Two new things I learned about the Busa last night

[Johnny Bravo]

I've had my 08 almost 2 months now and my wife had never ridden on it yet. So we decided to take a nice 50 mile highway cruise while grandma and grandpa watched the little boy. I learned two new things about the bike.

1. I downloaded a speedometer app on my iphone and using the GPS, compared the speed on the phone with the speedometer on the bike. The bike speedo is about 9-10% optimistic. When the bike read 85 mph, the GPS read about 77 mph. When the bike read 90 mph, the GPS read about 81 mph. I guess that's ok for keeping you from getting speeding tickets but I would assume it's artificially inflating the mileage on the bike a bit, as well. Now thinking about a speedo healer. Not an absolute necessity. I guess it's better to be going slower than you thought. But now that I know it's off, it's probably going to bug me.

2. The Busa does not know that there is a passenger on the back, nor does it care. I am 230 lbs, my wife is 118 lbs. When we would ride on my 954rr, having a passenger was VERY noticeable. It required a fair amount more throttle and clutch slip pulling away from a stop, more throttle to get up to speed, and more stopping distance for the brakes. Riding with a passenger on the Busa is like towing a sea doo with a semi. It performed the exact same with her on the back as without her on the back. Didn't require any more throttle to pull away from a stop and didn't require any additional brake pull or braking distance to stop. And on the highway, it was like she wasn't even there. I am really pleased with what a comfortable, easy-to-manage 2-up sport bike this is. She had a blast. She's tiny, but even she commented how much more comfy the passenger seat and seating position is on the Hayabusa is compared to the postage stamp on the 954rr.

Every day I ride this bike, I fall even more and more in love with it. Definitely one of my best purchases in a long time.

Picture of mini-me and me outside of g'mas house before the wife and I left.

 

[lankeeyankee]

The Busa does make some serious torque. It doesnt matter if its at 2800 RPMs going up a hill like it doesnt even notice it.. She also handles very good 2 up!!

 

[jphilipson]

Dude, your wife is a 118 Lbs. That's about what the stock exhaust system on the Busa weighs

And I don't even look at the speedo anymore, I just use the GPS. Mine is off by 8 MPH when the speedo reads 100.

 

[MEBusa]

I guess the only concern, would be the odometer. With the speedometer being off by that much. Over the years, the bike would accumulate a lot of "unactual" miles. Reading more miles, than what the bike actually traveled. Just a thought.

 

[black diamond busa]

I noticed it handles different in the turns at low speeds with my lady on the back. Felt like the steering got super heavy. I raised it 1" in the rear and now it doesn't do that. I'm also very pleased with how it rides 2up.

 

[JUSTANOVA]

when I switched to a 190/55 rear tire vs the factory 190/50 my speedo is almost dead nuts accurate, according to those speed signs on the side of the road, and pacing it with another vehicle.

.......plus it turns in a little easier with the 190/55

 

[dadofthree]

Good observations, great looking ride

 

[twotonevert]

We have ridden two up probably 95% of the time since we purchased our 1st busa 5 years ago. They are great machines no doubt.

 

[jefro]

The odometer is off but not as much as the speedo. My speedo was reading 7% high while the odometer was off about 3%. With the SpeedoHealer setup so the speedo is accurate the odometer reads about 4% under.

I guess the only concern, would be the odometer. With the speedometer being off by that much. Over the years, the bike would accumulate a lot of "unactual" miles. Reading more miles, than what the bike actually traveled. Just a thought.

 

[lil charlie]

The speed and mileage are read from the same sensor so how could they be off by different percentages? Get a speedo healer so you don’t have to try to do the math in your head every time you check your speed and so you post the correct mileage.

 

[Jacobs]

To the OP, Count the teeth on the back sprocket. I'm willing to bet that the previous owner changed it out with a more aggressive size

 

[mr8ball]

With the speedo healer mine is dead on with my GPS.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

To the OP, Count the teeth on the back sprocket. I'm willing to bet that the previous owner changed it out with a more aggressive size

I'll count them tomorrow, but I doubt it. The whole bike was bone stock, all the way down to the factory exhaust and under tail. It does have a 200 55 17 Shinko on the back instead of the 190, but that's the only thing I could find even slightly "modified". I believe the wider tire might cause an additional 1.6% difference if I did the calculations right, causing my bike to read even higher than a stock bike on stock tire.