dcnblues
Registered
I am so so glad I found out about raising links. I was all over the forums when I had my gen 1, but somehow missed the benefits and the concept. I'm sad about the extra handling I missed with that bike but I am ecstatic over the handling I've found on my new gen 3.
I suspect there may be others out there we just aren't interested in turning their busa into a drag bike and so they don't read threads about lowering links and so miss out on raising the rear. That's probably what happened to me. As well, there are a couple of issues which confused the hell out of me, so even though there are a number of threads on this topic for the Gen 1 and Gen 2 (which are mostly valid for the Gen 3 as well), I thought I would clarify some stuff for new owners who aren't familiar with the concept.
-Gen 2 and gen 3 suspension links are equivalent. I think Gen one as well but I'm not positive. What you read and what you buy will be compatible with your gen 3.
-***Links which raise the rear are SHORTER!!! The triangular geometry of the suspension is counterintuitive, so when you hear people talk about lowering the bike, they are putting in longer link bars, and vice versa. Nobody says this outright (even the web page descriptions of the parts!?!?) so I was confused for a long time.
-***This is probably because a majority of the time raising links are referred to as +1". So this refers to a shorter bar that raises the rear 1 in. The problem is that the height the bike is raised depends on how far away from the swing arm pivot you measure. So different setups and taking measurements from different locations will give different raising results. Conventionally the measurements are from the license plate to the ground, but license plates can be anywhere on the rear. Your mileage may vary in other words.
-Removing the stock bolts and nuts can be difficult. 1) Lots of torque involved so it's a good idea to secure the front of the bike or the front wheel before you begin. 2) Don't try to turn the bolt. Do loosen the nut first, not the bolt. 3) Go ahead and do that either while the bike is on the ground and the suspension loaded, or after you have partially jacked the bike up just enough to unload the suspension. 4) But it's not recommended to fully lift the rear so the swing arm is hanging down. You want it in the middle so the tire is taking some weight but not a lot. 5) you're looking to have the swing arm balanced so that matching the bolt to the new link and sliding the bolt in and out is easy. (Lots of confusing information on other posts and threads).
-There are a ton of different opinions on the results of raising the rear an inch, and I'm going to give some specific numbers below, but essentially this change will be a small and not a large difference. The change will not be radical, the change will not be dangerous or off-putting.
-There's some debate about the Hayabusa deliberately being designed either for sport or touring, but the simplest way to look at it is that Suzuki wanted the Hayabusa to be stable at high speed. So the geometry of the design leaned definitely towards the conservative. Raising the rear simply corrects the motorcycle back to the GSXR side of the equation. It handles, gloriously, much more like a 600 when modded with raising links. I'll say it again: I love love love the way it handles now!
-Don't worry about losing stability; I have neither myself felt nor read about any concern in this area. You'll be able to take your hands off the bars even at low speeds the same as you did before without noticing any loss of tracking ability. Think of it as moving the suspension from overly stable back to Mid stable. For sure there are a million track bikes far more Twitchy than a Hayabusa with raising links. I've also read the opinion that if you raise the rear you need to upgrade the steering damper, but I discount that. If you can feel your steering damper, you're doing it wrong.
-You will need to adjust your chain. You probably won't need to add or lose a link, but worst case scenario it's possible. Not that big a deal.
*I am still confused about getting the nose up. I've read that it makes it harder to wheelie. But that doesn't seem right, and what I've read is conflicting. Let others who know more than me go ahead and comment.
I suspect there may be others out there we just aren't interested in turning their busa into a drag bike and so they don't read threads about lowering links and so miss out on raising the rear. That's probably what happened to me. As well, there are a couple of issues which confused the hell out of me, so even though there are a number of threads on this topic for the Gen 1 and Gen 2 (which are mostly valid for the Gen 3 as well), I thought I would clarify some stuff for new owners who aren't familiar with the concept.
-Gen 2 and gen 3 suspension links are equivalent. I think Gen one as well but I'm not positive. What you read and what you buy will be compatible with your gen 3.
-***Links which raise the rear are SHORTER!!! The triangular geometry of the suspension is counterintuitive, so when you hear people talk about lowering the bike, they are putting in longer link bars, and vice versa. Nobody says this outright (even the web page descriptions of the parts!?!?) so I was confused for a long time.
-***This is probably because a majority of the time raising links are referred to as +1". So this refers to a shorter bar that raises the rear 1 in. The problem is that the height the bike is raised depends on how far away from the swing arm pivot you measure. So different setups and taking measurements from different locations will give different raising results. Conventionally the measurements are from the license plate to the ground, but license plates can be anywhere on the rear. Your mileage may vary in other words.
-Removing the stock bolts and nuts can be difficult. 1) Lots of torque involved so it's a good idea to secure the front of the bike or the front wheel before you begin. 2) Don't try to turn the bolt. Do loosen the nut first, not the bolt. 3) Go ahead and do that either while the bike is on the ground and the suspension loaded, or after you have partially jacked the bike up just enough to unload the suspension. 4) But it's not recommended to fully lift the rear so the swing arm is hanging down. You want it in the middle so the tire is taking some weight but not a lot. 5) you're looking to have the swing arm balanced so that matching the bolt to the new link and sliding the bolt in and out is easy. (Lots of confusing information on other posts and threads).
-There are a ton of different opinions on the results of raising the rear an inch, and I'm going to give some specific numbers below, but essentially this change will be a small and not a large difference. The change will not be radical, the change will not be dangerous or off-putting.
-There's some debate about the Hayabusa deliberately being designed either for sport or touring, but the simplest way to look at it is that Suzuki wanted the Hayabusa to be stable at high speed. So the geometry of the design leaned definitely towards the conservative. Raising the rear simply corrects the motorcycle back to the GSXR side of the equation. It handles, gloriously, much more like a 600 when modded with raising links. I'll say it again: I love love love the way it handles now!
-Don't worry about losing stability; I have neither myself felt nor read about any concern in this area. You'll be able to take your hands off the bars even at low speeds the same as you did before without noticing any loss of tracking ability. Think of it as moving the suspension from overly stable back to Mid stable. For sure there are a million track bikes far more Twitchy than a Hayabusa with raising links. I've also read the opinion that if you raise the rear you need to upgrade the steering damper, but I discount that. If you can feel your steering damper, you're doing it wrong.
-You will need to adjust your chain. You probably won't need to add or lose a link, but worst case scenario it's possible. Not that big a deal.
*I am still confused about getting the nose up. I've read that it makes it harder to wheelie. But that doesn't seem right, and what I've read is conflicting. Let others who know more than me go ahead and comment.
Last edited:
