K8 for the LONG HAUL!!!!!!!

[Warchild]

Yeah, I know, even though I said I wouldn't go down this path...... I guess I lied.

I couldn't resist at least giving one season of "experimenting" to see if the Hayabusa can compete with the Blackbird as a LD rally-bike for competitive events. I am betting it won't, but that's what this experiment is all about! B)

If you're going to ride 24-hours non-stop out here in the Desert West, you better have plenty of light, and plenty of fuel.... in night-time Nevada, you could easily find yourself over 250-miles from any available fuel. So...... fuel and lights it is!

This past week, I installed and configured the FJR's 4.9-gallon, gravity-fed auxiliary fuel cell on the Busa, and also installed a set of the awesome Hella Micro DE HID Driving Lamps:

The fuel cell is bolted to four existing sub-frame hard points. Y'all are familiar with the FJR's fuel cell: it is all aluminum, baffled inside, and weighs 12-lbs (including it's custom-sewn Linda Tanner cordura tankbag.) While the potential capacity is 4.9 gallons, I can only fill to 4.6 gallons as a result of side-stand use (the aux cell was originally designed for a FJR's center-stand)

The cell uses an aircraft-style filler cap, is vented to the atmosphere. Note how one of the filler neck ring fasteners serves as a perch for a static ground wire. Also note the many stash areas/pouches that were sewn into this tankbag... tool kit, tire repair/inflation kit, etc are keep in these various pouches:

Vent line is connected to a more lengthy vent-line system that incorporates a fuel-overflow "catch" bottle, required in the Utah 1088. You can also see the static ground wire as it travels with the vent line and under the cell, where it is grounded directly to the sub-frame:

The actual vent line exit is well aft of the rear tire and away from the hot exhaust. If fuel overflows for whatever reason, we don't want it splashing on rubber or hot components:

Aux fuel cell use is a trivial exercise.

I wait until the low fuel light comes on, then using the (non-throttle) left hand and without taking my eyes off the road, I easily reach back and throw the red valve lever horizontal. This opens the fuel valve to allow 4.6 gallons of premium unleaded to flow via gravity right into the main cell at a pretty damn fast rate, approx 13 minutes. Sweet!

They may not look large here on the Busa, but lemme tell you, there is a STAGGERING amount of light coming out of these Hella Micro DE HIDs!

Incredibly powerful for their size, each Hella lamp puts out a light over twice the distance of the stock low-beam (which itself is quite excellent!). The dark magnesium housing actually blends in fairly well to the charcoal/black paint. Pretty happy with the way these came out... they are satisfyingly unobtrusive against the bike.

Achtung! 23,000 volts coming down the wire here.... :blink:

The latest LD-oriented gadgetry includes the Pro-Oiler automatic chain oiler, and a Warm-N-Safe Heat-troller (mounted on clutch reservoir) for my Warm-N-Sale electric liner.

Putting it all to the test TONIGHT! B)

Going to ride straight down HWY 395 to Nevada on a little 1500-mile LD Recon mission. I depart at midnight tonight (Fri, 11 Apr 08) and be back on Sunday.

Really happy I have the aux cell done..... it's 200 miles between Pendleton and Burns, and between midnight-6AM, no 24-hr fuel.... no problem when you can carry 10 gallons of fuel...

 

[Ignacio]

Going to ride straight down HWY 395 to Nevada on a little 1500-mile LD Recon mission. I depart at midnight tonight (Fri, 11 Apr 08) and be back on Sunday.

Weeerdddd! Stay safe, stay hydrated, and stay Popo-free.

 

[SockMonkey]

WC, you are the Master..! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how much effort it took to put that rig together! (Somewhere, there's a member of the Hayabusa design team looking at these pictures and crying like a 12 year-old girl... )

 

[Fred W]

Jaysus H. Christ, Dale. You are one rare, uhm... individual.

Who would have thunk of turning a 'busa into an LD rally mule.

Oh, yeah that's right. That would be you!! Props, man...

Enjoy the ride.

 

[BIODSL]

Somehow I just knew you would'nt be able to resist. Watch out for forest rodents.

Paul Peloquin

Monmouth OR

 

[03HiYoSilver]

WC,

Wow, what a nice fabrication....have a nice trip.

 

[Geezer]

That busa sure is a nice looking bike.

 

[odot]

Christ on a bike....if I wanted to get somewhere that fast I'd rent an airplane......then again...then I have to deal with a pilot......nevermind.

