So how many members have been through the Big 4 manufacturers or even some of the other manufacturer’s? I've been through some of the models from each and have even been on a BMW for a couple weeks. Thought I'd post up my opinions on each and where I have ended up and what some of my future plans might be. I could care less about any animosity between choosing one manufacturer over the other. If Yamaha came out with something that fit my interest then I'd get another but until then it's my Honda 1000rr. Love to hear what some of you all have progressed from and are using now and what you might switch too or add to the stable.
I started off with a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 250r and then soon after got a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 650r. After that I got a 2007 Yamaha FZ1 which I traded for a 2005 Hayabusa LE, and now I have my 2008 Honda 1000rr.
Truth be told they were all great bikes. Not that I had any of them for a huge amount of time. I put about 2000 miles each on the 250r and 650r. On the FZ1 I put a little over 10,000 miles on it and about 3000 on the Busa. I've only had the Honda since the end of Sept. but I've put about 1500 miles on it since then. It would have more if it weren't for the snow :sad010: .
Both the Kawi's gave awesome gas mileage but power and suspension sucked. The 250r would shake a bit over 80mph and if it was windy or a heavy vehicle flew by me it would damn near be enough to move you out of your lane if you weren't paying attention. The 650r had slightly better suspension but I still felt it wasn't the best for highways as it would not hold a straight line either when windy. Not as bad as the 250r but still required to much effort to be comfortable for long rides. 120mph felt about its safest max as well.
After these two I got my FZ1, which was a great traveling bike. My first day on it was a 150 mile ride and it was very comfy on the highways. The bike had good power especially coming from a 650r. I eventually modded mine out but I still wanted more power. My biggest complaint though about this bike was that it did not have the best suspension for the twisties. It wasn't bad it just wasn't inspiring and I didn't want to put more money into it after the power mods I had done. The mods also didn't give it as much power as I would have liked. I also found that I liked to lay on the tank in the twisties which was not comfortable on this bike due to the fact that your elbows are bent so much. Wind buffeting off the screen was also a bit too much for a bike classified as a sport touring. MPG was the worst on the FZ1 and really bad when modded. Not that I expect great MPG for a liter bike or larger but I hate having to refuel all the time on a long ride.
I eventually traded the FZ1 for the Busa which I was honestly surprised by. The bike had good suspension and great torque. I could lean that bike over in the twisties and it was very inspiring. Obviously it wasn't as easy to put on its side as the 1000rr but when it was there it was like being on rails. It was also extremely comfortable. Mine had risers which I don't think were needed and the seat was awesome. This was the most comfortable bike I had and I'd say that it was even more comfy then the BMW 1150 I rode for 2 week. It also provided quite a bit of wind protection. For a sport bike I'd say it's the best I've had for wind protection. The Busa had all the power you want, great in the twisties, and plenty of room for storage. Fuel economy and range was great as well for such a powerful bike.
I almost got an 08 Hayabusa to replace the 05 but I had found a great price on a 08 1000rr and after test riding one I knew I'd love it, I just wasn't sure how it would be for long rides which I do enjoy quite a bit. I was eventually planning on getting the 1000rr but as a 2nd bike which would be my all out sport bike. I had rode the new R1 a 07 GSXR and the Honda won hands down for what I wanted in a sport bike. Never rode the ZX-10r but from everything I had read it wasn't at the top of my list.
So I ended up getting the Honda and after riding it almost 300 miles on limited time to get it home, I knew I made the right decision. The bike was amazingly more comfortable then I had thought. Compared to the Busa I feel as though this bike just wants to lean past its capability. On the Busa I knew where the edge of the tires were, where as the Honda feels like it can ride on the side of its tire so I'm taking it easy until I know my limits on it. Unfortunately crappy weather and roads won't let me play for a few months. It also feels like it has more power than the Busa. The Busa felt like it had more torque but the Honda is so light it feels like it could break the tire loose on a roll on very easily. Luckily both the Honda and the Busa have great fueling and you always know where and what it is capable of. The Honda just feels like you need to be slightly more attentive due to its light weight. The Honda also has great range and mpg being slightly better then the Busa.
