[tdrcomm]

too many ppl buy the bus for the "fastest street bike" out there. but they have no clue how fast it really is. i've ridden my dads 04 busa and im glad i never even came close to buying one. you'll go from speed limit to 150 without really realizing until your passing traffic. excellent article, more ppl need to read it.

I totally agree. I bought the 'Busa because I fell in love with the looks and the type of riding that I like to do.

I love the sportbike feel and handling, and I enjoy the twisties like everyone else, but my passion is long distance roadies. 300 mile rides are what I like. The performance of a Gix or R1 is incredible, but I'd end up feeling like a pretzel after a hundred miles. I have never felt soooooo comfortable on a long distance bike in my life! It's truly a Supersports/TOURER.

I was prepared for the speed and torque. After hearing all the talk you can't help but keep that in the back of your mind. I really helps me to stay focused. As long as you never forget what you've got between your legs it's a pretty easy ride around the city.

What I was not prepared for is the HANDLING AND RESPONSIVENESS! That's what put the fear of God into me!

All of the power in something way more nimble and balanced than my Kat. Ok, compared to a Gixxer600 it's pretty heavy. But coming off a Kat I feel like I can just flick it into a turn. I can't wait till I put the Metzlers or Dunlops on it. It's 20-25lbs heaver but it feels 50lbs lighter on the road. If I got a Gix or R1 (I was looking lustfully at both) it would have scared the crap outta me.

Speed is not the best judge of a good sportbike, it's responsiveness and handling. That only comes with experience, something that most new riders don't have yet. Kids&Squids just think of the speed. Anyone can go straight fast. Sooner or later you're gonna have to turn the sucker.

[KAT6]

busa

I think that the bigger bikes should require a minimum of 2 years riding a smaller bike plus the motorcycle endorsement. I rode a CBR 954 for two weeks while my bike was getting fixed and that was a lot of bike, it gets you in trouble fast if you dont know what your doing.
I do have my endorsement and been riding for 8 years and that bike was still a hand full.

Joe

[blkpitbull]

I have been riding something with 2 wheels ever since I was around 14 and im 26 now. I have ridden many many bikes, from a old kawi H2 750 ( man thats a fuc*&^ ride ) To a turbocharged busa. I by no means am a expert , but my nature willnot let me not ride a bike if offered the chance. If I could Id like to share just alittle insight:

In my personal opinion, right now, the bike the most not suited for newbies is a zx10r....I know the busa is faster but not by much and the midrange hit of the bike is spaceshuttle like. Ive ridden 2 new 10r's and about 3 stock busa's. and the 10r's scared me to death on 4 or 5 different occasions during the rides. The busa is a smooth machine, the 10r is as hard hitting as a sledgehammer. I will ride anything hard but the 10r had me backing off, cause of the fear of highsiding. It would spin the rear up coming out of a 4th gear turn like it was on bald tires. It is the only bike (besides my friends turbo busa) that acctually scared me.
So newbies dont get the 10r because I have ridden for about 12 years and it is a bike that I will not own!! Becuase I like to ride hard and that bike LOVES to be rode hard and thats not a good combination on the street!
Plus I cant afford it!!

The busa:

Its deceptive like everyone has said and thats what gets people hurt. They ride along and need to stop and think they are going 55 but are really going 85 and wham, couldnt stop in time. The busa is a FINE motorcycle but not for a newbie.

Sorry so long

[kongzilla]

My buddy bought a busa as his first bike. droped it a few times. took a ride on it once. almost crap my pants with a slight turn of the throttle.

[harrye]

...Would anyone buy a car they hadn't test driven, or buy or rent a house they haven't seen? But some people buy bikes they've never ridden. Odd...

I can't wait for the snow to melt and the weather to warm up so that I can start up my brand new 600 Katana for the first time. Its been sitting in my garage for two days now, since it was rolled off the delivery truck. When I ride it for the first time, I will find out how bad or good my choice was. The only other sportbike I've ever driven was a Yamaha YZF600R.

I've purchased three other bikes in the last 38 years, and only got to test the first one which was used and sold by a private party. If you want to buy a new bike from a dealer, you will own it before you ride it, at least in the area where I live.

Had the new bike's I purchased been test driven before, I would have wondered about them. Unlike when buying a car, the salesman cannot accompany you on a test ride with a cycle.

I thought the sticky from the Hayabusa Discussion Forum had novel arguments, in factoring in the cost of droping the bike.

The points presented in this topic remind me of postings I've read by Go-Karters. The karters talk about how 40 year old first time karters by shifter karts (the fastest type), and they are slower on the track than if they had bought touch and go automatics (the 2nd fastest type of kart). The middle aged guys have so much trouble with shifting that they never drive smooth enough to learn other necessary karting skills. They sabatoge their own effort to be fast.

With the busa, first time riders will have straight-line speed apparently, but if they have trouble with it, and drop the bike from time to time, it has to reduce their confidence on the bike, and hinder their development of all around riding skills.

Lastly, some of you who watch the program "5th Gear" on the Speed Channel may have see the "Radical 2" which is a speciality car built in England. Its powered by a Hayabusa engine, has a 0-60 time of 3.1 seconds, and was the fastest street legal production car they ever tested on the (Ainsley Road circiut, I think) in Wales.

[WildKat]

With the busa, first time riders will have straight-line speed apparently, but if they have trouble with it, and drop the bike from time to time, it has to reduce their confidence on the bike, and hinder their development of all around riding skills.

as well as endanger their lives and the lives of others.. the power and speed of a busa is way too tempting to try and engage for a new rider to ever think about this being their first ride. 8)

[ctandc]

i've ridden a couple of Busas....

They "ride lighter" than they weigh....if that makes sense. They are also really stable, at least to me, on the Interstate and in the curves. The thing about the Busa is that even a "playful" little romp thru a gear, even just up to the speed limit from a stop light can be eye-opening.

And what shocked me is the ease with which the front wheel will see daylight....that really shocked me.

Me personally, I'll probably never own one, unless I happen by a screaming deal.....one reason for me is, at least around here, the "BUSA" is the bike that most of the new riders look up to...and they are ALL OVER the place.

Great bike though.

[Dee Dub]

Wow...this thread could've been shortened by the simple fact....you MAY want to turn...

[steves]

Ack. Zombie threads are roaming the earth.