i am not a "speed addict" as most of you and i bought the busa for "other" considerations. #1 i have been a harley rider for a long time and i wanted to go to an inline 4 like the honda 750's of my youth for the smoothness that i remembered. wanted something other than a v-twin. #2 i like the way the busa looks. styling-if you will. even though kawasakis' zx14 came out and exceeded the busas' performance it doesn't compare to the busa "look", #3 reliability. i didn't want a "high maintenance" motorcycle. it has cost me a lot of money not being "mechanical". i can "engineer it" but i can't "fix it". i can even strip-out spark plug threads and screw up tightening oil filters. just put gas in it and ride.#4 handling. although my busa is not setup for the "track" with the rear lowered,genmar risers,and buell footpeg mod- it handles the twisties better that any bike i have ever rode in my life. it has also showed me my limitations. i could never ride a gixxer and i'll never be able to drag a knee. #5 performance. love my harley but it lacks in this area. also installed a sidecar last year and did some fork modifications so it is a dedicated tug & rig. (sidecars are fun).i wanted another bike as my 2 wheeler that would handle well and go fast. looked at moto guzzi grislo (another twin), triiumph speed triple, ZRX,FZ1,919-hooligan bikes. i chose the hayabusa after much studying,looking,asking questions,reading this forum,etc. an article in cycle world says: hayabusa- simply put: "the finest motorcycle ever built". for me i believe i made the right choice.