If you have less than 8K miles on your Busa-

[mjn]

We play in a unique arena. Our machines have big HP and torque, they are heavier than many, and most importantly have the ability to reach big speed.

I believe that the more miles you put on a given bike, the more "at one" you feel. The more all your inputs, throttle, breaks etc, become second nature. This allows you to focus on what is going on around you.

I have somewhere over 60,000 street miles, on many different bikes. (I know thats nothin to many of you) I've only got 800 on my bus and I'm still learnin'! In fact, I plan on learning until I die. Otherwise that time will come sooner than it should.

You need to completely re-calibrate your brain on this bike...Mellow throttle in high gear is tripple digits! (thats a good thing!)

All I am saying, is that the day you think you are pro is the day you go too far over your head. I make it a point to push my limits nearly everytime I ride. Thats how you get better...Ya just gotta be careful how far past that comfort zone you go.

 

[FAKK2]

since my first bike in 1977, I have always loved to ride. Be it my bike or someone elses who doesn't ride theirs much or is affraid to cut loose and all. Also it is enjoyable and relaxing to ride for me. I ride for fun nothing more. As far as professional I do not think so. Even the best of the best are not perfect. Also bikes are prefference oriented. And it is to someones likes and all. As my choices are my choices. Just like others have their choices and thats theirs...

 

[Charlesbusa]

Miles on the odemeter mean nothing, well almost nothing.  Miles on the track are good for track experience.  Miles in the canyons are good for canyon experience.  Miles(a quarter at a time) on the drag are good for drag experience.  Miles on the freeway are good for freeway experience.  Miles on rural highways are good for rural highways experience.  Miles in LA are good for LA experience.  ETC....

It goes on and on.
Yeah, lots of things learned at the track can carry over to canyons.  But there are important lessons to be learned in the canyons that you can't learn on the track and vice versa.
Additionally, just putting on miles isn't everything.  I remember a coach once told me, practice doesn't make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  Meaning if you don't REALLY practice what your trying to be good at, then the half-a$$ed practicing your doing is just a waste of time.

But I see what your saying.  How can people have any experience if they don't have any miles.

But remember, LOTS of people(even if they won't admitt it) buy sportbikes for the image.  Sure they'll talk the big talk, wheelies, dragging knee.  But what they really want is the image.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Its their money, let'em spend it.  And lots of people talk a bunch of B.S. about everything they do.  Its part of the American culture.

Lastly, there are people who look at # of posts or the title(hayabusa immortal) and think that that makes people experts on busas........ hmmmmm

Wow, I'm really bored at work.

<!--EDIT|Charlesbusa
Reason for Edit: None given...|1115637160 -->

 

[DAB]

I agree that regular riding/lots of miles on any motorcycle helps to make you more familiar with the "feel" of the bike. However, you need to qualify what those miles consist of.

You could do 8,000 miles on the highway and that wouldn't add much to your experience of handling it through the twisties.

You could do 8,000 miles through the twisties and it wouldn't necessarily help with parking lot maneuvers or emergency stops when some clown pulls out at the shopping mall.

You could do 8,000 miles on the track but it wouldn't prepare you for the "real world" of commuting to work.

Point I'm trying to make is, it takes exposure to a variety of riding types to get real experience and the valuable "twitch" skills to survive on the street.

When you have that mix, then I agree that maybe you can determine what your bike is and isn't good at.

 

[Cuffee]

I put about 5700 miles on my bike and I have only had it for 10 months. I have to admit that I really love riding my Busa. I really love the way my Busa handle curves and straight aways. But most of all, I consider my Busa to be safer than the lighter bikes because it's a little bigger (more stable).

Some days I like to cruise and check out the scenery. Some days I like to let loose. My Busa can handle anything I throw at her.

 

[eynlai]

5000, 8000, 10000 in rural areas wouldn't be the same as someone who has 3000, 4000 miles playing tag in LA or Atlanta or Houston..

But I dont agree about rual vs "playing tag in LA..." are not the same...the rual roads in my area are more track like then playing tag in LA is.   How may corners can you take @ 60mph in LA ?

Apples to Oranges, but if we have to compare them as fruits... I have to say this... Rural/suburb areas are a lot more "forgiving" than doing the fighter pilot navigation in Atlanta or L.A. or S.F.

Coming up to about 15000 miles on mine now since buying it brand new in March 2004, and riding in both I think I seen and ridden both to qualify to say.

Being the busa is my first bike, I kept it up at my buddy's house in Oxnard CA for the first month and went up there every weekend to ride with him out in the rural country road and the calmer suburb streets of Oxnard or Ventura. Then I finally took it back home to L.A. and took another month of lighter night traffic in L.A. first.

