Tony Nitrous

168hp on a somewhat optimistic dyno. Carbon can, air filter, upgraded clutch springs and new Suzuki plates… and 60hp worth of nitrous! Battery in tail with an extension made from 2 car starter motor leads, fuel pump and solenoids in the battery box, foggers in the inlets, micro switch on the carbs so it only triggered on full throttle when armed and fired, switch on the bars that turned the horn button into the nitrous bottle, 2.5lb bottle mounted at the correct angle and within reach. I went through a LOT of gas in short bursts. OEM and untouched factory tyres, brakes, suspension etc kept life quite entertaining.

Not in the UK so not familiar with this. Whats the basic rules ? 1980’s / 90’s frame and engine ? Pretty much OSS acceptable minus Busa’s and GSX14’s ? Very cool though. I’ll try and find more on it.

I’m a huge Busa fan, I have Gen-1, 2 and 3 powered bikes here. It’s my default go-faster answer ! Yeah, my 14 has a full Yoshimura Cyclone, PC111 and some dyno time and is surprisingly healthy. Mildly tuned 14’s do respond well to a good pipe. I’ll follow your posts with interest. Although the 14 isn’t an ideal powerhouse it’s a good solid lump is reliable and grunty, mine won’t get butchered as it’s so nice to use as it is, but I’d love to find another to tinker with. Good luck with the project and I look forward to updates.

I know it’d mean sourcing all the externals, but as a comparison I use my 14 back to back with my Bandit. The Bandit motor is a bit lighter, and easier to find parts and upgrades for, but the 14 has noticeably more grunt and fuels much better. I’ve had more issues and work with my (admittedly 1999) Bandit carbs than my 14’s injection. Normally aspirated the 12 would be easier to find some horsepower with its history, popularity and GSXR family, but even without throwing money at less restrictive cam’s, the 14 responds well to a Yoshi or Akra full system, a Powercommander and some dyno time and the stock injection seems up to the job unless you’re after huge numbers…. but then you’d have a Busa motor anyway.

Oldskool style seperate carbs with a 1 into 4 cable would be do able and bypass any spacing issues.

A mate here (AU) with some serious skills and a heap of gear knocked out a pair of wheels for one of his bikes. Can’t see what a pair of wider replica in 17” wheels couldn’t be done. It certainly wouldn’t be a cheap option but you’d get exactly what you were after. My Busa frames been welded back up, I know to a GSXR750 with some serious surgery to take a turbo Busa motor and I’ve seen alloy frames on dragbike get the head stocks removed and refitted. It wouldn’t be a bloke down the pub with a cheap Halfords mig, but I’m sure wider wheels is quite possible.

If I was being pedantic I’d say if it was originally a black motor with those cam covers it’s not an ET / X 80’s engine and there are differences as ive found ! …. but Yeah, it’ll fit. I do understand buying a short motor, more so with cars, you swap auxiliaries over. I wouldn’t want to be paying for a new starter motor if mine was fine, but some sellers get a bit enthusiastic / f@cking tight with what they remove.

If it was mine I’d really want it right. However… an unscrupulous seller would put that back together and I very much doubt you’d ever know.

I’m no expert but from personal experience I’ve found that changing shock lengths and changing dogbone lengths has got me the height I want… …. but lowering or raising on the bones also seems to change the leverage on the shock and not always in a good way.

I have 2 sets of frames and bodywork for ET’s. I wouldn’t pull the healthy aircooled lump out of my other running ET to do the swap but to break a stock Bandit to create an oil cooled ET is no bad thing IMO.

That was my plan too. Bought a stockish faired 99 1200, turned it naked and stuck some spare Renthals on it to make sure it was OK, the plan was always to use it as an ET donor, I have a 7 and an 11 ET frames and some bodywork spare. Problem is I actually enjoy clowning about on the 12 and I’ve reluctant to break it up now, so now I’m looking for another donor bike!

I love it ! It doesn’t matter if it’s a Bandit, Busa or GSX14, some folk get so upset when the get passed and left by a bike they see as inferior and unsuitable to their own “proper” Sportsbike. Good work !

On a newer Suzuki I have it’s popular to change the length of the inlet trumpets into the airbox. Stock OEM ones are quite long and help give peak power at lower rev’s, aftermarket ones are noticeably shorter, and although not making more power they do help move it higher up the rev range. Bike loses a little (not much) in the lower torque numbers but revs and pulls much harder at the top end. Im certainly interested in if it works the same with my older bikes. Playing with inlet lengths is on my (long) to-do list.

It’s something I’m looking into for one of mine. One thing I will do is make sure it’s made to take a reasonably priced and easily available drop in air filter. Something that’s cheap and common to just bin and drop in a new one.

I’ve seen the green / off white ones online but never seen one in the flesh. Not my favourite colour but still cool and interestingly different.

Is that the same for the GSXR and the GSX-F “Dot” heads ? Are there any other difference’s between the two apart from the cams? Im always keeping an eye out for parts for projects or to squirrel away, but I’m seeing more GSX-F dot heads than GSXR ones out here. EDIT: looks like they’re the same? https://oldskoolsuzuki.info/forums/topic/4928-dot-head/

Same motor as a black engined ‘83 SD Katana ? If I remember right there were a few differences like the clutch too ?

I “think” it’s the B-King but I’ll try and find the measurements. I did have a pic of the two sat side by side on the bench and the difference was very noticeable. The wheels are the same. Forks swap but the Busa is firmer. Shock swaps but the Busa raises the Kings rear a bit. Swingarm doesn’t swap, suspension is offset to allow for under seat exhaust.

All Busa rear rims over the last 22 years are 6”. They are slightly different fitment. I have all 3 sat here. 99-07 Gen-1, 08-20 Gen-2, 21-22 Gen-3. The 1340 B-King and Gen-2 use exactly the same rear wheel but a different cush drive hub. One is taller than the other.

It depends on the bikes geometry and set up, but my de-fault go to pick Is normally a 180/55 on a 5.5” and a 190/55 on a 6”.

I have 4 bikes with 6” rears. One had a 200/50 from the factory, the others had 190/50. All now run 190/55’s. Only a fraction taller than a 200/50 which is taller than a 190/50 but it works well. I’m a big fan of the S22’s in a 190/55 on 6” rims. The shape and profile means all mine tip in real well, except one that I needed to raise the rear a fraction to do it. Bikes like the B-King used the Gen-2 Busa rear wheel, the Busa got a 190/50 and the King got a 200/50 on the same rim. It’s very common for owners of both to change to a more sporty 190/55. I know a “200” should look like a proper big boys tyre but in reality it’s not that noticeable. I notice the improved handling more than the slightly smaller size look.

I’ve seen a few over the years but all Grey imports. AU used to get quite a few used Jap vehicles. I’ve seen a lot more Skylines here than the UK. When I worked at the Port it was common to see a row of cars and vans coming in. On the whole AU is a lot closer to the UK in what official imports it gets, with the exception of not following Euro-4 / 5 so we still get stuff the UK drops. I do like the GS1200 and I’d love to find one within my budget. Same with the “looks like a Zephyr” Inazuma 1200. Both my style of bikes and based on mechanicals I’m a fan of.

Did they ? That’s interesting. I’ve only seen Jap home market / Grey imports. Never seen one in a Suzuki dealership. The GS1200SS and Inazuma 12 are both on my wish list.