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So want to modify your Hayabusa?
What follows is your wish list.
You can't just own it. You can't just leave it be. It sits there and stares back at you. And the longer you do that, the more it speaks to you. Could change this. Tweak that. Modify this. Add a bit of this. Make this a lil better. That's typically how it starts. So what follows is my story. I started compiling a list of mods before I even bought my Hayabusa.
This webpage has slowly grown through the years as the miles continue to accumulate. I use this bike only to travel and lead guided tours of California with my tour company- Pashnit Motorcycle Tours. I expect to ride through 80,000 miles this year on the Pashnit Hayabusa. Below are the products A-Z that I've used in my travels.
Need set of Galfer rotors? Click Buy Now. Like the camera mount I use? Click Buy Now. And so on. These are all tried-and-true experiences I've had through years of riding and leading guided tours that you sink can your teeth into. Read up and enjoy modding your Busa!
Thanks to the editors of Cycle World Magazine for publishing
my article 'Long Hauler' in the Sportbike Annual about the Pashnit Busa!
The Adaptive TPX Radar put out by Adaptiv Technologies is new on the market and the first radar detector that I'm aware of that was designed by motorcyclists for motorcyclists. Adaptive offers several mounts to fit various bikes (the busa mount just inserts into the steering head) plus can be plugged directly into a GPS or Comm system for total integration. The radar is water & shock resistant detecting all commonly used police radar bands. While I use a Comm sytem when riding, it also has a wireless headset option and an LED alert option.
Uses a sportbike mount that inserts into the steering head, plugs into Comm system
Avon Storm ST Tires
Tires are often one of those things that will split a room with a group full of dedicated riders. Everyone has their favorites, and rarely can we agree. Suffice to say, after all these years of riding, traveling and modifying the Pashnit Busa, these have to be some of the best tires I've ever used.
Some years back, I was using a 'Supersport Race' compound and was going through a lot of tires. At one point, I had to replace them every 30 days while leading Pashnit Tours during the height of the tour season. My mistake is liklely that I was using a very soft compound tire, and riding the bike hard. The busa eats tires they say. Maybe 2500 miles at best to a set.
The answer has been in the form of the Avon Storm ST sport-touring compound tires. Tire technology gets better every year, and the latest release from Avon has it using two different compounds- one of the middle for straight line travelin', and a different compound for the contact patch while leaned over. Now I'm running around 5000 miles per tire set, so about three rides. Pretty thrilled with that, and can gladly reccommend the Avon ST's. I was most impressed with the rear tire that had no squaring off. Just an even wear all the way down- even for a bike with this much horsepower at the rear wheel. And btw, I routinely alternate between a 200 & 190 series rear tire and admit I can't even feel the difference, despite what the textbook says.
Note that the Avon Azaro ST tire is discontinued and this is its successor. The Avon Viper Sport is their answer to a softer compound high performance tire.
~$250 set Source:Avon Tires & your preferred distributor
Autocom Active Plus
Thus far, I've been immensely pleased
with the Autocom. It's not cheap, but maybe the "get what you pay
for" rule applies here. Since I'm leading guided tours most of the
riding season on the Hayabusa- having a top quality communication system
is a must-have. After a bit of homework, settled on the
Autocom. While there are several versions- I bought the most basic
bike-to-bike system. It's just a module like the one at right,
without all the hookups for CD, radar, or passenger. It ran $250
& then you also buy the 2-way radio- the Kenwood Freetalk XL for
$200. Military grade with a 5 mile range.
From the site: The Bagster Tank Protector or Tank Cover is manufactured from coated PVC cloth (no, it's NOT leather) and is made specifically for each motorcycle model. The Tank Protector covers your fuel tank completely to protect the paintwork, has a foam lined soft underside, and does not move around on the bike. Depending on the model, it is fastened with 4 or 5 straps. There is an opening in the tank protector that allows you to gas-up your motorcycle without removing the protector. On the top portion it has a four point snap system for attaching a tank bag, providing optimal stability of luggage at high speeds. Two points are located at the front and two at the rear. Tank Protectors are customized to match the colors and patterns of your motorcycle, making them sleek and discreet.
Pashnit's Review: When I first got the tank bra, right after that I had the Hayabusa in the Motorcycle Show and the attention to the bra was interesting to watch. It really is a unique product and quite new to the USA. Over the years, as the list of mods has grown- this has to be at the very top of the list. It's that one product that really catches the eye (combined with the Race Ready products of course!). It's a great mod for the travel crowd too since it protects the entire tank from dings and scratches, plus for the Busa owner that desires a fresh look. And yes- it will work with magnetic tank bags- I still use my other RKA Maganetic tankbag all the time with just the bra.
From the site: The Tektra is the model specially designed for medium to large volumes. It is first of all spacious, including the wide and practical map-reader. The volume can be optimised to accept from 3.96-7.92 Gallons (15 to 30 litres). The two side pockets in rounded form only add to the charms of the Tektra.
The Tektra Tank Bag has several options, symbolic of Bagster service: a transparent rain cover stored in a pocket under the saddlebag, two shoulder straps allowing the bag to be carried on one's back, removable interior reinforcing piece, and an attachment system that folds away at the back and is adjustable in front. Available in 8 colors, the Tektra saddlebag will fit in with any motorbike's color scheme and this new line of saddlebags. Will hold full size helmet.
After riding with the Tektra bag for a short time, it quickly became apparent this was not the right tankbag for this bike. Or at least for my 165 lb 5'9" frame. I felt as though whoever had designed this bag had never sat on a Hayabusa before. Crazy Euros. The Tektra bag was so big, you had to sit upright or the bag was impacted into your belly.
A call placed to Ride Addict and the owner Fero sent out the smallest of the Bagster line- the City-Route tankbag and once it was on the bike- success!! It's the smallest bag I've used over the years but does work and is my daily 'man-purse'. The bag has hard sidewalls, an inside pocket under the map pouch and a rear pocket. Other than that, it's all business. There is an expandable version also.
Okay, so they look cool. Solid
aluminum milled bar ends- silver, lightweight, bling-bling. But
did you catch the red flag? Lightweight. Bar ends aren't
supposed to be lightweight. The weight is what keeps the buzziness
and vibration from making it to your hands.
