Big Poppa Pimp
The Copper Head Strikes Back

By E. Don Smith (motojournalism@aol.com)

From the very first time I saw a photo of the 1999 copper and silver Suzuki Hayabusa I knew I had to have it. The colors. The avant-garde styling. It was truly a landmark bike. So much so that it is honored in the Guggenheim Museum "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit. Three years later I still am just as crazy about it as I was back in 1999. But every project has a beginning and an end. This is the next and final chapter of the Dragbike.com project bike.

As Winter rolled in last year, I found myself hungry for something more in the grunt department. After two seasons on the stock-bore built motor (http://www.dragbike.com/news/04-00/042700a.htm) the Busa just didn't seem to be kicking me in the pants the way it ought to. Rather than take another small step we thought why not go all the way? We looked at turbos, but throttle management was a concern on the street. The last thing I wanted was for 350hp to suddenly spool up under me while cranked over in some twisties. So, we decided to go all-motor. Since we were still on the stock bore, we had two options; bigger bore, or a stroker crank. They each had their advantages. After careful consideration, we decided to go with BOTH !! The three millimeter overbore and a five millimeter stroker crank.

The Parts List

First on the parts list was the APE stroker crank. This would be the heart of our motor. We contacted our good friend Jay at APE (http://www.aperaceparts.com) and talked it over with him. While discussing the motor we were planning on building, Jay suggested that we also consider the Carrillo rods. Jay knows motors as well as anyone and with the experience APE has with the Hayabusa crank, we figured we should listen. We shipped the crank to them and got the works. This included the rods, crank balancing, lightening, stroking and removing the balancer. We also had Jay install the rods and new bearings. No, this crank is not cheap, but we were not after cheap, we were after serious horsepower and torque; the kind that makes you feel like you are being catapulted off a carrier deck in an F-18.

As you can see in the  photos these parts are nothing short  of first class. As always APE is one company that we can all count on to  deliver great items for the Hayabusa.  It is hard to imagine that rods  cost $829 but these things are  simply amazing to look at and  they provide a lot of insurance  when that big 84mm piston is moving up and down at  almost 11,000 RPMs.

The APE stroker crank boosts the stock stroke from 63mm to 68mm and displacement goes to 1401cc when used with the stock bore. When used with the 3mm overbore pistons, your net is 1507cc. We like to call this motor "Big Poppa Pimp". The main reason for going to the Carillo rods is that when stroke increases and RPMs stay the same, piston speeds go up. Since the piston is still spinning at the same 10,500 RPMs but now traveling an extra 5mm, everything gets a bit more complicated. For a real example if you were using a redline of 10,500 RPMs and the stock stroke of 63mm your net piston speed would be 4340 feet per minute. Once you add the extra 5mm of stroke the same 10,500 RPMs gives you a new piston speed of 4685 feet per minute.

Next we needed some pistons. As always we turned straight to John at JE Pistons (http://www.jepistons.com). They have made countless sets of Hayabusa pistons in every size and compression you would ever need. We choose the 84mm (3mm over) for our application with a compression ratio of 13.1. We knew we would be spraying on this motor so we felt that added confidence with the use of top shelf JE products. These pistons are no stranger to high horsepower motors or nitrous.

As always when dealing with a modern Suzuki motor you will need to bore and re-plate the cylinder bores. There is a name that comes up over and over in this industry and if you spend enough time at redline you will see why. Of course, we are talking about Millenium Technologies (www.mt-llc.com/millenium/home.htm). They are simply the best in the business. Do not even talk to anyone else, just ship your cylinder to them and you know it will be done right. I think most every race team in the country uses them and you should too. If you are interested in one stop-shopping APE keeps finished blocks and pistons kits in stock. This means you ship your old block to them and they send you a plated and bored block back in a matter of days instead of having to wait for yours to be plated and bored which can sometimes take weeks

We knew that with a motor this big we would need some special cams to help everything breath as planned so once again, we turned to Lee Shierts (www.leesperformance.com) for advice. Web Cams Inc (www.webcamshafts.com) makes several cam grinds for the Busa but none of them are quite right for Lee, so he has Web make special grinds just for him. As usual, Lee is not going to reveal the exact lift and duration he specifies. If you want to make HP the Shierts way, you have to call him up and ask for the "Big Poppa Pimp" package.

