Busa and the TL1000R

[rioteer]

I'm in the market for a new litre+ bike. I recently had the pleasure of demoing a 2002 Suz TL1000R, wow, what outstanding bike. After talking to a few people about the TLR someone said that if I liked that bike so much maybe I should check into a Hayabusa.
I hate the new look of sportbikes, the edges are so sharp and square (and another rant, i hate undertail exhaust...thats beside the point). Both the Busa and TLR have such fluid, soft curves, i love the look. I don't want to look like i'm riding a surgical tool down the road. So i'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on the TLR vs. the Hayabusa.

 

[monsterspeedfreak]

I was thinkin of a TLR when I bought my Busa......love the TLR, but damn glad I bought the Busa instead.
Busa will steamroll a TLR, and they're more comfortable.

 

[#cruncherbusa]

have you had the chance to fly on a busa?

 

[STUNNAH]

The tl sucks...You've got to be a lover of v2's to even want to start it up...Had a partner that had one and I tore his but off the frame...He ended up wrecking it and getting a Busa...He wrecked it on purpose...OK so maybe he didn't...I can't think of any reason to buy a tl if you've got a chance to get a Busa...

 

[BulletTrain]

I say get whichever one fits you and your riding style best. I've never sat on a TLR so I can't comment on that but I can tell you that I smoked one with the 10 the other day. He said he held it until the speedo stopped climbin' (157mph indicated if I remember correctly) and I just kept gettin' smaller into the distance. Fwiw, he didn't do so bad until he ran outta steam.

If you have a need for speed like I do, the busa is the way to go between your two options. If speed don't mean as much to you then the TLR would be a fine ride. I know several folks who ride the TLR and swear by them.

Me thinks yer gonna get a resounding "get the busa" response on this board. Thing is, if you post the same question on a TLR forum (try www.tlplanet.com... Seems that's a favorite forum for the local TL riders.) you'll likely get a bigger "get a TL" response.

 

[rioteer]

Yeah, i can understand the Busa-folk will be biased, as will the TL crowd. People say you either love twins or you love fours. I disagree...and thats my biggest reservation right now. I do have a place in my heart for the two cylinders, but the Busa looks sooo inviting. They both feel pretty similiar just sitting and tossing it around. Though i've never had the opportunity to ride a Hayabusa. The TLR is obviously lighter, but i believe it's only by about 60 or so pounds wet, which really surprised me considering the Busa has a whole 300cc's on it.
I guess it boils down to:
TLR, cheaper, slower, twin.
Busa, pricier, faster, four.

Bah...decisions decisions...

 

[ksheldon]

Hi,

I have an 03 'busa and a 96 Ducati 900 sp which would be alot like the TL experience.

They are very different bikes and both have their place. You need to decide which one meets your most common riding needs and go that direction.

I love riding the 900 sp - but it is the most fun in the twisties and sometimes riding it "to" those roads get a bit tiring.

On the open road the 'busa is vastly superior and it handles very well for a bike of its size, but on a mountain roads the small twin is where its at.

Thats whats great about bikes - they all have their personalities and styles

Good Luck

Kent

 

[rob t]

i ride with a guy with a tl not even close enough in any way to compare.in fact you would want to look at the sv if you like the tl !!!!!!!

 

[#cruncherbusa]

you have to keep us posted on your decision!

 

[Sane_man]

If you are looking for a new bike, you know they discontinued the TLR, right?.



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[jwcfbd]

Welcome to the board. Having never riden a TL I can't give you any feed back about the two compaired but I can tell you that you won't be disappointed with the Busa.

 

[ChronosWS]

I have both the SV1000S and a Busa. I purposely kept the SV when I bought the Busa because they really are different bikes for different purposes. The SV with aftermarket exhaust is just a mean machine. It's torquey and a lot of fun to ride around town or in the twisties. And it's a lot lighter than the Busa. The Busa is a supreme highway bike (I'm writing from Phoenix, 2000 miles into my road trip) and you can cruise at 110 all day long and get good mileage, and punch it up to 170 every so often, just to remind yourself what you bought the bike for

Don't buy one bike thinking you'll get the best of both worlds because you won't. If you like twins (I really like the narrow frame and the awesome twin sound) get the SV. If you like fours and the insanity that is speed, get the Busa. If you like both, get both. If you can't have both, flip a coin.