 

[Jazzzzz]

WC, how long are the lines from the ballasts to the lamp assemblies on those Hella Micro DEs? I have been tossing around the idea of using them on the FJR as fork-mounted lights a la MotoLights, but I haven't been able to find specs on the length of the ballast lines anywhere.

Good luck with your ride!

 

[SkooterG]

Ok, so you got the fuel, lights, oiler, and heat....................

But how the hell do you deal with the cramped riding position now that you can go far between stops?

Crazy mofo.

 

[Ignacio]

WC, how long are the lines from the ballasts to the lamp assemblies on those Hella Micro DEs? I have been tossing around the idea of using them on the FJR as fork-mounted lights a la MotoLights, but I haven't been able to find specs on the length of the ballast lines anywhere.

They're the same DS2 as Hella FF200....meaning they're feasible on a Gen I where one can stuff the substantialy sized ballast/igniter in the nose. However, I really doubt Gen II guys are going to be able to shoehorn things under their nose and not long enough to to go under the seat or anything. IIRC, they're 20".

 

[Warchild]

WC, how long are the lines from the ballasts to the lamp assemblies on those Hella Micro DEs?

As Iggy said, they are approx 20" in length. While they don't quite have the downrange punch or peripheral coverage of the PHIDs, the "quality" of light is far superior to the PHID.

Ok, so you got the fuel, lights, oiler, and heat....................
But how the hell do you deal with the cramped riding position now that you can go far between stops?

Believe it or not, this one of two real problems on this bike, from an Endurance Riding perspective. You could do a 24-hour rally on this, but you would be pretty cramped and sore afterward. I would probably not take this bike on a long, multi-day rally.

After this 1500-mile run this past weekend, some general trends start to emerge:

- I was sad and dismayed to learn that Suzuki has "built-in" the rider's body as part of the airflow design. Not that you are all that well protected on the Blackbird, still, the XX coddles the rider like he's riding in a plastic bubble compared to the Busa. On the Busa, everything from the waist down is exposed to the airstream. Head, shoulders and arms are also similarly exposed unless you elect to ride "tucked" all the time, which just isn't too practical on a 1000-mile day. All of this is a huge problem when the temps drop below 35-40 degrees. I had the Warm-N-Safe liner pegged to the max on the Heat-Troller, and I was still a cold bastard riding through 25-degree ambient temps at 6000'-7000' summits at 2 AM, believe me. :glare:

- Fook me, there isn't room to carry shit on this bike. My Joe Rocket tankbag looked like a Stay-Puff marshmallow, it was stuff so much. Similarly, every little pocket/stash area on the Linda Tanner aux cell tankbag was stuffed to the bursting point. I don't see me getting a Givi setup for this bike, but I sure as hell see a Ventura Rack in my future.

- I was quite pleasantly surprised at the performance of the Hella Micro DE's.... not just their tremendous light output for their size, rather, the apparent efficiency of the electronics. With the HID low-beam and the Hellas lit up, the Datel would only sink to 13.9 volts! I can then crank up the Warm-N-Safe liner to about 70%, and the Datel still stays relatively happy at 13.5 volts. Score!

- I need to re-design the aux fuel cell mounting brackets to raise the cell's overall height up about another inch or so. Due to the shape of the stock tank and the (relatively) low mounting height of the aux cell, I am not transferring the complete contents of the cell. There is always the best part of a gallon remaining behind.... maybe a bit less. If I could just get the cell mounted a little higher - perhaps an inch, maybe 1.5" inch - I think I would have enough "head pressure" to complete the transfer. If not, I can always install a small 12v pump that I used on the XX for last years BBG Hell Week run.

- The chassis on this Busa is just stunning. It is the one of two areas that really outperform the Blackbird (the other being that 175hp motor!). The engine is almost glass-smooth, not quite as creamy-velvet as the Blackbird, but it has less vibes that our FJRs! The ability of this bike to hold a fast line through some fair stiff sweepers is extraordinary, and this is with all factory suspension components.

Bottom Line: I really like this Busa, but it is likely not going to be a rally bike, certainly not a mainstream one. I'll likely take it to the Utah 1088 this years just because it's ready for a 24-hour event, but I'm pretty confident that the Blackbird is in no danger of losing it's primary duties as the Endurance Riding platform.

