Hi,
Yesterday I took delivery of my new '04 Busa here in Adelaide, Australia.
My wife and I emigrated to Oz 18 months ago and immediately took our Bike licence (didn't have a bike licence before we came). We're both in our Mid-30's and emigrated to Oz as a life-style choice...and bikes are part of that choice.
Here in Oz you must be a learner for 3-months, and then if you pass the test you are restricted to a 250 for 12 months. After that you get a full licence (without the need for another test...I think they kind of assume that if you survive 12 months on a 250 then you'll be OK on a bigger bike).
We both bought Honda VTR250's (kinda little Ducati-styled 250's) to do our 12-months penance, which were great.
My wife traded her 250 in for a brand-new Honda 750 Shadow (cruiser style...she's a Harley-chick at heart, but we couldn't stretch for a new Harley...) which she got on Tuesday.
I traded my 250 in for a new '04 Busa (Blue/Silver).
There are only two '04 Busa's in South Australia in Silver/Blue at the moment, and I own one of them. Sweet.
It's just awesome.
The guy at the Suzuki shop said he only knows 1 other chap who went from a 250 to a Busa. He laughed when I asked if the other chap was still alive (which I'm happy to say he is...).
So...I'm taking it real easy. It's gotta be run-in, of course, so that's my excuse for not taking it above about 4000 revs. Nothing to do with me being a bit nervous.
It's getting warmer here (summer finally arrived) and I've got 2-weeks holiday over X-mas, so we're planning plenty of riding on the new bikes (with our two daughters (8 & 11) on the backs).
My arms are aching from the new riding position, the clutch is much stiffer than the 250 so my left-hand starts aching after about 10-minutes, I keep looking for the fuel-switch nob on the side (which aint there) and it's fascinating to watch the fuel-meter drop so quickly (done about 85kms on it so far and I think almost half a tank has gone...mainly since some of those were in commuter traffic). And the funny thing is, I'm lovin all of that as well !
Here in Oz, the good-old motorbike nod which bikers do to each other as they pass just wasn't happening to us on our 250's. Suddenly, though, I'm starting to feel like a nodding dog, as all the other riders acknowledge the bike.
Right...on with the last day of work, and then it's two free weeks to get to know my new baby.
Yesterday I took delivery of my new '04 Busa here in Adelaide, Australia.
My wife and I emigrated to Oz 18 months ago and immediately took our Bike licence (didn't have a bike licence before we came). We're both in our Mid-30's and emigrated to Oz as a life-style choice...and bikes are part of that choice.
Here in Oz you must be a learner for 3-months, and then if you pass the test you are restricted to a 250 for 12 months. After that you get a full licence (without the need for another test...I think they kind of assume that if you survive 12 months on a 250 then you'll be OK on a bigger bike).
We both bought Honda VTR250's (kinda little Ducati-styled 250's) to do our 12-months penance, which were great.
My wife traded her 250 in for a brand-new Honda 750 Shadow (cruiser style...she's a Harley-chick at heart, but we couldn't stretch for a new Harley...) which she got on Tuesday.
I traded my 250 in for a new '04 Busa (Blue/Silver).
There are only two '04 Busa's in South Australia in Silver/Blue at the moment, and I own one of them. Sweet.
It's just awesome.
The guy at the Suzuki shop said he only knows 1 other chap who went from a 250 to a Busa. He laughed when I asked if the other chap was still alive (which I'm happy to say he is...).
So...I'm taking it real easy. It's gotta be run-in, of course, so that's my excuse for not taking it above about 4000 revs. Nothing to do with me being a bit nervous.
It's getting warmer here (summer finally arrived) and I've got 2-weeks holiday over X-mas, so we're planning plenty of riding on the new bikes (with our two daughters (8 & 11) on the backs).
My arms are aching from the new riding position, the clutch is much stiffer than the 250 so my left-hand starts aching after about 10-minutes, I keep looking for the fuel-switch nob on the side (which aint there) and it's fascinating to watch the fuel-meter drop so quickly (done about 85kms on it so far and I think almost half a tank has gone...mainly since some of those were in commuter traffic). And the funny thing is, I'm lovin all of that as well !
Here in Oz, the good-old motorbike nod which bikers do to each other as they pass just wasn't happening to us on our 250's. Suddenly, though, I'm starting to feel like a nodding dog, as all the other riders acknowledge the bike.
Right...on with the last day of work, and then it's two free weeks to get to know my new baby.
