In the market for my first busa - going to look at an '08

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Hey everyone,

In the market for my first busa. had many bikes over the years - v strom 1000, gsxr 1000, concours 14 etc. still havnt found the perfect bike ( will we ever?)


anyway this busa is an '08 with 37,000 km or 23,000 miles. looks to be stock unmolested and in decent shape.

I'm totally unfamiliar with these bikes - are there any busa related things I should be looking out for?

Im 6'1 and 200 lbs. and want to tour / have fun. I have heard the zx14 is more comfortable but the busa seems to be a better value im my area (cost is a factor).

Thanks for any advice.
 
A very versatile, reliable platform: tour, race, drag, cruise. You'll enjoy the bike's stability, will marvel how it handles despite that stability, and will go broke giving it whatever it wants because you will be in love
... in my humble opinion

Obviously you want a bike that's been properly cared for, but even then, it's just a matter of parts & TLC to get the bike to deliver an unsurpassed level of satisfaction.

I've yet to meet (or hear about) the person who rode the bike and then decided the bike wasn't for them. Are there people like that out there?

BTW, this forum is a large part of the reason I believe so strongly in these bikes
 
Not sure of your budget but unless I got an 08 for a really great price to offset the price of upgrading the brakes, I’d move up to at least a 2013 to get the better brakes unless you don’t want the ABS with it. Lots of good busas out there and don’t be afraid to travel further for the right deal. Just my 2 cents
 
Not sure of your budget but unless I got an 08 for a really great price to offset the price of upgrading the brakes, I’d move up to at least a 2013 to get the better brakes unless you don’t want the ABS with it. Lots of good busas out there and don’t be afraid to travel further for the right deal. Just my 2 cents

+1
 
Thanks guys, ABS is no biggie for me - its nice to have but a lower purchase price is the bigger factor at this point.

This bike looks clean, unmolested, new rubber and 23k miles. price is equivalent to 4k USD.

are the pre 2013 Tokico brakes really that bad?
 
Thanks guys, ABS is no biggie for me - its nice to have but a lower purchase price is the bigger factor at this point.

This bike looks clean, unmolested, new rubber and 23k miles. price is equivalent to 4k USD.

are the pre 2013 Tokico brakes really that bad?
Bad is subjective and based upon your frame of reference from other bikes and comparisons in performance from what you’ve owned and your riding style. For conservative riders/riding they work ok.

In comparison to the Brembo it is night and day, stock to stock, I had an 09 and now have a 15. Several here have deleted the ABS. It all boils down to riding style and preferences.
 
I've got a hell of an 08, but not for 4k...
11046597_405584986279101_8417569878027709661_o.jpg
 
Bad is subjective and based upon your frame of reference from other bikes and comparisons in performance from what you’ve owned and your riding style.

In comparison to the Brembo it is night and day, stock to stock, I had an 09 and now have a 15. Several here have deleted the ABS. It all boils down to riding style and preferences.


well better brakes are always better of-course, but I don't plan to be on the track or doing any really high speeds on a frequent basis. I turn it on here and there , but for the most part I don't get too crazy
 
Bad is subjective and based upon your frame of reference from other bikes and comparisons in performance from what you’ve owned and your riding style. For conservative riders/riding they work ok.

In comparison to the Brembo it is night and day, stock to stock, I had an 09 and now have a 15. Several here have deleted the ABS. It all boils down to riding style and preferences.

+1
 
Bad is subjective and based upon your frame of reference from other bikes and comparisons in performance from what you’ve owned and your riding style. For conservative riders/riding they work ok.

In comparison to the Brembo it is night and day, stock to stock, I had an 09 and now have a 15. Several here have deleted the ABS. It all boils down to riding style and preferences.


yes I'm not going to be trying to beat any land speed records so the old brakes may be OK for me.

other then the brakes, does the 15 feel any different from the 09?
 
yes I'm not going to be trying to beat any land speed records so the old brakes may be OK for me.

other then the brakes, does the 15 feel any different from the 09?
Nope same bike minus the brake upgrades and ABS system... just for the record I didn’t sell the 09 to “upgrade” but when I decided to get another one I wanted the better brakes.
 
Nope same bike minus the brake upgrades and ABS system... just for the record I didn’t sell the 09 to “upgrade” but when I decided to get another one I wanted the better brakes.


Nice...ya if cost wasn't a factor I would probably just go new....there pretty cheap down in the US eh? looks like $11,500 for a 2019 brand new.
 
Nice...ya if cost wasn't a factor I would probably just go new....there pretty cheap down in the US eh? looks like $11,500 for a 2019 brand new.
In that ball park for leftover year models, some dealers are blowing them out for even less but you have to watch out for those dealer add on fees.
 
Nice...ya if cost wasn't a factor I would probably just go new....there pretty cheap down in the US eh? looks like $11,500 for a 2019 brand new.

Pick up the '08, sounds like a good deal. If you find the brakes lacking, with the money you saved on the bike, you can do the Ebay update...lots of stuff out there for Busas so you can't go wrong.

Go get it and enjoy...great color of bike too.
 
I’ll second Yellow09 on this advice - I picked up a used 09 in March of this year with zero regrets. Tons of excellent ideas and help on this site so it probably won’t be long until your upgrading a fender / mirrors / exhaust etc. The money you saved on the initial spend will hopefully cover these costs (within reason) and you’ll have a lot of fun adding some personal touches :)
 
Hey everyone,

In the market for my first busa. had many bikes over the years - v strom 1000, gsxr 1000, concours 14 etc. still havnt found the perfect bike ( will we ever?)


anyway this busa is an '08 with 37,000 km or 23,000 miles. looks to be stock unmolested and in decent shape.

I'm totally unfamiliar with these bikes - are there any busa related things I should be looking out for?

Im 6'1 and 200 lbs. and want to tour / have fun. I have heard the zx14 is more comfortable but the busa seems to be a better value im my area (cost is a factor).

Thanks for any advice.
Welcome
Well..another one from the Island. We are 4 now on the forum I believe. Where are you from sir?

Regarding your question.. I own both - ZX 14 and Busa (so does @ROADTOAD1340 ) and I find the busa is more comfy. Iam slightly taller than you and about 50 Lbs heavier.
On top of that there are many different options to make the bird more comfy for long rides.

Stick around here and look into the search bar and you will find tons of options and advice for the best mods.
 
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