Dr Know helps get Steve Bull’s Hayabusa haelthy again

Got a problem with your bike? MCN’s mechanical medic is on call to help. This week he sorts Steve Bull’s (not so) trusty Suzuki Hayabusa…

MCN’s resident bike whisperer Bruce Dunn, aka Dr Know, has been working, fixing, riding and competing on machines of all shapes and sizes for over 30 years.

MCN now gives you the chance to book in your troublesome twowheeler for an all-round health check (see right for details of how to book an appointment).

This week, Dr Know gives MCN reader Steve Bull’s 2006 Suzuki GSX1300R the once-over. Steve’s owned the 20,500-mile firstgeneration 1299cc model since last summer and spends most of his spare time road riding in and around North Wales, as well as enjoying the occasional blast up the drag strip at Shakespeare County Raceway. The Hayabusa is one of the fastest bikes ever built, so it’s vital that everything is in excellent condition. And, although the Hayabusa is one of the best machines Suzuki have ever built, it’s not without its foibles. Steve has already dealt with one of the bike’s most notable niggles – far from brilliant brakes.

Steve said: “I do a lot of my own maintenance and have taken care of the front brakes. They always seemed to lack power and feel until I modified them.

“Another area I need some help on is how to get the bike handling better. I’d really like to understand how the suspension adjustments work and affect my Hayabusa’s behaviour. I don’t really get what damping and preload do or whether it’s actually worth adjusting them at all, or do I just need better springs? “It can get a bit lively when I wind it up on bumpy roads and I am keen to try to tackle this.”

Dr Know comes to the rescue with advice on Steve’s Hayabusa woes...

‘Dr Know has convinced me I need to fit some upgraded brake lines’