 

[RenoJohn]

GREAT stuff WC

interesting your mod's to the bike and even more fun your comments after a good run on it. Did you keep oem gearing or did you up the gearing a bit??

so???) for you --

Busa = 24hour rallies and phuckin' around day rides

XX = multi-day "hard" rallies

fjr = multi-day easy rallies and/or touring

looks to me like a good stable for a maniac like you.

 

[Warchild]

GREAT stuff WC
interesting your mod's to the bike and even more fun your comments after a good run on it. Did you keep oem gearing or did you up the gearing a bit??

Yes, I am staying with stock gearing. My gas mileage has improved significantly with the warmer temps. Even riding at a right lickety-split pace, I am seeing MPG's in the low 40's.... B)

so???) for you --Busa = 24hour rallies and phuckin' around day rides

XX = multi-day "hard" rallies

fjr = multi-day easy rallies and/or touring

looks to me like a good stable for a maniac like you.

Yep, I'm thinking so.

Too, one 1500-mile test run doesn't really show all the good and bad... further LD testing is indicated, I think.

 

[vectervp1]

Cool stuff here Dale. I've often thought about the possibilities of running a Busa as an LD bike. Its nice to see that you're trying it out. From a purely 'sitting' standpoint, I found the Busa more comfortable for me than the Blackbird, so perhaps I'll still consider it.

 

[FJamR]

Was curious how you felt after your "recon mission". With the riding position on your journey, was your neck, back, arms, etc excessively sore? I have been eyeing the new Bus since it came out and seeing your mod yours has sent me over the edge.

 

[Warchild]

Was curious how you felt after your "recon mission". With the riding position on your journey, was your neck, back, arms, etc excessively sore?

No, I would not say excessively, although I definitely knew about it by the end of the day.. This is probably not a good representative data point, it being the first run of the LD season. Still, it's obvious even now that the Blackbird has it over the Hayabusa in the ergos and comfort arena, no question about it.

I have been eyeing the new Bus since it came out and seeing your mod yours has sent me over the edge.

Wait till you ride this new K8. You will truly go insane. B)

 

[FJamR]

Was curious how you felt after your "recon mission". With the riding position on your journey, was your neck, back, arms, etc excessively sore?

No, I would not say excessively, although I definitely knew about it by the end of the day.. This is probably not a good representative data point, it being the first run of the LD season. Still, it's obvious even now that the Blackbird has it over the Hayabusa in the ergos and comfort arena, no question about it.

I have been eyeing the new Bus since it came out and seeing your mod yours has sent me over the edge.

Wait till you ride this new K8. You will truly go insane. B)

I know most would not use the Bus as their first choice in LDR. Do you know if the Buell XB foot-peg mod will work on it? I see you have changed out your windscreen, did that push the "air bubble" up any from the stock screen? Wonder how the Heli-risers would work in conjunction with peg, seat and screen mods for long haul ergo's....

-Setting up a game plan- :construction:

 

[Warchild]

Just finished another farkle that is essential for LD bikes that are chain-driven: the installation of the Pro-Oiler!

Looking at the Hayabusa's left subframe, there is a large recessed area behind the left passenger footpeg bracket where both the Control module and pump can easily reside:

Same perspective, with the rear footpeg bracket re-installed:

All connections done! The white 'A' is the electrical connection for the Pro-Oiler (blue is +12v, white is ground). Yellow arrows depict pump output flow:

Bracket for the superb twin-nozzle dispenser... gotta love drilling holes in your swingarm! :blink:

Standard zip-tie retainer is affixed to swingarm so that oil line can be held away from adjacent tire. This photo shows another motivator for an auto chain-oiler: that nasty-ass chain spray lube attracts every dust particle on the road, turning your pretty RK gold chain into a gnarley mess:

A second zip-tie retainer is affixed to the forward left side of swingarm behind the shifter boot heel guard. This will retain the oil line from getting too close to the spinning chain. Also note toward the top of photo how the oil line passes through the forward part of the undertray via a small drilled hole:

Another view of oil line routing. The upper line 'A' is the pump feed line (coming from oil reservoir residing under the fuel tank). Line 'B' (pump output) is descending down to feed the twin nozzle dispenser:

I just finished this install last night.... now for the fun time of setting Correction Factor and dialing in the Pro-Oiler for this specific set-up. Gotta do this today, because it's time for another LD Recon mission in preparation for the WORD! rally.... departing late tonight for another 2000-mile run this weekend.