Kinda long, but a motorcycle review I did back in 2011 when I bought my 09 busa...

Tached1300

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Just wanted to share that I purchased a 2009 Hayabusa on Saturday and have put about 350 miles on it thus far, just thought I’d give an initial report and compare some points to the other 2 bikes I ride frequently 2004 CBR 1000, and 2011 R1.

Engine: I had never ridden a stock generation 2 busa before, only the previous generation and typically those had been geared etc. As I pulled out of the dealership parking lot, proceeded down the street and hit the on ramp to the interstate, I was like where’s the power!!! This thing is a dog! It runs too lazy! But considering my wife was on back and I did not really know what to expect I took it easy and these were my initial impressions. I wanted to ease into this thing. Well on the interstate I pull out to pass a car and get up to about 5000 rpms and roll on the throttle, next time I look down it’s running 95mph but I feel like I’m running 55mph. My first clue to the power between my legs, its subtle. At highway speeds it’s pretty much loafing compared to the higher strung CBR or R1, on those you feel like you are going as fast are you are.

Throttle: the busa has an easy to manage throttle it’s not as abrupt as I was expecting, in fact it’s nothing compared to the R1, just barely pull on the R1s throttle and you better be ready! My CBR is similar but not as abrupt as the R1 but the busa’s throttle just seems more linear if you will and allowed me to focus on the task at hand. With that said, once you reach the meat of the powerband, be ready and be holding on!

Engine vibes, while researching I had heard about the vibration that occurs at around 4500rpm, I did experience this but would not say it’s bothersome in anyway and it kinda adds character to the bike but in the higher rpms the engine is sweet!!!! Which brings me to another point, the busa is a high rpm machine, this caught me off guard due to its displacement I expected more of a low rpm-ish tuned midrange runner, this thing loves to rev! I’m not a top speed freak, so it’s possible that eventually I will drop it a tooth on the front sprocket or go plus two out back when it’s time to change sprockets down the road.

Given the way this bike makes power (in my opinion) it is tamer in low rpm city driving situations compared to the R1 or CBR again given the absence of the abruptness of the racier bikes. I’m guessing Suzuki designed it’s low rpm manners with the many of ham fisted not really experience riders in mind.

Looks: We know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, well I loved the front of the busas, but the back has been a hit or miss for me. Now I really like the back of my 2009. Busas seem to fall in to either the face only a mother can love category or most wicked looking bike on the road. Mine came with a 4-1 muzzy full exhaust, I dig the sound but do not like the look, I intend to change to a carbon fiber can at some point Akra or Yoshi comes to mind. Looks are subjective and relative to the individual so let’s move on.

Speaking of exhaust, the full exhaust in place of the stock systems netted a weight reduction of about 40lbs! Each stock exhaust can weighs 17lbs!

Quality, fit and finish and the fine little details simply do not measure up to Honda/Yamaha Standards. For example the gas cap and locking mechanism is constructed of thinner metals, the turn signal buttons are not as “positive” or self canceling as the Honda they feel more vague if you will.

Handling, I have to yet to attempt my typical pace with the guys on this bike as of yet on our usual roads. I did take it down one of my test roads and I must say preliminary results are PROMISING, not nearly as technical of a road but enough so to get a feel for the big bike, she was rock solid and surprised me in the speeds in which I navigated those turns. Bike felt extremely stable in the corners and I like the extra room to move around on the bike as compared to my cramped cockpit on the CBR. If I hit the lottery I will add a set of lightweight wheels which will help even more. Other low cost alternatives could be to throw a 190/55 tire out back and raising the rear 1” but I will get the suspension dialed in and go from there.

Brakes: Brakes are no where near those on my CBR or the R1. They are fine for majority of the riders out there not really pushing it. I will be upgrading to EBC HH pads and stainless steel lines up front initially, down the road I may consider an aftermarket full setup Brembo, Beringer etc….

Two up riding: my wife likes to ride with me instead of piloting her own bike sometimes, so another variable in my decision making process was I needed a bike that could do all I wanted it do in 2 up mode as well. I’ve logged 97% of my riding on this busa thus in 2 up mode. Wife certainly gives it a thumbs up in comparison to the CBR, but no shock there.

Comfort: my CBR tortured me, causing neck pain within 35 miles of a trip, I rode the busa 200+ miles on Saturday with no pain whatsoever MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!

In terms of future mods: I may get a set of risers for some longer distance riding, I will consider some lower pegs, and a long distance touring oriented seat. I’d like to be able to switch from sport to touring mode depending upon my destination.

Heat or lack thereof actually, no excessive heat coming off the engine or exhaust, I can’t say the same about the R1

Gas mileage: I have not really had a chance to gauge MPG as of yet, will have to report back on this one.

In summary: I set out to find a bike that had the power I crave, sportiness and good handling and most importantly COMFORT. I needed to be able to ride it and come home and basically feel like I would if I were getting out of the car. Certain bikes come and go, but this one is a keeper!
 
