The Suzuki Hayabusa is known as one of the fastest street motorcycles available in the United States. The bike is primarily used as a drag racing motorcycle, but there are those that ride Hayabusas on the street for commuting, riding the twisties and cruising with friends. However, the stock suspension setup on the Hayabusa is meant mainly for fast straight-line travel, and therefore it needs to be changed if you want to ride the bike on the street.
Take your Hayabusa for a short ride. Pay attention to the action of the shocks and determine what you would like to change. Should they be softer or harder? Does the bike bounce in tight turns, or otherwise become difficult to handle? Make mental notes and return home to get to work.
Inspect the rear of your Hayabusa, just below the tail section. You should see a large coil spring with a hydraulic shaft running through its center. This is the shock you will be adjusting.
Adjust the preload of the shock first. Locate the preload ring above the shock spring. Use a shock preload wrench to turn the preload adjuster. If you want the bike to feel softer in the corners and smoother over bumps, turn the preload adjuster clockwise, away from the spring. If you want the bike to feel stiffer and more responsive during acceleration, turn the preload adjuster counterclockwise, toward the spring.
Take your bike for a second test ride and note how the shock performs. Pay attention to the shock travel when cornering, and the responsiveness of the motorcycle during acceleration. Return home and make any small final adjustments to the preload setting, just as you did before.
Locate the dampener screw at the bottom of the shock, below the spring. If the motorcycle was bouncing in tight corners, or it's not holding traction on hard accelerations, loosen the screw one or two clicks. If the bike feels too soft, and is slow to handle in the turns, tighten the screw one or two clicks. Take the bike for another test ride.
Return home and make any small final adjustments to the dampener screw the same way you did before.
