now that the gasses have burned into the packing. It's basically a straight-through system with no obstruction what-so-ever, where the large oval can acts as both a flame-trap, & moderator of gas flow. The outlet hole is around 50mm in diameter, whilst the inlet is a little larger. The outlet hole is larger however than the primary pipes, so at WOT, the long-gas-slugs blast through with no restriction, whilst offering reflective & fibre-glass absorbstion below WOT to keep the db's respectable.

Honestly, the 1100 seems a lot louder, though it is a proper 4-1, with a large 4-1 collector under the motor, leading to the stainless steel muffler exit. The Hayabusa in truth is 4-2-1. You end up here with the primary pipes joining at 180-degree firing intervals, & then joining together at the RHS foot-peg area to make the final collector.

The difference here is, where the 1100's 4-1 system will offer around 3 x 100%+ scavenging efficiency cycles, the hayabusa will offer pretty much a single long drawn-out one, over the entire rev-range. So instead of revving through 3 x peak efficiencies, you have one drawn-out one, that improves as the revs climb. It's only subtle of course, but in the "old" days with carbs, tuners took great advantage of the phenomena. In today's world however, the quest for super-low Center-of-Gravity, whilst maintaining ground clearances, means that the old 4-1 exhaust design is compromised, & we happily have to live with 4-2-1. There's nothing wrong with the older bikes handling IMO, but there's a extra sense of security at all speeds when a lower C-o-G is in-built. And results on the race-track, followed by everyone following that path dictates it's the way forward.

Computer designs & modern manufacturing techniques have revolutionized motorcycles since IMO the mid 1990's. And by 2005, that plateau had already been well plundered & tested. These are the best bikes to own IMO. Since around 2005, Manufacturers have done nothing but add useless bolt-on-bullshyte that people have to take off once at home, to make their bikes competitive on both the road & race-track.

As for the tyre's, they're fantastic ! Wet weather isn't too much of a problem, as they still grip quite well. It just pays to slow down 10-20%. It's only on the race-track that the compromise is really felt. These tyre's are basically road-legal racing slicks, that some forms of regulations force racers into using for competition. It also likely ensures that the manufacturers maximize profit too for the specialist manufacturing needed. The bottom line is that everyone wins IMO. ( Unless you're the poor person buying a single set for yourself at around $650:00 )....

Cheers,

Rastus

-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 6th of April 2017 01:12:58 AM

-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 6th of April 2017 01:13:17 AM

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

78,000km service coming up now...I mention this since a little while ago, there was thread regarding the dependability of NGK spark plugs, & NGK, CR-9E's are what's used in the Hayabusa...

The NGK website claims 20-40,000km is the expected average life-expectancy for all their spark-plug range. ( That's around 8-16,000 miles )...

Suzuki recommend changing the plugs every 12,000km. ( That's around 5,000 miles ).

The spark-plugs in the bike are still working quite well after 18,000km's ( 7,100 miles ). Only a subtle intermittent fluff is heard when cold at idle speeds, but I think it's time to change them out. I've extended Suzuki's recommended change interval by 50%, & fall just short of where NGK claim to be their minimum expected service life. This seems like a good time to inspect & replace them !

I'll post some photo's up soon.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly copper plugs wear down the electrodes...

These newer Iridium plugs with modern digital ignition and coil over designs have no problems seeing well over 100k without even a hint of electrode gap erosion.

People sometimes balk at me when I tell them that their copper plugs need to be replaced every 12,000 miles to be on the safe side... then again we don't have a lot of people in this area driving vehicles old enough to have been using them, myself excluded of course... LOL

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

G'day mate,

Yes, they do wear quickly when compared to modern Iridium plugs & the likes, but in their defense, they still offer some advantages, though at the expense of more maintenance time. Oddly enough, the bike does actually have Digital Ignition, & a Coil-over-plug assembly, so I too was surprised to find regular plugs in there.

* Most motorcycles you could say on average, rev at over twice the engine speed at say 65-mph, than your average car. The spark-plug sees way-more work over this mileage when compared to a car.

* Since most road-going 4-cylinder motorcycle engines are pretty-much state-of-the-art, high performance race engines, it's very wise to inspect your internals, with regular compression tests & spark-plug analysis.

* Your typical modern car engine may well rev-out-to say 5,500-rpm in standard trim. A 600cc modern 4-cyl motorcycle engine will see 16,000-rpm, & make over 110-hp with today's advancements. The Hayabusa spins to 11,000-rpm, with peak power at around 10,000-rpm.

* I wonder whether these coil-over-plug assemblies die before the Iridium spark-plugs do...If so, that would ruin the plug...

* I also haven't seen any other spark-plugs advertised for the Hayabusa, though something else must be available for sure.

Cheers,

Rastus

-- Edited by Rastus on Friday 20th of October 2017 06:28:05 PM

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo folks,

As promised, here's some photos of these NGK's, & to my surprise, they seemed to last OK. Their best was well behind them of course, & you can knit-pick on the photos too, ( that's the point ), but they did offer trouble free performance 50% beyond Suzuki's recommended change schedule, & are only just short of NGK's specified change-point.

The plug readings ( under sun-light ) are quite pleasing to see. All the cylinders are burning evenly, with a tan color predominant on all the plugs, & with no warning signs of oil-consumption IMO. Possibly the plug, 2nd-in, from-the-left was the one starting to play-up subtly.

And here's another angle...

And here's an extra photo to show you how clean the intake tract & valves are...Absolutely spotless...There's a lot to be said for 9ctane Gasoline...Great stuff !!!

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Nice pics! Good info!

Friend of mine has a 3 month old Polaris 4 wheeler that wouldn't start and they claim it was the spark plug..

So I guess these high performing and high revving engines chew thru the plugs!

Still, nothing as bad as when I would run 400+ HP of nitrous thru my Mustang back in the day... I'd burn the electrodes off a set of truck plugs in 2-3 runs, maybe sooner if I missed a gear.

Still, them plugs look like your standard fair copper plug... they look good though, none look bad to me! Must be a good running machine you got there Rastus!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

SELLC wrote:

Still, nothing as bad as when I would run 400+ HP of nitrous thru my Mustang back in the day... I'd burn the electrodes off a set of truck plugs in 2-3 runs, maybe sooner if I missed a gear.

Now that is serious heat & pressure to do that...

And there's a good chance that you'll be doing-it-all again soon, if your eldest gets bitten by-the-bug...Which he likely will lol !

Does he still have a license ?

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey folks,

I'm just updating this thread to show as an example how Motorcycle Stores can rip-you-off, the unsuspecting customer...

When I first bought the Hayabusa, I was always concerned about the battery not getting me home on my journey home from QLD, as it always seemed to struggle to turn the 1.3-ltr engine over, especially on a cold start...To the batteries credit, its lasted much longer than I thought it would, being nearly 18-months since acquiring the beast. It's dimensions were correct, but it was well-under-powered for what Suzuki claim to fit as their OEM battery.

Anyhow, I picked up the correct battery for it, that's branded Exide, & delivers the goods awesomely, with no sign of struggle what-so-ever on start ups, & the bike is genuinely running better for the move too. This battery cost me $90:00 AUD, & that's quite a reasonable price IMO. I didn't ask for a discount or trade-price or anything, & was quite happy to pay this, because....( Brand new, in-the-box, 12-month full warranty, that starts after I poor the acid in myself )...

The Motorcycle Store list price for the equivalent battery is $314:00 AUD...

I understand that folks need to make money whilst in business, but that's one-hell-of-a mark-up don't you think ?...

It always pays to search around LOL !

Cheers,

Rastus

-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 9th of November 2017 06:42:13 PM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Seems like a lot of good information for people who own these bikes to be locked up here in the V8 Cafe...

Sure you don't want me to move the thread to a more public forum where others searching these key words can benefit? If not that's cool, if so just let me know where you want it placed.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Besides us, only two other people can view this thread and one of them is PowerStroker..

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey SELLC,

Not a problem, move it where you'd like !!! I only posted in here, the V-8 Cafe, simply since it's about a motorcycle, & I felt it was out-of-bounds with the rest of the forum...The V-8 cafe seemed a little more suited for us & our toys that aren't cars LOL !

Please do !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

As you've likely read in another thread about my incident with a car, & the need to get repairs done, I've just received an e-mail from my fairing manufacturers wanting the OK to send my stuff over to me, after viewing some pictures of their work...

I have to say I'm impressed, not only with the service & job done, but with the super competitive pricing too.

So far they've been on-time with the process, let's hope the mail arrive in the 5-10 days shipping required !

Check this out ! ( Click on the attachment, & you should get an option to open or save the file...Click again to see a heap of photo's )

-- Edited by Rastus on Monday 8th of October 2018 08:23:43 PM

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Well,

So far so good, but it did take a day or two to get the tracking information, & as of this post, the stuff has moved from the factory, & on to the airport for dispatch...Fingers crossed for delivery some time next week !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

The stuff arrived a couple of days ago, I'm really impressed with the delivery service, & time taken. Awesome !

Even more impressive, is the quality of the parts themselves...They both look great, & FIT perfectly so-far.

Poor weather & stuff means I'll take a few more days to complete the job ( no rush, as I can't ride anyhow, ( It doesn't make sense riding in the rain with new painted plastics lol)).

I'll also take my time to restore everything back to OEM-spec where possible. The bike had the right nuts & bolts fitted, but due to other minor accidents, sometimes a minor modification was needed to get stuff to fit. Now I'll go back & refit with the right stuff.

I bought a complete grab-kit of bolts & speed-nuts with the deal, which has turned out great, as this will allow me to get it all good again, just need some time & nicer weather lol. I've fitted the new front fender & nose back-up, so the rest should go smoothly now. As mentioned, everything is a perfect fit & bolt-holes aligning perfectly, with the nose being my biggest concern.

Pics soon !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo people,

I was tempted to post some pics for now, but decided to wait until its all finished...A few more unforeseen issues came-up ( like they always do lol ), such as the coolant reservoir tank having a pin-hole in it, & after repair with my soldering iron, held good for about 24-hrs, before coolant started seeping out again...The plastic has turned brittle after 10 + years of hot-cold service, so a new one is a few more days away, & also means the removal of the fairing that I just fitted LOL !

I'm still unsure about what to do about my muffler, as my budget for the bikes repairs is now blown lol ! I can either bondo-it & mask it with tape for now, or have a new one built by another maker for $350:00 + postage, or replace it with another Yoshimura item for about $650:00...-( This is more than I paid for my fully painted fairing kit lol ) !...

There's been an expression-of-interest e-mail sent my way from MMA, & I've replied with a yes to being available for the job-at-sea, so I'll soon know if I'll have some decent $$$ coming my way, though its a good sign for the future, even if I don't get selected for this job offer. ( It's a small vessel, though houses over 100-personnel, for deep-sea-diving exploration...And to be honest, I'd rather sail with a small crew of 11-14 people than 100, so no great loss perhaps if I do miss-out. I'd also have to likely spend huge $$$ to reinstate my HUET Certificate, ( that reads as Helicopter Underwater Escape Training ) that expired a few years ago, as this vessel has a helipad, & the certificate is likely required to be able to board it.

Not long now, & as mentioned, the paint-work is honestly equal to or better than the Japanese OEM items. Very surprised & impressed !

Ciao,

Rastus

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Sorry I been so wrapped up in stupid politics and rusty Ford pickup trucks that I havent been able to enjoy this thread like Id want.

I am still willing to move wherever you see fit in the event you might find some other people to share and collaborate with who have more knowledge than myself. I dont get much into motorcycles but I do like to ride them and look at photos of them being modified. Sorry to hear about the coolant tank but better to find it now rather than later on the road, even if you do have to pull a panel or two!

Also glad to hear about your work prospects, nothing wrong with making a few extra bucks to do up the bike and stick away for times when you have off... In my line of work you dont get time off and even if you go away its still on your mind. I have grown to accept this because honestly I love what I do! Yet some jobs can be better than others in many different ways so it is never a dull moment. Not many people can go off to sea for extended periods so I am sure they would have to compensate you quite well! In my case I do not leave very often and even if I am lucky enough to do so it is not for long and not without worry of what may be happening while I am gone.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

If the work-at-sea was regular, it would be a great job & career. But at the moment, even though the income is great when it's rolling, you tend to tighten-up-the-wallet & spending, simply because you don't know when your going to work next...And to get a job locally means that at some-point, I'd have to depart in a bad way when a job-offer at sea came through, disappointing an employer...And in a small town / city, that means a bad reputation for yourself, so I choose to tough-it-out on the poor side, & let whatever jobs are available locally go to the young-folks, as they're the one's that need it the most.

I've taken some pics of the bike, just need to load them up. I'm still waiting on the reservoir-tank, so the fairing bolts are fitted but loose, & the muffler has only been wrapped with tape for the moment. It doesn't look too bad IMO, but a new shiny muffler is the go.

I'll load & post sometime today...

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

Here's a snap-shot of the near-complete beast. Too much trouble to move & not enough room for a better picture, but this will have to do for now....