Ridden on both, this is what I found:

Rural: Open for those 60 mph sweepers, less traffic. More "forgiving" if you drift off line on curve because there's more room on the road. Much more courtesy drivers in cages. They will make room for you to split about 65% of the time. Can get faster, but yet easier to get tickets because a speeding biker will stand right out for the cops to spot and easier for a cop to chase down a biker.

L.A.: A lot more traffic, frustrated drivers in cages will intentially close the gap on you 60% of the time if they see you there. The mentality is "if I'm stuck in traffic in a cage, so should you, and it would kill me to see you bikers move.". Don't have those roads open enough to do the 60 mph left/right handsweepers... should be done at 45-50 mph instead because in L.A. Traffic with a lot more cars, you don't have all that room on the road to drift off line without consequences. Cops are a bit more lenient, unless you really get squidy. Harder for them to catch up in traffic to pull you over.

 

[diesel]

Miles on the odemeter mean nothing, well almost nothing. Miles on the track are good for track experience. Miles in the canyons are good for canyon experience. Miles(a quarter at a time) on the drag are good for drag experience. Miles on the freeway are good for freeway experience. Miles on rural highways are good for rural highways experience. Miles in LA are good for LA experience. ETC....

It goes on and on.
Yeah, lots of things learned at the track can carry over to canyons. But there are important lessons to be learned in the canyons that you can't learn on the track and vice versa.
Additionally, just putting on miles isn't everything. I remember a coach once told me, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Meaning if you don't REALLY practice what your trying to be good at, then the half-a$$ed practicing your doing is just a waste of time.

But I see what your saying. How can people have any experience if they don't have any miles.

But remember, LOTS of people(even if they won't admitt it) buy sportbikes for the image. Sure they'll talk the big talk, wheelies, dragging knee. But what they really want is the image. And there is nothing wrong with that. Its their money, let'em spend it. And lots of people talk a bunch of B.S. about everything they do. Its part of the American culture.

Lastly, there are people who look at # of posts or the title(hayabusa immortal) and think that that makes people experts on busas........ hmmmmm

Wow, I'm really bored at work.

-what he said.

 

[BA BUSA]

I think that nobody ever becomes an EXPERT and no amount of MILES or TIME can make you a good rider. You need to experiance all types of riding and all the possible obstacles that may pop up. Your vision, reaction time, and how well that can handle your bike is what is going to save you. If you have never had any experiance in an emergancy situation, then your natural instints are the only thing that you have to go on. Most people are capable of riding a motorcycle (some should never try to ride) the learning curve is different with everyone. I'm not saying that anyone should push their limits all the time, but how are you supposed to learn anything if you don't try. Many riders take a MSF class and anybody will benefit from that experiance no matter how long that you have been riding. If you like to go fast then I strongly recommend taking a school at a race track (road course) or even doing a track day. You will learn more in two days on the track than you will in two years on the street, at the track you have a closed course, no cars, no cops, and instructors to help you.

 

[TIMMYDUCK]

As the great Dirty Harry said:
"Every man must know his limitations", and that goes double when riding your Busa.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[stkr00]

Miles on the odemeter mean nothing, well almost nothing.  Miles on the track are good for track experience.  Miles in the canyons are good for canyon experience.  Miles(a quarter at a time) on the drag are good for drag experience.  Miles on the freeway are good for freeway experience.  Miles on rural highways are good for rural highways experience.  Miles in LA are good for LA experience.  ETC....

It goes on and on.
Yeah, lots of things learned at the track can carry over to canyons.  But there are important lessons to be learned in the canyons that you can't learn on the track and vice versa.
Additionally, just putting on miles isn't everything.  I remember a coach once told me, practice doesn't make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  Meaning if you don't REALLY practice what your trying to be good at, then the half-a$$ed practicing your doing is just a waste of time.

But I see what your saying.  How can people have any experience if they don't have any miles.

But remember, LOTS of people(even if they won't admitt it) buy sportbikes for the image.  Sure they'll talk the big talk, wheelies, dragging knee.  But what they really want is the image.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Its their money, let'em spend it.  And lots of people talk a bunch of B.S. about everything they do.  Its part of the American culture.

Lastly, there are people who look at # of posts or the title(hayabusa immortal) and think that that makes people experts on busas........    hmmmmm

Wow, I'm really bored at work.

-what he said.

