Just joined the Busa family and am a bit disappointed...

[critterdoc]

Naw...something's wrong mate. There is a small patch of buzzy vibration around 4500 revs, but otherwise this engine's as smooth as glass.

[Amode]

You see what i mean Mrmoo ?????.

[wscycle]

Dont waste your money in that ugly bike(zx14)

[fallenarch]

+1

Love BOTH the Busa and ZX14 but have to admit I'm leaning toward the 14 cause everyone seems to say how comfortable and smooth it is. I tore my shoulder and herniated 2 discs at work. My shoulder was operated on and now I have to see a spine surgeon so a comfortable ride is gonna be really important to me.

Be careful with the ZX14. Lots of Kawi riders are showing up at the ciropractor with neck injuries from snapping their head around when the Busa blew past.

[richie921]

Be careful with the ZX14. Lots of Kawi riders are showing up at the ciropractor with neck injuries from snapping their head around when the Busa blew past.

Hahaha...I heard the same but that the injury was from looking back to see the expression on the Busa riders face as the 14 flew by!
Like I said I like both bikes so if I ever make the move I'll see which one feels better to me.
Richie

[KS9495]

I definitely had the same issues prior to breaking in the engine. After the 1st service it got better & now at 5000km I can't recall feeling it anymore...

[smac]

I took the bike for a short ride today. It doesn't seem as bad today but then again I wasn't at highway speeds for an hour either. I decided to ride it a little more spirited as I used to follow the brake in hard method with turbocharged cars in my earlier youth with no ill effects. The bike really is a blast and I don't think I managed more then 3/4 throttle. Changed the oil to 20-50w as I read that some had some luck with that reducing vibrations. Love all that metal in the oil on a first oil change! Will take it out on the highway tonight or tomorrow to get a better feel for what was going on. Yesterday I think compounding that uncomfortable vibration (it comes through the seat too I realized) was being a bit worn out when I picked it up from being a bit sick. I talked to the dealer and they definitely want to see it ASAP. I'll have to figure out getting it back up to them 1.5 hours away next week somehow.

Here is my 18 month old trying out the Busa.

How much metal was in the oil pan?

[MrMoo]

How much metal was in the oil pan?

It's kinda hard to quantify. Just swirling the oil in the drain pan it was all multicolored and sparkly. Clutch, gears, rings, bearings breaking in makes for a pretty oil. There wasn't much in the way of ferrous material as the magnetic drain plug had only a little bit of metal on it.

[MR Felt]

How much metal was in the oil pan?

You are going to have metal coming from burrs.
When I raced off road I'd change my oil every weekend.
And every time there was a wad of metal on the magnet.
But...when we'd split the cases all of the gear train looked normal. One my second race bike I raced it solid for 4 years and every weekend there was the same amount of metal.

[Spkrdctr]

Guys, is the suspension on the BKing better at making it smooth? My King runs smooth as silk. The motor purrs like a kitten until I snap it WFO in third gear, then it starts growling through the quiet tipped Two Brothers exhaust. A mean nasty kind of growl.........

If the Busas are as smooth as the King, there is something really wrong with this guys bike!

[jellyrug]

Let us know how you progress with the vibration analysis.

My oil was pretty clean at the first change, only got to it at around 1200 miles. Can't remember any signs of metal, a very slight sludge around the drain plug magnet.

About vibration, it is difficult to judge from the information given. At 5,000 RPM there are 10,000 high compression explosions per minute out of a tiny little 1340cc motor delivering almost 200 hp at the drive shaft, mounted in a frame just below your %^$%. Kind of difficult to hide that completely. In comparison to something like a Honda 919 I find it relatively smooth, but it depends on your perception, which may be different.

In comparison to a Harley, at some RPM a Harley is so bad, it feels as if there is a wheel balance problem, while at other RPM ranges it is actually less than a Busa.

[Otto]

Richie, good-luck with the ZX14.
I too looked at it and tested it with another friend and would have bought it if I had thought it was better than the Hayabusa.
Maybe you will suit it more.
There are issues with the level of difficulty when servicing as posted in the Kawa Forums, plus to be honest, the engine, though powerful felt slightly strange.
My friend who tested it with me said it sounded and felt "Sandy" and also the gearbox was not in the Busa league. Ergonomics were more upright, though I would say that at SPEED, which is what the Busa is designed for, the tucked in position(of the Busa) is really what you need. In short, it's got a more sporty stance, though you may prefer the other.
Also, with Heli Bars on the Busa, it's a whole lot more satisfactory overall for everyday riding.
If I wanted another bike for Transcontinental Touring, then the Kwaka GTR1400 would be very appropriate. More so than the Busa.Best to test ride them BOTH several times. If you do this, you will inevitably take the right bike home which suits you the best.

[richie921]

Richie, good-luck with the ZX14.
I too looked at it and tested it with another friend and would have bought it if I had thought it was better than the Hayabusa.
Maybe you will suit it more.
There are issues with the level of difficulty when servicing as posted in the Kawa Forums, plus to be honest, the engine, though powerful felt slightly strange.
My friend who tested it with me said it sounded and felt "Sandy" and also the gearbox was not in the Busa league. Ergonomics were more upright, though I would say that at SPEED, which is what the Busa is designed for, the tucked in position(of the Busa) is really what you need. In short, it's got a more sporty stance, though you may prefer the other.
Also, with Heli Bars on the Busa, it's a whole lot more satisfactory overall for everyday riding.
If I wanted another bike for Transcontinental Touring, then the Kwaka GTR1400 would be very appropriate. More so than the Busa.Best to test ride them BOTH several times. If you do this, you will inevitably take the right bike home which suits you the best.

