Thinking about a Hayabusa as a first bike?

[FLCN72]

You are new to this board. *You are new to motorcycling. *You are considering buying your first motorcycle or first sport bike. *You are thinking about getting yourself a Hayabusa. *You are wondering if the Hayabusa might be too much bike. *You are considering a Hayabusa for your first bike. *If some of those statements apply to you, then take a few minutes and read this post.

First off, welcome to Hayabusa.Org. *This is, in my opinion, the best Hayabusa dedicated web site out there. *We have a nice community of riders here who share an interest in the world’s fastest stock motorcycle. *Many of the folks here are the most helpful and knowledgeable Hayabusa enthusiasts you’re likely to find. *

This is a great place to learn about the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa. *And it is a good idea to learn about this bike before buying it. *Just about every Busa topic imaginable has been discussed here. *The forums contain answers to a huge range of questions and are a very valuable resource to any prospective owner. *

One of the most common questions asked around here concerns whether or not someone should buy a Hayabusa. *This tends to come up a lot. *There is just something about the Hayabusa that draws people to it. *It is distinctive, relatively uncommon, interesting, and infamous because of its performance and top speed. *Often folks who have begun looking into bikes discover the Busa and fall for it. *If this sounds like you, then what can I say... *You’ve got good taste.

However, the Hayabusa isn’t a beginner’s bike. *I’m sorry. *It just isn’t. *That isn’t what many new riders want to hear, especially if the Hayabusa is what really fuels their desire to get a bike. *This leads to disappointment and maybe a little resentment. *I promise you, I’m not saying the bike is too good for you or any other elitist crap. *I want more Hayabusa owners and if you love the bike too, then you ought to get one at some point.

There are few bikes worse suited to beginning riders than the Hayabusa. *Learning to ride is a process that involves making mistakes. *Often those mistakes cause a loss of balance which can send the bike down onto its side, especially at low speeds like in the driveway or a parking lot. *As beautiful as all that Busa plastic is, it is also very easy to damage and very expensive to replace. *$600 for one of the side panels. *$400 for a nose. *A simple mistake and a slow drop could cost you $1000 or more to fix.

The legendary power of the Hayabusa is also very attractive and is also dangerous. *This bike will out accelerate any car the average person has even been near. *From a standing start the bike can break most highway speed limits in less than 5 seconds and that is just in first gear! *Second gear can take you to speeds higher than the top speeds of most cars and there are four more gears after that.

Learning how to control that power is vital. *Unintentionally spinning the rear tire can happen very easily. *And unlike a car if the back end gets a little loose on a bike, it can be very hard to regain control which leads to highside crashes. *(When the bike straightens suddenly as the rear tire grabs again, throwing the rider off and in front of the bike.) *It takes throttle control and an instinctive feel for the clutch to harness all that power safely. *A healthy dose of good judgment doesn’t hurt either. *And those are not skills that a new rider has automatically. *It takes practice.

That practice is best performed on a bike with a learning curve a little less steep than the Hayabusa. *Some will say that a 600cc super sport, like a Honda CBR600, is a good first bike. *I respectfully disagree. *Those bikes can still break 140 MPH easily and are also covered in lots of expensive plastic like the Hayabusa. *

A far better choice is the Suzuki SV650. *It has plenty of power to scoot down the road and will still out accelerate most cars out there at a stop light. *It has a wide power band, so proper gear selection isn’t critical -- a handy trait when you are learning to shift. *It is light and inexpensive. *You can really throw it around under you and correct steering mistakes with a minimum of fuss. *Plus those inevitable low speed drops will not ruin the bike. *With a couple of inexpensive frame sliders installed, the bike will probably survive most falls with no damage at all. *There are a ton of after market goodies available to customize it or squeeze a few more ponies out the motor. *And because they are so popular, it is easy to resell them.

There are other good choices too. *What is boils down to is getting an inexpensive bike with a minimum of plastics. *And please, please take the Basic Rider Course from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, if you haven’t already. *Then ride as much as possible. *Have fun learning a new passion. *Then when you feel like you’ve got the confidence and skills, go Busa shopping.

