AJAY
Registered
Went out riding for 6+ hours and over 300 miles on Saturday, a glorious day of bright sunshine and 75* weather through the rolling northern Virginia hills. My neighbor's son Jose (Katana 750) brought another friend Michael riding a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R. While poor Jose was hopelessly outclassed by my Busa, Michael had no trouble keeping up with me every time I whacked open the throttle and accelerated to, umm, somewhere exactly around the legal speed limit and not a mile per hour over, give or take some, sometimes more, perhaps. Not that I'm admitting anything, I just wasn't looking that closely at the speedo with curves and fences and horses and beautiful scenery and such. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
At the breaks, Jose kept commenting on how often Michael would be stretching out his legs or standing on his pegs, flexing his arms, etc. At one of our last breaks in a large parking lot of an empty railway station, Michael pretty much admitted he was beat and sore. I'd been wanting a chance at that ZX10, so I suggested we sit on each other's bikes. Then I told him to take mine around the parking lot. After the comments about how much more relaxed the Busa was, he told me to take his around the lot.
Ok, so the first thing is this bike feels like a minibike compared to the Busa. You're more leaned forward (I do have Helibar risers on my Bus). The footpegs are wayyyy high compared to the Busa. The motor has MUCH less torque at low RPM and felt very busy. After a loop through the lot, I suggested we switch bikes for awhile, figuring if he's riding a 1000 sportbike and keeping up with me, he'd be ok with the Busa. I warned him that if he wanted to whack open the throttle that he should not do it below 20 mph in first gear, to hook his feet firm on the pegs and hunch down over the tank to keep his weight forward and keep the front end down.
The ZX10 felt positively skittish at low speed, but felt very stable once above 20 mph. The bike is much lighter, 130 lbs lighter, and, while more flickable, really didn't feel that much more nimble for the kind of riding I do which is back country sweepers at 7-tenths instead of racetrack at the edge. The power down low is nothing to talk about, but as the revs climb so does the power, almost like a two-stroke dirt bike. By six grand she's coming on strong, by eight she's starting to explode. Redline is 13 grand, 2 grand more than the Busa. I don't think I got it much over 11 grand and it was seriously humming at that point.
The transmission was like butter. I thought my Busa tranny was nice, but this was so much more snick-snick than my bike. Clutch feel was excellent, but the clutch pull was very high and my hand was aching in short order. Brakes were awesome. I always thought the complaints about Busa brakes were from a bunch of whiners, but now I know how much better they can be than my Gen I. Gotta install those Galfer lines sitting in my garage!
I really missed the instant throttle response of the Busa, how even in 6th gear at 50 mph you just hit the throttle and are quickly zooming up to, umm, exactly the legal speed limit (or thereabouts). Instead, I found that I would be clicking down two or even three gears to get the response I was used to. But the response was there, oh yeah, it was definitely there, it just took more conscious effort to do it. I think Cycle World once called the Hayabusa the "steamroller of speed". By comparison, the ZX10R is a cannon, but probably not as fast at least without the twisties thrown in the mix.
Tire sizes are identical to the Busa. At least in what twisties we got into, I could feel the ZX10 is definitely a lighter bike. In some ways it isn't as dangerous as the Busa. It can turn quicker and slow faster with the binders, but mainly the difference is that you have to consciously choose to have that explosive acceleration by clicking down a couple of gears. It took me time with the Busa to learn to be careful even with top-gear roll-ons starting from 2500 rpm, or chances are I'd be way too fast entering the next corner. Not so on the Ninja - you have to think in advance to get yourself into that kind of trouble.
Once I was used to the Ninja, I used the power plant the way it was meant to be used. Pulling onto a highway, I blasted up to somewhere exactly around the legal speed limit, only to watch Michael blast by me (probably at somewhere around exactly the legal speed limit too! LOL!). Holy f! That Busa is quick. And I'm glad Mike got a chance to try it out.
The Ninja is definitely more face forward. Even when not going so fast, it felt faster. Every bump and jiggle in the road is translated up through the bars and footpegs. A very connected feel. Where the Busa is plush, the ZX10R is like riding a skateboard. The engine is much busier. Usually the rpms are higher, but it’s more than that. There is nothing relaxed about the ZX10 motor, compared to the velvet smoothness that I’m used to with the Big Bus.
I had a blast with the ZX10R and honestly enjoyed the heck out of riding it. But an hour was more than enough. My knees were killing me and I was constantly standing and stretching my legs. My wrists hurt too, especially my left hand from working the heavy clutch. The wind blast was much higher than I’m used to and the bike is much noisier. I could (and did) go all day on the Busa, but an hour was more than enough on the ZX10R.
Jose with the Kat750 wants to upgrade, but he’s a big fella and the 600s really won’t have the grunt for him. The only 750 left is the GSXR, but I doubt he’ll be happy with the ergonomics of a real sportbike. The 1000 standards, like the FZ1 will be too powerful for his experience level, which doesn’t leave much. I think we need a 750 Bandit to fill in between the 600 and the 1250,
What this mostly taught me is that I really don’t lust after a hard-edged sportbike anymore. Too cramped, too uncomfortable. It’s sad that there are so few “standards†anymore. You have the cruisers, the sportbikes, the sport-tourers, but very little in the standard class, and of those, most lack wind protection. The Busa is a “hyperbikeâ€, not really a standard, not a sportbike, and not a sport-tourer either. It’s too much power for most people, but it surprises me what a great all-around bike it is for me.