I'm with CharlesBusa and Diesel

Well Said

 

[05LimtedBusa]

I am going on 3 days owning my first Busa. I love the bike but am SCARED to death of it. It is my second bike, I am doing as alot of you have suggested and pushing my limits a LITTLE more everyday just to get the feel of it. I am vert impressed with the handling of the bike and how easy it is to move around on. I only have 80 miles on mine but the number is steadily climbing. I know I don't have much input but for what it is worth I agree with you guys this is not the bike to get cocky on and all you can do is respect her and make yourself the most educated rider of the machine that you have to keep yourself alive. To truly know your bike is to know how to move away from dangerous situations and keep it on it's wheels and you in the seat. I could be way off base being so new and all but thanks for listening anyway.

 

[onerabidshark]

Everybodies learning curve is different I have quite a few miles on motorcycles Busa is my 1st sport bike, so no way I am going to try to mix it up with cache,charlesbusa or the other racers and I'm to far away from the tracks to get enough quality time 350+miles. But I have taken a 1200 sportster and past lots of sportbikes on some good twisties so I am no amateur either but since I have had the Busa for 2500 miles in a month and a half I realized that those sportbike riders Were not very good for me to pass them on a harley, So you never know how to rate yourself Best anyone can do Is just Ride and LEARN Everyday Noone knows everything. You may ride with some people that think your great then you might ride with someone else that can leave you in their wake. Me I can only push myself with what surroundings I have, Pro? Not even close can I ride? Yes Can I ride Safely? Everytime I leave the house. Just my opinion

 

[shenoyp]

I am going on 3 days owning my first Busa. I love the bike but am SCARED to death of it. It is my second bike, I am doing as alot of you have suggested and pushing my limits a LITTLE more everyday just to get the feel of it. I am vert impressed with the handling of the bike and how easy it is to move around on. I only have 80 miles on mine but the number is steadily climbing. I know I don't have much input but for what it is worth I agree with you guys this is not the bike to get cocky on and all you can do is respect her and make yourself the most educated rider of the machine that you have to keep yourself alive. To truly know your bike is to know how to move away from dangerous situations and keep it on it's wheels and you in the seat. I could be way off base being so new and all but thanks for listening anyway.

Welcome to the board

 

[BentValve]

Wow, lots of excellent posts in this thread, I definately no longer feel miles an indication of experience, rather just one requirement.

Ive personally been down 3 times...1 lowside @ 80mph , 1 lowside in traffic and 1 lowside right in front of my house....looking back , I was in control of all but the first one and even then if I had the knowledge I have now it would have been avoided as well because I would have fixed the bike. It had a head shake that nobody could figure out, Honda told me to check the air pressue.

Like one of the posters abover said, I too feel that i am nowhere even close to the riding level that id like to be at. I know that its probably unlikely that I will ever acheive the skill level that I desire to have on any level of riding...including the most basics.

But it would be nice if there were a few experts here on Hayabusa.org that I could consult with.

 

[Bronto]

Saddle time does improve skills. Riding at 30-50% of your abilties most of the time. Like the sum of all the parts greater then the whole. It all comes together for improved riding nearer your limits.
Saddle time improves street smarts. More miles is increased exposure to cager stupidity. Survivalbility skills get better.
Majority of my riding is Group Rides. Group Ride skills is better each time. Accomplishing a ride without someone crashing takes everyone doing the right thing. Takes saddle time to become aware and practice to do the right things.
Don't think there's a substitue for experience. Not knocking riders with less saddle time. Acknowledge everyone enjoys their riding in their own way.

 

[bajabug]

after 500 or so miles i was comfortable enough to go to the drag strip(low tens) and just signed up for a track day on a raod course, 3000mi now. i think its all in the ability to know your limits, and the bikes.

I would consider Rossi an expert on the track(along with all the guys he races..). i would consider the MSF gurus experts on the street...

 

[Elsboss]

Damn, gonna have to hang in the technical and mechanical areas. This is some lameass $hit. Bad weather out there?

Elliot

 

[05LimtedBusa]

I am going on 3 days owning my first Busa. I love the bike but am SCARED to death of it. It is my second bike, I am doing as alot of you have suggested and pushing my limits a LITTLE more everyday just to get the feel of it. I am vert impressed with the handling of the bike and how easy it is to move around on. I only have 80 miles on mine but the number is steadily climbing. I know I don't have much input but for what it is worth I agree with you guys this is not the bike to get cocky on and all you can do is respect her and make yourself the most educated rider of the machine that you have to keep yourself alive. To truly know your bike is to know how to move away from dangerous situations and keep it on it's wheels and you in the seat. I could be way off base being so new and all but thanks for listening anyway.

Welcome to the board

Thank you, I am having a ball racking up the miles on my busa. I am sure that as the miles turn I will have lots to talk about. Thanks for the welcome I will see you guys around.



RIDE SAFE EVERYONE