Still not convinced? *Then consider the economic angle. *If you are under 25, the insurance on the Busa is going to be killer, more than twice the cost of a SV650. *Every drop, even in the garage will hurt, often to the tune of $600. *Tires are $140 or so. *The rear will need a replacement about every 5000 miles or less. *And the bike itself usually costs more than $10,000 new. *So let's say you get the Busa and finance it with monthly payments and a 10% down payment. *You ride a lot and play with that power some, somehow without getting hurt or crashing. *So two new rear tires in the first year. *Had to get full coverage insurance for the bank. *And there were two unfortunate drops, nothing serious but some fairings and bits had to be replaced. *That first year of ownership cost you $6000 plus gas. *More than the cost of a brand new Suzuki SV650.

Ultimately we buy what we choose to buy. *But the Busa will still be available six months or two years from now. *If you are careful about how you learn to ride and on what, you will be too. *And that Busa will be far more enjoyable and less intimidating if you practiced your basic riding skills on something better suited to it. *

In the meantime, keep coming here and posting and reading. *There are a lot of great folks here and good stories to tell and hear. *Not having a Hayabusa doesn’t disqualify you from being a friend or a fellow enthusiast.

[maoz]

Wow - great stuff!

[justintime2]

[1meanZ]

I agree with everything said and want to add that learning on a bike like the SV 650 will make you a better overall rider than if you were to start on a Busa. If you start on a powerful bike like the Busa, you will be to afraid too do a lot of things that may just be second nature on a smaller bike. I think it should take about 5 years to progress up to a Busa myself.

[RaiderDm]

Damn!! I guess I better turn my Busa in.... *

But then I think anyone with less than 1,000,000 miles is a newbie.

And yes that includes me. *

My counterpoint to all the good sense in this post is this. If ya gots the money
and the desire... buy one. But don't whine if ya gets hurt or dies. Or even just
scare yerself into a pair of frilly pink panties.

* * * *



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[Let 'er eat!]

Lots of good stuff there. *I'm teaching someone how to ride a motorcycle right now - I'm starting them off on an old 600 I have and they are doing pretty good. *However, they have dropped it twice - once in the grass and once in a parking lot. *Good thing it wasn't a brand new bike

[FLCN72]

"My counterpoint to all the good sense in this post is this. If ya gots the money and the desire... buy one. But don't whine if ya gets hurt or dies. Or even just scare yerself into a pair of frilly pink panties."

I thought the panties came standard with the bike? No? Hmm... I'd better have a word with my dealer...

Naturally there are going to be folks who spend their money as they see fit and get the Busa right away. There are people on the board now who have done just that. More power to them. It's just not something I would recommend. My opinion, nothing more.

[LCW]

The busa was my first sport bike. A Harley was my first street bike, which I rode for 4 or 5 years before getting the busa. Prior to that, I rode minibikes, dirtbikes, and 3-wheelers as a kid. When I got my first street bike, I thought I knew how to ride, but I took the MSF course because a friend was taking it and I wanted the insurance discount. I can tell you that I what I learned in the MSF course (plus a lot of practice) has made me a better rider all around, but more importantly, had I not taken it, I'm pretty sure I'd have run myself into a wall on the busa by now. I'm still learning, it never ends. I recommend to ALL street riders and potential street riders to take the MSF course, whether you're a stark beginner, or have some background riding bikes (dirt or street), I guarantee you'll have an easier time becoming a better street rider if you take the damn course and practice what they preach. I honestly didn't think I'd learn ANYTHING from the course, and at times in the beginning thought it was stupid, but once I got back on my Harley, I realized how much easier things were when you did them right. Ok, I've gone off topic, but somone will end up here that needs to hear this, so here it is.

BTW: I bought an SV after buying the busa, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. It doesn't make me scream unwillingly like the busa does, but I haven't chased my ZX9R buddy thru the twisties on it yet either. So I'll 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) the recommendation of that as a first bike.