All the plastic is new, & the tank remains undamaged / changed from before.

IMG_0995 - Copy.JPG

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

Here's a better picture, with a bit more room...

It's all pretty much finished, just checking for any niggles etc etc. Rides great ! ( Phew )....lol...

Shawnee_B · FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

Thanks Rastus great pics! That's one awesome ride.

I have owned many as we all did (MC nuts anyway) Last 3 were Harleys, 5 before that BMW's. (I'd go back that way too) Had a 1977 R100RS Rensport. Loves that full faired bike. Sold it to a buddy decades ago, he has a new beemer. Told me if I visit him in CA I can take it back home? Total rebuild for sure, faring wrecked, wiring harness bad and who knows what else but I still want it. I'll try to find some pics. RS in 77 had bigger carb, dual discs, lots goodies.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Holy smokes Rastus! That is looking good!

Did not realize you were so far along! Great work fitting the parts because when I scrolled thru last time I thought they were the photos from 2016 or 2017 at first glance! Now I see the difference between the two and it is a marked improvement!

Shawnee_B · FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

That does look sharp! Tank protector is a nice touch too. I had a protector/tank bag on one of my BMW. It was cool, made of elephant hide. The RS had the drag bars on it so I could stuff the tank bag and lay my beer gut on it, took time but I did get used to the bars then loved it.

Shawnee_B · FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

Just a generic pic but one of my favorites for sure. 1977 BMW R100rs rs for rensport, the autobahn model.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Thanks guys !

Yes, I have to admit that it is an improvement from before, though what I liked about the old plastics, is that I didn't have to worry too much about scratches & marks, as it already had a few, but now...

There's still a few marks ( gravel-rash ) on the lead-pipe into the muffler that annoy me, so I'll spend a few hours today filing & sanding to hopefully polish them away. The whole system is polished stainless steel, so there should be some success I hope. The marks don't really appear in the pics.

It seems the prices on a new seat have come down a fair bit, like 1/2 the price lol, so I may have to consider a new one @ around $220:00AUD. They wanted $180:00 to re-skin the old one with the same covering, & meh...Not for me...The old GSXR-1100 & RF-900R's seats were in perfect condition, even after 25-years, so it's disappointing to see the Hayabusa's seat-skin only lasting around 10-years.

The beauty of these Hayabusa's, is that they've stayed relatively unchanged all these years, & they're still quite popular. This means a big aftermarket is trading, & lot's of spares for years to come. And the engine-mods that are available are incredible too, though expensive. I have more than enough power for my needs, & even a fast ride sees only around 50% of the available RPM's being used...But one day ( if it makes it lol ), an engine refresher will be needed, & we'll see about the options then. I do like the idea of a streetable 240-bhp from a big-block 1600cc up-grade LOL !

Those BMW's are tried & proven Shawnee, so go for it ! Spares are in abundance too I hear, & that model hasn't changed much over the years, just more problematic electronics, & EFI for the motor. Carbs are good in my opinion, & cheaper to recondition than any EFI system, though EFI delivers far better power everywhere & fuel efficiency to, for the same sized engine...( Like around 30% more on average ).

I'd check-out a K-100 series if I were yourself, especially the ones after the mid 1990's. For some reason, BMW limited all their bikes to 100-bhp maximum until the mid 1990's. And now, their Race-bikes are leading the packs at the GP's, so I'd say the modern-day second-hand BMW market has some really good high-powered machines out there.

For today's needs, IMO, you need at least 130-hp. This figure allows for very easy going performance in any gear, at any speed up to about say 150-Mph.

Hayabusa's are incredibly easy to ride & get along with. I'd also suggest that you check-out your 2nd-hand market here for a 1st-generation model ( 1999-2007 ), as you'd get a heck-of-a-lot-of-motorcycle, for not much out-lay, & likely a better all-round purchase than a BMW, as apart from the performance & equal touring capabilities, you can also fit-up the latest & greatest rubber available too. That makes for safe riding IMO. Super brakes, modern chassis & design, awesome wind deflection, too-much-power, & modern rubber = great fun lol !

Cheers,

Rastus

Shawnee_B · FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

I agree, the newer stuff is MUCH improved.

I can have my old RS back if I want to make a 2,000 mile trip to CA and pick it up. Needs ground up restoration I am sure.

I do like those K100's too!

The RS had bigger carbs, dual disc brakes. Put Michelin rain treads on cause ran mostly WA state, very wet place.