	Of course you will need some adjustable cam sprockets to get everything dialed in, so we went back to APE for those. On the left is a photo of the sprockets. The APE units offer a slightly larger adjustment range than some of the others on the market. Remember that when you are selecting yours.  www.hayabusazone.com for more information.
	Finally while working on the valve train we replaced the old springs with a fresh new set. These are also from APE. There’s no sense in upgrading all these cams, pistons etc, and trying to get by with old springs. Weak springs can lead to valve float and other undesirable problems.

After getting all these great components together, it was now time to focus on the head and throttle bodies. The stock Hayabusa head is a solid performer as delivered, but if you know what you are doing more power can be found lurking inside. We have heard of several people that made head changes which resulted in lower performance. So be careful when you choose your machinist. For our motor we turned to Lee Shierts at Lees Performance (www.leesperformance.com). We had Lee do everything possible to a head except add larger valves. The result speaks for itself, as you will see later on when we show you the dyno chart. The throttle bodies were also bored out to increase the airflow. Every little bit helps and this is an effective way to coax a few more ponies out of a big motor like this one.

Now that we have most of the internal engine parts selected, it is time to turn our focus to something that everyone can see. The exhaust system is something that you live with on a daily basis and is basically the signature of your bike. It is also one of the first things someone notices on your bike. Normally, when you think of a particular brand of exhaust or bike, certain names and or relationships come to mind. I'll be honest and tell you that I have never had a strong brand relationship in my mind between the Suzuki Hayabusa and the Muzzys exhaust. Sure, they are known for building and racing lots of high quality ZX Kawasaki parts, but I just never thought of them for the Busa, until now.

For this bike, we choose the new polished stainless exhaust system. Muzzys (www.muzzys.com/catalog/stainlessoval.html) has long been known for good products and after talking to a number of people who had first hand experience with similar applications; we decided that Muzzys was the pipe for our project bike. We inspected more than a few dyno charts on the Muzzys/Busa combination and, in the end, that is what made the decision for us. Plus the oval can sounds good without being obnoxious.

The new Muzzys polished system looks great on the Hayabusa. For those of you that have a polished bike, or if you just prefer the polished look like I do, this is the way to go. The sound is great and it looks even better. Compared to a lot of the other systems out there, it is one of the best deals going; not to mention the great power it makes.

While you are looking in the Muzzys catalog there is one more item that you must have. Even if you are running a stock Busa this is a nice, inexpensive upgrade. We are talking about the aluminum fan blade. Many people including myself have experienced fan blade meltdown (otherwise known as FBMD) on the Hayabusa after installation of an aftermarket exhaust. The stock fan blade is plastic and once you install the lighter and thinner exhaust header, more heat is generated in the area between the stock radiator fan and the engine. The stock blade just can't handle the heat, and the blades inevitably melt. Often this goes undetected until the bike overheats.

Those of you that go to events like Daytona Beach Bike Week or Myrtle Beach Bike Week have most likely seen or experienced the embarrassment of having to pull over and let your bike cool off during one of those late night traffic jams. The Muzzys fan not only avoids the melting danger, its design and blade count flows more air. Therefore, it actually keeps the bike running cooler than a stock fan in perfect condition.

We have even taken this one step farther and installed an additional fan on the other side of the radiator and rigged them both so they can be turned on with a dash-mounted toggle switch. With the kind of heat that is generated from a motor like this one; it was worth the small effort.

The Muzzy fan is a quick  and easy install and  very cost effective too.  Don’t spend all your money on a big motor then cheap out on the cooling.  For more information contact Muzzy or go to their web page at  http://www.muzzys.com/fans.cfm

You're spraying that big motor?