So for sport-touring, they just weren't
practical and I took them off very quickly after realizing my hands were
numb after a 3 hour ride. Went back to stock and then eventually
the Throttlemeister bar ends. But
as for looks- these are fantastic!
Don't have a picture of this on me, but we sourced this via word-of-mouth from a discussion thread on the FJR Forum where they were talking about Blade antennas- which is a small flexible antenna about 10 inches long and 1 inch wide. It can be mounted anywhere with a bit of velcro and comes with a long coax cable to screw into the top of the Kenwood Freetalk XK walkie-talkie that we use with the Pashnit Tour Company.
We thought this would increase our range while riding for Tim and myself as we were leading and sweeping tour groups. I mounted mine on the steering head, my partner put his on the rear topcase. After a season of use, the end part of the cable the screws into the radio actually fell apart, so it was back to the stock short flexible antenna. Did it increase our range? Actually, I'm not sure, but likely.
So you've taken a few videos with the tank mounted video camera, now what? Enter bullet cams with resolutions at 580 lines capable of being mounted anywhere on the bike or person. Seen here is the suction mount, but with the clamp mount it can be placed anywhere, as a helmet cam or a multitude of angles- anywhere. I acquired this bullet cam and then handed it over to my videographer assigning him to create a short film about my tour company- Pashnit Motorcycle Tours.
Shooting analog video, and fed into a remote video camera positioned in the tankbag, my videographer has managed to mount this all over his bike, helmet and even at the end of a long pole. We've been pleased with the rugged aluminum housing, replaceable lens and it's even waterproof. You'll need the right connectors, wires and adapters to make it compatible with your video camera so do your homework if you decide to invest in one of these. All the video editing is done with Vegas 6.
There's a carbon fiber theme with this
bike that comes standard from the factory. When you sit on it,
you're looking down on an instrument cluster adorned in a faux carbon
fiber finish. After trying out a set of matching blue lever, it just didn't look right. So let's try a set of faux carbon fiber
levers. Ah, much better. They're still adjustable just like the
stock models and the carbon fiber is little more than painted on, but it
Your other choice of course is
chrome, but as you start pricing out all the pieces that come chrome for
this bike, it can quickly can expensive, about 3x as much as normal
aftermarket prices. So no chrome for this bike. The carbon
fiber levers match well, and they complement the style of the bike well
as a low-cost mod. Have since gone to Pazzo Levers, but again, great low-cost mod.
I came across these on Hayabusa.org and couldn't resist- these will work for any Hayabusa
since the body style hasn't changed yet. A low cost mod that will further the clean look
of the bike? Where do I send my money? I only paid like $70 for a complete set
and had them several days later.
Manufactures of these just use a jig to form the grills which you could buy the raw
material at Home Depot and do the mod yourself- but why? It's only a couple
bucks and could save you hours of time!
The nice thing about the ones I got from PPM Customs grills is that they arrive at your
door completely cut, formed, and trial fitted, ready to attach and ride.
Once you get them, you just obtain some heat resistant quick-set epoxy from
the Hardware store, pull all the panels off and put them on. Hardest part was
getting the epoxy to set quickly enough to hold them in place.
An easy trick was to use pieces of duct tape to hold the grills in place while the glue dries overnight.
Avoid the $20 sets which are
little more than un-formed flat square pieces of cheap screen anyone can
get at the hardware store. Look for the words "pre-fit",
"hand-formed" or "pre-formed". (You get what you
Now that I have the clear alternative lens on the bike- I realize how
ridiculous the yellow stock ones look. With the blue/silver- the clear lens blend
right in with the silver tone of the Hayabusa. They just replace the lens- but from an aesthetic look-
it's a must have. Aside from clear, you can also get tinted ones such as blue or even carbon fiber on eBay.
This is another mod that
after you purchase and install these- you'll wonder how you lived without
them. They simply have a dramatic effect on the looks of the bike.
They run about $100 for the pair and models are available for
every bike under the sun. Make sure you remember to swap the bulbs
to amber though.
Cycle Pump - Adventure Model
On-Board Motorcycle Air Compressor
A what? Yes indeed, an on board air compressor stored in the tail section of the motorcycle is what every tour guide needs. Or weekend warrior or for even your average everyday rider. As you can see, it's quite compact, and even comes with an optional second bag (at bottom of the pic) that holds the air pressure gauge the screws into the air line. The Cycle Pump simply plugs into the bike's Powerlet Products 12volt accessory plug (same one that powers the video camera) and you're live. Pump up any tire even in the midddle of nowhere.
This is a handy item to have and we have used it on the Pashnit Tours before after one of the participants picked up a nail in a parking lot. While his tire was shot, we were able to pump up the tire enough to get him back to our lodging for the night, then a new tire shoed on the next morning. Without it, he would have been stuck on the side of the road. You don't think you need one of these till you get a flat. Then you won't leave home without it.
Yep! It folds. Pulled right out of the dirt bike community where these sorts of levers are common, you can also purchase them for the Hayabusa. A matched set will replace the left side shift levers, and also the right side brake pedal. They install in minutes, only the brake pedal requires you to detach the footpeg bracket. You may think you'll never need an items like this, but all it takes is a parking lot tipover on a long trip in the middle of nowhere a 1000 miles from home to change your mind.
There's a mod to replace the
Frankenstein bolts just behind the seat. A stock feature to the Busa -
they're typically intended as a tie-down for your bungees.
But you can buy custom bolts to replace
these and achieve a cleaner look. I got a set of custom-machined
bolts off of SuzukiHayabusa.org, but have also seen this mod on eBay for
a couple bucks. Also called a 'Tail Bolt Kit'.
Many a motorcyclist are huge fans of
steel braided brake lines. Reason being the inability of the line to
expand under heavy braking compared to stock lines. Your braking ability is
directly related to the fluid
temperature and preventing the lines from expanding. It might expand because of
tiny air bubbles in the fluid which begin to boil under extreme heat
produced with spirited sport riding. It's most noticeable
with the twin front lines. While the change is slight, and it
still takes at least two-fingers to bite down hard, there's a firmness
there which is possibly due to any lack of expansion in the lines.
Brakes lines and high-permanence brake pads are one of those things
worth springing for on a 550 lb bike with 165 horsepower.
Once I added the front steel braided
lines with EBC HH Sintered pads- I was suddenly riding a entirely new
motorcycle! This is one mod that should come standard from the
factory, and I'd have to say this is the very first mod any
performance-orientated Busa owner should do! Finally, able to do one
My first 1000 mile ride with these, my right
forearm was actually sore at days end! Seems I overused my index
finger a little too much. Another effect of adding this was the
rear brake became useless. Really no need for it anymore with
spirited sport riding. You can also get various colors too.
After I fried the rear rotor from heat build-up and practically burned off the brake pads- I needed to make an upgrade. There I was blasting down my favorite mountain road- and my rear brake quit working. Blast. At first I had no idea what just happened- this never had happened. But the extreme heat of my trail braking heated up the fluid so much, it was boiling inside the lines. Not good. A few minutes later, it cooled down and back on the combat trail. So replaced the brake pads figuring that was the problem. It happened again- this time it burned off the brake pads entirely- which were only 3 weeks old- and completely fried the rotor too.
Time for a wave rotor and HH Sintered Racing Pads. The debate seems to rage on this product and I actually don't know the answer. Do they work, probably, do I notice the difference? Not really. Have I burned up any more brakes pads or rotors. Not a one. Can I lock up the rear at any time. You bet.
I've always used Corbin seats on my last two motorcycles and the last
50,000 miles. But as bulbous as the Hayabusa is, the Corbin just
doesn't look right. Enter the Gel Seat from Suzuki to which I am
quite impressed with it. Only paid $90 for it off the internet and for the
price, can't be beat. I have done 1000 mile 3-Day weekends leading Pashnit
Guided Tours and it works great. On the longest of days- sun-up to
sun-down riding- the seat gets a bit uncomfortable but it sure beats stock.
It is true that they heat up, but I only happened after a
long day in the saddle on a warm day. The first time this happened,
I couldn't figure out why the seat felt hot. 3-Hour rides you'll never
One good thing about the Gel seat- is that it's rounded and fits right in with the
lines of the bike. Plus the material is like a wet suit. I have seen older
seats that have the fabric deteriorating, but so far so good. This seat
is supposed to fit the GSXR models from 600 on up.
you were going to do a cross-country trek- you might want to invest in a Corbin or Tobin Seat.
Probably what I like best about this cover is it's very compact and works well when traveling. I don't need the most heavy-duty cover out there, but I also don't want the cheapest. I just need something to hide my bike from prying eyes. Geza Cover has just the thing with its ProStretch Bike Cover. The cover is a stretchy material that comes in either black or silver, and packs down in it's own pressure sack. The cover is compact enough, I can store it in the rear Hump via the Hump Mod.
Geza covers have been around a long time and come in several sizes and duties. From the simple to the extreme, Geza Cover makes a good product and have been great to deal with. I've always wanted one of these, finally got around to picking one up. Since it's stored inside the hump, I take it everywhere I go and within seconds, can have the bike covered. Also works well when trailering the bike too.
The GIpro Gear Indicator has been a popular mod with fellow Hayabusa owners and for good reason. Riders love having the gear indicator mounted on the dash and there's no more headed down the freeway in 5th gear any longer. Plus in the twisties when you hit that entry speed, you'll know what gear you're in as you power out of the late apex.
Not only is the GIpro a gear indicator, but it also has an ATRE built in. ATRE stands for Advanced Timing Retard Eliminator and I've written an entire webpage including FAQ's about this device. Click the link below to read up on ordering yourself a GIpro also plus learn why this device is so common with Busa owners. Household name even. Note to get the benefit of a TRE on 2008+ Busa, you'll need the X-TRE.
Always been a sucker for a low cost
mod, and here's another that fits the bill. After I had to cut off the
original handle grips to install the heated tape (that goes underneath
the grip), it was time to replace the originals with something
new. I could go with some generic sportbike grips, but why?
Since no blue/silver grips exist to my knowledge, had to settle for
what's readily available. These grips are a carbon fiber motif with a
bit of red and white. Close enough.
It's one of those things you'll wonder
how you ever survived without. 100,000 miles of riding without
heated grips. What was I thinking! That's what goes through
your mind when you add these to your bike, and finally flip the switch on
a cold fall day.
hand warmers are nothing fancy and really quite basic. After
removing the old handlegrips (good opportunity to install new ones like
the set shown above), you unpeel the stickers on the backside, place them
on the steel bar and slide on the new handlegrip. Little easier than
it sounds, but managed to get it all back together. Wire in the
grips to a hot wire (only when bike is on) and place the hi-lo switch
I'll admit they aren't
fancy, and for a mere $36- you get what you pay for but are my hands warm?
Worth mentioning that this will be my next mod. During our Spring tour season this last year, we got snowed on 3 Pashnit Tours in a row. Unusual, but Spring in NorCal can be like that. Pics are here btw. Enough to convince me to upgrade from my inexpensive stick-on type.
Hot Grips run about $80 and are one step up from the stick-on low-cost heating element type. If you are on a budget, then get the stick-on type. They work. However, if you want something that works even better, then move on up to an actual electric grip. They come with a Hi-Lo switch, a resistor resistor to burn off extra power for the medium setting, and a 30" wire lead to plug into the bike. Heat is 30W total, or 15W per grip. No where near burning your hands off, but definitely a step from nothing at all. Or any bulky Michelin-man type gloves.
First let me start by saying- it is a sweet, sweet
sound. The plethora of exhaust options is just amazing. The
HMF Oval 4-in-1 low-mount replaces the entire exhaust system, increases horsepower,
offers weight savings and tunes
in the sound coming from the motor. It flows with the lines, and I
prefer the low mount look. (You can also buy high mounts or twin slip-on
Maybe what impresses me most is the carbon fiber design. It
produces a tremendous sound that's not tinny or high-pitched. This
exhaust produces a low down growl and screams at high revs. But the
best part is around town, it's quiet in everyday traffic with a relaxed
hand. Plus there is a bit of weight savings too by pulling off the
heavy stock system.