I have some long trips planned for the Honda so I got Fieldsheer Contour tail bag and a tail bag seat roll that fits nicely over the rear seat and clips in to the saddle bags. For just everyday riding I got the Bagster Spider tail bag which gives plenty of room for daily riding and still looks sporty. I also have the Bagster Tank Bag and bra. It's an awesome system but a bit too big for the 1000rr's tank. I'll get a smaller one in the future but I plan to keep this one in case I ever get another Busa. The tank bag I have now is similar to the one I had on my Busa and it fit great.
I've also recently installed some heated grips on the bike, we just get to much cold weather where I live and the heated grips extend riding time and safety. I have some heated gloves but they are way too bulky for the Honda. The amount of power the bike has just doesn't feel right when you can't feel it to well through the gloves. The grips are a bit too thick but I think I'll get used to them. Also installed for touring comfort is a Zumo 550 with XM, I just love XM music. And the latest install is my Autocom communication system for when I ride with a buddy. It also makes listening to music easier as the wiring routing is much better. I know some would give me crap for turning a sport bike in to a sport touring bike but for now I can only have one bike and I want to be able to go everywhere with it. Plus everything can easily be removed. I just ride too much to not be comfortable when I do it. I put about 5000 miles on my truck in the last year and almost 20,000 miles on my motorcycles.
My future plans are to keep the Honda but I'd like to get an enduro style bike for really long trips in the next 5 yrs. Right now the BMW 1200 Adventure is at the top of the list. Their reliability long range, comfort, power, and generator output along with off road capability just make it a great touring bike from what I’ve read. I'd love to be able to do a 1000 mile trips through a couple states and while doing so go back in to the woods and camp out. On top of the BMW I wouldn't mind another Busa either for a long trip while wanting to have some speed. I'd get a 2nd Gen this time and loose the cannons for some slip-on's.
Here are a couple pictures of my rides. I'd love to hear about the progressions some of you have had along with some photos and perhaps where you might be headed for your next ride. I know some of you have had 20+ bikes so if you just want to list some of your more memorable one's I'll understand.
And because I know these threads are nothing without pictures:
I started off with a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 250r and then soon after got a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 650r. After that I got a 2007 Yamaha FZ1 which I traded for a 2005 Hayabusa LE, and now I have my 2008 Honda 1000rr.
Truth be told they were all great bikes. Not that I had any of them for a huge amount of time. I put about 2000 miles each on the 250r and 650r. On the FZ1 I put a little over 10,000 miles on it and about 3000 on the Busa. I've only had the Honda since the end of Sept. but I've put about 1500 miles on it since then. It would have more if it weren't for the snow :sad010: .
Both the Kawi's gave awesome gas mileage but power and suspension sucked. The 250r would shake a bit over 80mph and if it was windy or a heavy vehicle flew by me it would damn near be enough to move you out of your lane if you weren't paying attention. The 650r had slightly better suspension but I still felt it wasn't the best for highways as it would not hold a straight line either when windy. Not as bad as the 250r but still required to much effort to be comfortable for long rides. 120mph felt about its safest max as well.
After these two I got my FZ1, which was a great traveling bike. My first day on it was a 150 mile ride and it was very comfy on the highways. The bike had good power especially coming from a 650r. I eventually modded mine out but I still wanted more power. My biggest complaint though about this bike was that it did not have the best suspension for the twisties. It wasn't bad it just wasn't inspiring and I didn't want to put more money into it after the power mods I had done. The mods also didn't give it as much power as I would have liked. I also found that I liked to lay on the tank in the twisties which was not comfortable on this bike due to the fact that your elbows are bent so much. Wind buffeting off the screen was also a bit too much for a bike classified as a sport touring. MPG was the worst on the FZ1 and really bad when modded. Not that I expect great MPG for a liter bike or larger but I hate having to refuel all the time on a long ride.
