Suzuki Hayabusa
Celebrating the people and bikes that go the distance This Busa is 120,000 miles in and still going strong – mostly...
Kevin Stack’s 120,000-mile machine is still going strong
EXHAUST
“The OE headers rotted through a few years ago at 94,000 miles and I’ve fitted aftermarket cans with a stainless link pipe from a later Busa, as the black paint on my generation’s link pipe kept flaking off.”
SERVICING FUEL PUMP
“The early Busas have an external fuel pump where on later ones it sits inside the tank. The rubber pipes leading to it go soft, causing fuel starvation. New lines cure it.”
“BACK IN 1999 I had a GSX-R1100 and fancied a new sportsbike. I considered the R1 but my wife Ann likes to go on the back and the size of the pillion seat on the Yamaha wasn’t looked on favourably. The Busa seemed the ideal compromise — sporty enough for me to enjoy with my mates solo yet with a decent pillion for two-up day-trips out.
“The performance was instantly an eye-opener; in 1999 it was incredible and even nowadays it is more than fast enough for the road. However, the Busa isn’t just about top speed, it is how the engine delivers its power that is so good and is why I still love it. The motor is so
SUBFRAME
“I didn’t get my subframe replaced after the recall and it eventually broke in 2020 after 21 years of use. I sourced a secondhand alloy item for about £20 — the upgraded steel one was so heavy.”
TYRES
“I get about 4000 miles out of a set of tyres with the front lasting about the same distance as the rear. You need to run sports touring tyres — I favour Metzeler Z8s.” smooth and full of grunt that you can be lazy or use the revs for a thrill.
“Despite being quite big, it handles well. You need to take sweeping lines and be smooth but it can hang with modern bikes, though it isn’t perfect.
“The brakes are notoriously poor and you need to keep them clean or they fade badly. The riding position is also quite sporty and so I fitted taller bars and screen. All I did was service it for 12 years but, at 63,120 miles, a gearbox bearing went. I removed the engine myself and a friend fixed it, saving loads.
“There have been a few consumable issues; the fork seals went at 80,000 miles, I’ve changed swingarm and wheel bearings, a chain and sprocket set lasts 30,000 miles and tyres 4000 miles. The coils caused an intermittent misfire at 91,000 miles, which was an easy fix, and the generator has also gone recently.
BARS
“The clip-ons are really low so I swapped mine for a set of Renthal flat bars using an aftermarket conversion kit. You have to chop the screen to allow the bars to turn fully from lock to lock but it’s comfier in traffic.”
The radiator also needing replacing as it was blocked with 22 years of winter grime. And then there is the subframe...
“The wife and I were out riding two-up in Wales last year and we hit a big pothole, which broke the subframe. My wife noticed a strange creaking sound and the left-hand top subframe mount had cracked about an inch before the bolt. I swapped the subframe and braced it a bit myself to be safe.
“I’ve used mine year-round and I’m impressed with how well it has lasted. I’d like some of the safety assists from the new one but there’s nothing wrong with it. The Hayabusa is such a rocksolid bike and 175bhp doesn’t date.”
BRAKES
“You need to keep on top of cleaning the calipers or you will get a lot of lever travel. I’ve fitted braided lines and sintered pads and I pump the pistons out and clean and grease them regularly.”