If you add an
aftermarket exhaust, it's customary to add a PCII and get the bike
dyno'd to dial it all in.
One of the odd problems with the LED brake lights is
riders behind me
say they can't tell when I'm braking. A solution was to add
Hyper-Lites. Plus it's a great addition for in-city riding to let
automobiles know I'm braking- especially at stop lights. When you
hit the brakes, they flash repeatedly.
Had these on the ZX-11D and eventually put them on the Hayabusa. Real simple- you
hit the brakes- these bright LED's flash as long as the brakes are on. You can
modify them to blink then go solid but I prefer them blinking all the time.
Heard any stoplight- "...didn't see you" stories?
There are numerous styles and combinations- but the basic does the job. They run
about $65 from Hyper-Lites.com or Sport Touring Accessories or any other supplier.
Nothing splits a room of motorcycling enthusiasts
like a discussion about headlight modulators. Some love 'em, some
hate 'em. After using them for the last 50,000 miles- I'm on the
"pro" side of the fence. So much so, I'd strongly
encourage this mod to anyone concerned about safety or being seen.
They're legal because they don't actually turn the headlight off.
Instead it just pulses the signal and makes you extremely visible to other traffic. They also are great if you are a devout
lane-splitter, as in commuting here in California.
wire it into the high beam- therefore you can turn it off at
anytime. Plus all of them come with a daylight sensor so it
automatically turns itself off at dusk.
Dynamics manufactures this mod.
The only problems I've had are minimal light- even a cloudy day will turn
it off. Position the daylight sensor directly upward and it seems to
work well this way.
The hump mod in Busa circles is
replacing the 4 bolts on the underside of the rear hump. Ig sells
this for a couple bucks as a package deal. Just remove the old
bolts, and replace with either the 'wing style' or 'cylindrical
style'. Do this and gain a bit more space for a set of spare
gloves or map.
You can get the quarter turn fasteners just about anywhere, but I'd rather give my $$ to a fellow busa owner. After all, it's just 12 bucks.
Note how handy the Hump Mod is for storing the Geza Cover.
Playing with the color of your headlight can make you even more visible
and help you stand out. Lights are available in all sorts of colors
too. This mod either replaces the headlight altogether or you can buy a cover
that changes the emitted light of your pre-existing bulb.
Xenon, or 'high intensity' are another
great mod to get rid of the stock bulbs. The bulbs can be extremely bright, and appear as
different hues of colors. These xenon gas-filled
bulbs burn much brighter, but much cooler due to the xenon. The
bulbs are also higher wattage of 100w rather than the stock of
60/55w. Trick Tape.com sells a set just for the Hayabusa. An
HID setup is also available from Icemann (see contact info below) and runs
$150-250. I just got a yellow headlight but haven't gotten around to installing it yet.
Of all the aftermarket taillights on the market- these will catch your
eye. LED Billet aluminum dual tail lights look fantastic on the bike.
These LED lights are just plain sweet, look great and are quite
downside I learned is during daylight hours, and with our tour riders behind me-
they can't see when I'm braking. At night, they are super-bright, but during
daytime- forget it. Solution was to utilize some Hyper-Lites Blinking brakes
lights (see above) plus wire in a Priority-Lites.
The LED's are $200 shipped to your door in the US. Just pick your color!
A plethora of colors are available, there's dark blue, black,
silver, medium blue which is Suzuki GSXR1000 (00-02) blue (the lighter shade), and
even red. They are all hand made so nearly any color for the
most part can be created.
"If you have LED's that you want to use as brake/tail lights and turn
signals, all you really need is an integrator. Go to a Wal-Mart, or a
or better yet a farm tractor store. Get a basic trailer wiring kit for under $15. It's an integrator. It will make your current brake lights flash as turn
If you're running true LED's and not the modified bulbs with
LED's in them
then you will need a flash rate controller. Average is about $45.00
Without it, your LED's will blink very
fast. Depending on the LED's, they could blink so fast that they appear to be
steady on. If so then the flash controller will allow you to slow it down."
Cost: $200 Source: icemann-at-ameritech.net or 937-605-3826
After the existing one simply broke off-
I checked these out through the usual moto-suppliers. Price ranges
from $40-60 for a license plate holder for undertails! Forget
it. So I made my
Went to Home Depot and just
started walking around looking for metal. Found a 36" piece of
aluminum carpet transition that a slight bend of several degrees in the
middle. After tracing out the old
one, went to town with a hacksaw & metal file and came up with an
exact replica. Cost me $3 for the aluminum carpet transition.
It bolts to the Moto-Tek undertail license mount.
I learned that mirrors can really change
the look of a sportbike after adding aftermarket mirrors to my
ole FJ1200. To this day, I still get emails requesting where I found
them, that answer was simply the local dealer.
days, we have eBay, and the shape of these mirrors caught my
eye. They're slightly wider, have a very thin stalk
(replacing the fatty looking original) and fit right to the original bolt
pattern. The Carbon Fiber is more a painted-on faux finish than
real, but they give the bike a fresh look, and most importantly are very
stable at speed with minimal vibration in the mirrors.
One of the more beautiful and becoming undertails on the market, the
the bike seamlessly. This is how the bike should have been built!
undertail takes the lines of the bike and adds to the flow front to back. Add in
the NWS Carbon Fiber Hugger, which is a glorified rear fender, and it completes the
You have an immense choice when it comes to Fender Eliminators and you'll rarely
see the same one twice. They're not cheap and run about $200-300 for the
undertails. On the Busa- it does require a small amount of cutting and modification to the rear fender- but once you have it on- you'll never go
back. Maybe the biggest attraction about Undertails and Fender Eliminators- is they
clean up the lines of the bike so much- you wonder why it wasn't designed this way
in the first place.
"This cooling fan replaces the stock
plastic fan and prevents fan and engine damage due to high temperatures
encountered during prolonged high rpm/low airflow operation. In addition,
it features six blades to increase cooling system efficiency" so says
the Muzzy website.
