I’ll cut to the chase: This Generation 2.5 GSX1300R is a different, arguably better bike than the original version. I say arguably because this is now a very expensive bike, and a big portion of the Hayabusa’s charm has been its affordability. But the top shelf parts work to provide both a sensation and look of quality, and of course even more access to the bike’s considerable OEM skillset. Vibrations, rattles, and looseness have been converted to usable information. Brembo and Ohlins are more than expensive names, they have a sophistication that is palpable, and confidence inspiring.
From the showroom the Hayabusa is a bit of a blunt instrument. It is average components wrapped around a stunning engine. Rising above rider aids in favor of smooth, predictable power from down low to its vision blurring redline. My lack of engine modifications will obviously be the most controversial aspect of this build. But the engine on the Hayabusa already has a nearly perfect demeanor for my riding goals.
My main strategy for this build was to improve the bike everywhere that you touch it. Controls, suspension, even the seat are upgraded with high performing parts that have contributed to a feeling of quality that is quite stunning. Now if you want to appreciate smoking a Gurkha Black Dragon, it can’t be your first cigar. You must smoke a few cigars of different quality to learn how to truly appreciate a $1,000 smoke. I’ve been elevating parts of this bike for 10 years and learning more about how to interpret quality both as a rider and a mechanic. Admittedly, It’s been a struggle to take the bike to the highest levels without losing its identity.
I won’t dwell on how I got here with the bike, that story is well chronicled in my build thread so many of you have been gracious enough to follow. When I started this project, I decided to let you all have some of the fun by letting you participate in the many decisions necessary to pull this off. That decision has clearly elevated the end product – never underestimate the experience of the Org. Anyway, here’s my assessment on both the parts and the whole. I’ll start with parts I had already added to the bike and that will carry forward:
1” Risers: My first mod to the bike was in 2010, after reading an article on the Hayabusa that described the ambiguous front end feel I had noticed. Suzuki delivers the Hayabusa with a near even weight distribution which makes for a bit of a wondering front end. Lifting the tail improves tracking tremendously. At $50 and a couple hours in the garage the bike gained an amazing stability and sure footedness. This mod still stands as the best bang for the buck mod I have done to the bike.
Yoshimura R77 Full System: As I have pointed out, people will wonder why I am building such a high specification bike with essentially stock power. The answer is surprisingly obvious: the stock Gen2 Hayabusa has more than enough power for a bike without the benefit of advanced electronics. Its reliable, simple and entertaining – a vanishing charm in a world gone mad with bikes that want to impress with tricks. I love the intimate relationship Yoshimura and Suzuki have had for many years. I was inspired to improve the Hayabusa platform by the X-1 “Heavy Bus”, Yoshimura’s racing Hayabusa. Yoshi parts are well designed, well executed and deliver good performance. The R77 specifically has the sound of a quiet race bike with an intoxicating low-end growl and a formidable high-end howl. It’s also exquisite in black carbon fiber. The configuration I’m running is a Yoshi 4 into 1 with an R77 can, K&N filter, and PCV with dyno tune. You can get more power and maybe even better technology with other pipes, but you can’t get this historical partnership anywhere else.
Ohlins Suspension: I have tried modifying the forks with springs and oils and gold valves and such on other bikes. This time around I just went to the experts and ordered the Ohlins front forks and rear shock. I have posted my experience with the Ohlins on several occasions, so I’ll just repeat my astonishment at the composure of the bike. Bumps don’t spoil your line through a turn. Set an angle and more throttle the bike goes wider, less throttle the radius tightens. Braking is vastly improved because the forks handle the weight transfer much better, and even compressed under the force of a panic they remain compliant and steerable. I can’t say whether Ohlins are the best suspension available, but I can say those brash, gold forks are much more than a fashion statement.
Corbin Seat: There’s more to a seat than most riders realize. A soft seat is a great place to watch your favorite show but generally it isn’t much good when it comes to controlling a motorcycle. You need support, and if you are a heavy guy like me your behind will push right through soft pillows to some very uncomfortable shapes on the seat pan. Then there is the covering. It needs to not hold heat, and the surface friction must match your riding style. Touring riders don’t move their butts much, they lean with the bike. One of the genius design inspirations Suzuki built into the Hayabusa is that it corners like a sport bike. It invites moving around in the cockpit – especially moving half your moon to the inside of a corner. Corbins are magic in allowing spirited riding in a seat that will keep the butt monkeys at bay for extended stretches of slab.
