"Favorite Motorcyle" poll skewed against 'Busa!

[mcoyote]

Over on http://www.sport-touring.net they're having a "march madness"-style "Favorite Motorcycle" poll. You can read about it here:
http://www.sport-touring.net/cgi-bin....t=14214

...anyway, somebody has been dragging folks in from other boards to vote for the ZZR-1200. Now they're in the third round and it's the ZZR against the 'Busa, and we're down on votes!

If you want to pitch in, please become a member of ST.N (first link, above), and go to here to vote:
http://www.sport-touring.net/cgi-bin....t=14371

(...all's fair in love in politics, y'know...)

[pure_ego]

haha.. so the whole thing has gone as crooked as politics now..

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (pure_ego @ April 08 2004,00:17)]haha.. so the whole thing has gone as crooked as politics now..

You said it...typical. Always a Busa conspiracy lurking. The price to be the top Dawg!

[BigBSBusa]

If some poll makes them feel more comfortable about a choice they made or would like to make about a bike, that's fine! Those of us who own the 'Busa know what it means and how nice it is! Some internet poll isn't going to make me want to go by a ZZR-1200! 'Busas rule!

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Haven't seen many zzr1200 that can carry a passenger & luggage through the moutains on Saturday and then go nail mid 9's in the 1/4 on Sunday. Nuff said, end of story, put that baby to bed!

[BigBSBusa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (BigDawg_03Busa @ April 08 2004,04:28)]Haven't seen many zzr1200 that can carry a passenger & luggage through the moutains on Saturday and then go nail mid 9's in the 1/4 on Sunday. *Nuff said, end of story, put that baby to bed!

What he said!

[Doc_Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (BigDawg_03Busa @ April 08 2004,05:28)]Haven't seen many zzr1200 that can carry a passenger & luggage through the moutains on Saturday and then go nail mid 9's in the 1/4 on Sunday. *Nuff said, end of story, put that baby to bed!

No offense, but I have'nt seen too many Busa's that can do that either... You are running mid 9's on a stocker? Dude, that is some sick skill.

[mcoyote]

Ok, I admit, this is silly, but we're LOSING to a ZZR! Please go and vote, if you can. Thanks.

[mcoyote]

Thanks to those who voted. We didn't make it, but no biggie. Good discussion .

Y'know, it "used" to be that you "toured" on just about any bike, and that "sport bikes" were just fast bikes, not necessarily (or usually) race replicas.

So when we come to the 'Busa, I see a "sport bike I can tour on," or one that has the wheelbase and comfort for all-day and long-distance riding but gets up and goes and handles well enough for twisty roads and the occasional track day (that's how I ride mine, anyway).

I think one can do amazing things with a 'Busa, just because it's so good at so many things.

Witness Michael Glass who went cross-country and BACK, 2-up, on his '02 SE in 96 hours. On a bike that can get into the nines in the 1/4 and does't come with heated grips, an adjustable windscreen, or a shaft drive, if you get my meaning.

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Doc_Busa @ April 08 2004,07:40)]

No offense, but I have'nt seen too many Busa's that can do that either... You are running mid 9's on a stocker? Dude, that is some sick skill.

No not me, but let's say it this way..

I haven't seen many zzr1200's that can carry a passanger & luggage to the mountains on Saturday and go to the track on Sunday and nail low 10's in the 1/4. How's that? Point is the Busa can carry the sport touring responsibilities and also handle the track...or the twisties. This is the point that's trying to be made on all the bike forums...yeah the 1k bikes are coming on strong, but for all around power, handling and comfort noone and I emphasize NOONE measures up to the Busa.

We can break it down into twisties, sport touring, looks and yeah there are some coming in on top of the Big Bad Busa. Again my focus is on "best all around"!



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[BigDawg_03Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (mcoyote @ April 09 2004,02:04)]Thanks to those who voted. We didn't make it, but no biggie. Good discussion .

Y'know, it "used" to be that you "toured" on just about any bike, and that "sport bikes" were just fast bikes, not necessarily (or usually) race replicas.

So when we come to the 'Busa, I see a "sport bike I can tour on," or one that has the wheelbase and comfort for all-day and long-distance riding but gets up and goes and handles well enough for twisty roads and the occasional track day (that's how I ride mine, anyway).

I think one can do amazing things with a 'Busa, just because it's so good at so many things.