Have I ever had a cooling problem on this
bike? No way- even in boulevard traffic on 100 degree days- the
temperature says steady on my Hayabusa right in the middle of the gauge. If you do any serious
riding, or live in a warm climate- this low cost mod is an easy one to
A hugger is basically a rear fender. But it's something that typically
goes hand-in-hand with an
undertail or Fender Eliminator kit. The Hugger is supposed to prevent rocks and
pebbles from messing up the paintjob on the undertail. Only sort of works- my
undertail still has rock chips in it. This one is carbon fiber, is rather
thick, and it looks great. It
blends right in and satisfies those intent on saving weight.
On some bikes- leaving the hugger off keeps the lines very clean- but if
you are of the sport-touring set- you'd likely prefer to control where the road grime goes.
Btw, when I go to shows with the Busa, I actually will take the Hugger off for a nice clean look on the tail end. Looks just as good without it, so you may try both and see what you like.
These are some of coolest and rarest
footpegs I have ever seen. Sourced from England- these high quality
CNC machined footpegs improve cornering clearance and are ultra-lightweight. Made
from Mil-Spec hard anodized 6065 T-6 Aluminum- they look fantastic on the
bike and actually pull your attention to the footpegs.
They come in multiple colors to match
your bike just perfectly. They seem readily available in Europe, although I don't know of a US supplier to buy them stateside. I bought the blue set of 4 direct from the Oberon website. (Another common peg mod for busa owners is Buell pegs which will lower your pegs by 2".)
Matching set front and rear of blue Oberon footpegs
After I busted one of the silver ones pictured above (don't ask), I liked the Oberon footpegs so much, I decided to buy another set. Though this time, I bought the rear set also for a matching combination of front and rear. They look great, like nothing else on the market and they arrived from England via mail within days.
Only complaints with the matching set is the blue color is not all the way through the peg and they will scratch. My steel toe caps are slowly scratching the blue power coat off the right peg, but oh well, they still look awesome.
The front and rear pegs are two different size mounting holes so they are not interchangeable. If you order via the Oberon website, make sure you specify which set you are ordering. Both are the same price and look exactly the same. Once you get them, you'll have to assemble them with some loctite and the included alan wrench, but it'll take minutes and you'll be up and running after getting the c-clip off (make sure it doesn't fly off!) & slowly easing out the spring loaded pin.
And no, they won't touch the ground at full lean- fairing will touch down first. Don't ask about that either.
Pazzo has made a name for themselves with custom levers to enhance the look of your busa. First time I saw these, I thought, what are those! Have to get some of those!
They make two versions, short and long. The long levers are a similar length to your stock levers. The shorties, obviously, are shorter. Also helps in a parking lot tip-over to not break off the lever (happens!) as they won't touch the ground. They take some getting use to as you're using one less finger to shift and brake, but you'll quickly get used to that.
These things are not cheap, but they do look very cool. The lever itself is universal for all bikes, but the 3-piece lever mates to the busa via the end piece which is specific to the bike. They also come in a multiple of colors, plus the adjuster also comes in a multiple of colors to match your bike. Choose bright gold, or blue like these. There are several manufactures out there that make aftermarket levers, but the Pazzo's are immensely popular with Busa owners.
Cost: $179.99 a set, $189.99 for engraved Source: PashnitMoto.com - Click to BUY NOW
I finally gave in and bought this the other day. This module turns your existing
turn signals into running lights. Why all motorcycles don't come standard with
this feature, we'll never know. But a module does exist to fix this.
Plus it rewires the turn signals to act as brake lights when you hit the
brakes. Yes, the turn signals
still work on top of this feature. About $50 buys this module and really helps
to light up the rear of the bike while braking.
There's more than one version of this module and both pretty much work the
same. You can buy one that doesn't have the brake light feature for example The
intent here is to be more visible from the rear. Some of the best mods, are the
ones you can't see.
Note this module will light your turn signals all the time so it may not be compatible with aftermarket turn signals, undertails. LEDs, or BMW CAN-bus.
From the PC site: The PC is a
fuel injection and ignition timing (on some models) adjustment unit that
plugs "inline" with the bikes' stock ECU. The PC uses original
equipment style connectors so that no splicing or cutting of the harness
is required. Most installations take less than 15 minutes, some as
little as 5 minutes. Changes are made to the bikes fuel and ignition
curves via the PC's onboard microprocessor. Using this technology we are
able to offer a large area of adjustment without making any permanent
changes to the bikes' ECU (electronic control unit). Removing the PC
returns the bike to its previous stock condition. The Power Commander
can be ordered preprogrammed with your choice of several settings,
based on the modifications to your bike. The unit also comes complete
with software and cable link that allows you to change between different
maps or make adjustments to a map file."
Only problem I've had with this is brought the bike in the local
mechanic after bike was running pretty rough. His diagnosis was
the PC II had no map in it. Simply wasn't there for whatever
reason. He reloaded a map, dialed it in, and my 'fuel starvation'
problem magically went away. His recommendation was also to go
with then upgraded PC III USB.
Have spare money burning a hole in your pocket? Run out of mods? Want to further
the unique look of the bike- then get rid of that stock gas cap. The
Pro-Tek Gas Cap Assembly is made of billet aluminum and replaces the entire assembly
- then you buy the color cap you want. No it
doesn't lock, but that's why they call it keyless. This is also a
mod that's on the list if you want to cut down on the weight of the bike.
Off all the mods on the Busa- this is one
of them that is very subtle, but simply looks great. Note that there are several companies that make replacement gas caps, and they've become an inexpensive mail order item.
This manufacture supplies various
electrical connectors for whatever your need may be.
I wanted to hardwire a power supply for
my video camera. So after buying the DC Inverter from Sony- I
needed to plug the power supply into something. Powerlet makes
this cigarette lighter style connecter, which wires into the battery
You can also see in the picture at far
right the connector for the Widder electric vest- there are two of them
just in case you have a passenger. If you need to wire in any sort
of electrical anything to your motorcycle- from radar detectors, GPS to auxiliary
power supplies- Powerlet Products makes exactly what you
Click the line below- 26 pages of items, 300 part numbers, and 600 photos.
