I owned a 2008 1125R and now own a 2008 Busa.
As someone else said, they're two 'different animals'. Same rider, same conditions, the Buell will outpace the Busa in the corners. If you're most concerned with handling, the Busa can be improved upon by raising the rear a little (dogbones), and adjusting the suspension to suit your weight. But the difference in weight of the two machines is going to be the telling thing in terms of cornering, I suspect.
Straight-line performance...the Busa is an Order of Magnitude quicker. I thought the Buell was fast until I cranked the Busa. No contest here. But then, I weigh 60# more than you do, so the torque and additional horsepower of the Busa are very telling at my mass. At your weight of 145#, the 1125 will scream.
Riding 2-up (which I don't do) I have to figure the Busa's gonna win that contest simply by dint of its greater size/wheelbase. As for solo riding, they're both about equal in my opinion, in the comfort department. I lowered the pegs on both by 1". The Busa, I raised the bars with Helis and a spacer. Both had Corbin seats. I'm old and rickety, but I could do 200 miles a day on either, pretty easily, and more if I pressed it. Neither, in my estimation, is a sport-tourer. But if I had to pick in this department, I'd choose the Busa (for its greater size/mass). On both bikes--even the Busa with the mods I've done--you're riding 'hunched forward' compared to a straight-up seating position. Unless you're rolling a steady 75-80 so that the wind props you up, you're going to feel the forward-leaning position after a few hundred miles. At least, that's my experience.
It sounds like you're going to save your pennies and go for the Busa. But if you do change your mind, as others have said if there's not a significant price difference, get an 09 or 10 1125R as they did some mods that improve things. As for recalls, I believe they finally got all that sorted out. Mine ran hot, basically. But not so hot I couldn't ride it here in the desert on the hottest day (I just had to be careful opening the fuel cap when I stopped...long story, check the Buell sites for more info.)
This choice comes down to money, versus what you want the bike to do for you. If you're interested purely in the twisties, and money is a limiting factor, then the Buell is the clear choice in my book. But if you want more all-around versatility--wicked straightline performance...and you can come up with another grand or three (depending how lucky/unlucky you are) for a used one, then it's the Gen 2 Hayabusa.
For what it's worth, one of the odd things about the Buell is not the bike itself, but the people who surround it. We have strong Hayabusa supporters on this site. Every such brand-specific site will. But with Buell, there's a certain cadre of...what shall I call them? Fanatics. There's almost a cult-like atmosphere surrounding Eric Buell, and if you own a Buell and attend Buell events and/or frequent Buell sites, you'll be sure to come into contact with these folks. They're very interesting people. Let me just conclude this by saying, I really like this site we're on now, and the people here...
I'm like you. I always wanted a Busa. It took me ten years to get around to getting one, but I finally did it. I won't say I'll never sell it--because you can never say 'never'--but I would prefer to keep it (and a true touring bike for LONG trips) for as long as I'm able to ride.
Good luck.
Alan
As someone else said, they're two 'different animals'. Same rider, same conditions, the Buell will outpace the Busa in the corners. If you're most concerned with handling, the Busa can be improved upon by raising the rear a little (dogbones), and adjusting the suspension to suit your weight. But the difference in weight of the two machines is going to be the telling thing in terms of cornering, I suspect.
Straight-line performance...the Busa is an Order of Magnitude quicker. I thought the Buell was fast until I cranked the Busa. No contest here. But then, I weigh 60# more than you do, so the torque and additional horsepower of the Busa are very telling at my mass. At your weight of 145#, the 1125 will scream.
Riding 2-up (which I don't do) I have to figure the Busa's gonna win that contest simply by dint of its greater size/wheelbase. As for solo riding, they're both about equal in my opinion, in the comfort department. I lowered the pegs on both by 1". The Busa, I raised the bars with Helis and a spacer. Both had Corbin seats. I'm old and rickety, but I could do 200 miles a day on either, pretty easily, and more if I pressed it. Neither, in my estimation, is a sport-tourer. But if I had to pick in this department, I'd choose the Busa (for its greater size/mass). On both bikes--even the Busa with the mods I've done--you're riding 'hunched forward' compared to a straight-up seating position. Unless you're rolling a steady 75-80 so that the wind props you up, you're going to feel the forward-leaning position after a few hundred miles. At least, that's my experience.
It sounds like you're going to save your pennies and go for the Busa. But if you do change your mind, as others have said if there's not a significant price difference, get an 09 or 10 1125R as they did some mods that improve things. As for recalls, I believe they finally got all that sorted out. Mine ran hot, basically. But not so hot I couldn't ride it here in the desert on the hottest day (I just had to be careful opening the fuel cap when I stopped...long story, check the Buell sites for more info.)
This choice comes down to money, versus what you want the bike to do for you. If you're interested purely in the twisties, and money is a limiting factor, then the Buell is the clear choice in my book. But if you want more all-around versatility--wicked straightline performance...and you can come up with another grand or three (depending how lucky/unlucky you are) for a used one, then it's the Gen 2 Hayabusa.
For what it's worth, one of the odd things about the Buell is not the bike itself, but the people who surround it. We have strong Hayabusa supporters on this site. Every such brand-specific site will. But with Buell, there's a certain cadre of...what shall I call them? Fanatics. There's almost a cult-like atmosphere surrounding Eric Buell, and if you own a Buell and attend Buell events and/or frequent Buell sites, you'll be sure to come into contact with these folks. They're very interesting people. Let me just conclude this by saying, I really like this site we're on now, and the people here...
I'm like you. I always wanted a Busa. It took me ten years to get around to getting one, but I finally did it. I won't say I'll never sell it--because you can never say 'never'--but I would prefer to keep it (and a true touring bike for LONG trips) for as long as I'm able to ride.
Good luck.
Alan
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