Hayabusa first bike?

[Bruiserman]

I learned to drive a stick when I was 17. I wanted to buy this guys car I worked with, (delivering pizza) he said to take his car on my next delivery so I got in and it was a stick shift. Never drove a stick before, even had trouble starting it cause I had absolutely no clue, I did standard shifting on video games so I thought how different could it be. Luckily I did pretty good, didn't stall it, but I still sucked compared to an experienced driver. I don't think this would work on a Busa however. Being a quick learner on a standard opposed to a Busa is not even comparable. Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[GSXcite]

The folks on the org. have made many good observations. We really do care about your experience with motorcycles. I for one want you to enjoy the thrill of acceleration and cornering that a motorcyle will provide. The point is, even smaller bikes will give you a very enjoyable and thrilling ride. If you are after the feeling you get when you lean it through the corners, most smaller sport bikes handle better and are more responsive than the busa. Even though I have over 40+ years of riding experience, I have no problems with young people having a machine such as a busa. My oldest son has a busa just like mine, and my youngest son has a GSX600R. My wife learned to ride at age 54, and we are looking at a sport bike for her now that she has a couple of years on a 250cc. You sound like mature 18 year old and I'm sure your experience with a busa as a first bike would be different than others your age, but I hope you will listen to the great people on this site and make a smart decision. Let me ask you this, if you were going to learn to fly, do you think you would be better off starting in a Piper cub, or going for the F-18 Hornet? Whatever you do, I'm happy you have joined the org. Best of luck to you.

 

[kdawg31337]

Well the answer to your question, gsxcite is simple! The hornet would be my choice of course! Pipers don't come with ejection seats!

Side question though. Where do you guys think the best place to buy a cheap bike is? I really want to save all I can for the Busa and its upkeep, so ideally I'd have a small 4-600 cc bike to start, used, and cheap. I live about 20 miles northwest of Boston if anybody is personally trying to get rid of something.

 

[Cobra Steve]

I hate it when people ask this...

My answer...depends on the person. The busa was my first bike and I did just fine, never wrecked either one of mine. I did however wreck a gixxer 1K. I'd say what you want to do with it also affects the decision. Respect the bike, it's power and it's ability to put you in the hospital and you will be fine.

 

[Turbo-Torch]

Side question though. Where do you guys think the best place to buy a cheap bike is? I really want to save all I can for the Busa and its upkeep, so ideally I'd have a small 4-600 cc bike to start, used, and cheap. I live about 20 miles northwest of Boston if anybody is personally trying to get rid of something.

Shop around for a bike. Your local newspaper classifieds or Bargain Finder type papers are loaded with old bikes. Also look on Ebay and do a search within so many miles of your zip code. Old low mileage bikes in great shape are out there so don't pick some beat to hell POS that isn't safe. Never buy an old bike site unseen!

This was my second bike that I bought when I was 20. This was one of the pictures I took for the Ebay auction when I sold it last year after 14 years of ownership. I had a $700 reserve and a BIN of $1200. I kept that bike so clean and perfect you could drag your tongue across the insides of the fenders. She sold for the BIN within hours and the new owner who travelled from several states away was very happy.
BTW, it's a 1979 Honda CX500 Custom that I bought off the original owner for $650 bucks in 1990.
Eventhough it was a small bike I sorta regret selling it...I still have two turbo charged versions of it though!

 

[MN72Busa]

If ya rode a 400cc dirtbike with "No issues", than I have to ask myself how much experience/ time did you have on it. Reason I say this is Because after many years of riding MX, I've had plenty of isues. Not because I didnt know the machine, but because I was pushing the machine or myself to the limits. And smaller street bikes are fun as heck...very light and nimble. Sure they may not have raw acceleration of the Busa, but if that's what you after, you will find it on the Busa & hopefuly you will live to talk about it. Not much riding experience...than go get a smaller bike as previously mentioned. Looking for a rush, than put a long fuse on an M-80, light it while your taking a wiz, and hold on to it until your done and if your lucky - throw it and run...much safer to the general public than trying to get your G's/rush on a Busa.