Test rides would def help if and when I make a move to see which bike felt more comfortable and which one I liked better. I don't know of any dealer though that gives test rides. My other concern was insurance as the rates quoted between the two were over 3000 dollars/year different with the BUsa being 4500 and the 14 being around 12 to 1400. I have to look into that more when the time comes cause if that ends up being the case it would have to be the 14. Not spending 400/month for insurance that's for sure. Otherwise, if they both end up being close on insurance I'll have to really think about it since I don't tour at all sop the rides aren't that long.
Richie

[BUBBA]

This is the smoothest, and most comfortable bike I have ever ridden - (I have an '09 Dorian Gray also) the vibration is a growl at low gears and will take a little getting used to. It is just not where this bike likes to be. With a bike of this range, there is always a RPM range that is not exactly where it wants to be. I generally don't dwell at this RPM and get through this range quickly.

I do many trips that are over 500 miles in a day and involve 200 miles of Fwy and 300 in the twisties, and I never feel that I have to get off and rest. The seat has a very broad range of sitting positions.

I would give it another few miles and if you are still not satisfied, than give it to the dealership and let them evaluate your bike.

Just 2,
Ride her safe,
Bubba

[MrMoo]

I'm not exactly sure at this moment how I'm going to get the bike back to the original dealer so they can test ride it. I did manage a 20 minute ride yesterday and it does feel a bit better which may be the 20w-50 oil. I was able to get it on the highway but didn't really feel comfortable opening it up too much as the cops were out in force. It may have just been the fact that I was getting sick the day I picked it up and have been feeling like crap since then. Being sick and doing the 90 minute ride home after not really being on a bike in 2 years I think was just too much for my ass. I've order some grip puppies and will be ordering a New Image seat this week.

Anyone in the Richmond, VA area want to do a quick swap to see if it just me or the bike really does feel funny? I unfortunately don't have enough seat experience on different bikes to be able to determine if the bike is a bit off or I just had sand in my vagina.

[sixpack577]

Be careful with the ZX14. Lots of Kawi riders are showing up at the ciropractor with neck injuries from snapping their head around when the Busa blew past.

Somethin like this?

[platinumnj]

Test rides would def help if and when I make a move to see which bike felt more comfortable and which one I liked better. I don't know of any dealer though that gives test rides. My other concern was insurance as the rates quoted between the two were over 3000 dollars/year different with the BUsa being 4500 and the 14 being around 12 to 1400. I have to look into that more when the time comes cause if that ends up being the case it would have to be the 14. Not spending 400/month for insurance that's for sure. Otherwise, if they both end up being close on insurance I'll have to really think about it since I don't tour at all sop the rides aren't that long.
Richie

Richie,

Shoot me a PM and I will give you the contact information to a sales agent for insurance. I am 24 and my first purchased bike was a busa, and I spend 540 a year on my insurance. You are near richmond which makes it that much better because this guy is right in richmond. He hooked it up when Progressive and everyone else was trying to charge me 8-9k a year.

[aussiekeeper]

I'm not exactly sure at this moment how I'm going to get the bike back to the original dealer so they can test ride it. I did manage a 20 minute ride yesterday and it does feel a bit better which may be the 20w-50 oil. I was able to get it on the highway but didn't really feel comfortable opening it up too much as the cops were out in force. It may have just been the fact that I was getting sick the day I picked it up and have been feeling like crap since then. Being sick and doing the 90 minute ride home after not really being on a bike in 2 years I think was just too much for my ass. I've order some grip puppies and will be ordering a New Image seat this week.

Anyone in the Richmond, VA area want to do a quick swap to see if it just me or the bike really does feel funny? I unfortunately don't have enough seat experience on different bikes to be able to determine if the bike is a bit off or I just had sand in my vagina.

Hey MOO, just put some miles on it. The engine will get smoother as the mileage gets piled on. One more thing, get that 20-50 out of there, use 10-40.............

[Mythos]

Test rides would def help if and when I make a move to see which bike felt more comfortable and which one I liked better. I don't know of any dealer though that gives test rides. My other concern was insurance as the rates quoted between the two were over 3000 dollars/year different with the BUsa being 4500 and the 14 being around 12 to 1400. I have to look into that more when the time comes cause if that ends up being the case it would have to be the 14. Not spending 400/month for insurance that's for sure. Otherwise, if they both end up being close on insurance I'll have to really think about it since I don't tour at all sop the rides aren't that long.
Richie

I own both 08 busa and 08 zx14. The busa is smoother. A little more stress on the low back wit the busa. The 14 feels a little stronger in midrange, 3 K - 6K. when the busa gets going fast, it still feels very manageable like it only wants to go faster.

[jellyrug]

I'm not exactly sure at this moment how I'm going to get the bike back to the original dealer so they can test ride it. I did manage a 20 minute ride yesterday and it does feel a bit better which may be the 20w-50 oil. I was able to get it on the highway but didn't really feel comfortable opening it up too much as the cops were out in force. It may have just been the fact that I was getting sick the day I picked it up and have been feeling like crap since then. Being sick and doing the 90 minute ride home after not really being on a bike in 2 years I think was just too much for my ass. I've order some grip puppies and will be ordering a New Image seat this week.

Anyone in the Richmond, VA area want to do a quick swap to see if it just me or the bike really does feel funny? I unfortunately don't have enough seat experience on different bikes to be able to determine if the bike is a bit off or I just had sand in my vagina.

20W50 Oil will make no difference to vibration. Good idea to have a seasoned Busa rider test your bike and give you good feedback.