Turbo Hayabusa

Well I had done it. After 6 months of trial and error, I had finally ridden my stock engined Hayabusa in to the 9 second zone down the quarter mile. Yeehaa, where to next? I promptly ordered that NX Dry Nitrous Oxide Kit I had been lusting after, in readiness for my first Power Up experience. Sixty more horsepower, here I come! But the day before the kit arrived, I received an email from a guy I had spoken to months earlier about his turbo Streetfighter style Hayabusa he wanted to sell. The bike in question was the second of the "Ghetto" turbo powered Hayabusa's in Australia - painfully converted to a Ghost Rider replica - a real head turner!

The first Ghetto turbocharged bike was owned by a good friend well known as "Shredder" in the biking world. He had owned his Ghetto turbo for nearly two years hassle free, which stands to reason as it was already a proven kit many times over in the US of A.

Scanning the text, my eyes lit up when I saw the words “will take trade”. My mind immediately went in to overdrive, which it often does. Do I continue on as planned, fitting my newly acquired Nitrous Kit to my well loved Busa that I had owned since new, rode all over the country and secured my first 9 second run? Or do I buy a bike with a proven Power Adder with way more potential then I could cope with? Mmm... Turbo Thanks!!!

The Deal was set and I was to pick the bike up on the weekend of BikeFest 2006 in Sydney. This was the weekend I was to show those Sydney boys how to ride a Busa into the 9’s but it wasn't’t to be, I had more important business. I arrived to pick up the bike Saturday morning after a sleepless and anxious night, to be quietly pleased with my new acquisition. Sure, a few areas needed improving, but overall, what a machine! Unfortunately my only ride of the bike that weekend was pottering around in the pits, the fear of good was yet to come!

The Bike as it was purchased in Street Fighter guise.

Two days later, back in Brisbane, I reluctantly released my new baby to Shredder for the start of its transformation back to its former full faired glory. It was decided as unique as it was, the Naked Bike wouldn't’t suit its new purpose as a Quarter Pounder and the unwarranted attention from the plod was deemed a problem. Shred spent a good 2 weeks putting it back to the way it once was, swearing the job would have been nearly as difficult as its original transformation.

The bike sat in the garage for nearly a week before I had the courage to release its fury. First run was to show the semi finished article to my brother who lives up the freeway, somewhere safe with plenty of room. Man this thing accelerates, thankfully the brake upgrade helped it slow some. Saturday came around and it was time to put the bike through its paces down the Drag Strip. Well to my surprise I was slower than on the standard bike. It had more power but it was immediately apparent it was going to need some serious setting up for Drag Racing to harness it all. A small saving grace - I won the event through fearing the competitors into submission and by the end of the night I was at least able run a nine second pass.

The following Sunday was its first turn at the twisties. With some minor mental realignment the bike was quite at home in the mountains, I just needed to remember the old adage, smooth in smooth out. Only difference was the enormous punch out of corners and of course the snake trails it left behind if I wasn't careful! On the Monday I rode it to work for the first time, thought I had better, the guys were sick of hearing about it from me. The bike received the expected reception, ooh's and arhs followed by "you mad bastard" or "when can I ride it?"

About a month later, I finally decided on a colour for the bike and sent the bodywork off to be painted. While it was apart I fitted the bike with all my favourite Bling Bits that I had saved from my previous ride.

How it looks now

Now finished the bike continually gets praise for its subtle but deadly styling, often causing whiplash to fellow motorists wanting a better look! The bike has been together now for over 6 months without a hitch, and I'm loving every minute of it. I ride it to work, over the mountains, and of course down the strip at Willowbank every chance I get!

What an Experience!!

Another Hayabusa story here