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[mcoyote]

Well...basically I agree. I will say that my first (owned) bike was quite big (a K1200RS -- almost 700lbs wet) with a bunch of power (130hp/80lbf) all things considered and I had no memorable "problems."

I did make a few mistakes early on, however, including dropping the beast against a brick wall. However, I think that most errors that newbies are certain to make really happen at speeds than ANY bike can achieve, and the minimal research we have seems to support that.

I.e., most single-vehicle (bike only), sober accidents happen when a rider blows a turn in the 40's or 50's of mph (often target fixation, I guess), not at 186mph. The wheelbase and torque of the 'Busa makes that a little more likely, but not guaranteed.

Yes, the bigger bike is harder to manage at lower speeds and way more expensive to make mistakes on. That's something a potential owner has to accept, and most younger riders probably can't afford it.

In any case, this is how I got away with starting with that big of a bike:

(1) I had ridden/borrowed several different bikes before (the one I was most intimate with was a 185cc Yammie)
(2) I took the MSF basic rider course
(3) Just 'cuz I'm paranoid, I hired Lawrence Grodsky for two days of one-on-one
(4) I'm a big/tall guy, so a little tip won't mean a drop (BIG point in my favor *giggle*)
(5) I took the ERC in my first year of ownership with the big bike
(6) I rode ALL THE TIME, and practiced all by my lonesome, running the same roads and parking lots over and over

...So, in conclusion, if you can pull off MOST IF NOT ALL of these things, I'd say the 'Busa is a good bike to start with .



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[stkr00]

Good reading. I was expecting the usual back/forth argument to start up, but everyone seems to be respectfull of the others opinions.

Good Job!

I'm 38 and I've been riding since I was 12. I started on a 100cc street/trail bike, then went to street bikes with a few years on each: 250cc, 400cc, 920cc, ten year break (parenthood), 1340cc Harley, 1550cc Harley(still have it), and then the Hayabusa.

After all of those bikes, the busa still scared the shiot out of me a few times. I'm still amazed at it's power every time I ride it.

I agree with FLCN72 that it is not a good first bike, but if the person has the maturity to ride within their limits and not any faster than their gaurdian angel can fly, then okay, but that once you've been bitten by the accelleration bug, it's VERY hard not to give in to the temptaion every chance you get.

[Revlis]

Well said! Anyone mind If I sticky this bad boy?

This question comes up alot, maybe a head start this good will help.

I agree with FLCN72 Whole heartedly in regards to why the owners on this board generally recommend against the Busa for a first bike. It's not some sort of elitist ego BS, heck I wish there were more Busa's on the road for me to run with. But it really does come down to expenses, mass, physical size and power. A small mistake on an SV650 leaves you with a sore butt and needing a clutch lever. A similar lapse on the busa could cost you thousands, and hurt a lot more.

It's not a hard bike to ride, in fact it is really one of the more forgiving bikes out there. Forgiving at least in terms of midcorner corrections, improper body positioning or leaving your bike in third trying to leave a light. Where it is not forgiving is in corner entry speeds, inattention in traffic, losing your balance at the gas pump, having a foot slip at the traffic light, breaking the rear loose on cold tires, sloppy throttle control on corner exits or the NO speed garage "oh crap the sidestand folded" tip over...that most humans cannot catch. These are the things that will kill a new rider on a Busa, at least financially which is most of the reason I recommend against the Busa as a first bike.