Just wanted to share that I purchased a 2009 Hayabusa on Saturday and have put about 350 miles on it thus far, just thought I’d give an initial report and compare some points to the other 2 bikes I ride frequently 2004 CBR 1000, and 2011 R1.

Engine: I had never ridden a stock generation 2 busa before, only the previous generation and typically those had been geared etc. As I pulled out of the dealership parking lot, proceeded down the street and hit the on ramp to the interstate, I was like where’s the power!!! This thing is a dog! It runs too lazy! But considering my wife was on back and I did not really know what to expect I took it easy and these were my initial impressions. I wanted to ease into this thing. Well on the interstate I pull out to pass a car and get up to about 5000 rpms and roll on the throttle, next time I look down it’s running 95mph but I feel like I’m running 55mph. My first clue to the power between my legs, its subtle. At highway speeds it’s pretty much loafing compared to the higher strung CBR or R1, on those you feel like you are going as fast are you are.

Throttle: the busa has an easy to manage throttle it’s not as abrupt as I was expecting, in fact it’s nothing compared to the R1, just barely pull on the R1s throttle and you better be ready! My CBR is similar but not as abrupt as the R1 but the busa’s throttle just seems more linear if you will and allowed me to focus on the task at hand. With that said, once you reach the meat of the powerband, be ready and be holding on!

Engine vibes, while researching I had heard about the vibration that occurs at around 4500rpm, I did experience this but would not say it’s bothersome in anyway and it kinda adds character to the bike but in the higher rpms the engine is sweet!!!! Which brings me to another point, the busa is a high rpm machine, this caught me off guard due to its displacement I expected more of a low rpm-ish tuned midrange runner, this thing loves to rev! I’m not a top speed freak, so it’s possible that eventually I will drop it a tooth on the front sprocket or go plus two out back when it’s time to change sprockets down the road.

Given the way this bike makes power (in my opinion) it is tamer in low rpm city driving situations compared to the R1 or CBR again given the absence of the abruptness of the racier bikes. I’m guessing Suzuki designed it’s low rpm manners with the many of ham fisted not really experience riders in mind.

Looks: We know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, well I loved the front of the busas, but the back has been a hit or miss for me. Now I really like the back of my 2009. Busas seem to fall in to either the face only a mother can love category or most wicked looking bike on the road. Mine came with a 4-1 muzzy full exhaust, I dig the sound but do not like the look, I intend to change to a carbon fiber can at some point Akra or Yoshi comes to mind. Looks are subjective and relative to the individual so let’s move on.

Speaking of exhaust, the full exhaust in place of the stock systems netted a weight reduction of about 40lbs! Each stock exhaust can weighs 17lbs!

Quality, fit and finish and the fine little details simply do not measure up to Honda/Yamaha Standards. For example the gas cap and locking mechanism is constructed of thinner metals, the turn signal buttons are not as “positive” or self canceling as the Honda they feel more vague if you will.

Handling, I have to yet to attempt my typical pace with the guys on this bike as of yet on our usual roads. I did take it down one of my test roads and I must say preliminary results are PROMISING, not nearly as technical of a road but enough so to get a feel for the big bike, she was rock solid and surprised me in the speeds in which I navigated those turns. Bike felt extremely stable in the corners and I like the extra room to move around on the bike as compared to my cramped cockpit on the CBR. If I hit the lottery I will add a set of lightweight wheels which will help even more. Other low cost alternatives could be to throw a 190/55 tire out back and raising the rear 1” but I will get the suspension dialed in and go from there.

Brakes: Brakes are no where near those on my CBR or the R1. They are fine for majority of the riders out there not really pushing it. I will be upgrading to EBC HH pads and stainless steel lines up front initially, down the road I may consider an aftermarket full setup Brembo, Beringer etc….

Two up riding: my wife likes to ride with me instead of piloting her own bike sometimes, so another variable in my decision making process was I needed a bike that could do all I wanted it do in 2 up mode as well. I’ve logged 97% of my riding on this busa thus in 2 up mode. Wife certainly gives it a thumbs up in comparison to the CBR, but no shock there.

Comfort: my CBR tortured me, causing neck pain within 35 miles of a trip, I rode the busa 200+ miles on Saturday with no pain whatsoever MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!

In terms of future mods: I may get a set of risers for some longer distance riding, I will consider some lower pegs, and a long distance touring oriented seat. I’d like to be able to switch from sport to touring mode depending upon my destination.

Heat or lack thereof actually, no excessive heat coming off the engine or exhaust, I can’t say the same about the R1

Gas mileage: I have not really had a chance to gauge MPG as of yet, will have to report back on this one.

In summary: I set out to find a bike that had the power I crave, sportiness and good handling and most importantly COMFORT. I needed to be able to ride it and come home and basically feel like I would if I were getting out of the car. Certain bikes come and go, but this one is a keeper!

