I previously wrote about the Hayabusa needing more weight over the front wheel. The change of exhausts has gone some way into resolving this issue. The Akrapovics are considerably lighter and the weight reduction from the back of the bike has made a noticeable difference to its handling making it feel much more sprightly. The new exhausts make a much nicer noise, although not quite as loud as I was hoping!
The Gilles rear sets have made quite a difference to the riding experience. They are slightly higher and further back resulting in a slightly more aggressive riding position, whilst still remaining comfortable for long motorway stints. They look a million times better than the stock items and feel much nicer to use.
The Galfer wavy discs and braided lines have been an improvement also. There was nothing wrong with the stock discs on the Busa, but the new set-up has improved braking performance and provides a much better feel through the new ‘Pazzo’ brake lever, not to mention how cool wavy discs look!The Hugger and Tail tidy have worked wonders to the rear of the bike – in conjunction with the Akrapovics, the back of the bike is no longer about 3 feet wide but is much more svelte and compact – it’s now a rear end that is worth looking at!
The double bubble screen is still in keeping with the lines of the bike but is now much more comfy when cruising on the motorway. A bit more windblast deflected over the rider makes a big difference! The R&G crash bungs and fork protectors look like they will do a good job of minimizing any damage in the event of a spill, without looking like obtrusive afterthoughts! It may be worth considering R&G exhaust and swingarm protectors as well – something I will think about.
Power Commander 5
What has made a big difference to the overall feel/performance of the Hayabusa is the custom map thanks to Laguna Performance Centre’s dyno and the Power Commander 5. The Hayabusa as standard has a strong power delivery from low revs in every gear but the custom map has improved on this throughout the whole rev range. It has given the power delivery a vicious kick in each gear. 1st and 2nd gear need to be dispatched as soon as possible so that you can start to get some grip through the rear tyre – low revs are easy, but as soon as you get over 5000 revs unless the road is dry and tyre is warm, it’s far too easy to spin the rear. Every bike I get from now on is going to have to have a Power Commander and custom map!
As far as the increase in performance goes, here are the figures below. On speaking to the guys at Laguna Performance Centre Suzuki claims 194 BHP at the crank but a more realistic 170BHP at the rear wheel.
Our Hayabusa in stock trim created:
- 175 BHP
- 105 ft-lbs of torque
- With the Akrapovic carbon end cans ( baffles in ) K&N Air filter and Custom Power Commander Map, the Hayabusa created:
- 186 BHP
- 113 ft-lbs of torque
It’s the torque increase which has made the biggest difference. I am pleased with the results but would have liked to have got 190 BHP. The only thing which could not be fitted was the Scottoiler – I had picked the touring version but it was too large to fit with the new tail tidy. I will get back onto Demon Tweeks and arrange for it to be exchanged for the smaller, standard Scott oiler. Then all we need is paint!
