It’s been a year since the last update. Have I been sleeping? Certainly not! I’ll catch you up in 134 pictures.

Borys Wawruszczak, from the German magazine Gasoline Magazine, asked me if he could write an article about the motorcycle. And whether I could provide him with information and photos. For info, I directed him to my two websites, and I took new photos at a beautiful location: the Wienerberger brickworks …

… which is across the street I live. It has beautiful buildings (see the first photo) and, by coincidence, a lovely pile of sand which makes the setting desolate and post-apocalyptic.

Accompanied by my good friend Micky, I snapped quite some pictures.

Close-ups …

… and from every angle.

The tank …

… and the handlebar controls.

Those industrial buildings are a very nice backdrop for a motorcycle.

Turbo …

… en brake discs.

Borys asked for detailed photos to support his story.

More is more, so I gave him a choice of many angles.

Really fun to do, capturing your own toy.

Gasoline Magazine is available in print, but also as a website and via Facebook. This was the announcement.

Personally, I have no problems with digital – it’s my job – but for articles, I still prefer paper.
The front cover …

Page 1 …

Page 2 …

Page 3 …

As you can see, Borys was very thorough: he went through both sites and then sent me the draft text for corrections.

Page 4 …

The fifth page …

… and the final page.

A beautiful and a quite complete story; six pages can never tell the complete story of a twenty year bike build. ;)

Colleague and friend Myron de Vrede supported me with merchandising. This photo became the basis of his design.

The name and bike’s contour fit like a glove.

Many years ago Antoine Collignon drew my CBX; unfortunately, he has passed away. This photo became the basis for the drawing by the very talented Fuad Zain …

… and he made this drawing.

Well, what followed was the sometimes confronting reality of a motorcycle as a means of transport. You encounter different issues than during the short and intense stress tests on a dyno, or the brief runs at a motorcycle show.

The wiring for the rear light turned out to be too thin and melted.

A look inside the rear fender: the heat melted through the so-called ‘armor tape.’ Luckily, not hot enough to damage any paintwork.

I purchased all the necessary gear to replace connectors myself, the waterproof ‘AMP Superseal’ type. Problem solved.

Because I regularly went for a ride, I installed a front wheel stand on the motorcycle lift. A great system, with the tilting ‘scoop,’ and the electric winch pulls the bike right in. But: pulling 537 kilos out of the scoop proved impossible.

I discovered that there are electric car jacks – who in the world needs these? – and I installed (and modified) one under the lift. Here you can see the jack in its retracted position …

… and here it is in the position where the scoop is lifted.

It really works great. Not only is it convenient, but it’s also much safer (and more controlled) than pulling the bike backwards.

In early February 2024, I visited the ‘Motorräder Dortmund’ bike show at the special request of my good friend and motorcycle journalist, Sabine Welte. It wasn’t a fitting show for my bike, but hey, friendship is about giving and taking. ;)

And then, suddenly, I was done visiting shows on the trailer. Of course, uptil now there was no alternative (winter months, Alps, salt, etc.), but I decided that it was time to stop for now. Riding, that’s what I want to do. And camping, just like the past 25 years with the CBX. So, I got myself a luggage rack …

… which was, of course, first subjected to the grinder …

… because custom brackets had to be fabricated. So the rack could be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled. And, of course: designed to match the style of the bike.

Bending tubes according to the drawing …

… tack welding them (in this picture still with fixation rods to prevent warping during welding) …

… and then off to the paint shop on the Hayabusa.

Solid as a rock, with matte on the left and gloss on the right. Ready for multi-day rides.

Before going on multi-day trips: medium-length rides.
I visited Rob in Arnhem. Rob showed me the ins and outs of WordPress and helped me get this site up and running.

Highway rides put the engine under load in a completely different way than the dyno: the engine is under much less stress but for much longer periods.

By mid-March, the V8 was ready for a trip to Hamminkeln (Germany), about 65 kilometers from home. A little further yet.

Jokerfest is an annual event by bike builder Thunderbike Hamminkeln, with a bike show and live bands in the evening.

It’s always incredibly busy and, fortunately, the weather was perfect.

The V8 could have been on display at the show, but I didn’t want that: riding to the show and parking it among the other visitors turned out to be much more fun. The ride was thrilling, and the astonishment of the visitors was quite amusing.

Getting the bike street legal was not an easy task – so I’m going to use it.

The ride provided me with a lot of information and, above all: a fair number of improvements to make.

Despite it being a dry day, the bike didn’t look too great after the ride due to all the road grime …

… and the spring that had arrived.

Once home, I concluded that the bike was still far from ready for a multi-week holiday in England.

