Pete and I can’t stop smiling. It
just sounds so damn horn! Argh! We pull up for a photo.
“I actually feel safer when the wheel is spinning,”
Jamie grins, “When there’s grip I s#!t myself!”
To understand Jamie’s theory you really need to see
this bike in action. With over 20 years of motorcycling
between us, neither Peter nor myself have seen a bike
move so quickly from A to B. This ‘Busa is the wildest,
craziest beast on the planet. It’s just mental.
Jamie bought the bike brand-new in 2000, with one
thing in mind – to turbo it. “Suzuki engines are very
strong, particularly the Hayabusa. I wanted a bike
that could handle big horsepower without too many
aftermarket engine parts. I also wanted a bike that
could be used to develop components for the business
[S&R Pro], and also turn heads.”
Bore and stroke of the 1299cc mill remains
stock at 81.0 x 63.0mm, but the compression
ratio has been dropped from 11.0:1 to 8.5:1
through the use of forged CP custom pistons
from the States. Says Jamie, “The stock pistons
are also forged and are quite strong but,
for the high boost and horsepower I’m running,
the CP pistons are much better. I’ve also
replaced the conrods with Carrillo forged
items, but the stock crank is doing a fine
job and there’s really no need to replace
that.”
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Due to the mega-boost that the engine is subject
to, a set of ARP cylinder studs have been screwed
into the otherwise stock crankcases. Mainly to prevent
the cylinder head from launching into outer space!
The standard valves are opened by Yoshimura cams
and snapped shut by heavy-duty TTS springs. And TTS
titanium collets ensure that none of the valves kiss
those lovely CP piston crowns. An S&R Pro mild
port job helps to accommodate the extra flow provided
by the turbo, and oil temperature is regulated by
a custom S&R Pro oil cooler.
The bottom-end of the engine is surprisingly standard,
emphasising the strength of the stock ‘Busa gearbox.
It’s not like this bike has a pipe and a dyno tune
– the thing is 300% more powerful than it was designed
to be and the box still hasn’t exploded! As for the
clutch, an MRE multi-stage lock-up unit courtesy of
Race Bike Developments has replaced that. Says Jamie,
“The clutch is a fairly new addition to the bike and
I’m still dialling it in. Basically you can adjust
how much drive you want off the line and between gears.
It’s a centrifugal system, and it can also help to
reduce wheelspin.”
Final drive is taken care of by a DID 530 X-Ring chain
and Jamie runs standard secondary gearing.
An S&R Pro Interceptor B1 manages fuelling, boost
and ignition, the most critical combo to get right
for any turbo charged engine. The Interceptor also
controls launch control and the shift-light. And the
beast’s favourite brew? Optimax on low boost (under
18psi in Jamie’s books!), and Elf 124 for high boost.
Fuel is delivered by massive 700cc Blitz injectors
coupled with a Bosch Motorsport hi-flow fuel pump,
but despite the engine’s potential thirst, Jamie can
achieve quite good fuel consumption figures. “If I
cruise I can get 400km from a tank but if I get into
it the tank is empty before I leave the servo driveway!”
A 600hp Garret Turbo with a Turbosmart wastegate
draws fresh air through a K&N pod, directing it
to a custom S&R intercooler, past the throttle
bodies and into an S&R custom plenum chamber.
The plumbing and fabrication of the set-up is second
to none - Snake taking care of machining and fab and
Jamie TIG welding it all together.
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Despite
the fitment of a HKS blow-off valve (a blow-off
valve is fitted between the turbo and the throttle
bodies and releases excess pressure when the
throttle is snapped shut), Jamie has bent the
throttle butterflies more than once – a common
problem that is part of running a high-boost
engine.
The inlet manifolds are custom-made by S&R,
as is the exhaust, which exits out of the side
of the belly pan straight from the dump pipe.
Loud? Hell yeah, but Jamie has made a neat restrictor
to deaden the impact slightly while riding on
the streets. It’s quite effective, too. Reducing
the noise level to around double that of your
average straight-through system! |
The end result? How does a mind-warping 497hp@8700rpm
and 450ft-lbs of torque running 30psi on Elf 124 grab
you? Remember, this is a street registered bike.
Modifications on this bike haven’t been restricted
to the engine only. The chassis has been carefully
tweaked to get the best out of those ponies – albeit
on the strip, not on the circuit.
S&R Pro billet triple clamps rake the front-end
five-degrees beyond standard, and a WP steering dampener
is fitted for safety reasons more than anything else
– with a huge six-inch over S&R swingarm to stop
the bike from flipping there’s not much chance of
a tank-slapper!