Hey, you think Im being a d1nk - fine, I just dont want anyone else dead or dismembered because they dont realize what the Busa IS - Not just what it can be! Go take a motorcycle safety course, than take the advanced course, than get yourself whatever bike you want. I think after the safety course's you will realize you can have plenty of fun on a smaller bike and at the same time realize that skills need to be developed over time and various circumstances. Every time I hear someone ask if the Busa is a good first bike - I tell myself, if they have to ask than its most likely gonna be trouble. Ya know how everyone's mom use to tell them to make sure you have clean underwear on just in case you get into an accident - well dont bother changing your underwear, cause on a Busa your Gonna cr@p them anyways

The people on this forum are amongst the best anywhere, and have sound and solid advice. Some of us may seem harsh, while others polite, but we all want fellow riders to ride for many years and enjoy the many benefits of riding. IF you do decide on the Busa, because you have convinced yourself that you can handle it, than be smart with it. Stay safe bro, whatever you decide to get, just remember very few riders in general get a second chance, and your stacking the deck against yourself if you make the Busa your rocketship.

 

[BulletTrain]

Didn't realize you guys would let this thread keep going in the general section but again thanks!! Somebody mentioned me not perfecting stick driving in 30 minutes and I totally agree with that/never claimed it. I just said I could drive a stick that quick meaning get around, and do the majority of the maneuvers necessary to get around. I still don't think I'm proficient at stick! There's just always that room for improvement. To the guys that got the bike as a first one, how old were you? I'm 18 right now, but I won't buy the bike till may 2008. It will be a graduation gift to myself. I just want to read up/know as much as possible about the beast before I get on it, and there's no harm in starting early, even 2+ years right? I do have a couple questions though. Can you guys list some specific mistakes people make on the busa/big motorcycles? Also, I have this ridiculous fear that on a bike that big, if at a corner you lean too far down, the bike will slide out right from under you. I just can't imagine wheels having that much traction!

Ok, I'm not downing you because I don't know you, but I will say this... There isn't an 18 year old in the WORLD that is mature enough to learn on a Hayabusa, period. I considered myself a very responsible teenager and I know without a fact that if I'd had a busa when I was 18 I wouldn't be here to type this. No way... Please understand, I'm not saying "YOU" are not mature enough, I'm saying that "NO" 18 year old is, including myself when I was 18. Hell, I was 33 and still made bad judgement calls on the buas and could have bit the big one more than once. As I said before, pure luck and God's grace...

As for the stick shift thing... I knew what you meant. Just pokin' at ya a little. The main point is that blowing a shift with a manual transmission isn't nearly as likely to cripple or kill you as a mistake on a busa, or even a 600 cc supersport. You could learn to start from a stop and ride a busa in 30 minutes but you couldn't learn to control and moderate what it's got in 30 hours, or even 30 days considering it's your first bike. If you blow a shift with a stick you make the car die or jerk. If you grab too much throttle at once or let the power and speed catch you off guard going into ONE corner you'll be lucky if you only end up drooling on yourself and eatin' through an needle or tube. My point is that the stakes here are exponentially higher than ANYTHING you've done in the past. Just think about that for a while...

 

[umairhashmi]

Bottom line is you have to be careful on ANY of the newer sportbikes and not just a busa.I have personally gone upto 155 on a buddy's 2005 cbr600rr.Its not just that youll hurt yourself on a busa and not on a 600.All these newer bikes can kill you in a heartbeat if you let your ego run off with you.ALWAYS think with your brain first and penis second.If you really do wanna race then gear up and head to the track.No one wants to see another fellow rider killed or lose an arm or a leg.

 

[GSXcite]

Well the answer to your question, gsxcite is simple! The hornet would be my choice of course! Pipers don't come with ejection seats!

