Kawa Busa

KAWA BUSA

SPECIAL SECTION STREET FIGHTERS

The Café-Racer Connection

MARK HOYER

IF STREETFIGHTERS ARE ABOUT ROLLING your own piece of bad-ass hardware, then Norm Wilding's "Kawabusa II" is a fatty that can't be ignored.

British expat Wilding grew up riding Tritons and other alloy-tanked, clip-on’d, Ace Café-era multi-manufacturer specials, which has helped make him an expert on motorcycle heart transplants. Such as this unholy marriage of Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki ZRX1200.

A self-described “geezer” these days, he says he spent his youth laughing at older gents riding past on their upright, sensible bikes, but now sees the simple benefits of sitting up. Except the performance bug never left him. So his “sensible” bike is this Hayabusa-powered ZRX, built at his shop, Mid-Missouri Motorcycle Customs (www.midmomc.com).

“I often have the opportunity to test ride a customer’s Hayabusa,” he says. “And I’ve always been impressed with the torque of that motor. But, at 55, my old bones ain’t so keen on that bent-over riding position!

“I’ve owned several Kawasaki ZRX1100/1200s since they started selling them in the States, and just love the riding position. The motor ain’t bad, either! But being a hot-rodder, and English, I just can’t leave anything stock.”

Wilding has for many years now been putting inverted forks and monoshock rear ends on his own ZRXs and those of his customers, updating the retro muscle standard with improved handling.

“But I couldn’t stop thinking about the power that the Hayabusa has,” Wilding admits. “So out came that trusty

hacksaw and I was at it again!”

As the “II” implies, this is Wilding’s second try, and part deux steps it up a notch with more custom work than his stock-bodywork initial attempt.

Starting point was a 2003 ZRX 1200. Engine, fork, swingarm and other pieces were stripped from the bike and sold on eBay. With the proceeds and about a grand tossed in, Wilding secured all the ’Busa bits he needed, including that lovable lump of a 160-horsepower, 1298cc engine. The wheels, inverted fork and monoshock rear end were just a bonus.

“The hardest part of the conversion was replacing the right-side frame rail with 4130 chrome-moly tubing,” he says. “The original was aluminum, which I personally didn’t think was up to the ’Busa’s power, and I needed to lower it about an inch to clear the Hayabusa clutch.”

He also modified the intakes so they would fit under the ZRX tank. Toss in a GSX-R1000 tailsection, a couple of Yoshimura ZX-14 cans mated to an HMF “Big Bird” header (welded to fit by Wilding), a Renthal handlebar in LSL mounts and the bike was complete.

“I gotta say this thing is a blast to ride,” declares Wilding. “The other night I happened to pass a bunch of squids hangin’ out at the local Steak ’n Shake, and I’m sure I noticed them snickering at the old fart sitting bolt-upright on his standard!”

If the kids come out to play, though, we’re quite sure they will be in for a shock.