Electronics: With the exception of the Garmin GPS, I ripped all the accessory electronics off the bike (yes, even the cruise control). Now that the BMW handles the longer sorties, the Hayabusa transitions over to road superiority duties. Besides it’s a bit silly to spend a fortune on titanium and then lug a few pounds of electronics along for the ride. It could be a reaction to dealing with a finicky BMW that is constantly telling you what to do (I literally carry a dash board icon reference in the saddle bag), but I was more than happy to get the Hayabusa back to a simple, focused riding experience. So, the Garmin has directions/traffic/weather as well as tire pressure monitoring and the Cardo provides the soundtrack. All the necessary bases covered, simple.
These are the new mods:
Core Moto Apex Wheels: Wow, Core Moto delivered. The engineering is thorough, fabrication is flawless and the aesthetics stunning. It was a tough decision to not go BST, but I am confident these wheels are the right fit for this bike’s intended use and most of all, I’m very satisfied. I was concerned about the lighter wheels making the Hayabusa twitchy, but the impact on turn-in has been positive. The bike wants to turn in easier but still holds a line as well as ever. In fact, I felt the front end was noticeable more precise. I didn’t make any adjustments to the suspension, but I’m confident the ride of the Hayabusa could be even further refined. The bigger surprise was the improved engine response. The bike felt like a young racehorse kicking up its hoofs. Only issue I have is I think I want the 10 spoke wheels now!
Brembo Brakes: I started trying to improve the brakes on my 09 Hayabusa almost immediately. The OEM brakes were so lacking in power they were a constant source of concern while riding. First, I added the stainless-steel lines, then the EBC pads. When I added the M4 calipers and the Brembo radial master cylinder, the brakes became more than sufficient for the street and the occasional track day. Since the brakes were more or less fixed, I didn’t expect revolutionary improvements with the addition of the GP4 calipers.
One might expect overwhelming power from these top shelf parts, but the dominant impression you get comes courtesy of the incredible lever feel. From light trail braking to aggressive full stops, braking is a single finger effort that feels like your finger is right on the rotors themselves. Somehow this setup can make the “feel zone” of the lever seem like slow motion, you feel every detail. Since the 19 RCS Corsa Corta is more or less an adjustable 19 RCS, I suspect the extraordinary feel is at least in part due to the GP4’s 34 mm pistons.
Speaking of the Corsa Corta, it is a fascinating piece of kit. It’s gorgeous. It’s functional. And as all Italian motorcycle parts must be it’s very, very sexy. Normal mode feels pretty much like the base 19 RCS pump. Sport, my personal favorite setting, has a little more bite than the “N” setting but still retains the generous “feel zone”. When racing, the goal is to spend as little time as possible decelerating. Race mode on the Corsa Corta certainly drives this point home with a massive initial bite and a short “feel zone”. Frankly, this setting is best left to experts, so I doubt I’ll use it even on track.
The rear Brembo has not been hooked up yet as it needs a custom stainless line. I’ll fill you all in on that when I have some miles on it.
After a few laps on my test route, I had to crank the compression up a few clicks on the forks. With a bit stiffer front, I could lay the bike on the front end and easily hold it there until I was slowed down. The Dunlops stiff carcass has always held up to braking, even with pressures toward the lower traction side. Pretty amazing stuff.
Thumb brake: This one was a real heartbreaker. The whole concept of the thumb brake is pretty new, and I was looking forward to having one of the only Hayabusas with one (at least here in the US). Even the law is behind the eight-ball on this device and says you have to have a foot brake on a DOT compliant motorcycle. I solved this issue with a fitting I found that allows the thumb brake MC to feed into the regular MC with functional foot brake. I ordered the MC and lever unit from PMR, who were great to work with. However, when I measured the clearance, I did not have the clutch side Brembo 19 RCS mc on the bike. The hydraulic line points forward and essentially puts an end to the party. I have a bracket that we 3D printed to move things a bit. When we get it working, I’ll send the files off for a CNC version cut into Aluminum. In any event it’s a project for another day.
Quick Shifter: Big disappointment here too. I started to get cold feet with the Healtech Easy QS while reading the instructions. My willingness to go through the installation and setup ended when the harness they sent me did not fit on the OEM plug wires. I can’t say either way on this product, but I’m probably going to pursue something else.
Paint: What a journey painting this bike has been. I experimented with the original 2009 silver/gray scheme through three iterations over nine years. Most of those iterations involved painting plastic panels completely one color or the other to keep things simple and cost effective. The decals were whatever I could find on eBay. The results were acceptable, but none truly reimagined the bike. Honestly, my preferred look for motorcycles is the competition bike look, which is to say it looks like what it is and does. I’m just not the theme bike sort.