Good write up, it is in line with other write ups I have read as well as my own riding experiences.

When I first rode it I too thought it was pretty mundane...then I opened the throttle and it took off like a fighter jet.

Suzuki did it right with this bike.
 
I’ve owned a lot of mostly GSXR1100’s and a GSXR1000K6, my Gen 1 Busa is the bike I’ll stick with, have had it 5 years, covered 50, 000kms trouble free, and it does everything I need and want it to do.
Your write up was interesting and thanks for putting it up, I’m gonna go play with my bike now, it’s raining here so will play in the garage lol.
 
Tached 1300, I enjoyed your review. The first bike I ever owned was a GS1150-ES. Each of my friends (with the exception of one) said I would kill myself; they were wrong. Currently I own a K9 (blacked out) Hayabusa. I bought it 2 years ago from a lady who was 5'-4" and had it lowered and she still couldn't stand flat footed; it had 6,600 miles on it.

Last year, I bought a K2 GSX-R600 to change it into a track bike. I've finally learned how to ride the 600. And I've finally understood that my 600 is 1/2 of the bike of my 1340 Busa, in just about every way. The funny thing for me is, in the cold temperatures, the factory seat is hard as a rock, but anything over 60 degrees F. and its nice and comfortable. lol Busa 4 Life :firing::thumbsup:
1606009
 
Tached 1300, I enjoyed your review. The first bike I ever owned was a GS1150-ES. Each of my friends (with the exception of one) said I would kill myself; they were wrong. Currently I own a K9 (blacked out) Hayabusa. I bought it 2 years ago from a lady who was 5'-4" and had it lowered and she still couldn't stand flat footed; it had 6,600 miles on it.

Last year, I bought a K2 GSX-R600 to change it into a track bike. I've finally learned how to ride the 600. And I've finally understood that my 600 is 1/2 of the bike of my 1340 Busa, in just about every way. The funny thing for me is, in the cold temperatures, the factory seat is hard as a rock, but anything over 60 degrees F. and its nice and comfortable. lol Busa 4 Life :firing::thumbsup:
View attachment 1606009
You need to paint those foot peg holders to black it out even more....

Gotta love these bikes though....:D
 
Yellow09... Wow - you're right! I do need to paint them...Man! I knew there was something, lol. Nice advice, thanks, I probably will as soon as I am able to get the time to do them properly! Sweet, Thanks again! :super:
 
I painted mine last year with truck bed paint and a top coat of farm implement paint...then baked them in the oven at 200'F for a couple hours....they have held up extremely well with no signs of wear at all...

The wife thought I was baking something good until she turned the light on and saw my bike parts....she was less than impressed...

Oh and lose the swing arm sticker...all the guys here flamed me for mine once...
 
Tached 1300, I enjoyed your review. The first bike I ever owned was a GS1150-ES. Each of my friends (with the exception of one) said I would kill myself; they were wrong. Currently I own a K9 (blacked out) Hayabusa. I bought it 2 years ago from a lady who was 5'-4" and had it lowered and she still couldn't stand flat footed; it had 6,600 miles on it.

Last year, I bought a K2 GSX-R600 to change it into a track bike. I've finally learned how to ride the 600. And I've finally understood that my 600 is 1/2 of the bike of my 1340 Busa, in just about every way. The funny thing for me is, in the cold temperatures, the factory seat is hard as a rock, but anything over 60 degrees F. and its nice and comfortable. lol Busa 4 Life :firing::thumbsup:
View attachment 1606009
Thanks, I thought it would be interesting to see what other Busa owners thought of it. Funny but I want to add a dedicated track and canyon carver to my collection as well. It will take all the abuse I don’t want to subject my Busa.
 
:thumbsup: Yes Sir! That is my intention for the 600, even though everyone says that it is such a clean bike. I still have it registered for the street, but I'm putting it on the track next month. I still need to get some track fairings and engine cases for it. It only had 28,000 miles on it when I got it - only evidence of "static" drops - no sliding low side falls damage. But yeah... awesome review on your experience. And I was thinking the same things that you mentioned Yellow09, about the baking and swing arm sticker!
 
:thumbsup: Yes Sir! That is my intention for the 600, even though everyone says that it is such a clean bike. I still have it registered for the street, but I'm putting it on the track next month. I still need to get some track fairings and engine cases for it. It only had 28,000 miles on it when I got it - only evidence of "static" drops - no sliding low side falls damage. But yeah... awesome review on your experience. And I was thinking the same things that you mentioned Yellow09, about the baking and swing arm sticker!
I realized just now that I should’ve included a pic for those who haven’t seen my 09 duh!!! It’s been posted before but I’d be wrong in assuming others have seen it. Here’s my favorite pic of it

ECF56720-1BAC-4DF9-A196-1F1A5F63A922.jpeg
 
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