First, I wanted to tame its rather aggressive behavior: as soon as both turbos built up pressure, I almost lost control …

… so I deactivated the boost control in the engine management …

… and replaced both springs in the wastegates …

… with springs of lower pressure. This ensures only 0.2 bar of turbo boost is built up; anything beyond that is released through the wastegates to the exhaust.

Of course, the stronger springs will go back in later. But first, I want to gain more experience with the controllable version of this wild beast.

During the Germany ride, I realized I had lost a few bolts on the way: the engine’s vibrations loosened everything.

For many years, Patrick Saes has been my go-to supplier for bolts, nuts, washers, and much more. I made sure to fit almost every bolt with a spring washer or Loctite, temporary type 243, but if necessary, 271. ;)

Next issue: the leaking bevel drive. It transmits the power from the engine to the front sprocket, and as I arrived in Hamminkeln, I noticed it had splattered quite a bit of oil on the rear tyre. Not really a spot you want oil.

So, I visited Jurriën van de Geer, who had rebuild (read: strengthened) the bevel drive’s internals some years ago.

Together, we searched for the cause and found it: during prolonged load, the bevel drive naturally heats up, and as a result, the oil thins out. The internal gears threw the thin oil directly at the vent nipple, and from there it escaped – definitely not what you want …

… so we chose a new location (away from the oil’s firing line) and installed the vent nipple there.

I also got a quick tour of his workshop. In addition to a massive lathe, Jurriën has specialized in a technique called wire EDM; with a very thin wire, he cuts through several centimeters of steel with incredibly high precision.

The wire EDM in action. A fantastic technique and fascinating to watch. Does ASMR ring a bell? For me, this is ASMR. :)

The bevel drive strapped on the back of the Hayabusa …

… including new oil. Quite expensive oil, but with a perfect spec: it’s both liquid ánd sticky, so it’s less likely to be squeezed out between moving parts.

Nice color, right?
Orange is our national pride! :)

Next issue: the Never Ending Story called Clutch. :(

Two hefty stainless steel washers per arm, that’s about the maximum centrifugal weight I’d want to use. And actually, it’s the maximum I should use. Unfortunately, despite this wieght, the clutch slipped, leading not only to high wear but also to high temperatures.

I experimented with springs of different weights. But: still slip.

To experiment with centrifugal weight in very small increments, I bought titanium bolts; they’re much lighter than steel or stainless steel bolts.

A precise scale, and then testing every setting in practice (i.e., on the street).

Unfortunately: even with six (!) stainless steel washers per centrifugal arm, the clutch kept slipping. Damn: I had to split the complete frame to remove the clutch. A horrible job, but shit happens.

Back to the source: this photo dates from October 2008 …

… when I bought the used CrowerGlide clutch from drag racer Danny Bellio.

Sixteen years (!) later, I visited him again in Houthalen (Belgium) to discuss the clutch issue.

I discussed it with both of Danny’s sons: Sandro and Christiano.

Danny himself also stopped by. It was great to see each other again after so many years, and nice to show him where his clutch ended up.

The Bellio team advised me to get in touch with clutch expert Centerforce in the USA.

After frequent email exchanges, they confirmed that although my clutch is ancient (…) it’s still perfect for my application. Of course, this didn’t solve the problem.

Friend, tractor puller, and clutch expert Josef Siebers came over for a brainstorming day …

… and he advised me to contact the company Post & Dros in Dronten, specifically Egbert Dros.

Egbert is a man of few words …

… but this picture says it all: a tractor puller with no less than four V8 engines.

Egbert had some beautiful new stuff for sale. I was definitely willing to invest in a new clutch, but, like Centerforce, he was convinced too that my current clutch was the right one for my bike.

He concluded that the slip was probably caused by the warped steel plates.

The cause of the warping: too much weight on the centrifugal arms. Most likely cause: grease between the plates.

Here you see a cover of the clutch: centrifugal forces had flung grease from the output shaft (in the center of the clutch) outwards. Some of that grease landed on the plates, causing them to lose grip.

Here you see the input shaft of the bevel gear. It is connected to the drive shaft leading towards the engine via a loose bushing. And in that loose bushing: yup, grease. Due to prolonged loading (i.e., riding outdoors), that thick grease got thinner and is flung out. A problem comparable to the oil issue in the bevel gear.

Beautiful how this works: one expert advises another. Egbert recommended that I should resurface both steel plates (officially called ‘facing plates’) at Vekoma.

And luckily, I could visit them right away.

Both plates were resurfaced in no time.

At home, the clutch could be reassembled. Bolts, of course, tightened to the correct torque.