The Busa will spook the hell out of new riders enough all on it's own that most will quickly learn to respect it...a lot. Which brings me to my other big reason for not recommending it as a first or maybe even a second bike. It is BIG, HEAVY, and Massively powerful, and it is the only bike I have ridden where I truly have to freakin hold on tight under full throttle especially if your not tucked. Plain and simple my theory is that the Busa has a beastly enough mid-range and top end that many new riders will simply get spooked, and move beyond respecting the Busa, straight into fearing it. Never getting beyond it's rush of mid to top-end and either toodling everywhere, or simply getting rid of the Busa altogether. You may think this is far fetched but look in Cycle trader, or your local paper. Frequently you will find Busa's more than just about any other bike being sold with 300-2000 miles on the clock and a variety of reasons being given... New Baby, Moving, Wife making me, etc... Some of these are certainly legit, but you go visit some of these folks and you can tell right away that plain and simple... the person bought it cause of the hype and have scared themselves right the hell off of it. If they had started smaller maybe it wouldn't have been such a shock to the senses, maybe they could have had fun instead, maybe they would not have gotten in over their heads.

I am not saying that riding a busa automatically makes the rider a better rider than the next guy, but the guy or girl on the busa has for the most part allready made all the dumbass stupid mistakes that can be made out there and have the experiance needed to be safely aboard a bike this size with this much power.

Anyway, I am babbling...

Oh anyone know why this thread was locked? Anyhoo I am going to sticky it, I think it's well said... I'll move it to the FAQ maybe later...

Rev

[VaBusa]

Very good! Especially this comment: "I promise you, I’m not saying the bike is too good for you or any other elitist crap."

Most of the time, I think new riders take offense to us (as a group) not recommending the Busa as a first bike because we might sound like we're part of a club that no one else can become a member of...not the case at all guys/gals! Get a Busa, after you've ridden something else for a while...hell, even a dirt bike is better than no experience at all!

Good write up FLCN72...thanks for doing that...good to make it a sticky Rev...

[1127 TO 1299]

I started to ride when I was 12.
At 16 I had my first road bike. you can read below to see the evolution in my bikes.
My friends were not into motorctcle and then it became more popular, got friends you bought gixxers750 btand new with no experience. All of the people I know who bought a bike because they were fashionnable, either crash or dropped it and damn it it's expensive to repair, got ride of it and never rode it again.
Some people have more skills than others.
But nothing beats well aquired experience.
You must take it a step at a time.
Believe me.

Have a nice ride.

[birdude]

My Busa is the first sportbike I have owned.
I started riding 5 yrs ago after getting my kids thru school and pretty well set up.
My wife and I took the MSF course and I bought a HD Road King for me and Suzuki Intruder 800 for her. She outgrew the Intruder and got a Titan Phoenix. I couldn't keep up with her so I bot a Titan also. We enjoyed them alot until we had problems with hers not running. So I started dirtbiking with a KTM 360. What a kick in the ass. WOW!!! Then we sold them all and I had major withdrawl.
Started looking around and found this website and was fascinated by busas. Lotsof info here and you can feel the love that each has for their machine.
Went and sat on one at the dealership about 30 times and finally bot her last April. I had buyers remorse even BEFORE I did the buy. From all I had heard I thought I was going bull riding and would only be able to hang on for 8 seconds. Surprise surprise she is the sweetest riding bike I have ever been on. Yes she is strong but alot easier to manuever than any street cruiser that I have been on.
I'm a responsible and conservative driver/rider and enjoy what this bike can do. I seek becoming better and more proficient each time. I pick and choose where I go fast and absolutely love spending time on her.
The closest call was not at 170mph but a about 3mph. Going into an intersection where I had a green light I had a feeling and eased toward it as I checked all directions. Just as I about entered the intersection a woman ran the intersection doing 30-40mph. Had I not been guarding brake/clutch I would now be a hood ornament.
I feel like the habits you learn in MSF and that you continually need to cultivate every ride make the difference in logging and enjoying the miles or becoming a statistic.
My problem is I tend to be ultra conservative and turn like a cruiser. That I hope will be changed after Keith Codes bike course I'm doing later this month. In retrospect I wish I had started out on a smaller sport bike (like the SV650) but I have enjoyed all of it but most especially my Busa.
My wife has an Aprilia Tuono and really likes that but occasionally rides my busa and REALLY likes that.
I've rambled enuf. Good Luck, Ride Safe and enjoy this board...I know I have.