SOS suspension’s Sean O’Sullivan carried out suspension
modifications, with the shock body and fork outers
the only original components. Front travel has been
reduced to 70mm, and a custom top-out and bottom-out
assembly has been fitted. 9.5kg RaceTech springs are
used and the valving has been revised to drag specs.
The rear shock incorporates a lock-up system for drag
racing, making it suitable for both street and strip.
Apart from a hand-made seal head, the shock internals
are all modified Ohlins components, including the
valving.
A 1.1kg/mm blue anodised Ohlins spring is used. The
bike sits four-inches lower than stock and, as you
can see in the photographs, it has a killer stance.
The brakes and wheels are stock, and Jamie uses Dunlop
D208s for the street and a Mickey Thompson MCR2 tyre
for the drag strip.
The bodywork has been re-shaped to accommodate the
turbo and exhaust system, and the seat has been cut-down
20mm and re-trimmed. Crow’s Custom Paint took care
of the paintwork, applying liberal amounts of clear
over the standard paint to give the bike a shine like
no other.
In the cockpit there’s a Blitz multi-stage
boost controller/speed timer/turbo timer,
and Jamie reads a standard dash cluster.
Oh, and he hangs on to a pair of custom handlebars.
Yep. Handlebars could come in handy on a bike
like this...
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WHAT’S IT WORTH?
Jamie has spent over $50,000 on his Hayabusa,
but points out that a complete turbo conversion for
a big-bore sportsbike will cost around $10,800 fitted
by S&R Pro. “For that money you get around 240
rear-wheel horsepower, which is plenty. In fact, I
did my fastest time on low boost with around 240hp
at the wheel. Anything over that is lost through wheelspin.”
So why did he build a 500hp bike? “Buggered if I know,”
admits Jamie, “I just couldn’t stop!”
BOOST BOY
With only half-a-dozen off-street drag meets
at WSID under his belt, Bezzina is already the man
to beat. On only his fifth time out, Jamie ran an
8.765@173.4mp/h! And once he gets his boost settings
for each gear sorted, and finds some more traction,
he hopes to get into the high 7s! Says Jamie, “I’m
still learning about the set-up at this stage, and
my times to 60ft aren’t too flash. But once we sort
that out things should really improve.”
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
1199cc DOHC in-line four, bore and stroke of 81.0mm
x 63.0mm, compression ratio 8.5:1, CP forged pistons,
Carrillo forged conrods, Yoshimura camshafts, MRE
multi-stage lock-up clutch, TTS heavy-duty clutch
springs, TTS titanium valve-retaining collets, S&R
Pro mild cylinder-head porting, S&R Pro oil cooler
and intercooler, Garret 600HP turbo, Turbosmart wastegate,
HKS blow-off valve, S&R inlet manifolds and exhaust
system, Blitz 700cc injectors, Bosch Motorsport hi-flow
fuel pump, K&N pod, S&R Pro Interceptor B1,
Blitz multi-stage boost controller with turbo timer.
CHASSIS
Twin-spar alloy frame, S&R billet triple-clamps,
S&R six-inch over swingarm, WP steering dampener,
S&R stainless-steel linkages, and custom handlebars.
SUSPENSION:
FRONT Custom-made internals by SOS suspension, anodised
outer legs, reduced travel, custom top-out and bottom-out
assembly, drag-specific valving, RaceTech 9.5kg springs,
Motorex 5wt oil. REAR SOS custom shock, modified Ohlins
internals, lock-up system for drag racing, custom
hydraulic preload assembly, blue anodised Ohlins 1.1kg/mm
spring.
BRAKES
Stock six-piston Tokico calipers and 320mm floating
discs (f), twin-piston caliper with 220mm disc (r).
BODYWORK
Clear-coated original Hayabusa colour scheme, re-shaped
bellypan to accommodate turbo and exhaust, cut-down
seat, modified tail unit.
REAR WHEEL HORSEPOWER
497hp@8700rpm and 450ft-lbs of torque running 30psi
boost on Elf 124.
ACCELERATION
Oh, you’ve got to be a little bit mental. That’s for
sure.
SPECIAL THANKS
SOS suspension (02 4732 5533), Race Bike Developments
(03 9354 6274), Motor Trimmers (02 4732 1459), Crow’s
Custom Paint (02 9502 4353), Turbosmart (02 9798 2866),
S&R Pro (02 4732 2203)
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