I replaced the friction plate. The old one was still within the wear limits but had obviously suffered a lot during the dyno runs. And I also wanted one without grease.

Together with Josef, I reassembled the clutch.

Next issue: hot engine oil.

The V8 is water-cooled, and this water cools both the metal (the engine) and the engine oil. Strangely enough, the oil temperature during the ride to Germany was higher than the coolant: coolant max 95°C (fine), oil max 130°C (definitely not fine).

So, first, I checked the oil temperature sensor in boiling water …

… and, unfortunately, there was nothing wrong with it: 100°C in boiling water.

Unfortunately, because replacing a defective sensor would have been the fastest and cheapest solution. But as you all know by now, that’s not always the case in this project. ;)

Cooling expert Chris Jansen advised me to get in touch with Jaap Torenvlied from Blaak in Heinenoord. Jaap suggested to install a separate oil cooling system for the engine. I saw the necessity of this, and at the same time, this is a nightmare because: what does this mean for the design?

Jaap sent me photos of various cooling elements …

… which I tested in my 3D program for position and design impact.

I decided to work it out physically: it gives a clearer picture of the whole.

The left and right of the water cooler turned out to be logical positions: directly in the airflow, slim, and nicely symmetrical. :)

I considered placing a third cooling tube on top of the water cooler, but that idea was eventually rejected: the amount of airflow in that spot, behind the lower triple tree, would be minimal. And I didn’t want to blow heated air under the fuel tank.

Using the 3D program, I designed the inlet and outlet tubing …

… and printed them.

This resulted in an accurate mock-up of the oil cooler.

Close-up of the top …

… close-up of the bottom.

By bending the tubes this way – and not running them under the water cooler – I don’t lose ground clearance when going over bumps.

Top view from the left, with a T-joint for the oil inlet.

With the mock-up, I drove to Blaak…

… and entered a beautiful workshop in an old building. With men who still master the craft of car restoration (specialty: cooling).

On the left, Jaap Junior; on the right, Jaap Senior. A genuine family business where the craft is passed down, how wonderful is that? :)

A few weeks later, I was able to pick up the final version.

Now I could focus on mounting the cooling system, here still in blue 3D print.

Of course, I wanted the oil cooling system to be demountable …

… so I cut a strip from a 10mm aluminum plate…

… straightened it on the mill …

… cut it into smaller slices …

… and added holes for both the oil lines and (of course) recessed bolts.

Et voilà!

Nice welds by Bart Brouwer, base …

… and top.

Ready to be painted.

Chris Jansen carried out that task, using special radiator paint. First, the water cooler …

… and then the new oil cooling system.

At home, I detected a small mounting issue: the outgoing line turned out to be aimed directly at a frame tube.

… so I fabricated a bypass.

Both sides of the cooling system are connected with short hoses. This simplifies the assembly and also absorbs temperature differences (expansion, contraction), which will increase the lifespan. I opted for so-called ‘single-ear clamps’; they look much more subtle than regular hose clamps.

Unfortunately, these clamps couldn’t withstand the oil pressure; I’m looking for an alternative, possibly double-ear hose clamps.
The benefit of this failure: it proved that the oil indeed reaches all the tubes, and there is oil pressure. Always think positively. ;)

I think the oil cooler looks great, integrated in the overall cooling system.

Of course, you’ve been wondering for quite a while how the oil is being supplied and drained, right? For that, I mounted an adapter plate between the engine and the oil filter, acting as a bypass in the oil system that now runs through the new cooling system.

Of course the adapter had to be modified …

… as I did with the almost fitting mounting bolt. The almost.

I altered the thread to the incomprehensible American standard ¾-16UNF, a number normal European mortals can’t understand.

The cast iron engine also needed two notches. Beforehand I protected everything with tape to prevent damage to the paint while grinding.

The adapter plate takes up minimal space, but despite that …

… I had to install a slightly smaller oil filter.

Now then, the Final Issue. :)

My engine management system can log data. This means that all the engine data during a ride is stored on an internal SD card, allowing you to read out information from each sensor after a ride. Very valuable information for fixing problems and also for preventing them.

Unfortunately, that system didn’t work: an incomprehensible error message appeared while trying to read the data.

The logging system was quite messed up, and even with Google, V8 forums and ChatGPT, I did not get anywhere.

So, I asked Peter Scheepers, Master of Electronics, to think along.

He pointed out a coin battery in the management system, which I didn’t even know existed. It turned out to be dead, and that was causing the errors.

You’d think that such an advanced system, which reports about everything, would also report a dead battery. But hey … check! :)

And now? Waiting until all the winter salt has been washed off the road and waiting for a beautiful spring day. So I can test the many improved points on the street.

Wish me luck! :)