Witness Michael Glass who went cross-country and BACK, 2-up, on his '02 SE in 96 hours. On a bike that can get into the nines in the 1/4 and does't come with heated grips, an adjustable windscreen, or a shaft drive, if you get my meaning.

Point taken...nor does it come with armrests for the passenger, CD player, a/c, a handle bar set up that will cause carpal tunnel after 2 hours of riding....you point was my point exactly. "BEST ALL AROUND". I went riding with some guys the other day and one of the guys referred to my bike as the "Bus" on two occassions (mind you he's a new rider on an F4i). After the 2nd remark my response was....ever ran up on a bus that can blow you lil &*% off the road? Needless to say...no more bus remarks!

[Doc_Busa]

I agree on the all-around champion theory! I hope Suzuki will start making some improvements to the Busa though... if they don't it may go the way of the dinosaur, sad, but true.

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Doc_Busa @ April 10 2004,06:02)]I agree on the all-around champion theory! I hope Suzuki will start making some improvements to the Busa though... if they don't it may go the way of the dinosaur, sad, but true.

agree with ya there...GOTTA ADMIT I'm a little concerned myself

[Doc_Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (BigDawg_03Busa @ April 10 2004,06:11)]

agree with ya there...GOTTA ADMIT I'm a little concerned myself

Yeah, I still love the Boooo and without question, it does everything I want it to do. However, I am hoping Suzuki starts to add some goodies to it like they are doing on the gsxr1000... Seems they could bring the Busa's power up, put in a better tranny, and even lighten the beast a bit. My favorite would be if they punched the engine to 1500+ cc's as was rumored a while.

For now, it is still the king of my garage. But Suzuki has to breath some new life into it to keep it up to date with the liter bikes...

[mcoyote]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Doc_Busa @ April 10 2004,16:26)]...For now, it is still the king of my garage. *But Suzuki has to breath some new life into it to keep it up to date with the liter bikes...

I suppose, but neither Kawi nor Suzi have a lot of incentive to improve the bikes. For one, they don't sell like the liter bikes at all -- they never have. Second, there's no real (popular) racing class for their respective hyperbikes, so there's little constant pressure to improve. Third, Kawi and Suzi are one company now (sort of), so why bother?

(...oh, yeah, Honda makes a fast bike, don't they? Hmmm...)

Lastly, though there's plenty they can do to the platform, the yield is questionable.

Meaning to say: In order for such a fast bike to stay on the ground, it has to be long, which limits its manueverability. Ok, that means it will never handle like a superbike. If it goes 0-60 faster than 2-odd seconds and get well into the nines in the 1/4, will it be controllable by an average rider using cost-effective suspension and braking components? Probably not.

Too much risk -- they haven't nearly reached the limit of the machine, but they very well may have reached the limit of human ability to control such machines on the street and their legal departments' acceptance of liability. Of course, the liter bikes are already approaching this speculated limit of ability that the 'Busa and ZX-R may already be at.\

My gut feeling is that the 'Busa and the ZX-R (and, to a lesser extent, the XX) are very nearly the end of the line for longer-wheelbase "hyperbikes," and that the manufacturers may even drop them in order to make their lines more differentiated. That would leave the ZZR, ST13, FJR, BMWs, and Duc STs as "fast" sport-touring rides.

Of course, by that same logic, Kawi could ditch the ZX-12R and Suzi could just make the 'Busa more "streetable" because Suzi doesn't have a ride more commonly understood as a sport-tourer (the 'Busa works great for that, but many people think it's some kind of one-eyed monster...).

[Doc_Busa]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (mcoyote @ April 10 2004,17:05)]My gut feeling is that the 'Busa and the ZX-R (and, to a lesser extent, the XX) are very nearly the end of the line for longer-wheelbase "hyperbikes," and that the manufacturers may even drop them in order to make their lines more differentiated.

[/quote]
I think if you went back in time, say 10 years or so ago, the same was being said on hurricane.com and kawasakininja.com. The fact is, technology moves forward, with or with the manufacturers. If I were the engineering staff, I would at least consider using lighter components... wave rotors, lighter wheels, etc. Also, the Busa tranny is notoriously problematic. (go to sh.org and look at the class action law suit thread) Lastly, it would be interesting to see Suzuki try to squeeze the Busa into the sport touring class. I think they would do better to release a new bike with better ergos though...