The SV (new) is a good bit cheaper than the Busa (by about three grand) so you can do a lot of mods for the price of a stock (new) Busa. I personally think both bikes need, at a minimum, seat modifications to be comfortable for anything more than 100 mile journeys. The Busa also needs an aftermarket windscreen. Both bikes have a good aftermarket in general though. I think both bikes look sharp, but the SV is very angular compared to the Busa (reminds me of a preying mantis from the front). The SV DOES have aftermarket full fairings if you want that look.

If you are set on a TL, just remember that they are discontinued. The SV is the come-along to that bike, but it is not in the same league as the RC51 (Honda's twin racebike).

 

[soon2be]

I have both. Just picked up the 'busa about a month ago. I am a member of TLPlanet and they would tell you that they are two different bikes. For me, the TL is a comfortable bike, better than the other liter bikes. It has personality. Like the others mentioned, your riding style is a major factor. The TL is no where near the power of the Busa. About 35 less horsepower and 30 ft-lbs of torque. The v-twin has a flat torque curve and pulls through the rev limiter. I bought the Busa to serve as a "cruiser". (Having the power on tap is an extra plus.) My intentions are to slam it and customize and use it to commute most of the time. I am happy with the Busa, but with respect to this forum, I haven't been able to really ride it due to the weather conditions. Which is better? I would probably have to say the Hayabusa because of the later technology. Well, the Busa probably does everything better. For me, the TL was just fun. The TL is built on 1998 technology and never really upgraded. When the gixxer 750 became so successful, Suzuki R&D dollars went to improving that. Even with that, it is a nice bike.

 

[bacharles]

Welcome to the board.  Having never riden a TL I can't give you any feed back about the two compaired but I can tell you that you won't be disappointed with the Busa.

my sentiments exactly...

 

[BigBSBusa]

Sat on a TL once, but that was it and therefore can't give any comparisons between the two.

 

[BusaFever]

Bro,

I came over from the RC51, and I have ridden a TL, but only one time. I AM a twin lover, because of the torque. As said earlier, the Busa has tons more torque than a TL. I think the busa is more comfortable. The conventional rear shock on the Hayabusa is superior than that contraption they have on the TL in my opinion. Nothing matches that low V-twin rumble, but the Hayabusa rumbles a lot for an inline when compared to GSXR1000s, and other I4s. If you are a big guy the busa is definately better for your comofort level.

 

[bs72069]

Never ridden a TL. Had a friend that had one till he total it at deals gap in 03. Plus when i got my Busa was looking at the Aprilia RSV Mille. Didnt want to wait till the 04 to come out with the new body style.

 

[gtrpimp76]

Never ridden the TL b/c I've never been a fan of V-Twins. But I just bought my Busa over the weekend (see my post on "just got my '05 Busa") and I've got to say is WOW!! If you get the BigBird you won't be dissappointed!!

 

[moondog]

I came form the tl ranks, had an 01'. This comparison is like apples and oranges....two totally different bikes. The tl was fun but the ergonomics sucked. This has been discussed before, the dynamics of the tl when ridden two up, change dramatically and not in a good way. Just thinking about it makes my wrists hurt. But, if you are in to stunting, this is your bike.

 

[busarider54]

I own both a TL and a Hayabusa. I love both of them. There is something about the v-twin rumble that can't be explained, it's got to be experienced. I think the ergos are very similiar between the two bikes. With the tillers just being a bit more racier. The rotary rear shock sucks balls on the Tiller. No doubt about that. The tiller will also roast your inner thighs on a hot summer day. Stock suspension sucks but can be tweaked relatively easily.

The busa, is a bit heavier and not quite so nimble in the turns. Why does the fastest production bike made have sub-par quality brakes??? It seems that everybody and their brother has one. It is a much better general purpose bike. Better for touring, strip, and 2-up riding. Oh yeah, there's this thing on the busa called a throttle, twist it and all thoughts of owning a tiller will prolly melt away.

Get the bike that better suits you. You can't go wrong with either one. If I had to choose between the 2 bikes (and I almost had to earlier this year), I would sell the tiller and keep the busa. It just does more and usually does it better.