Is the NEW Hayabusa safe enough for a beginner?

ZX-6E was my first bike. At the time it was the only bike I rode other than the MSF bike at the course.

Made plenty of mistakes on that bike, and honestly could have gone with a smaller CC bike....but I went with something that I thought could last me for a few years.

Can the Busa be a beginners bike? Yes- depending on the individual. Every straight/corner/overtakes (etc.) outcome is governed by the riders experience and maturity, knowing that their right wrist control is key when learning. Would I recommend the Busa to someone I don't know well? No.


For our UK and Euro members that have HP/CC limits while young or learning- How do you feel that being mandated to ride a restricted 2-wheel vehicle affected your skills/confidence? Assume the progression helped make you the rider you are now?
In the UK we were restricted to 12 horsepower of 125cc. The bikes were light and nimble in urban riding but woefully underpowered on the open road. So the skill of handling a motorbike was learned and gave rise to becoming confident to handling a powered two wheeler especially in traffic around town but that was largely it.
Back then you could pass your test then ride an unlimited capacity therefore power bike.
I went to the extreme and bought a CBX 6.
The performance was addictive and I had no real near misses but traffic was much lighter. And slower.
I still wouldn't recommend a superbike to an inexperienced rider,given the driving standards and congestion over here nowadays.It's arguably irresponsible in my book, however well intentioned, in case it goes tits up..
 
Last edited:
A good beginner's bike is the SV650, easy to ride, relatively light, more than enough power (76HP), does the quarter mile in 11.4 sec, has a top speed of 130mph, very satisfying on B roads, has 58 mpg, is very cheap new or used, and the engine is buletproof. Sounds like a Ducati with a free can since it is a 90 degrees V2. I bought a used 2019 model with ABS and 12000 Km for 5K Euro's so that I don't torture the Busa in the city. I highly recommend it to new and experienced riders. In Greece all Suzukis have a 4 year warranty which is a plus for low mileage used bikes.

61094898__97940.1599728431.jpg
 
definitely not a beginner bike. when i bought my gen 2, suzuki’s literature said they did not recommend the busa to inexperienced riders.
True, gen2 busa is absolutely deadly for any beginners. But I think gen3 is a completely different situation.
 
You want to buy a Hayabusa as a first bike for the exact same reason you buy a Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock a a first car for a new driver.

cheers
ken
 
Anyone can start on anything I personally started on a R1 after being told not to now I'm alive and on a turbo busa, the issue comes with speed and control. It takes years to learn distances at extremely high speeds, emergency braking and when to maneuver and when to brake. I'd recommend extensive safety courses where they force you to emergency brake/maneuver in a controlled environment and take the course in the rain if you can.

I'd also recommend ride by your self 99% of the time.... I've seen more crashes due to people trying to keep up, show off or not paying attention riding with a group or friends, you'll live alot longer solo riding and let's be real no one is going to use the speed limit feature hahaha.
Yup, at 170mph, a car one mile away looks like a spec and in 10 seconds, they are getting real big real fast. So if you want to go real fast remember the spec rule, add 10 seconds, shut down as hard as you can or you will rear-end that car, ask me how I know!
 
Neither is a good beginner bike. Can you yes but it’s far from ideal and only setting you up for problems.
So, besides the problem of its weight, what else can come up if I set a 60mph and 5000rpm limiter and stay on mode C? I'm not trolling. I've only been on a 400cc bike for 2 years and I have no clue what problems are gonna be left there if I've limited it to mode C and set up a speed limiter.
 
So, besides the problem of its weight, what else can come up if I set a 60mph and 5000rpm limiter and stay on mode C? I'm not trolling. I've only been on a 400cc bike for 2 years and I have no clue what problems are gonna be left there if I've limited it to mode C and set up a speed limiter.
Hi. So you have had a bike and may know to ride. So if you have some control of your self I would say go for it but be careful. My daughter got her license last year she bought an old 250cc. I have a 900cc bike ready for her when she is ready. I will also be teaching her to ride my 1000 HP LSR bike as the record she has to beat is only 233 MPH. Only when she is ready. I am looking to run 275 to 280+.
 
So, besides the problem of its weight, what else can come up if I set a 60mph and 5000rpm limiter and stay on mode C? I'm not trolling. I've only been on a 400cc bike for 2 years and I have no clue what problems are gonna be left there if I've limited it to mode C and set up a speed limiter.
What kind of riding did you do for 2 years, if you were confident on that 400 and had no problems, riding a bike like a Hayabusa will be fine.

Remember, it's you that makes the bike go fast, not the bike. The Hayabusa can be very docile until you decide it shouldn't be.

Also remember, ultimate power corrupts ultimately.....once you get the taste of twisting the throttle, you will get addicted just learn to control it.
 
