Rode the 04 r1

[gsteve]

My buddy has one and ive been riding with him since I bought my bus about 8 weeks ago.  We have have lots of fun ripping along the roads around here with our other bud , Rizzo on his 12.  Running like we do that r1 isnt going to be be seeing much rear fender on anything except maybe a stop light launch.  I finally asked to swap bikes with him last week.  
 What a nice machine. super smooth , and pulls wildly right up to 14,000.  It doesnt feel like you are ripping up the road as fast as you feel on the bus , but you are.  In the city the bars are too "race" and its not too comfy.  On the highway the wind holds you up nicely.  The brakes are perfect... wish I had those on mine.  The only real bitch Id have if I owned it is the seat , not that its so hard , but it sits high at the back.  You are forced to sit nuts to the tank.  Its a almost impossible to try to slide back its that high at the back.   Other than that shes awful sweet.  Will i trade....???   NOPE!   sj



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[busarider54]

You forgot that the seat also cooks that ass! Great bike and it is by far, the best looking production bike made by the Big 4. I loved the exhaust note on it. I have ridden all the 04 liter bikes except the 1000RR. I would go R1, Gixxer, then ZX-10R. The R1 wins hands down, but 2nd and 3rd place change hourly!

 

[gsteve]

Id like to try a RR myself... I know they are the heaviest of the bunch but I bet they are a nice ride. Next year will be interesting . sj

 

[busabrother]

I rode my buddies 04 r1 over the weekend.l hes a small dude it looks good on him plus he likes the high ass riding position. It looks like a 50 cc on me and i hate riding high. I love my lowered BUS!!!!

 

[gsteve]

Take that 1000... make ita 13-1400 , add those brakes.. stick it in a bus and im in love !

 

[busarider54]

I saw a RR yesterday in a parking lot. All black, no graphics, Akro pipe. Holy crap, that was one sexy looking s.o.b.! It even rivaled the R1. I know that swingarm is heavy, but it looks sweet. Gotta love the HESD. Maybe I can talk him into switching up rides this weekend

 

[bbbsleeper]

I don't know whats up with you guys and the R1 one. Personally no I have not seen it in person, but appariently its very VERY nice. Would I ever own anything other than the busa now, I can't even comprehend my life with out it. But all the magazines and everone says that the 10R is BAD,"the best." I have personally seen it, and it is nice very small, but nice. Raced him on the 1/8 and stomped him I'm happy to say so all that busa killer crap aint work'n for em.

 

[bacharles]

Like the R1, but I still would go for the Gixxer1000 first. The CBR 1000 ain't too shabby either.

 

[URBAN COWBOY]

I just got my '04 Busa last week and so far I love it. I was originally going to get the new '04 ZX10 but once I sat on the Busa I knew then that she was it. Much more comfortable, plenty of power from the big 1300cc, and it handles excellent for it's size. Though the new liter bikes like the ZX10 and the awesome looking '04 R1 are nice (strictly track bikes), the Busa is just so much more street friendly.

URBAN COWBOY

 

[FLCN72]

Until this Spring I had a Busa, a wonderful bike.  I now ride an '04 R1.  Please allow me to clear up a few things and expound on the merits of both machines.

The R1 is not a terribly uncomfortable bike.  At 5'10" I find the reach to the bars to be natural and comfy.  The seat to peg relationship is fine for more than my butt can take.  And this bike is narrow.  Almost as narrow as a supersport twin at the seat-tank area.  It does put out some heat along the right side, but not at the seat.  I mostly feel the heat along my right leg -- but it has never been uncomfortable.  Then again I never wear shorts or thin blue jeans when riding.  The seat is however a plank.  It is nowhere near as soft or supportive as the stock Busa seat and it is sloped forward to the tank.  The bars do vibrate at highway speeds more than the Busa -- heavier bar end weights help.

Some notes on power.  This should come as no surprize: the R1 has nowhere near the low-end torque of the Busa.  The way it is geared in stock form, it is kinda like riding a modern 600 with loads of extra HP.  Get the RPMs over 7000 and it really pulls hard and strong.  Below 7000 it is still lively, but not as powerful as the Busa in the lower half of its RPM range.  

