People ask me all the time about the differences between the 14R and a Busa. My answer is always the same. "The 14R does most everything just a little bit better except for the brakes. It brakes way better."
The difference in performance certainly isn't enough to justify the extra money it would take for a current Busa owner to trade up to the 14R. I say that after having traded just that way, but my situation was quite different than most.
Honestly, it wouldn't take much for the Busa to get back on top. Just some investment by Suzuki, which may not be possible at the moment.
I've stayed away from the 14 vs Busa threads, but I guess I'll just weigh in just this once.
I've never ridden a 14. I've seen a couple in person, and I've seen lots of pic's on the net.
I simply think the looks of the 14 leans past the 50/50 mark towards touring in the sport touring equation.
I think the Busa's looks lean on the side of sport in the same equation.
I'm looking at, or getting looked at (on) the Busa 99% more than I'm trying to wrench out a little more speed.
Pretty much every time I ride the Busa, someone will be standing over it telling me how "hot" it is, or "baddass".
I can't say I disagree. It's a sexy machine.
Sorry, but I can't say the same for the 14. It's just my own opinion, but the lines of the Busa are so nicely flowing in comparison.
14 owners, please don't be mad at me for saying that. I'm sure it's a great bike and can out run my Busa (well mine is a turbo, so most likely can't).
Best
Sean
I completely agree with you about the Kawi being a little more touring and the Busa being a little more sporty. The Busa feels more wild and raw, where the 14R seems more like throttling up a well-controlled turbofan engine. Both of them are amazing machines.
Having owned both bikes though, I can honestly say that the Kawi seems to get just as much attention as the Busa ever did. Apparently Kawasaki's marketing team has done it's job because many people seem to know exactly what my bike is. I get a lot of stuff like "Oh, that's the new Ninja" and "Is that one really faster than the Busa like I've heard?" While nobody can deny the Busa's long-standing reputation, people would be wrong to assume that there aren't other bikes that are also very well known outside of the hardcore motorcycle community. I never would've thought that would be the case until I got this one though. It was surprising.
busa is pretty 14r is evil I don't see the 14r being more a tourer.The pegs are too far back and the seat curls up too high.But then I have a FJR for touring.
This is the one I sit on.Shaved seat and 360 degree pegs.1 bike just ain't enough
Between the two, the 14R actually has a more relaxed seating position. Compared to the Busa, the bars are wider and they come up to meet you more, and the pegs actually feel lower and more forward. The seat is bigger and wider and more comfortable for mega-mileage rides, but it's more cumbersome when you're trying to get your butt off the edge in the twisties. I'm not sure how much you'd notice all that from just sitting on one, but you can really tell it going down the road. I say this having never even sat on a Gen I Busa or 14, so I'm not sure how they would compare.
This is the one I sit on.Shaved seat and 360 degree pegs.1 bike just ain't enough
ZX-14 is on top right now, no question; More ccs, beats the Bus in the 1/4, more torque, etc. But we can out-brake the heck out of the ZX-14..... LOL
Maybe Suz will get busy and build a 1500 cc monster..... Hmmmm...
Say what now? The brakes are far and away the single biggest improvement I noticed when moving from Busa to Ninja.
ZX-14 is on top right now, no question; More ccs, beats the Bus in the 1/4, more torque, etc. But we can out-brake the heck out of the ZX-14..... LOL
Maybe Suz will get busy and build a 1500 cc monster..... Hmmmm...
The mans right. The busas biggest down fall is the brakes.