I eventually traded the FZ1 for the Busa which I was honestly surprised by. The bike had good suspension and great torque. I could lean that bike over in the twisties and it was very inspiring. Obviously it wasn't as easy to put on its side as the 1000rr but when it was there it was like being on rails. It was also extremely comfortable. Mine had risers which I don't think were needed and the seat was awesome. This was the most comfortable bike I had and I'd say that it was even more comfy then the BMW 1150 I rode for 2 week. It also provided quite a bit of wind protection. For a sport bike I'd say it's the best I've had for wind protection. The Busa had all the power you want, great in the twisties, and plenty of room for storage. Fuel economy and range was great as well for such a powerful bike.
I almost got an 08 Hayabusa to replace the 05 but I had found a great price on a 08 1000rr and after test riding one I knew I'd love it, I just wasn't sure how it would be for long rides which I do enjoy quite a bit. I was eventually planning on getting the 1000rr but as a 2nd bike which would be my all out sport bike. I had rode the new R1 a 07 GSXR and the Honda won hands down for what I wanted in a sport bike. Never rode the ZX-10r but from everything I had read it wasn't at the top of my list.
So I ended up getting the Honda and after riding it almost 300 miles on limited time to get it home, I knew I made the right decision. The bike was amazingly more comfortable then I had thought. Compared to the Busa I feel as though this bike just wants to lean past its capability. On the Busa I knew where the edge of the tires were, where as the Honda feels like it can ride on the side of its tire so I'm taking it easy until I know my limits on it. Unfortunately crappy weather and roads won't let me play for a few months. It also feels like it has more power than the Busa. The Busa felt like it had more torque but the Honda is so light it feels like it could break the tire loose on a roll on very easily. Luckily both the Honda and the Busa have great fueling and you always know where and what it is capable of. The Honda just feels like you need to be slightly more attentive due to its light weight. The Honda also has great range and mpg being slightly better then the Busa.
I have some long trips planned for the Honda so I got Fieldsheer Contour tail bag and a tail bag seat roll that fits nicely over the rear seat and clips in to the saddle bags. For just everyday riding I got the Bagster Spider tail bag which gives plenty of room for daily riding and still looks sporty. I also have the Bagster Tank Bag and bra. It's an awesome system but a bit too big for the 1000rr's tank. I'll get a smaller one in the future but I plan to keep this one in case I ever get another Busa. The tank bag I have now is similar to the one I had on my Busa and it fit great.
I've also recently installed some heated grips on the bike, we just get to much cold weather where I live and the heated grips extend riding time and safety. I have some heated gloves but they are way too bulky for the Honda. The amount of power the bike has just doesn't feel right when you can't feel it to well through the gloves. The grips are a bit too thick but I think I'll get used to them. Also installed for touring comfort is a Zumo 550 with XM, I just love XM music. And the latest install is my Autocom communication system for when I ride with a buddy. It also makes listening to music easier as the wiring routing is much better. I know some would give me crap for turning a sport bike in to a sport touring bike but for now I can only have one bike and I want to be able to go everywhere with it. Plus everything can easily be removed. I just ride too much to not be comfortable when I do it. I put about 5000 miles on my truck in the last year and almost 20,000 miles on my motorcycles.
My future plans are to keep the Honda but I'd like to get an enduro style bike for really long trips in the next 5 yrs. Right now the BMW 1200 Adventure is at the top of the list. Their reliability long range, comfort, power, and generator output along with off road capability just make it a great touring bike from what I’ve read. I'd love to be able to do a 1000 mile trips through a couple states and while doing so go back in to the woods and camp out. On top of the BMW I wouldn't mind another Busa either for a long trip while wanting to have some speed. I'd get a 2nd Gen this time and loose the cannons for some slip-on's.
Here are a couple pictures of my rides. I'd love to hear about the progressions some of you have had along with some photos and perhaps where you might be headed for your next ride. I know some of you have had 20+ bikes so if you just want to list some of your more memorable one's I'll understand.
And because I know these threads are nothing without pictures:
nice rides and great perspective on them all... must be a real motorcyclist.. 