Handling.  The R1 is and feels much lighter than the Busa -- can we say wheelie-prone.  Size also affects its agility, not to the point of being twitchy, but the R1 is nimble to a near extreme.  Any steering inputs given to the bike (purposely or accidental) cause things to happen right now.  This is great but comes at the cost of the stability I had gotten used to from the Busa.  Not to suggest the Busa is a slow turning bike (it isn't) but there is a substantial difference in handling.

In some respects the Busa is a better street bike.  Generally the Busa is more comfortable and its powerband has a lot of grunt avaliable at all times.  It has plenty of agility and also stability which is an often over looked merit.  The R1 is a far more potent track weapon due to its agility.  However, it isn't a total torture rack and can be ridden on the street well.  Aside from the seat hardness, the ergos are pretty good for me.



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[gsteve]

I know what you mean about the all black RR, that is one sexi looking setup. The red and grey reminds me of a chev avalanche .. tacki! If I didnt buy a bus I would have had a hell of a time picking a 1000... that LTD all black gix was sweet ! sj

 

[Ononewheel]

Until this Spring I had a Busa, a wonderful bike.  I now ride an '04 R1.  Please allow me to clear up a few things and expound on the merits of both machines.

The R1 is not a terribly uncomfortable bike.  At 5'10" I find the reach to the bars to be natural and comfy.  The seat to peg relationship is fine for more than my butt can take.  And this bike is narrow.  Almost as narrow as a supersport twin at the seat-tank area.  It does put out some heat along the right side, but not at the seat.  I mostly feel the heat along my right leg -- but it has never been uncomfortable.  Then again I never wear shorts or thin blue jeans when riding.  The seat is however a plank.  It is nowhere near as soft or supportive as the stock Busa seat and it is sloped forward to the tank.  The bars do vibrate at highway speeds more than the Busa -- heavier bar end weights help.

Some notes on power.  This should come as no surprize: the R1 has nowhere near the low-end torque of the Busa.  The way it is geared in stock form, it is kinda like riding a modern 600 with loads of extra HP.  Get the RPMs over 7000 and it really pulls hard and strong.  Below 7000 it is still lively, but not as powerful as the Busa in the lower half of its RPM range.  

Handling.  The R1 is and feels much lighter than the Busa -- can we say wheelie-prone.  Size also affects its agility, not to the point of being twitchy, but the R1 is nimble to a near extreme.  Any steering inputs given to the bike (purposely or accidental) cause things to happen right now.  This is great but comes at the cost of the stability I had gotten used to from the Busa.  Not to suggest the Busa is a slow turning bike (it isn't) but there is a substantial difference in handling.

In some respects the Busa is a better street bike.  Generally the Busa is more comfortable and its powerband has a lot of grunt avaliable at all times.  It has plenty of agility and also stability which is an often over looked merit.  The R1 is a far more potent track weapon due to its agility.  However, it isn't a total torture rack and can be ridden on the street well.  Aside from the seat hardness, the ergos are pretty good for me.

I agree my friend. I had to choose between my busa and 04 r1. I could not afford both any longer. The reason the busa went is because the R1 is more fun for me to ride on the street, or at the track, and will still make a good dragbike. It's serious brakes, light handling, amazing top end power, mixed with small size, make a handful to ride. I never get bored of it. Wheelies and such are just a fingers flick away.


annoyances include
seat angle forces my nuts into tank, although this is benificial when doing more than just cruzin.

heat

miss the busa low end

thats it

 

[Mattzgixxer]

I hate to be master of the obvious but the busa and the 04 R1 are about the exact opposite looking bikes.  The R1 has defining lines and sharp edges while the busa is a lot curvier.  Either way there both beautiful machines.  Yamahas are my second favorite bikes then Honda.  Not big on Kaws.



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[Addicted to torque]

Gsteve, Do you ride the black and purple bus? If so I think I have seen you trolling past my house on occasion.

 

[gsteve]

Hi AT+T........Mines black and blue... I havent seen a purple one here yet. The 04 blue is very dark it almost looks purple. There is anoter blk + blu 04 in town. I live in the NW... blue mesh jacket and blue hat. sj