New to the Group - Almost Decided To Buy A Busa....But

Z

zipitupuk

Registered
Hi All, Im in the Uk, New to this forum but not to bikes.......little bit of history coming up but bear with me...

I saw the Busa when it was first released in the Uk at the Birmingham Bike Show.......1998/9........Dam it was love at first sight and it fitted like a tailor made leather glove.....only I was held back by Life/Mortgage/kids etc......
Time moves on........a range of odd bikes, then Period of playing with Trikes...(lot of fun as the whole family can get on 'em, no helmets and a finger up to the establishment <grin>)

then a period of no bikes at all! (known as The Dark Days......)....

Fast forward to 2011 - New Lady in my life (real female biker babe <grin>) Kids grown and flown , 1st a Pan European (no laughing at the back) and then a Beautiful sexy Aprilia Futura (only about 63 left on the road in the uk) giving us both Bendy road fun and good storage for touring.........all good ....contented......zen.......

Then some scumbag stole it, got me a speeding ticket and burnt it out......

few months mourning and an eventual insurance pay out...and My heart has drifted back to that love At first sight moment at the bike show..... The GSX1300R

So I've looked at all sorts of more practical(?) sports tourer's for two up ridingsuch as BMW's, Triumph Sprints Blackbirds,ZZR's, so we can continue Hot Sundays round the bends rides to bike meets and some European touring...but I cant get the Busa out of my head.....So.....decision made.....
I'm gonna buy one!!! - if nothing else it will straighten my head out and will at least get it out of my system.

Now if you got this far through my post....The important Question is .......(drum roll please) Can I practically use the busa as a sports tourer, in that I mean two up, Panniers and a back box or rack (that I can remove for every use and fun) or am I really still just kidding myself due to hayabusa lust....?

I need all your thoughts and experience to bring me back to earth with a reality check before I Buy one...

thank you for your patience


Mark (United Kingdom)
 
Welcome! I think you'll find many members who tour on their Hayabusas, and I believe at least one of the sponsors (Pashnit) has made a business out of touring on a Hayabusa. You'll certainly have many responses. Good luck!
 
:welcome: to the oRg :thumbsup:

I tour, play, drag, drag knee (close) with my Busa. I believe you can find better pure comfort touring rides, but there's only one Busa, and the rear seat isn't shabby.

You might be looking for a rolling sofa though.
 
The busa is the Swiss Army Knife of motorcycles....:laugh:

The busa can do a little bit of everything. It's adaptable, with the amount of aftermarket parts available you can tailor it 2 suit your needs. If your looking 4 bells and whistles and cool glowing gauges etc. Then this may not be the bike 4U. If your looking 4 a dynamic bike that is durable & proven itself 4 more than a decade then this bike won't disappoint :whistle:
 
Doubt if you'll find that the Busa is a "real" tourer -you can certainly adapt her to do anything and do it very well. As someone else pointed out, Pashnit has made a business using a Busa as a touring bike. But that's not her strength; her strength is her secret ability to make you fly, moreso than any bike you've ever ridden. The thrill of that possibility is under her skin just waiting to be released - a little bit at a time - or all raging hell of it. That's probably what you saw when you fell in love 15 or 16 years ago. Go for it. It is still there waiting. You wil be glad you did.
 
You wanted to know about 2 up touring. Depends on your sizes somewhat.

Is your woman thin and light? How about you?
Sure it has the power to move almost any size riders but if you want comfort
then it's better to be normal sized or under for the most comfort. IMO.

I have a trunk on my bike and that takes away some room for a passenger.
A thin woman would be no problem but a larger woman would be uncomfortable.

How far/long of trips are you talking about? An hour or two is no problem, 6-8 hours is another story.

How often will it be 2 up ridden vs solo?
If most of it will be 2 up there are a lot of better choices for true comfort.
However there is nothing else that can compare with a Busa for a spirited ride.

So I guess you have to ask yourself - are you buying one for yourself or for your woman and yourself?
If it's more for you - go for it - if it is for both of you, then I would test ride some bikes if at all possible
before I made a rash decision that she didn't agree to. You've heard the saying - Happy wife = Happy life?

JMHO
 
I will never sell my Busa, as it worth a lot more to me than what I can get for it.

Times have however moved on since the initial Busa concept was introduced in 1999 and a few small enhancements followed in 2008 and thereafter. Not much has changed though in the 15 years on the Busa, while technology has moved on.

Today the Busa still does everything well, but it is no longer the best at any single thing in stock form.

For those who are willing to have two bikes, there are faster 1 liter bikes available, lighter, easier to handle, better in the twisties and with more sophisticated electronics. Then there are other bikes available much better suited to touring, compared to the Busa.

Personally I think the concept of the Busa as we know it today is over and lower sales will eventually stop production.
 
Yes you can, welcome to the oRg!

on the road.jpg


2012-04-16_09-46-33_470.jpg


IMAG0199.jpg
 
Wow....overwhelmed by the great and fast response to my first posting, I will be taking my girlfriend out to try out the seating two up,like ridaredbusa said.....happy girl=happy life.
I woke this morning and decided its still top of the want list ☺

I would be very interested if anyone has more info and recommendations on full luggage kit ie back box/rack, how good they are, how they fit and support the extra weight? and how easy they are taken off/pictures of what I can expect it to look like with the boxes/panniers on and off to see how bad the sexy lines of the busa are spoilt.

Thank you all for your support and help

Mark
 
if you look around I bet you can find one with bags on it already. corbin bags are $3-4000. almost as much as the bike is worth. givi makes some nice ones, and a trunk as well. they are a bit less expensive.

can it do well as a tour bike? yes. is it a smart choice for a 12,000mi trip? only if you have 3 months to do it in.
even with mods, anything more than 500mi a day is a little rough on me.

should you get a Hayabusa? YES! once you twist the grip, you will be hooked.
I've never ridden anything that comes close to the power delivery this bike gives. it is addictive.
 
Thanks for all the help - Corbin Bags are fantastic (but probably a bit to expensive by the time I get them shipped to the UK :-( ) so unless I can find some other solid box's I may have to give some soft bags a try though I assume the softbags will put more weight on the rear subframe two up.

love the pictures TwoToneVert :-) looks good :-)
 
I guess storage volume is up to you. When I travel with someone I have softbags that hold a weeks worth of stuff. I have routinely traveled two up with a combined riders weight of around 425 pounds and haven't had any issues. The softbags just pop off in seconds and carry into the room lake a suitcase. I didn't pay much for them.

I love my Busa, obviously other bikes designed for touring are available.
 
Taking nothing away from James and Juli , someone post up a pic of Shane and Marie on the Dragon. :poke:
 
I have toured on the Busa with Givi hard bags with quick release brackets. The missus did not come. There are better two up choices for Europe. As stated, no abs or traction control which is really limiting for bad weather.

Corbin bags are overpriced joke compared to givi for real touring. Top pannier is a must for pillion safety and comfort. Chain versus shaft no contest as well for ease of use.

I had a GS which is much better for two up. A k1300S is not much better but more modern with better ergos. If you are going out most times two up the pillion is also not ideal.

If two up all the time look elsewhere. A gt 1600L smokes the Busa in every way two up.

BB
 
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