[Copperone]

I've been riding since I was 16. I am now 57. I've ridden a lot of bikes over the years. But the Busa, it's just intoxicating. I Love it. However, even after having ridden all these years, and taken several MSC courses, I even trained with the Japanese motorcycle police when I was stationed in Japan, I have nothing but respect for the Busa. I really enjoy the power of the Busa, and to me, it's comfort, and smoothness. It's the greatest bike I've ever owned. But... it definately gets, and keeps my full attention. The first time I rode the Busa, I said to myself, my god. It is an absolutely awsome bike, that will do anything you ask of it. However, having said all this, I would never, never recommend the Busa as a first bike. It's a handfull for an experience rider, an it scares me to think what can happen to an inexperienced rider on this beast.

[bacharles]

Quote[/b] (FLCN72 @ Feb. 04 2004,01:58)]You are new to this board. *You are new to motorcycling. *You are considering buying your first motorcycle or first sport bike. *You are thinking about getting yourself a Hayabusa. *You are wondering if the Hayabusa might be too much bike. *You are considering a Hayabusa for your first bike. *If some of those statements apply to you, then take a few minutes and read this post.

First off, welcome to Hayabusa.Org. *This is, in my opinion, the best Hayabusa dedicated web site out there. *We have a nice community of riders here who share an interest in the world’s fastest stock motorcycle. *Many of the folks here are the most helpful and knowledgeable Hayabusa enthusiasts you’re likely to find. *

This is a great place to learn about the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa. *And it is a good idea to learn about this bike before buying it. *Just about every Busa topic imaginable has been discussed here. *The forums contain answers to a huge range of questions and are a very valuable resource to any prospective owner. *

One of the most common questions asked around here concerns whether or not someone should buy a Hayabusa. *This tends to come up a lot. *There is just something about the Hayabusa that draws people to it. *It is distinctive, relatively uncommon, interesting, and infamous because of its performance and top speed. *Often folks who have begun looking into bikes discover the Busa and fall for it. *If this sounds like you, then what can I say... *You’ve got good taste.

However, the Hayabusa isn’t a beginner’s bike. *I’m sorry. *It just isn’t. *That isn’t what many new riders want to hear, especially if the Hayabusa is what really fuels their desire to get a bike. *This leads to disappointment and maybe a little resentment. *I promise you, I’m not saying the bike is too good for you or any other elitist crap. *I want more Hayabusa owners and if you love the bike too, then you ought to get one at some point.

There are few bikes worse suited to beginning riders than the Hayabusa. *Learning to ride is a process that involves making mistakes. *Often those mistakes cause a loss of balance which can send the bike down onto its side, especially at low speeds like in the driveway or a parking lot. *As beautiful as all that Busa plastic is, it is also very easy to damage and very expensive to replace. *$600 for one of the side panels. *$400 for a nose. *A simple mistake and a slow drop could cost you $1000 or more to fix.

The legendary power of the Hayabusa is also very attractive and is also dangerous. *This bike will out accelerate any car the average person has even been near. *From a standing start the bike can break most highway speed limits in less than 5 seconds and that is just in first gear! *Second gear can take you to speeds higher than the top speeds of most cars and there are four more gears after that.

Learning how to control that power is vital. *Unintentionally spinning the rear tire can happen very easily. *And unlike a car if the back end gets a little loose on a bike, it can be very hard to regain control which leads to highside crashes. *(When the bike straightens suddenly as the rear tire grabs again, throwing the rider off and in front of the bike.) *It takes throttle control and an instinctive feel for the clutch to harness all that power safely. *A healthy dose of good judgment doesn’t hurt either. *And those are not skills that a new rider has automatically. *It takes practice.