As you may already know from earlier articles (www.dragbike.com/news/06-01/hayabusa_n02_install.htm) on the Busa, we had already installed the NX Express Nitrous kit on this bike (www.nitrousexpress.com/welcome.htm) and we were not about to remove it. However, we did take a few precautions to keep things in check. First of all when the motor was reassembled, we used two base gaskets in addition to the 2.5mm stroker plate. This was done to keep compression at a decent level and to allow the use of nitrous without problems. We also dropped back to the 40hp jets from the previous 60hp jets we used before.

The next modification on any big bore Hayabusa project is the removal of the stock fuel pump and regulator. Since this is the 1999 model, it was known to have some fuel screen problems. The typical situation on this bike was that after a few miles the fuel screens would plug up with material from the fuel tank. The simple solution to this and an inadequate fuel supply (for this motor) is to remove the entire system and replace it with an aftermarket unit. We are not going to go into the details other than to show a few photos and part numbers. But if you need more information feel free to send me an email.

Above are the photos of the Mallory fuel regulator we used. It is a brand new model (part number 4305M) and may be a bit hard to find as of this writing but worth the look. Make sure you get this exact unit if you decide to do this modification. It even includes a bracket that allows easy mounting on the back of the throttle bodies. Even in the tight confines of this bike (including the NX solenoids) it fits well in the engine bay.

We used a Mallory fuel pressure regulator made specifically for fuel injected automobiles and it is made to operate between 30-100 PSI. This unit is well made and is easy to adjust without a lot of fuss like some other units we tried previously on this bike. This unit.

For the fuel pump you will need an inline unit made for a high-pressure application. This one was from Advance Auto and is an AIRTEX #E8248. It may also be listed under the Advance brand name of Master. Remember, most automotive units are made for carburetors and do not deliver the pressure necessary so don't just get any pump on the shelf. We set this bike up at 44 PSI (stock is 43 PSI) and it worked well with the proper map installed into the Powercommander. Below is a photo of the fuel pump and in-line filter. It all hides well in the tail section of the bike, which helps keep the pump cool. This is commonly called the "Turbo Rick Fuel Pump Modification" named after its inventor Turbo Rick Yacoucci (www.turborick.com). It's a mod that eliminates all of the problems with the fuel screens and promises that you have enough fuel volume and pressure.

Next on the goody list are a few items we picked up from Nick Smith at Cycle Tricks in Orlando Florida. Nick is one of those guys that must just sit around all day and think up good ideas for the Busa. First is one of Nick's custom painted helmets. It is matched perfectly to the bike. Next are Nick's ram-air sealing tubes. These really make a difference in sealing the gaping holes that exist on the stock bike setup. Just look at the stock setup, and then Nick's solution. In addition to the trick billet aluminum sleeves shown in the photo below, he also includes a rubber sleeve that seals the extensions to the aluminum ram-air tube that extends through the frame rail. This creates a 100% airtight seal. We then asked Nick to cut us some factory-matching vinyl decals to show off the new displacement, as in GSX-1500R.Then we had Nick custom paint the calipers to match the beautiful copper color of the bike. This is one superbly subtle trick to make our bike stand out from the crowd.

The graph below shows test data reported by a fellow Busa rider (Thanks Eggster) on the various airbox devices on the market today. Notice the pressure difference with the Nick Smith ram air tubes. The test was conducted by taking a very expensive electronic air pressure gauge and tying it into a data logger, the pressure data was recorded along with speed, which was taken from a Sigma bicycle computer. The bike was then fitted with the various air boxes and modifications shown below. Over a period of several days the bike was then taken to a super secret location and ran flat out. As you can see, actual speeds were in excess of 180mph. The data was then downloaded and later graphed for easy visual analysis. Nick Smith's modified airbox along with his ram air tubes produced internal pressure inside the box that approached theoretical maximum at top speed. At some speeds actual and theoretical were actually equal. In another independent test (thanks Ronin & Cory) a Busa rider went from 192 mph with a stock box to 196 mph (using a GPS for speed measurement) only changing to Nick's ram air tubes. That is a 4 mph gain on the big end. In theory it takes about 10hp to increase the speed that much. Since we don't yet have a way to generate enough air pressure and volume on a dyno, this is as close as we can get to determine the effect of ram air. The bottom line is that Nick's stuff works!!

