Busa shock - 2G B12 - parts and install questions

[Soro]

Hi all,
Newbie and first time poster to the forum . Recently purchased a 2G B12 and starting to hot her up.

I want to install the Busa rear shock mod as mentioned in several posts.

1.) What part(s) of the Busa shock do I need to get other than the main shock? Do I need the Busa dogbones and the linkage thingy (circled in yellow)?



I've read about the rear height being raised. Is that using the Busa shock with the stock B12 dogbones or with the Busa dog bones?

2.) Are there any posts that have specific directions what I need to do to swap out the shocks or do I just basically follow my Haynes/ Clymer manuals and substitute the Busa shock for the stock B12 shock?

Thanks in Advance and looking forward to sharing info.

[Red01]

You only need the shock itself. The dogbones are WAAAY too short to use on a Bandit and the bellcrank (or lever, as Suzuki's parts list calls it) is different.

If you have pod air filers, the shock just bolts right in. If you still have the airbox, you'll have to trim a tab off. I don't recall which one (I've got the pods), but it should be obvious when you get in there.

[Soro]

Thank you! I've been watching all these shocks with the bell cranks and dogbones on eBay. Now I can let them go in peace.

I remember reading about having to shave off a clip or something on one side of the airbox in another post.

Paul, are you still using the Busa shock on your bike? I read some posts where you were using this set-up. It's worth the effort, right?

[chevsuz12]

I've got the busa shock on my 1g and absolutely love it!!!

[12sdrag]

I have a busa shock on my 02. DO it ! makes a big difference.

[Red01]

Yup, still got the Busa shock on... I'm too much of a cheapskate to spring for those more expensive options.

FWIW - I bought mine with the dogbones and bellcrank - since it was the cheapest one on ebay at the time. In fact, mine came with lowering bones. It took me a while, but I finally found someone to buy the Busa lowering bones from me for $15, so that ended up paying for the shipping the seller had charged on my $25 shock.
 

The Busa bellcrank is still collecting dust in my garage though and will probably just get tossed in the trash next time I'm in the mood to clean.

[ridenclimb]

Check out this site for good pics of Busa shock install.
http://community.webshots.com/album/143666302lnBYEz

I just did the busa upgrade on my bike a few days ago.   Below are a few helpful tips:

It is much easier to remove the bottom bolt from the old shock it you take a block of wood and jam it under the rear when the bike is on the centerstand.  This take the pressure off the bolt by unweighting the swingarm and makes it much easier to remove.

When removing the left side airbox tab to make room for the Busa reservoir to fit what worked for me was 5 minutes with a naked hacksaw blade.   Sometimes low tech is the easiest solution.  Just be careful not to nick any wires when you are sawing away.

After you take the old shock off it takes a little creative manipulation to get the Busa shock to fit between the dogbones to slide it up into place.  The trick is to put the small part of the reservoir through first and give it a little twist as you slide it between the dogbones so that you can get the rest of it to clear.  Might take a couple tries to figure it out but you get the idea.  Trust me it does fit.

Oh yeah one more thing.  Would highly recommend that you set the shock up with the settings you prefer before you install it. Getting to the screw at the top of the shock after it's installed isn't that easy.


Good luck.

[Soro]

Thanks for the great install information!! Pictures are always useful and I appreciate the helpful hints. I'm a big fan of the naked hacksaw blade (that's how I did my fender bob job)! I'll have this stuff printed out next to me when I do the mod.

I just scored via eBay a 2005 Busa shock with 731 miles on it for $ 9.99 ($ 29.34 with shipping, etc). I'm pretty stoked to swap it in!

The shock came with the bell crank and the dogbones. So maybe I can sell them back to someone on eBay as Paul suggested and end up with a new shock for $ 10.00 or so.

Once I get the shock in my sweaty hands I'll let everyone know how the install went and how she rides.

[Oliver_No1]

Hi All,

Great boards - Bandit 1200 here (I Live in the UK)

My question is this:-

Will the Busa shock go in my first Gen bandit in more or less the same way, and what other shocks would people reccomend?

Ta.

[chevsuz12]

Yes it will go in the 1st gen.  You will have to do some grinding of the frame.  It is definately not a direct bolt on.  I am running the pod filters so I have plenty of room, not sure if it will work with if you are still running an airbox.

Do a search for "Busa shock install on 1st gen b12"  someone wrote up a nice how-to.  Not sure if it was on this board, or on Maximum Suzuki.

[Oliver_No1]

Hi All,

Did it - just had to grind a little bit of the bottom of the shock to enable the linkage to fit.

The difference in ride quality is incredible!

[ratbike05]

I'm going to chime in here.  Does anyone know if this can be done on a G1 600?

[Desolation Angel]

Although I've considered doing this mod for some time based you all raving about the improvement, I don't really see why it would do that much.  I know there are all price ranges of shocks out there; whatever one wants to pay.  What specifically will this do for me?  Could you be a tad more specific than the ride is better?

[Red01]

I'm going to chime in here.  Does anyone know if this can be done on a G1 600?

Yes... it'll raise the tail more on a 1G B6 though, and you'll have to go thru the same mods as a 1G B12. The better choice for the 1G bikes is the old GSXR750 remote reservior shock in the FAQ.

[Red01]

Although I've considered doing this mod for some time based you all raving about the improvement, I don't really see why it would do that much.  I know there are all price ranges of shocks out there; whatever one wants to pay.  What specifically will this do for me?  Could you be a tad more specific than the ride is better?

The Hayabusa shock doesn't fade, has a stiffer spring (which is great since the B12 shock is designed for ~150 lb rider and most B12 owners are 50 lbs or more beyond that - and that doesn't even take into account a pillion), has a WIDE range of adjustments in preload, compression and rebound damping and it's extra length raises the tail and sharpens handling. And it's rebuildable.