That practice is best performed on a bike with a learning curve a little less steep than the Hayabusa. *Some will say that a 600cc super sport, like a Honda CBR600, is a good first bike. *I respectfully disagree. *Those bikes can still break 140 MPH easily and are also covered in lots of expensive plastic like the Hayabusa. *

A far better choice is the Suzuki SV650. *It has plenty of power to scoot down the road and will still out accelerate most cars out there at a stop light. *It has a wide power band, so proper gear selection isn’t critical -- a handy trait when you are learning to shift. *It is light and inexpensive. *You can really throw it around under you and correct steering mistakes with a minimum of fuss. *Plus those inevitable low speed drops will not ruin the bike. *With a couple of inexpensive frame sliders installed, the bike will probably survive most falls with no damage at all. *There are a ton of after market goodies available to customize it or squeeze a few more ponies out the motor. *And because they are so popular, it is easy to resell them.

There are other good choices too. *What is boils down to is getting an inexpensive bike with a minimum of plastics. *And please, please take the Basic Rider Course from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, if you haven’t already. *Then ride as much as possible. *Have fun learning a new passion. *Then when you feel like you’ve got the confidence and skills, go Busa shopping.

Still not convinced? *Then consider the economic angle. *If you are under 25, the insurance on the Busa is going to be killer, more than twice the cost of a SV650. *Every drop, even in the garage will hurt, often to the tune of $600. *Tires are $140 or so. *The rear will need a replacement about every 5000 miles or less. *And the bike itself usually costs more than $10,000 new. *So let's say you get the Busa and finance it with monthly payments and a 10% down payment. *You ride a lot and play with that power some, somehow without getting hurt or crashing. *So two new rear tires in the first year. *Had to get full coverage insurance for the bank. *And there were two unfortunate drops, nothing serious but some fairings and bits had to be replaced. *That first year of ownership cost you $6000 plus gas. *More than the cost of a brand new Suzuki SV650.

Ultimately we buy what we choose to buy. *But the Busa will still be available six months or two years from now. *If you are careful about how you learn to ride and on what, you will be too. *And that Busa will be far more enjoyable and less intimidating if you practiced your basic riding skills on something better suited to it. *

In the meantime, keep coming here and posting and reading. *There are a lot of great folks here and good stories to tell and hear. *Not having a Hayabusa doesn’t disqualify you from being a friend or a fellow enthusiast.

Damn FLCN72, all you need now is some footnotes and a cover page in that puppy and you'll have yourself a term paper. All kiddin' aside, that was a great piece of work. Oh yeah, and peep this...Someone actually spelled everything correctly for a change



Brian

[dezzy7]

Dang that was a really good post FLCN72, and I agree with Barcharles add a few footnotes and you can get that bad boy published !!!

[pure_ego]

Quote[/b] (bacharles @ Feb. 07 2004,03:29)]Oh yeah, and peep this...Someone actually spelled everything correctly for a change

Wat are you trying to say, We kan't speel or sumthing?


I think people have probably wrecked the Busa' at 180+... but I seriously don't expect to hear them tell me what went wrong. . . while the 40-50mph guys usually have some messed up leg/arm/shoulders to talk about. Thats a good thing when you consider the alternative though.

[the grinch]

but,if newbies don't buy motorcycles they can't handle who is going to sell ripping bikes for thousands less than msrp, with less than a thousand miles on them?

[Revlis]

Quote[/b] (the grinch @ Feb. 07 2004,16:31)]but,if newbies don't buy motorcycles they can't handle who is going to sell ripping bikes for thousands less than msrp, with less than a thousand miles on them?

Hmmm, Good Point...

But really in the grand scheme of things there is still a large percentage of numbnuts out there that will still press on regardless of any advice for whatever reason. Of these first time riders IMO prolly about 30% are going to send their Busa's to an early grave soon after buying them, probably more. Of those remaining I imagine about 30% soon sell their Busa's because plain and simple it scared the hell out of them. Hopefully it just scares them off the Busa and not out of the sport entirely. I would say the last 40% are those that will stick with it knowing they are in over their heads and taking it easy, growing into the Busa, hopefully, eventually, they will be able to fully exploit it.
So in my little theory there will still be plenty of Barely used Hayabusi available.

It would be pretty nice to have more Busa's out there on the roads, spreading good cheer, and hosting more "Busa will stomp you into the ground" courses...