Side question though. Where do you guys think the best place to buy a cheap bike is? I really want to save all I can for the Busa and its upkeep, so ideally I'd have a small 4-600 cc bike to start, used, and cheap. I live about 20 miles northwest of Boston if anybody is personally trying to get rid of something.

An ejection seat in a f-18 won't help you are still on the ground. For a used bike, I would suggest that when you find one that interests you, shout out to the guys on the org. and I'm sure you will have plenty of offers to check it out with you.

 

[kdawg31337]

Didn't realize you guys would let this thread keep going in the general section but again thanks!! Somebody mentioned me not perfecting stick driving in 30 minutes and I totally agree with that/never claimed it. I just said I could drive a stick that quick meaning get around, and do the majority of the maneuvers necessary to get around. I still don't think I'm proficient at stick! There's just always that room for improvement. To the guys that got the bike as a first one, how old were you? I'm 18 right now, but I won't buy the bike till may 2008. It will be a graduation gift to myself. I just want to read up/know as much as possible about the beast before I get on it, and there's no harm in starting early, even 2+ years right? I do have a couple questions though. Can you guys list some specific mistakes people make on the busa/big motorcycles? Also, I have this ridiculous fear that on a bike that big, if at a corner you lean too far down, the bike will slide out right from under you. I just can't imagine wheels having that much traction!

Ok, I'm not downing you because I don't know you, but I will say this... There isn't an 18 year old in the WORLD that is mature enough to learn on a Hayabusa, period. I considered myself a very responsible teenager and I know without a fact that if I'd had a busa when I was 18 I wouldn't be here to type this. No way... Please understand, I'm not saying "YOU" are not mature enough, I'm saying that "NO" 18 year old is, including myself when I was 18. Hell, I was 33 and still made bad judgement calls on the buas and could have bit the big one more than once. As I said before, pure luck and God's grace...

As for the stick shift thing... I knew what you meant. Just pokin' at ya a little. The main point is that blowing a shift with a manual transmission isn't nearly as likely to cripple or kill you as a mistake on a busa, or even a 600 cc supersport. You could learn to start from a stop and ride a busa in 30 minutes but you couldn't learn to control and moderate what it's got in 30 hours, or even 30 days considering it's your first bike. If you blow a shift with a stick you make the car die or jerk. If you grab too much throttle at once or let the power and speed catch you off guard going into ONE corner you'll be lucky if you only end up drooling on yourself and eatin' through an needle or tube. My point is that the stakes here are exponentially higher than ANYTHING you've done in the past. Just think about that for a while...

Well, somewhere mid-thread I mentioned I won't be purchasing the Busa till I graduate school, by which time I will be 20. Don't know if those 2 years really make that much of a difference, but as I've said, I wanted to start talking about the bike here right now just so I would know all that I can before I actually step onto the beast.

I still think pepole misread my talking about the stick a little. I strictly meant that I pick things up like that fairly quick. I wasn't implying if I can drive stick I can drive a Busa because it's the same thing. I completely understand the Busa is somewhat like bull riding on the Devil's back (if you're not too bright). I only meant that to say that it wouldn't take me too long to get used to the Busa, and that I feel I can control myself well enough not to push myself beyond my abilities.

 

[Mikey1977]

busa was my first bike.....that i owned for myself. i grew up riding bikes. my dad back in the 80s had a suzuki 750 sounds stupid but i don't remember what the modle was, lol. anyway i was riding it when i was 16. i learned how to ride on a 250 honda rebel, and a dirtbike when i was a kid. i didn't ride for probably 5 years or so when i bought my busa. the last bike i had riden was a kz 100 that my best friend had he kept it at my house so and i had a key so i rode it alot. i lived in a small town at that time to so it's differnet riding becuase the traffic wasn't that bad. i would say it's probably not the best idea to learn how to ride on a busa. hell i didn't ride mine in heavy traffic until about a month after i had it becuase it had been a few years before i had been on a bike. just be careful whatever you do.