REMOVING the '08 Right Side Cowling

[Warchild]

To remove the 2008 Busa right side cowling, there are a dozen fasteners/clips that need to be extracted. Half of these are the larger style "push-clips". Below we see one of these clips in its "open" and "closed" orientation:

Four of these are shouldered bolts (4mm allen key to removed), and one small hex-head bolt (10mm socket with 6" extension here). Here are all the fasteners after removal... the metal bolts are numbered for location purposes in later photos:

 

[Warchild]

Location of Bolts 1 & 2 are fairly obvious, and are the only "exposed" bolts you can see externally:

Bolts 3 & 4 are located on the upper right dash panel, as seen below:

 

[Warchild]

Bolt #5 (10mm hex-head) is well-hidden. You must lay on your back (literally), and look upwards through this lower right cowling opening pointed to yellow arrow (a Mag flashlight helps if in the garage)

Close-up of Bolt #5. A 1/4" drive 10mm socket with 6" extension makes quick work of this fastener:

 

[Warchild]

Removing the 1/2 dozen or so "Push-Clps" is easy enough, once you find them all. The photo below shows the one at the steering neck; page 7-17 of your owner's Manual shows the location of all the others. Exercise patience tracking them all down...

The rearmost belly-pan is retained by slotted "hooks" at the rear of the side cowling, PLUS two of the "Push-Clips" that are affixed to a bracket that surrounds the Regulator/Rectifier. It's not a whole lot of fun accessing these Push-Clips to remove them using the above method; I just used a flat-blade screwdriver to push the center pin from the backside , toward the head of the Push-Clip. Below is a good close-up of the right-hand side R/R clip. There is one of these on either side of the R/R. Good times, here.

 

[Warchild]

Once you have removed all the fasteners, now the cowling is going to fall right off after you pull the remaining two nylon pins from their respective Frame Grommets. Yellow arrow points to one of these nylon pins having just been yoinked out of its attending frame grommet:

Success! With the cowling off, it's an easy shot to the oil filter, which was the entire motivation for this cowling removal exercise:

 

[Warchild]

There is the end target right there. T'was a bit of work to access, but it spins right off after you loosen it. I don't have a oil filter cap that fits properly, but Channel-Locks are your friend. This came off easily.

Damnation, it seems like the oil filters spins forever when I removed it for the first time.... shyeah, you can see why: a mile long thread adapter! Note a square of aluminum foil wrapped around header pipes to keep oil from oozing all over them. Also note how I still managed to dork it way and get a little bit of oil on the pipes anyway:

Hope this helps my Busa brethren out.... working slow and methodical the first time you do this could go a long way to prevent busting up a bunch of expensive tupperware.....

Any questions, fire away....

 

[Professor]

Excellent post..... pinned to the top!

 

[heavybusa]

Well done sir.

 

[BigBSBusa]

Very useful! Thanks.

 

[Warchild]

Excellent post..... pinned to the top!

Coolness. Just tryin' to contribute to the Greater Cause, gents....

Typically, I put together a fairly detailed web site for the bikes I ride (see: FJRTech.com and SuperBlackbird.com), and I suspect I'll be doing the same for the Hayabusa here over the next month or two.

But at the rate new Busas are showing up, I figured there is a need for some detailed photos right now, before someone snaps off some plastic when doing their first oil change.

 

[quirmche]

Your contribution will be a great service to the Busa Brethren.

 

[stlbusarider]

 

[FLASHRACER]

THANK YOU

 

[Sloto200]

Nice post!

he said "yoinked out"

 

[valkyriemc]

All Good thanks fer taking the time to do it up

.

 

[VaBusa]

Very helpful! I'll be tearing down my uncle's '08 and have been worried about all of the new fasteners/pins...I can take my Busa apart without any issues, but I'll be like I was that first time with mine on this '08 I've got to fix...

Much appreciated!!

 

[captain]

Fantastic!!!

 

[boosted]

Best post/thread i've seen in a while

 

[NOTORIOUS]

Very nice...

Great pics... nice details...

 

[rc51ny]

I was able to "yoink off" the side panel of my '06 in about 5 minutes. But, I was wondering how to do my new '08. Since the manual tells little, your post is awesome. I'll be doing it for the first time soon. Thanks for all the info!