So, besides the problem of its weight, what else can come up if I set a 60mph and 5000rpm limiter and stay on mode C? I'm not trolling. I've only been on a 400cc bike for 2 years and I have no clue what problems are gonna be left there if I've limited it to mode C and set up a speed limiter.
IMHO, it’s the way this bike gets to the 5k limiter that can catch someone who is unaware out.

2.5k revs on this bike isn’t the same as being at 2.5k on the 400.

Everything can come at the rider so much faster. I tell people that ask that you have to train yourself for the speed and the violence of cracking the throttle- add 200+#’s of longer, lower bike in there and it can be a recipe for disaster.

Ease the clutch out, get settled and wring that 400 out to 65, what- 4-5th gear?

Ease the clutch out on the busa, get settled and whaxk it up to 5k- you are at passing 70mph in 1st. And it took 1/2 the time to get there as the 400.

Overcooking a corner in a 550# bike, when you can get to that corner very, very fast isn’t the same as on lighter motorcycles. Heck, my HD switchback weighed a friggin ton…got the back to step out by dumping the clutch. Was just approaching vertical again, still leaning over….many many things were said in the helmet that I had to repent for. ;)
It was one of the times that I was angry at myself for not respecting/learning the power delivery of a big twin. At this time I’ve been riding on and off for 18 years, and had owned a TL-R when I was in England. I momentarily didn’t respect the newness of the weigh, torque, steering angle, COG, etc…

I stand by my earlier comment: Can the busa be a bike for a new rider- yes! Especially if that rider is cautious to the change coming at them.

If you’ve had the experience of 2 years working your skill set, and you respect the busa- it can be a bike you grow with. And one that you can keep for life.
 
So, besides the problem of its weight, what else can come up if I set a 60mph and 5000rpm limiter and stay on mode C? I'm not trolling. I've only been on a 400cc bike for 2 years and I have no clue what problems are gonna be left there if I've limited it to mode C and set up a speed limiter.
It’s your judgement in how fast things happen and how you react to them. Do you have the ability to do that without hurting or killing your self? It only takes one mistake.

Not to mention you will have bad habits learning on a larger, fast motorcycle. The limiter doesn’t work like that unless you personally won’t exceed those values? But the fact that you are thinking that says you aren’t ready.
 
The rider aids make the bike more user friendly, not more beginner friendly.

If u think u need them to make the bike rideable, u not ready for it. Either give yourself more credit, (u have 2yrs of riding, that could be 40k miles) or acknowledge your faults and ride that 400 harder, stop puttin around and let it rip.

Same as the ppl who thought Suzuki’s a-b-c mode on the 1000 made it a 600 750 or 1000, it don’t work like that lol
 
The rider aids make the bike more user friendly, not more beginner friendly.

If u think u need them to make the bike rideable, u not ready for it. Either give yourself more credit, (u have 2yrs of riding, that could be 40k miles) or acknowledge your faults and ride that 400 harder, stop puttin around and let it rip.

Same as the ppl who thought Suzuki’s a-b-c mode on the 1000 made it a 600 750 or 1000, it don’t work like that lol
People keep telling me that a Hayabusa is always a suicide machine for beginners. And there are various sayings about how much experience exactly is required before jumping onto a Busa. From their sayings, I am still a beginner because I should be going 650cc and 1000cc before a Busa. If I say I'm confident, some would say I am arrogant and gonna kill myself; if I say I am not sure if my skill is enough, some would say I am not ready yet. So... You know what I mean.
 
It’s your judgement in how fast things happen and how you react to them. Do you have the ability to do that without hurting or killing your self? It only takes one mistake.

Not to mention you will have bad habits learning on a larger, fast motorcycle. The limiter doesn’t work like that unless you personally won’t exceed those values? But the fact that you are thinking that says you aren’t ready.
Could you please let me know what exactly I have to learn after riding 400cc and before a Busa? When I say I'm gonna set a limiter and stay in mode C, I mean I don't die because of a 5-degree mistake on my right wrist. I respect Busa, and I also respect my Ninja 400; I can kill myself easily with both of them. But how many steps are there between them? Is it really necessary to get a 650cc, then a 1000cc, then spend years on them before getting on a Busa?
 
Every Hayabusa is a solid 180 mph motorcycle under the right conditions. It will run in the low 11s in a quarter mile even with a fat guy aboard and a lousy start. It has around three times the horsepower than the biggest Harley for example, and weighs hundreds of pounds less. The most experienced rider has to be careful throttling away especially in the first couple gears. Finding a nice empty and long straightaway to ‘learn’ the throttle response and the power is very beneficial. It’s your decision so enjoy the ride. One more thing, have you priced the cost of insuring one?
 
Back
Top