With the newfound horsepower we knew keeping the front end on the ground would be a big issue. However, we did not want to turn the bike into a full tilt drag racer with the addition of a longer arm. After trying the various tricks like lowering links for the rear and straps from Schnitz Racing for the front, we realized they were not enough. We then decided to lengthen the bike without fitting a long arm. Using Nick's swingarm extensions shown below you can get the best of both worlds. The extension is adjustable from 4.1/2"-6.1/2". We set ours to add about 5". This is a good compromise between the longest of arms on the market and the stock wheelbase. They can also be removed in a few minutes should the need arise to go carve corners again. As you can see in the photos they are made from billet aluminum and feature grade eight stainless steel bolts that lock the unit into the arm. Two large nuts that mate together on the back of the swingarm and prevent any twisting or flexing safely carry the load of the extension. Unlike some other extensions I have seen, these are built like a tank and very easy on the wallet. Nick even includes a new brake arm that will be needed once you move the axle back. The only caution I will mention is that once the extensions are installed many rear axle stands will no longer work because the rear tire is moved so far back that it will hit the rear of the stand. Contact Nick at Gixx1300R@aol.com for prices on his other parts and services for the Hayabusa. Retail here is only $260.

Of course with a longer arm you will also need a new chain. For this we contacted Charles Green. (www.streetntrackimport.com) If you have not seen his Busa get online and check it out. He has created a real masterpiece. Charles suggested that we use the EK ZVX530 chain because it has the highest strength of all the gold 530 O-ring (actually a X-ring) chains at 10,560lbs tensile. In practice this thing is tougher than a Waffle House steak.

You will need a longer chain than stock so choose your length according to your gearing and arm length. We got the 150-link version and cut off the extra to make a perfect fit. The result of the X- ring is less friction and rolling resistance. This chain is reported to last longer because it holds more lubrication in the small channels designed into the ring. We also had Charles ship us the rear suspension lowering links to complete the look and performance of the new longer bike. (www.streetntrackimport.com/store/images/fs/Hayabusalowering2.jpg) These are fully adjustable and very cool because you can raise or lower the bike as needed. This combined with the swing arm extensions make a very flexible Busa that can be used for virtually any purpose.

The Hot Oil Treatment

After all the goodies were bolted back together, we were faced with that critical decision - the one we all talk about as much as anything else on the internet - which oil to use? Dino or Synthetic? Car or bike specific oil? We have researched this issue extensively and here is the path we took. Upon assembly of this motor it was filled with Shell Rotella dino oil for break-in. It has all of the right additives that we wanted and is not expensive. After 50-100 miles of our break in routine, it was drained and replaced (along with a new factory oil filter) with Motul 300V Sport, full synthetic oil. It is JASO MA rated and is a great product, plus it smells cool too. Both of these did well in the recent Motorcycle Consumer News magazine and they are a good choice for you too.

You Mean I have To Ride It Now?

I have never actually ridden in the space shuttle or a fighter jet but after living with this one for a few months I no longer feel the need to do either. Torque is delivered in large buckets instead of little cups as with the stock Busa. Try on 135 ft/lbs for size. The thrust builds to a frenzy when the bike hits about six grand on the funometer. This one makes more HP at 7000 RPMs than a stocker does at redline. Finally when the Suzuki black box kicks in at almost 11,000 RPMs you are past the 240hp line. 242.5 hp to be exact when filled up with the magic Nutec Special 4 fuel.

We geared this one for over 200 mph with 18/40 sprockets (stock is 17/40) and even with this high gearing it is basically un-rideable in the first few gears. Without the swingarm extensions fitted, wheelies are just a twist of the throttle away. Before you even think of running lower gearing let me warn you not to. Before the 18/40 was installed we had it set up with a 16/42 combo and even with new Michelin Pilots on the trick Dymag wheels (these are some seriously cool wheels), the rear just cannot hook up. If you try and prevent the wheelie it would break the rear loose in second gear at will. Never mind the NX Express hose, I am just talking about the motor. Even without the button this one will lay out a built ZX12 like a futon.

