Rate the Gen II update

[2Wheels2Live]

The busa had its glory years, it'll never dominate like it did in the beginning
But it still makes a fast sport-tourer

[likeapuma]

I'd say the poll is flawed as well...I voted for "the update was fair..." only because I always look forward to what kind of craziness they'll have on the next gen..and if that's not for another few years, so be it...it adds to the anticipation and means I don't have to worry about my 2 year old bike being "obsolete"

[Busa1166]

Didn't vote didn't see anything there that applied to me.


my vote would have gone to this:

"I have a gen 1 it's great I don't need anything else unless some thing happens to mine"


Then again I am still not a fan of the tail section so I would probably just buy another gen 1 anyway why spend the extra cash save money an mod

[raydog]

OK, I just read this thread and here's my 2 cents.....for $600 my gen I brakes are far superior to OEM Gen II brakes. I have accelerated next to Gen II's a few times and am either tied or I pull slightly (I weigh 235)PC III, full exhaust, K&N, dyno tune, cost $1100. My Gen I weighs less than 490 lbs.
NO ONE leaves Busas bone stock so why do so many people compare stock to stock? I think the smart thing to do is compare how well a motorcycle responds to certain aftermarket improvements, that's in the ten ring of reality.
Gen II's are beautiful bikes but my Gen I takes a back seat to no one....in comfort, looks, lightness, acceleration, deceleration, handling, weight, etc., etc.
My whole point is....the aftermarket and rider skill play "hella" big parts in any type of comparison.
Someone's got to represent Gen I's so I jumped in!

Raydog

[jphilipson]

OK, I just read this thread and here's my 2 cents.....for $600 my gen I brakes are far superior to OEM Gen II brakes. I have accelerated next to Gen II's a few times and am either tied or I pull slightly (I weigh 235)PC III, full exhaust, K&N, dyno tune, cost $1100. My Gen I weighs less than 490 lbs.
NO ONE leaves Busas bone stock so why do so many people compare stock to stock? I think the smart thing to do is compare how well a motorcycle responds to certain aftermarket improvements, that's in the ten ring of reality.
Gen II's are beautiful bikes but my Gen I takes a back seat to no one....in comfort, looks, lightness, acceleration, deceleration, handling, weight, etc., etc.
My whole point is....the aftermarket and rider skill play "hella" big parts in any type of comparison.
Someone's got to represent Gen I's so I jumped in!

Raydog

My Gen2 is better than your Gen1..

[lika1]

My Gen2 is better than your Gen1..

Haha!!!

[raydog]

My Gen2 is better than your Gen1..

Define "better".

[dadofthree]

OK, I just read this thread and here's my 2 cents.....for $600 my gen I brakes are far superior to OEM Gen II brakes. I have accelerated next to Gen II's a few times and am either tied or I pull slightly (I weigh 235)PC III, full exhaust, K&N, dyno tune, cost $1100. My Gen I weighs less than 490 lbs.
NO ONE leaves Busas bone stock so why do so many people compare stock to stock? I think the smart thing to do is compare how well a motorcycle responds to certain aftermarket improvements, that's in the ten ring of reality.
Gen II's are beautiful bikes but my Gen I takes a back seat to no one....in comfort, looks, lightness, acceleration, deceleration, handling, weight, etc., etc.
My whole point is....the aftermarket and rider skill play "hella" big parts in any type of comparison.
Someone's got to represent Gen I's so I jumped in!

Raydog

I think you have a little more than $1700 invested in that bike

"Puig, Arm by Canadian Mike, Woodcraft, full Race Tech suspension, Carrozzeria wheels, Vortex, Braking rotors, PC III, Zumo, Rapid Transit, Ventura luggage, Corbin, Sato rearsets, Matris steering damper, Carbon front fender, Carbon Muzzy, 5000 HID, Beltronics, Techmount, Helibars, K&N, tune by Superbike Performance Lab"

[raydog]

I think you have a little more than $1700 invested in that bike

"Puig, Arm by Canadian Mike, Woodcraft, full Race Tech suspension, Carrozzeria wheels, Vortex, Braking rotors, PC III, Zumo, Rapid Transit, Ventura luggage, Corbin, Sato rearsets, Matris steering damper, Carbon front fender, Carbon Muzzy, 5000 HID, Beltronics, Techmount, Helibars, K&N, tune by Superbike Performance Lab"

You are so right, my point was the statement is always, "brakes and power have been so improved on the Gen II" which is accurate, BUT I wanted to show how much it costs to equal or surpass the stock performance of the Gen II in those two catagories. I have about $7k in total stuff in my bike.

[jphilipson]

Define "better".

It was a "joke".. your Gen1 sounds pretty badass

[Justyntym]

Gen I Dyno


Gen II Dyno



All that POWER...8...8 horsepower.
I usually give it a token +15hp between a GEN1 and a GEN 1.5
I guess I was actually doubling it.

10 year update...8 horsepower.

[dadofthree]

You are so right, my point was the statement is always, "brakes and power have been so improved on the Gen II" which is accurate, BUT I wanted to show how much it costs to equal or surpass the stock performance of the Gen II in those two catagories. I have about $7k in total stuff in my bike.

Point taken they made many more improvements, but point taken. Most of those 7K improvements are made on the Gen II.

[dadofthree]

Dude are you just gonna keep on hatin on my Busa

[dadofthree]

I can tell ya from riding the Gen II, that 8 HP is kickazz

[Justyntym]

I can tell ya from riding the Gen II, that 8 HP is kickazz

Uh huh....Rrrriiiiiiggghttt.
Drink the hommie brew kool aid, don't think about what might've or should've been
and revel in the 8 hp.

