She calls to me but I have many questions

[Sam Blackwell]

Hello chaps and chapettes.

So I am in the market for a new bike and wanted something different from the 250cc cruiser that I have had for over a year now and put over 13000km which has been a blast to learn on and make mistakes on.

I am now 25 and so finally I don't have to pay for the actions of my age range ^_^ so this bike is a very real option for me.

Now, there is no denying this is a really fast bike but shock, horror that's not why I like it, I like it for the absolutely amazing looks that it has and the scope for customization.

Now having said that I do only have a year of experience riding and I would rather avoid totaling the bike or myself so I have some questions.

1. How is the busa at low speeds, am i going to twist the throttle a mm in first and end up doing 40miles per hour pulling a wheelie or is it tame at the lower revs?
2. I don't really see the weight of the bike as a problem, never come close to dropping my bike (except the unfortunate meeting with gravel on a corner to which I too dropped), my assumption anyway is the weight offers much more stability but will just require a little bit more effort on the turns and low speed maneuvers ?
3. Given that I like the looks and have less desire to be spinning down the highway at 1xx miles per hour I would likely stick the bike in C mode but how much of a difference does sticking it in c mode make?
4. As I have been sat on a cruiser will the riding position be a shock to the system or is it (or can it) be fairly up right, also the seat height of my current bike (as one might expect) is rather low being a cruiser and comes in at 730mm so do you guys think that the riding position would be a problem for me?
5. Lastly I am not so crazy about cars so this would be a commuter and a to b bike as well as a 'let's have some fun bike' so will it do that job or is this thing going to pout if I condemn it to a life at 80mph

Oh and comments on whether this is too much of a gap between my 250 and the busa will of course be noted but I have a lot of road experience from the cruiser now and feel that if it is just a question of practicing with the power difference and not being an idiot with the speed I will be fine (I have already crashed my bike and it hurt at 40, no desire to crash at 80+).

 

[dadofthree]

to the oRg

You can get hurt on any ride , the Busa is an engineering marvel to me even though she's 16-20 years old in design. This bike takes care of you through most stupidity. You'll get plenty of people telling you don't go there. I say buy a Busa and take it easy while you learn the bike. She is a sneaky beast. Respect her.

 

[BA BUSA]

Show her some respect and she will take care of you.

Don't be shy she won't bite...much lol!

 

[bigrod1330]

 

[Sam Blackwell]

Thankyou very much. I hope to get one early next year so until then I suspect I shall be trawling this forum for tips

 

[Don Hardcastle]

Awesome machine.... just keep in mind it is NEVER the motorcycle that bites you..... It is your right hand and your brain. I have a friend (Shibumi on here) whose first bike was a Busa. With the proper common sense and respect Akasha has been good to him and he has a blast. I would say that the biggest part of a Busa is just how fast the speed can sneak up on you. They don't feel like they are accelerating as quickly as they are (unless your rolling into the throttle hard). to the Org!!

 

[Sam Blackwell]

Well technically it is not my first bike, not saying it isn't a massive jump up from my recent bike but I do have road experience, the acceleration is however something i need to keep a real good eye on, thanks for the welcome

 

[AV8R_Murf]

to the oRg

You can get hurt on any ride , the Busa is an engineering marvel to me even though she's 16-20 years old in design. This bike takes care of you through most stupidity. You'll get plenty of people telling you don't go there. I say buy a Busa and take it easy while you learn the bike. She is a sneaky beast. Respect her.

Very well said and I completely agree.

 

[Great White North EH]

The Busa is everything that a bike should be. For most street riders the Busa is able to give WAY more than the average guy / girl will ever need. They weigh much less than many other bikes out there but have one of the best power to weight ratios you will ever find in a tractable performance bike. I personally love the sleek lines and the fact that the Busa does not come encrusted in chrome. The Busa is designed to be the best bike in it's class and it is, and has been for many years.

 

[Telboy2000]

A Busa in stock form is a big pussycat with sharp claws....be gentle with it or regret it....in return for being gentle it become one of the easiest bikes to use day-day.
Weight can catch you out if for some reason you need to slow/stop unexpectedly whilst already barely moving and have already put your feet on the pegs.....however the low seat really help controlling things.
Throttle is super smooth and linear...you get what you ask for, no scary power spikes or lame low rpm power band like some super sport bikes.
In town its simple to roll around on and can easily pull along in 6th gear at 30mph if needed and in bad weather short shifting up the box and using low revs negates the need for B or C mode though when your tired they can be useful just to take the edge of the engines abilities.
Compared to a cruiser the riding position is totally different and getting used to weight on your wrists could take a while but its nowhere near as bad as most sports bikes and with some mods can be comfy for a few hundred miles non stop.
Your biggest challenge will be re-calibrating your wrist to only use small movement vs the cruiser...busa is long geared and with its power it really gathers speed quickly for small wrist movements.