Ride safe.
At the breaks, Jose kept commenting on how often Michael would be stretching out his legs or standing on his pegs, flexing his arms, etc. At one of our last breaks in a large parking lot of an empty railway station, Michael pretty much admitted he was beat and sore. I'd been wanting a chance at that ZX10, so I suggested we sit on each other's bikes. Then I told him to take mine around the parking lot. After the comments about how much more relaxed the Busa was, he told me to take his around the lot.
Ok, so the first thing is this bike feels like a minibike compared to the Busa. You're more leaned forward (I do have Helibar risers on my Bus). The footpegs are wayyyy high compared to the Busa. The motor has MUCH less torque at low RPM and felt very busy. After a loop through the lot, I suggested we switch bikes for awhile, figuring if he's riding a 1000 sportbike and keeping up with me, he'd be ok with the Busa. I warned him that if he wanted to whack open the throttle that he should not do it below 20 mph in first gear, to hook his feet firm on the pegs and hunch down over the tank to keep his weight forward and keep the front end down.
The ZX10 felt positively skittish at low speed, but felt very stable once above 20 mph. The bike is much lighter, 130 lbs lighter, and, while more flickable, really didn't feel that much more nimble for the kind of riding I do which is back country sweepers at 7-tenths instead of racetrack at the edge. The power down low is nothing to talk about, but as the revs climb so does the power, almost like a two-stroke dirt bike. By six grand she's coming on strong, by eight she's starting to explode. Redline is 13 grand, 2 grand more than the Busa. I don't think I got it much over 11 grand and it was seriously humming at that point.
The transmission was like butter. I thought my Busa tranny was nice, but this was so much more snick-snick than my bike. Clutch feel was excellent, but the clutch pull was very high and my hand was aching in short order. Brakes were awesome. I always thought the complaints about Busa brakes were from a bunch of whiners, but now I know how much better they can be than my Gen I. Gotta install those Galfer lines sitting in my garage!
I really missed the instant throttle response of the Busa, how even in 6th gear at 50 mph you just hit the throttle and are quickly zooming up to, umm, exactly the legal speed limit (or thereabouts). Instead, I found that I would be clicking down two or even three gears to get the response I was used to. But the response was there, oh yeah, it was definitely there, it just took more conscious effort to do it. I think Cycle World once called the Hayabusa the "steamroller of speed". By comparison, the ZX10R is a cannon, but probably not as fast at least without the twisties thrown in the mix.
Tire sizes are identical to the Busa. At least in what twisties we got into, I could feel the ZX10 is definitely a lighter bike. In some ways it isn't as dangerous as the Busa. It can turn quicker and slow faster with the binders, but mainly the difference is that you have to consciously choose to have that explosive acceleration by clicking down a couple of gears. It took me time with the Busa to learn to be careful even with top-gear roll-ons starting from 2500 rpm, or chances are I'd be way too fast entering the next corner. Not so on the Ninja - you have to think in advance to get yourself into that kind of trouble.
Once I was used to the Ninja, I used the power plant the way it was meant to be used. Pulling onto a highway, I blasted up to somewhere exactly around the legal speed limit, only to watch Michael blast by me (probably at somewhere around exactly the legal speed limit too! LOL!). Holy f! That Busa is quick. And I'm glad Mike got a chance to try it out.
The Ninja is definitely more face forward. Even when not going so fast, it felt faster. Every bump and jiggle in the road is translated up through the bars and footpegs. A very connected feel. Where the Busa is plush, the ZX10R is like riding a skateboard. The engine is much busier. Usually the rpms are higher, but it’s more than that. There is nothing relaxed about the ZX10 motor, compared to the velvet smoothness that I’m used to with the Big Bus.
I had a blast with the ZX10R and honestly enjoyed the heck out of riding it. But an hour was more than enough. My knees were killing me and I was constantly standing and stretching my legs. My wrists hurt too, especially my left hand from working the heavy clutch. The wind blast was much higher than I’m used to and the bike is much noisier. I could (and did) go all day on the Busa, but an hour was more than enough on the ZX10R.
Jose with the Kat750 wants to upgrade, but he’s a big fella and the 600s really won’t have the grunt for him. The only 750 left is the GSXR, but I doubt he’ll be happy with the ergonomics of a real sportbike. The 1000 standards, like the FZ1 will be too powerful for his experience level, which doesn’t leave much. I think we need a 750 Bandit to fill in between the 600 and the 1250,
What this mostly taught me is that I really don’t lust after a hard-edged sportbike anymore. Too cramped, too uncomfortable. It’s sad that there are so few “standards†anymore. You have the cruisers, the sportbikes, the sport-tourers, but very little in the standard class, and of those, most lack wind protection. The Busa is a “hyperbikeâ€, not really a standard, not a sportbike, and not a sport-tourer either. It’s too much power for most people, but it surprises me what a great all-around bike it is for me.
Ride safe.
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