Reminds me of how parents look at their kids doing sports...they see what they
want to...my brothers kid(s) (listening to him) is the greatest at anything, going
pro football, baseball, soccer, etc...He'd break out the movies, slurp the kool-aid
and go on and on. Me and the old man would look and scratch our heads, like
what the hell. ??? Sorry, I'm cursed (or blessed) I see things as they are, whether
it's my kids in sports, politics or situations...they are what they are and I see
them that way. I don't sugar coat...NOTHING.

Point is, you see what you want not what is.

It's not the 8hp....it's that it's ONLY 8hp.
The numbers don't lie...it is what it is.
8hp can only kick so much azz...

Heck, I got HMF highrise, etc., my bike got dyno'd at 172hp

And no I do not hate the Gen II busa, I hate the lack effort and RESPECT
that Suzuki gave us regarding the update.

Someone posted the Busa heyday is long gone...it sure as heck didn't have to
be.

And someone else posted about the busa not being obsolete...sportrider mag
article bmw1300 vs busa II in the conclusion talked about the Busa being long
in the tooth already?

That's what happens when you just change a few parts...

[raydog]

I'm on both sides of this argument now. The amount of HP increase is a pathetically poor and inadequate barometer to measure improvement. There were many changes to the Gen II and after talking to two Suzuki executives at the Stampede, I'm convinced the Gen II is a winner and appropriately updated.
AND talk about pathetic....the last persons I would give cred to are motojournalists. "Long in the tooth", that's one of those all encompassing one liner political talking points that don't say a dam thing. What does it mean? because it's not hydrogen powered? My ONLY critisism of the GEN II is weight, and that's because of DOT, European regs, cost of exotic metals and limitations of mass production. For pete sakes can anyone say aftermarket?? You want more hp, torque, lighter bike, color that isn't offered, different ergonomics, premium suspension? THEN MAKE THE CHANGES YOURSELF. The Hayabusa is a mass produced superbike that is supposed to fit people
from 110-320lbs. For gawd sakes man, this is a $12k motorcycle, not a $40k Bimota or $30k Duc.
I paid $6800 for my bone stock 2000 Busa, added $7000 of improvements.....that's $13800 total and it will mix it up with 98% of big time motorcycles, on the street, strip, track and LSR. Gen I or Gen II, I don't know of any other motorcycle product that comes close. Raydog

[BA BUSA]

You are so right, my point was the statement is always, "brakes and power have been so improved on the Gen II" which is accurate, BUT I wanted to show how much it costs to equal or surpass the stock performance of the Gen II in those two catagories. I have about $7k in total stuff in my bike.

Put that 7k into a Gen2...you would have a he!! of a bike

[bazooki]

The gen 2 is a great bike but when I went shopping for a Busa I didn't even consider it cause I really prefer the look of the gen 1. These bikes stock have more hp and torque than any of us can use on the street and if you are running out of brakes you should either take it to the track or just upgrade your brakes. The Busa is what it is....the best admission ticket available for the dragstrip or 200 mph club and it makes a great high speed toy as a bonus. An ideal upgrade to me would have been to make the gen 2 look like a gen 1 but make it lighter, quicker, faster and give it better brakes. But that doesn't happen in the real world as they always have to differentiate models by changing the appearance....not always to the better IMHO. If I wanted a lighter bike I would buy a Gixxer 1000, if I wanted a better handling bike I would have kept my Gixxer 750. But I don't. I want a Busa.....the baddest bike on the planet since it's debut in 1999....still the king.

[Justyntym]

Raydog man waitaminute....BS.

Why would hp rating be "pathetically poor and inadequate barometer"? ???

These are performance motorcycles, we always throw out the dyno numbers
and that was just another area that the Bus was king.
What would you like to use to dictate performance...1/4 mile, top speed...?

Dyno numbers aren't the total picture obviously but it does quanitify it a bit
doesn't it.

The only reason I credit the Journalist is he made my point. I'm not just making
this up...it's in print in a national magazine (that most/some of us even read).
Bikes are rapidly getting more sophistacated tech wise with traction control,
abs etc...the busa is still a ten year old design with a few new parts.

If this going to be the only update for another 10 years, they shoulda went
all out and make it not outdated the day it comes out.

You people keep talking to me (making excuses) about the price of the motorcyle,
an 8th GENERATION completely redesigned head to toe, every nut and bolt,
ALL NEW 2010 GSX-R1000 IS A $12,000 MOTORCYCLE....how did they do that ???
Gee, all of the big 4 seem to be able to do it, every 2 years.

And yet..."the King" can not get the same treatment.
It doesn't have to be a $30k duc to be redesigned properly.

[raydog]

Put that 7k into a Gen2...you would have a he!! of a bike

Right Rich but now you're talking about a $19000 motorcycle and a Gen I definately would not be $6-7k inferior to the Gen II. As a matter of fact I think the Gen I would still be about 30 lbs. lighter as well.
I'm not arguing against a Gen II, I'm just suggesting a high % of people buy new models to "update" their motorcycles, which is fine BUT another equally viable alternative is keep your equipment, test it, develop it, improve it, over a few years and kind of "really get to know it" at all of its limitations. Help it evolve through experimentation and the wonderful aftermarket.........to levels not accessible to a bike that "one replaces every year".
I guess what I'm doing is kinda describing my relationship with my Busa, and selling it as a really fun way to be in this sport. I guess we all have great stories on how much fun this hobby/sport/passion of ours is. I appreciate this thread because it helped me reaffirm how good it feels to be a motorcyclist. Gen I, Gen II, whatever, just ride and enjoy. Raydog