We are only spraying 40hp currently, but up to 100HP is on tap if needed once you decide things are serious enough to open the valve. Of course once we bolted the extensions on and moved the rear axle rearward things settled down and we were able to restore gearing back to an 18-42 setup with great results. It launches much harder now without the fear of the unwanted wheelies.

Once the bottle is opened and you press the happy button you enter a new dimension of time and space travel. For your own safety we do not suggest you even try the bottle in anything short of third gear. In third with the tall gearing, the front end of the bike starts pointing skyward as it knocks on the 300hp door, and power wheelies at 135mph. If you have not ridden a bike like this before, we suggest you simply not do it. Once you have experienced this drug of horsepower you cannot go back to life as it was before. You will not be the same, and you will do everything possible to experience this over and over. You become a junkie and your drug of choice is speed. Except this speed comes in a bottle with the NX Express logo on it.

Special Thanks

Without the help from a lot of people, this project would have not been possible. We have tried to list as many of the parts and suppliers as we can remember - either in this stage of the article or in the past. There are so many little things added over the course of a project like this that we are sure we have forgotten a few. Please remember to support these suppliers if possible because they are doing a great job of helping people like us build these psycho bikes. Oh the things we do for our readers. I also want to give a big thank you to my Atlanta, GA. mechanic who has insisted on remaining nameless through this whole adventure. He does impeccable work and has earned a great reputation. This reputation keeps his shop full enough as is, without the attention an article like this would bring him.

It's time to say goodbye

Now that this project has reached the end, I have decided to sell the bike to one of you. If you are interested in bidding on it, here is the link to the ebay auction:

 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1843715531

No it is not cheap but as you can see no detail was left undone. It is not an easy decision and I feel like a baseball team manager that is trading Cal Ripken. It is not the end but rather the beginning of another project, a new adventure. What will it be this time? Stay tuned……..

Click Here for Dyno Chart

Final parts list and links for this project

A.P.E.

P.O. Box 6998
Burbank, Ca. 91505
Tech questions and California orders: (818) 842-4952
Toll Free, orders only (800) 824-1825

Stroker crank
Carrillo Rods and main bearings
Valve springs
High volume oil pump gear
Manual cam chain tensioner
Adjustable cam sprockets
Heavy-duty starter gear
 

Lees Performance Center

www.leesperformance.com

Custom Web Cams
Bored Throttle bodies
Head porting

Muzzys Performance Products


www.muzzys.com

Muzzys 62910 Peerless Ct., Bend, OR 97701 / ph 541-385-0706 fax 541-382-9406

Full polished Exhaust system
High Performance cooling fan blade

Nitrous Express

www.nitrousexpress.com

Nitrous injection system

www.superbikeracing.com

Dymag wheels and sprockets

Street And Track Import Accessories

www.streetntrackimport.com

EK Chain
Adjustable lowering links

JE Pistons


www.jepistons.com

JE Pistons 15312 Connector Lane - Huntington Beach, CA 92649 - Sales (714) 898-9763 - Fax (714) 893-8297

High compression pistons.

http://www.mt-llc.com/millenium/home.htm

1404 Pilgrim Rd
Plymouth, WI 53073
920-893-5595
920-892-4830 (F)
milltech@mt-llc.com

Cylinder boring and plating.

www.webcaminc.net

Phone: (909) 369-5144
Fax: (909) 369-7266

High Performance cams

Nicks Cycle Tricks
Gixx1300R@aol.com Orlando Florida

Custom painted helmet and brake calipers
Ram air tubes
1500 cc vinyl for tail section
Swingarm extensions

www.second-look.com/entrance/entrance.html

Other Misc items.

EBC HH Brake pads
Kevlar brake lines
Sigma Bicycle computer
Yellow Box speedo correction device
Gen-Mar handlebar riser plate
Full airbox mod
Zero Gravity Double Bubble windshield
Schnitz heavy duty clutch springs
Brock Davidson clutch mod
Dynojet Powercommander
Michelin Pilot Sport tires
 

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