If there's one thing I wanted to do to this bike as soon as I bought it- is get
rid of the ugly flat black dash panels. It's such a beautiful bike which such
clean lines- then to throw on gaudy dash panels as almost an afterthought?
Enter Race Ready Designs who will paint the panels to match. The workmanship looks great, and match perfectly with the lines.
Most people never even notice them, which in turn tells me they blend
right in. On the '00
Blue/Silver- it completes the look of the bike. From a cosmetic standpoint - this is a must have!
I was little
hesitant to add these to the bike. After all, the stock looks fine,
as does the spare set of faux carbon fiber ones.
the more photographs I took of the Busa with the new painted mirrors, the
more I liked it. Instead of blending in, they stick out, catch the eyes
and look great! Thinking of having the mirrors painted, give Race
Ready a call!
Note you can get your plastic painted anywhere (local paint shop) but always prefer to help out another busa owner that may provide a service to the busa community.
As mentioned, yes, I know you could go to a local paint shop and get these done, or even do them yourself. But who has the time? Much easier to get in touch with the experts. And not only will Race Ready match the mirrors and dash panels- but they'll also do the rotors.
The more I look at the rotors, the more you wonder why stay with the stock gold color. Combined with the new TL1000 silver rims- the new painted rotors really shine on this bike. Makes it all come together.
The simple goal here is to be able to
film with a rear facing camera. There are multiple solutions and I
haven't quite found a good one yet. SportBikeCam doesn't make a
rear-facing mount for the Hayabusa as most of the mounts utilize the rear
I ended up using a RAM Mount solution (but if I were to do any serious filming- I wouldn't opt for
I simply installed a clamp-mount on the rear grab bar and tightened it
all up. It does work, and I did shoot some video with it- but you
do need a smooth road surface to minimize vibration.
Once I tried this, I quickly realized, there are much better solutions out
there. Also possible is SportBikeCam makes a aluminum extension that attaches to the rear footpeg mount where the camera is hard mounted. In the end, the solution was even simpler in the form of a clamp mounted Chase Cam setup which we now use for filming on Pashnit Tours rides. See the video below...
If there's one thing that has been a
godsend for sport-touring with this motorcycle- it has to be the RKA
Saddlebags. These are 52 liter expandable saddlebags made of 600 x
300 Denier Polyester Vinyl Laminated PVC, diamond embossed material.
All zippers are YKK and inserts are
60th ABS (Plastic) or polystyrene in areas where needed. The bags
are finished and lined in main compartments and major areas. Plus
there's 3/8 inch
foam combined onto a 200 denier coated nylon for the inside lining.
All jargon aside, I love these soft bags
because they're subtle, and blend into the bike. When sport-riding,
you don't even know they're there even when plum-full. Don't need
anything fancy- just functional and high quality.
I just got this so I haven't even gotten any photos of it yet or used it on a long trip. One of the things that works really well on the Busa though is small and thin tankbags. Reason being the bike is long and low, and the stock seating position does drape you over the tank (at least for me). This in turn often has me leaning onto the tank on long days. As a result, tall or large tankbags don't work very well on the bike. They could if I had bar risers or long arms, but I have neither.
Enter RKA's SuperSport Mini Expandable tankbag - magnetic, and it even still works with the Bagster Tank Bra.
You might notice I have
all three. Originally added the Vista Cruise- an economical $22
item. It should be your first choice- but on the Busa you have to
get the dremmel and the metal file out and go to town on the handlegrip
& Vista Cruise. I messed up
and took a little too much plastic off the grip and can't get it to lock properly.
On my FJ1200- it fit right on. I never did get this to work
properly, and have since just taken it off relying on the Throttlemeister.
Throttle locks work by
pinching the throttle just enough to equalize the pressure of the throttle
return springs. You can still turn the throttle just like normal. A newbie
reaction is, "Oh, those things are dangerous". But you don't use it in the
twisties. Mainly long straights, freeway, etc. Plus in a panic- you just
turn the throttle back like always, plus you're hopefully hard on the
brakes. It's not a padlock- it's a throttle lock.
This little item is very low cost, but
can greatly aid your sport-touring capability. Little more than a
piece of plastic- you position it underneath your palm while riding. It
allows you to relax your fingers so you're not gripping the handlebar
for hours on end- or holding your hand in one position all day.
does work, but you have to get it positioned just right. Normally,
you don't even notice that it's there. The only downside is you
still can't remove your hand from the throttle. So even with this,
after a 1000 mile weekend, my hand was still sore for three
I notice that
it works best for short rides or commuting. For multi-day
rides- this won't solve your problem. So you may opt for one these
other mods like I did.
If you do rides longer than 3 hours, you will love one of these.
Recently added the Throttlemeister to the Busa (shown at middle right in
the picture above). They work, been available 15+ years and have become a household name in riding circles.
The Throttlemeister replaces your bar ends and weighs about the same. The weight
of the bar ends minimizes vibration. It works by pushing the throttle
inward, in turn pinching it just enough to equalize the throttle springs pull.
It's adjustable with shims to get it just right too. You can see the gold inner
bezel in the pic- that turns inward to put pressure on the throttle. It's
extremely easy to install- just remove the bar end and replace!
Once you use a throttle lock- you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
If there's one thing you can't skimp on
with high-horsepower bikes- it's the chain. And for the Hayabusa- it isn't cheap. I typically find myself replacing the
chain and sprockets once a year- or about every 10,000 miles. On
high horsepower bikes, the teeth of the chain get literally bent- not in
dramatic way- but when you set the old against new, you can clearly see
I've read you should oil the chain as
much as every fill up, but I rarely see riders do this. But
nevertheless, spraying on some chain lube often will ensure a long life. Chains
stretch over time, which is why they need to be replaced. Plan on paying
at least $100 a shot for a chain- the Tsubuki is a bit more- around $150
and you have to cut out the links you don't need.
It's not a new seat- they just replace the skin of the seat itself. So it won't
change the feel of the seat- all about looks on this. Yet it looks
They sell for $90 and cover the rear and front seat of the Busa.
