12 September 1999

Latest update 12 / 9 / 1999

The Suzuki Hayabusa has just had its 2nd service (about 5500km).  The most noticeable thing about the bike after the service was the gear change.  Its improved dramatically, I must ask them what they did !  Since then it hasn’t missed the 5-6 change and it gives a nice precise click-click sound like the old GSX-R when changing gears.   However the screen now vibrates at different revs.

So I attempted to fix it my self : The screen is secured to the fairing by 2 screws near the mirror.  Taking the securing nut out was easy, using the standard toolkit but the rubber bit is another story.  The rubber bit is NOT a washer.  It’s a plastic tube that has a lump in the middle. The holding nut is molded inside this tube.   You must pull out the tube washer before taking the screen off, its about 1.5 cm long.   When the nut is tightened the rubber compresses hence tightening the screen.

Anyway,  once the tube washer is taken out, the screen can be pulled off by sitting on the seat and pulling it towards you.  Once out of the fairing you will see the recessed edges of the screen that slots into the fairing.   I used electrical tape to over ALL the edges (at least 2 layers).  Don’t use too much or you’ll be able to see the tape when the screen is inserted back and the fit will be really tight and the securing nut will not be able to be screwed back in.  Make sure ALL the edges have been covered or  the screen will vibrate in a different place.

Once completed insert the screen back into the fairing aligning the securing holes.  The tube washer can then be inserted back in.   You may find this difficult because when you try to push the tube in the lump expands making the tube wider hence too big.  The secret is to loosely put the bolt into the tube and nut place it into the fairing hole and with the hex-tool from the top and push the tube in.  If aligned correctly the tube goes in without any effort.   Why, put placing the bolt in and pushing from the top expands the tube, making it thinner, the lump in the middle flattens out !  Tighten the screen and go for a test spin.  hopefully if you’ve taped the right areas on the screen the vibration should disappear.  Well, it worked for me !

I took it for a spin to Litchfield park and for some curves.  The straight road there was non-eventful with a steady 140-160km at   4000-4500 rpm.   At those revs the engine is sitting just below what I call the torque threshold.   Because after that the engine starts piling on the torque.  You can feel the lumpiness and the associated speed potential.  It seems to shed the civilized feel at lower revs.  Overtaking from slower traffic even at these speeds do not require a gear change.  Twist the throttle and she flys up to what ever speed you want.  For the Hyper-space effect on car, overtake conservatively and full throttle once along side.   (I think it changes the fuel mapping) Fuel consumption a mere 5.1 litres per 100 kms, on premium unleaded (95 Octane).  It seems to feel even faster accelerating than from a standing start.