Overall....just do it, I got my 1st Busa after just 14 months on the road and never regretted a moment of it or found the power etc too much or uncontrollable.

 

[SuedePflow]

I'm a new Hayabusa owner. I've only had mine for about 6 weeks now and only logged around 600 miles on it. But given my fresh view and minimal experience, here's my take:

1. It's excellent at low speeds and will be as tame as your wrist. Much of my riding is around town in the 25-45mph range and there's absolutely zero issues with throttle control and putting around town. You'll quickly realize that you just don't need to twist the throttle like you would on a 600 and you'll get used to that fact very quickly. And if you're anything like me, you'll heavily appreciate the fact that it makes power in the lower RPM's and that you don't need to rev it out to make power.

2. It's not a problem, but it will take some getting used to. It is noticably heavier when sitting still and during very slow speed manuvering and it's just not as easy to man-handle as most 600's. But once you get familiar with it, it's a piece of cake. And the weight is nice at higher speeds.

3. I can't comment on exactly how much power is held back with each mode, but I can almost garuntee that like almost all other Busa riders out there, you'll never use B or C. Leave it in A and enjoy the ride!

A B C mode

5. I don't see any reason why you can't commute with it. I find mine pretty comfortable and ride to to work as often as I can. My drive to work is extremely short though and I've been finding myself modifying my route in these past couple weeks to make the trip longer. :-)

 

[RedBusarider]

Well technically it is not my first bike, not saying it isn't a massive jump up from my recent bike but I do have road experience, the acceleration is however something i need to keep a real good eye on, thanks for the welcome

Where do you live?

How far do you plan on riding it on a daily basis?
Leaning on your hands and wrists will be way different then what you were riding.

Do you have ALL the safety gear - riding a bike like this you should have no skin showing, IMO.
Sooner or later you will be temped to run into triple digits, it happens real fast.
You need protection because you never know what might happen. Better safe than sorry.

Are you set on buying a NEW Busa - maybe a used one for your first Busa might be a good decision? ???

Many people end up modifying their bikes and buying a used one might very well come with some of those mods or
at least might leave you some funds for mods. There are very nice Gen I's (with mods) for less than half of a new one. Your choice.

 

[Quiksilver]

I went from a 600cc to a gen 1 turbo busa. I thought the bike would have felt alot heavier, not at all. Take your time and respect the bike and I'm sure you'll be fine. I don't I'll ever trade or sell my gen 1.

 

[Kendo]

The 'Busa is such a capable bike.
Slow city traffic..... Done
Everyday commuting......Easy
Weekend blasts......All you want
Warp speed......You got it

The bike is capable of more than most will ever ask of it.
As others have said, you do need to be mindful that speed on the 'Busa comes very easy and quick. It is so composed that high speeds feel a lot lower than they are.

Mine is my daily commuter, weekend blaster, tourer... My everything:inlove:

Treat it with respect and it will reward you with the best riding experiences of your life.

 

[E Zurcher]

If you short shift through the gears she is just like any other bike. Get her up over 6k in any gear hold on. The crazy thing about this bike is the torque lets you keep the revs low with more than enough power to burp the throttle and leap out around just about anything on the road in any gear. And then there's ludicrous speed You should have no troubles as long as you approach this bike as a mature rider.

Oh and stay away from crampbusters. Any accidental or unexpected bump on the throttle in 1st gear can be painful.

 

[Sam Blackwell]

I live in England, in a small town, i would be tempted to buy used instead of new to begin with and even when i was on a 125 i wore all the gear at all times no matter what.

 

[Deviousbusa]

As others have said, the first and most important aspect is respecting the power of this bike. The power band is very linear which makes this bike very easy to ride when compared to a 1000cc or especially a 600cc. The weight is well balanced so, that should not be an issue other than closing speeds on corners, you will feel the weight compared to a lighter bike.

I know a few people who actually started out on busas and never had an issues however, they all had a healthy respect for the bike. You'll quickly learn that speed is effortless with this bike, you will not feel like you are doing 80 or 90, the bike is that smooth.

Again, respect the bike and you will be fine otherwise, this bike is FAST and can kill you quickly if not given respect. Enjoy and be safe!

As far as the modes, I've never used anything other than "A" even in the rain and never had issues. Any bike can lead to injury or death so again...respect the bike and be honest about your experience and skills and you will be fine.

 

[JK308]

I bought my '07 in June of '14. My last bike was a GSX-R1000 so I'm no stranger to a bike with a bunch of power. Even so, the Busa's reputation, as well as it's weight and bulk had me a bit nervous about buying one. It's been over four months now and I love it, love it, love it!