Second-Look will do any custom thing you throw at them- logos, designs, etc. From skulls and
flames, to Union Jacks and American Flag designs on seats- these guys can do it.
For long rides, I'll typically use the gel seat, and for short rides and
commuting, I'll leave the Second Look on. It looks sweet!
These guys make a great product. The Second Look tank bra covers the whole
backside of the tank and protects it from scrapes, buckles, zippers,
etc. The beauty
of Second Look is- it blends right in. Pretty tough stuff as it's marine grade
vinyl and it hasn't shown any signs of wear or sun fading. They make a lot of
custom stuff- so if you'd like a logo or something special whipped up- Second Look
can do it.
You can buy a tank protector or bra anywhere- but on this bike- it all blends in
to create some very clean lines.
It costs nothing to do this- but may save
you a tremendous amount of money- namely preventing a tip over. This
modification to the Hayabusa involves just taking a dremmel tool and
grinding down the metal to create a small notch that the sidestand sits
against while the sidestand is down.
few millimeters of metal removed changes the angle of the motorcycle while
it's at rest. In turn you have less chance of a tip over. When
you buy this motorcycle- one of the first recommendations from every Busa
owner you'll run into is do the sidestand mod first.
do this mod- grind a notch into both sides of where the sidestand contacts
the bracket so it can swing forward a bit more. The notch only needs
to be a 1/16" or 1/8" deep. I shoot a
lot of photography while riding and often park the bike anywhere at any
time at a moments notice to catch a great shot. No tip-overs yet!
Also worth mentioning:
Custom Sidestands for Hayabusa:
Cutting a small notch into the sidestand
could prevent a costly tip-over.
Once you use a brake light type module, it's hard not to continue to use them on future motorcycles. They're relativlely inexpensive and could be the difference between some idiot rear-ending you at a stoplight and them noticiing your blinking brake light.
These types of modules do just that- blink the rear brake in rapid succession to draw attention to the stopped motorcycle. Signal Dynamics is likely one of the better known companies in the US that make these, and have been around for awhile. I bought my first Signal Dynamics product over a decade ago. The standard BackOFF module blinks the brake light. The XP version is used with LED lights.
Several years ago, I created the first
webpage about the available video camera mounts on
the market. After studying them all - I have the SportBikeCam.
It's milled from solid billet aluminum,
is extremely stable and is top quality. It utilizes the gas cap
bolts on your tank. This allows it to be extremely stable, and out of
the way while sport riding- even at the track. There are options
such as a 'long bar' & 'riser' which I utilize both on the Hayabusa to
allow me to also ride with a magnetic tankbag.
I use a clear ZG double bubble screen and a wide-angle lens to increase my picture width while
filming. I also use a remote microphone that's wired through the
motorcycle and records the exhaust note.
I get asked every once in awhile which is better- AutoCom or the StarCom. Actually I'm not sure. I've used both, and I actually have both of them hardwired into the motorcycle. At present, I'm using the StarCom1 Advance. It's a quite smaller than my old Autocom and has all the hookups for Cell Phone and music input from an iPod or CD Player.
It comes with a push to talk button of course which I've installed on the left handlegrip. Works great actually, and the button has a good feel to it. Because of the small sized, I hard mounted the unit in the tail section directly behind the seat. From there it's wired into the motorcycle for a power supply. The unit comes with an optional battery pack replacement for the Kenwood Freetalk XL walkie-talkie I'm using also, although it required an in-line resistor to get rid of engine whine when the bike-powered battery pack replacement was used. The unit also used a mic that attaches to the helmet whereas the Autocom comes with the boom mic that fits right up against the lips. Again, as for which is better, hard to say. They are both excellent quality and by far you'll be thrilled with the Starcom1 Advance if you purchase it. CA Sport Touring is the US Distributor for the unit.
All in the pursuit of more horsepower, less weight- enter SuperSprox. Another import part from Europe where they've been around for some time, these sprockets are said to last 3x longer and reduce weight by 50% over stock steel sprockets. Note that when you replace sprockets, it's commonplace to replace both AND the chain at the same time.
Supersprox Stealth Sprockets were developed for modified superbikes. Bikes pushing out 600+ horse power, where aluminum sprockets can't handle the torque delivered through the chain drive system. Supersprox engineers conceived and developed the combination of the two materials in 2000-2001. Supersprox have counted 7 world titles since that time and the 2007 Dakar rally winning (Cyril Despres) KTM team, all rely on Supersprox-stealth. Sometimes called Tri-Metal or Lord of the Rings (not to be confused with Twin Ring) but we call it Supersprox-stealth.
Another topic that will split a
room. Riders often post on message boards - what tires should I use-
and for the same bike you'll get ten answers. If you are thinking
about buying a Hayabusa- everything you've heard about it eating tires is
true. But this has a lot to do with your riding style. I have
replaced tires as much as every 3 months when racking up the miles- and the ones at right are $250 a set.
have a tendency to find something that works, and just stick with it. The
first couple thousand miles on the bike- I wanted the stickiest tires I
could buy short of slicks or racing tires.
Busa is a large motorcycle with a lot of mass, and a tremendous amount of
horsepower. Sticking to the road during my personal break-in-period made a lot of
I went through a lot of Bridgestone 010's- these are marketed as a race tire by
some moto-suppliers so they last several thousand miles (they are also
discontinued). A common solution is to put an 020 on the rear,
and an 010 on the front which is what I have now. Like to have that
sticky tire up front. So evolved to the 014's and went through a couple sets of those. Currently running Avon ST sport touring tires. More on these here...
If there's one aftermarket product
that's become very well known in the Hayabusa community, it has to be
the Tobin Seat. Tobin O'Conner, after making his own seat, became
an unexpected celebrity in the Hayabusa community with his own special
vision of what an aftermarket seat should look like.
Seats are merely stock seats that are re-shaped, and then recovered by
Tobin. As you can see, adding things such as the Kanji logo, and
your own personalized name or slogan fits the bill as a made-to-order
aftermarket goody. The Tobin seat gives you the sensation of
sitting "in" the bike, rather than just on it. Designed
from a drag-racing pedigree, the rear tailrest also complements the look
and feel of the seat.