While talking to a friend one night several years ago, he asked “what if Suzuki asked ten Hayabusa owners to each come up with BNG’s (bold new graphics) for the next Hayabusa, what would you propose?” I couldn’t get this idea out of my head and a year or so ago I found myself constantly drawing the bike’s profile and doodling in graphics. I became progressively more committed to developing a new scheme until I eventually found myself obsessed with the project. If you have been following this thread, you can see a lot of the evolution of this paint scheme.
My earliest influences were a few custom designs that tried to address the bulldog-like girth of the bike. The most successful efforts to my eyes cut the body horizontally, with darker and lighter colored masses. I wanted the kanji to be more graphically integral and less literal as it is on the stock bike. I thought more like the stripes on the tiger appear to make incidental patterns. All of my thoughts came together when Herb Brown at Deuce Moto Customs (
https://deucemotocustoms.com/ ) worked his magic on the concept, pulling everything together in what is a stunning composition.
I selected the paint colors based on my BMW K1600 GT. The Lupin blue and mirror black are amazing on the Hayabusa too, the two bikes now form the perfect Yin & Yang. My concept was a stealth bike that most would not even notice as anything more than a stock Hayabusa. This bike has attracted attention wherever it is parked from casual passersby to hardcore two-wheel enthusiast. The blue seems to radiate the sun in hues that are complex, changing from every angle. The contrast between the blue, black and various gold parts is quite stunning in person.
Titanium Bolts: To be honest, I did not have a good experience with ProBolts. I’m not sure what went wrong here (they were responsive and helpful on the phone), but the bolts were just inadequate. I ordered a gold fairing kit and got a mix of gold and plain fasteners. After a call I got a replacement set of bolts, but I’m not sure they were all Titanium as some looked like Aluminum. Also, the plastic washers and sleeves were too thin. When the fairing panels were in place the rattled even with tight bolts. All of the larger items went well (caliper bolts, axle nut, and a few other larger size fasteners). All I can pass on is if you want titanium bolts consider not ordering the kits. You need to order each one to fit your specs. I think mine being gold might have been part of the problem as I suspect gold is an unusual order.
SATO Rear sets: These rear sets are amazingly smooth. They feel like they were assembled by a clock maker or something. The feel is smooth, and you will be surprised because you probably didn’t know your old rear sets were so agricultural! A warning though as the Sato’s are very high-quality racing equipment. They are high even on their lowest setting and very far back so that you’re sort of pushing back on them rather than down. The posture basically has your knees positioned o wear some plastic off the sliders. We are 3D printing some offset plates to move the Sato pegs out and down. When the fitting is verified, we’ll either hand cut them from Aluminum or send them off for CNC cutting and gold anodizing. Will let you know how this goes.
Dunlop Q3+: If you recall I took the new wheels in to the shop and asked for Dunlop Q3’s. Apparently, they mounted the Q3+ tires with me even know (or paying for them). I didn’t even catch this until Dopey pointed it out. Shop said keep them when I called unless I still want Q3’s and they were on order. Well after all that drama I felt little difference from the old Q3’s. I love these tires and they do all I ask them to do exceptionally. I don’t have enough miles on them to tell if they are rubbing more rubber off on the road than the old versions. I told my buddy I really must be spending too much money when they just assume, I want the best stuff and don’t even ask!
Conclusion: So that’s it for now folks. This Hayabusa is an even more remarkable bike in many ways. The other night my wife caught me sitting in the garage talking to the bike. "been awhile since you did that" she said, shaking her head. She has no idea how long I have been dreaming of doing this. Still, it has been quite a haul and keeping the faith was difficult (and expensive) at times. I wanted to roll the bike out “showroom ready”, but there are still things left to do and improve. I suppose that good but for now i'm just trying to catch my breath (although tracking says a package is due Friday...). Thanks to you all for sticking with this as I’m sure it took a lot longer than we all expected. I was worried this thread was going to get stuck on unlucky 13K views, but we’re over the hump. I know without Photos it didn’t happen but I’m not releasing any more photos until they are done properly. Should be very soon though.
. But since you do have it if you could try to do a comparison on the mileage between the two just so we know if it actually gets more mileage like it says it should.
Can’t wait to see pics of it out in the wild! Uh, let’s see, other than Galfer braided SS lines and HeliBars, Buell pegs, a Throttlemeister and HH pads and proper maintenance, I’ve replaced the fork seals twice and the low beam headlight bulbs a couple times. 
Of course I’ve only had mine for 13 & 1/2 years and 65,000 miles. What to do, what to do...keep riding?
What a great bike we have. Does whatever I want it to do.
Yours sounds like what a Gen 3 should have.
I got your front lol
