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Richard Mcstay
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Yoshimura Hayabusa X-1

December 24, 2013 · in Automotive · · 22 · 1.9K

Merry Christmas everyone! Got my Megabusa ready just in time before the festivities commence! This is the 1:12 kit, and it goes without saying that it was a kit of their usual standard, nicely detailed and fit together perfect.

The X-1 was the Yoshimura racing version of the Suzuki GSXR 1300 Hayabusa, which took victory in 1999 and 2000 in the Suzuka 8 hour race X formula class, a 750 cc plus competition for modified machines.

The main difference between the X-1 and the standard Busa is the exhaust system. It is a single can Yoshi system called the Tri-Oval developed specifically for the bike, where as the standard Busa has two exhaust cans set either side. The front twin headlights are also noticeably different compared to the large central headlight on the production model. The bike was also lightened and finely tuned by the Yoshimura team, and was reported to have 200 bhp measured at the rear wheel. Which if you are a biker you will know that is a lot of them to have there!

After the success of the X-1, Suzuki made 100 limited edition replicas, 99 of which still remain in Japan in private collections! If my sources are correct, there is 1 somewhere in Europe.

I have pretty much stuck to the colour scheme of the original X-1 here, but have replaced the front mud guard and belly pan with carbon fibre. I also used a detail kit from Crazy Modeler for the brake discs and various other bits and bobs.

Cheers, have a good Xmas everyone and a merry new year. Rich

Reader reactions:
4  Awesome

10 additional images. Click to enlarge.


22 responses

  1. THAT IS FANTASTIC Richard, and great photos as well.

  2. Stunning, sir...it looks fantastic!

  3. I like it very much, Richard, the extra details, especially the brake discs, really set it off. It would make a great Christmas present!

  4. yup...what george said...can i have it...didn't think so but i had to ask...an astounding piece of work

  5. Please do the rest of us a service and re-size your pictures to 50% of what you have posted here,. so they can be seen by everyone. I'd love to tell you how wonderful it was, if i could see the whole thing.

  6. Merry Christmas Rich , this great ,I might have a do at one of these bikes, you've made another very good job you should be pleased. Yes 200bhp is huge I think my SV650 makes about 45 bhp and is PLENTY fast enough for me, the Hyabusa straight out of the crate will do 200mph ,I saw one parked up near Balla lake with a NoS kit -SCARY.
    N.

    • Merry Xmas to you too mate! Thanks very much. I had a standard-ish Busa on a 2003 plate. That had 200 horses in the engine but not at the back wheel! They are all limited to 186mph after the 1999 model to comply with European law. However this limiter can be easily removed by somebody who knows what they are doing! Then they will hit 200mph no bother.

      The limiters on the modern European super bikes are now in the traction control system, making them very difficult to remove. But with the older Japanese bikes it is just in the ECU.

      A NoS kit on a bike is mental, I don't think you really need one, there's not much on the road that could touch one in a straight line anyway!

  7. Great build Richard, a lovely way to celebrate Xmas .
    200bhp at the back wheel, I am surprized that they stood still long enough to take a pic LOL.
    Seriously good build.

  8. Nice clean build, your photos make the bike looks prototypical.

  9. Richard,
    looks to me like it is already going 200mph. Very very nice build and a beautiful bike. I admire bikes and riders but declined to go on one. I feel better with four wheels under me. I also admire anyone that can build models of them as good as you and some others on this site. I really like this. Great job.

    • Cheers Frank, thanks very much. I feel much more at home on two wheels than four. I think you just have better spacial awareness when the widest part of the vehicle are your elbows and knees! There are some cracking bikes knocking around imodeler I agree with that, mainly from George!

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