If the custom seat weren't
going far enough, New Image will also reshape the passenger seat also.
Remove the rear hump, and slide on the rear seat. This too comes
with a small backrest to give your passenger a sense of space back
there, and to provide a slight ledge to lean back against. As if
that we're quite enough, Tobin will also stencil in a large Kanji to the
seat to carry on the Hayabusa-theme.
The workmanship is flawless, and the
quality superb. If there is one thing you can do that will dramatically
change the look and feel of your Hayabusa, a Tobin Seat is it.
To take a look at even more colors and variations on the Tobin Seat, see
One of the strangest things about this
motorcycle is the speedometer. You'd think an $11,000 motorcycle
could have a speedometer that actually works. But it doesn't.
In fact, it's so far off, it's ridiculously inaccurate. The speedo
is low- to the point where you have no idea what speed you're traveling
The solution is a Speed-o-Healer mod. It
takes the signal sent by the speed sensor and corrects the signal being
sent to the speedometer. The catch is you still have to calibrate it
manually. You'll need to use mile markers, a GPS, or another vehicle
with an accurate speedometer to dial it in.
The concept is simple. Bike falls overs. Case cover marred up. The stock one is black, and easily scratches. While a black sharpie cleans things up nicely enough to get by, at some point you have to graduate.
Enter Woodcraft-CFM. Case Covers replace the stock engine covers and serve two-fold. To protect the engine in a tip over or slide, plus aesthetically, they've got the look in spades. Several manufactures make these, some more functional, some more bling. Woodcraft for whatever reason has gained an immense following within the Hayabusa community as a quality product.
The mod is very simple actually, remove the left panel and pop off the case cover, which takes a bit of doing due to the magnetic properties of the stator. Insert the new cover and done. Looks great and well worth the money to invest in one of these I paid $145 in a group buy, price may vary somewhat but figure about $150 for one of tese.
I'm of the opinion that (from a sport touring standpoint) the stock windshield is
quite useless. Not to mention on the Busa- you can't see the gauges with the stock
screen. But an easy solution is the Double Bubble from Zero Gravity, which not
only looks better, but provides a modicum of wind protection.
I added the Sport Touring model (a bit taller) to my ZX-11D and was extremely
pleased with that, but after viewing the pictures of how the same screen would
look on the Busa- it just doesn't look right- seeing as how the Busa has such
aerodynamic lines. The Double Bubble on the other hand blends right in.
The wind still hits about chest to neck level but there is a small bubble of air
to crouch down into. Only problem is at high speeds, the buffeting is intense-
but this also could be my helmet too. Once you hit about 80 mph, my helmet is
getting sucked off my head and long distance (freeway) riding just plain sucks.
The ST screen, a Laminar Lip, or a more aerodynamic helmet would probably solve
Zero Gravity makes multiple colors- you can even get a chrome one for that
bling-bling effect. But the bike is also a video camera platform so a clear screen
works best in this case.
So admitedly this is probably my favorite of the three. The one thing that's different about the 'SR' is it has a slightly different look than the stock factory screen. A cleaner look that gives the bike an even more slippery feel. The SR Series is supposed to mimic the factory original. But this one looks even better. For one, it has no rounded lip like the stock, and it has a smoother appearance. Additionally, it's optically clear- so if you are filming off the bike with a SportBikeCam.com mount- there's no distortion shooting through the screen.
From a photographers standpoint, I like the SR Series best of the four I've tried. Mainly when it comes to looks, the smooth shape of the screen carries the long-and-low shape of the Hayabusa and fits it perfectly. I actually don't notice the height too much between the two. Especially during hot California summers. In our winters and while commuting, the double bubble will give you just a fraction of height to hide behind while in full tuck.
Okay, okay, so I've tried all three. Four if you count the stock I suppose. The dark tint does add a slightly darker look to the bike. And since it really isn't neccesary to look through the screen (you'd have to be really flexible too) if you are going for a darker look- the Dark Tint Zero Gravity Double Bubble is certainly an option.
This thing constantly reminds me of a buddy who went with the dark tint so he could mount his radar detector by bolting the mount to the screen itself. Can't see the detector and he used a heads up display for when it went off- a little red flashing light in the corner of his eye mounted wireless to the helmet.
The X-TRE Powerbox is worth mentioning as it was purpose built for bikes like the 2008 Hayabusa & B-King. It's a simple plug-n-play item and will give you instant 2-6 horsepower where it counts - in the lower gears. It will also boost your ft-lbs of torque. As if you needed more. Of course you do!
The X-TRE is designed for Japanese motorcycles originally equipped with an in-dash gear position indicator. It is an advanced Timing Retard Eliminator, which preserves the function of the OEM dash gear indicator. It is achieved by having a microchip encode/decode the communication link between the ECM and the dashboard in real time.
This feature is unique, as a traditional TRE disables the factory gear indicator. This module improves partial-throttle response in gears 1-4, and bypasses the speed limiter on 1000cc+ bikes. It adds as much as 12 horsepower (e.g. the B-King in 6th gear), while improving throttle response and acceleration in the lower gears.
I can recall when I first got the Busa reading up on polishing and chroming. As I researched the mods owners had made with their Hayabusa's, the silver rims on a few of the bikes really stood out. What a dramatic difference in the look with such a simple change. A friend of mine had these on his busa and when he put them up for sale, I jumped on it. While a stock set of busa rims run about $275 on eBay- these were off a Suzuki TL1000 and a 10 out of 10 condition-wise. The bad news is they didn't come with any bearings or axle spacers so a few months later I finally got around to getting an OEM set from BikeBandit.com. While you can buy aftermarket bearings off eBay for half that cost, I was a little concerned about what I'd be getting and opted to acquire a brand new set of stock bearings, covers, and axle spacers. Then it was off to the local speed shop to have them pressed in. Finally after quite a few months of these sitting on a shelf in the garage- finally got them on the bike with a new set of Dunlop D208's. The new look combined with the Race Ready painted mirrors, rotors, dash panels, and the Bagster Tank Bra are such a dramatic change, even I'm amazed at the new look which I just can't get enough of!! Yes, they are a match.
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