Gen 1 or Gen 2

H

HelmetHead

Registered
Hello to all, first post on here. I was hoping to hear from owners of Gen 2 'Busas who previously owned a Gen 1. I am currently in the market for a bike and previously owned a 2005 Hayabusa which I really enjoyed riding. I sold it as I got into riding liter bikes but my wrists and knees don't tolerate the longer rides too well.

I wanted your opinion on how the Gen 1 & Gen 2 compare. I feel like I have done my homework and understand the major differences but the spec sheets doesn't tell me what I am looking for. It looks like I could save a couple thousand bucks buying a Gen 1 over a used Gen 2 (Silver & Gray 2009, oh yeah!) but would pay the difference if the consensus is that the Gen 2 felt like a big enough improvement.

My riding mostly consists of short day rides and always on the lookout for high speed sweepers which is why I want another Hayabusa. Plan on adding Heli Bars so I would also appreciate your opinion if you have any experience with them. Thanks in advance and glad I found this board and hoping for a short winter!
 
I've had two Gen I's(one with turbo)and now have a 2011 Gen II,and equal mod for mod the Gen II is faster,smoother,better brakes,etc.I'd get the newest,lowest mileage Gen II you can afford(less chance of buying something someone's beat the snot out of unless you personally know the history of the bike,seller,etc.).Had HeliBars on both Gen I's and made for a more comfortable ride,but for some reason haven't felt the need to swap on my Gen II(and don't have a clue as to why not:laugh:).

...and welcome to the board.:thumbsup:
 
Its really up to you and your preferences.
A late model well cared for genII will give you years of riding enjoyment but so too will a well cared for and maintained gen 1.
I prefer the first genI's ie 1999 and early 2000 models because they are unrestricted and over here came with the factory 340-50 km/h speedo which I like for it's rarity!

If you maintain your busa well it will always be reliable...so its up to you either genI or genII...they are all great weapons to own.

Welcome to the .org :thumbsup:
 
I've owned both, put 36K on my Gen I and have 37K on my Gen II. " Gen II "

They took the greatest bike in the world and fixed everything owners complained about, added ( more ) performance.
 
If you think the gen1 is comfortable, then get a gen2.
The riding position/ergonomics are the same between the two.
The gen2 has more power and better brakes(which still need some improving).
If you're looking for something more comfortable than a Busa, then get a B-King.
I traded my gen2 of 3 1/2 years for a B-King, and no regrets at all.
Busa power and very comfortable. Same engine, and will have same power if you remove it's restrictions in ecu editor(which I did).
After many bikes, the B-King is the best "all around" bike I've ever ridden. The Busa is great "does everything well" bike, and one of the best. But like 1000's, it was just no longer comfortable for me.:beerchug:
 
I have both now and my gen I hadn't seen the highway in over a month. Gen II has more power and its a lot smoother. I changed my seat on the gen I and I have changed the seat on the gen II so can't help on that but if I had to give one of them up I would probably keep the gen II.
 
1st Busa was an 01. Sold that to get an 08 which sadly is now in heaven. Replaced that with an 09. In short, Gen 2.
BTW, if you look hard enough (or get lucky), you can snag a used Gen II in the $7K-$8K range.

P.S. be ready for the Gen 1 owners to chime in :whistle:
 
sixpack577 said:
If you think the gen1 is comfortable, then get a gen2.
The riding position/ergonomics are the same between the two.
The gen2 has more power and better brakes(which still need some improving).
If you're looking for something more comfortable than a Busa, then get a B-King.
I traded my gen2 of 3 1/2 years for a B-King, and no regrets at all.
Busa power and very comfortable. Same engine, and will have same power if you remove it's restrictions in ecu editor(which I did).
After many bikes, the B-King is the best "all around" bike I've ever ridden. The Busa is great "does everything well" bike, and one of the best. But like 1000's, it was just no longer comfortable for me.:beerchug:
Click to expand...


Would changing the rotors be the best option for upgrading the braking system? I know its pricey. Any other less expensive but still as good or better options?
 
MoNoXiDe said:
Would changing the rotors be the best option for upgrading the braking system? I know its pricey. Any other less expensive but still as good or better options?
Click to expand...

Ebc "Extreme Pro" pads make a very noticeable improvement in stopping ability.
I can't say exactly how much, but they definately shorten your stopping distance, and every little bit counts.
Stainless steel lines will improve brake feel.
Both are fairly inexpenisve.
After that(as far as cost goes) a radial master cylinder will firm up brake feel.
Calipers(lots of cash).
Aftermarket rotors will save some weight, add looks, and "should" be more durable and take more abuse and mileage to warp.

Sorry OP for the threadjack:beerchug:
 
I haven't ridden a gen II yet so I can only compare a 01 to an 05. The difference between those 2 bikes is noticeable to me. The only difference that means much to me is the way they look since both are well sorted out in their own way. I actually prefer the older body style as compared to the new. That is just an opinion has little to do with the main issue here. As far as power goes, I was impressed while watching the TV show Pass Time where a rider ripped off a 9.24 @ 153 MPH on a Gen ll with 26 miles on it. I believe it had a pipe on it, was tuned, and the front end was strapped down.
The kid could drive ! :laugh:
 
ZRXMAX said:
I haven't ridden a gen II yet so I can only compare a 01 to an 05. The difference between those 2 bikes is noticeable to me. The only difference that means much to me is the way they look since both are well sorted out in their own way. I actually prefer the older body style as compared to the new. That is just an opinion has little to do with the main issue here. As far as power goes, I was impressed while watching the TV show Pass Time where a rider ripped off a 9.24 @ 153 MPH on a Gen ll with 26 miles on it. I believe it had a pipe on it, was tuned, and the front end was strapped down.
The kid could drive ! :laugh:
Click to expand...

What's happenin' older than me?
(finally,someone in our group has me beat...by 2 months:laugh:)

Probably the most noticeable difference would be the extra 25 hp the Gen II has over the Gen I but other than that you'd probably have to ride both back to back to notice the other subtle changes.
(for you guys who don't know Ted he's a really good guy and has a super clean Gen I,with no chicken strips on his tires...unlike mine:laugh:)

Looks like we're rained out for this weekend but we'll round everybody up and shoot for the next.:thumbsup:

Found a couple of old articles when Brock first took possession of an '08 and wrung it out a bit(and little Richard Gadson[1/2 our size:laugh:]ran an 8.99 on it).

Probably see ya next weekend bro,
Jeff

Brocks Performance: Hayabusa Chronicles Part 2

First Gen 2 Hayabusa 8 Second Pass recorded using Brock's Performance Alien Head - YouTube[/url]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
piratediverjefff said:
What's happenin' older than me?
(finally,someone in our group has me beat...by 2 months:laugh:)



Probably see ya next weekend bro,
Jeff

Brocks Performance: Hayabusa Chronicles Part 2

First Gen 2 Hayabusa 8 Second Pass recorded using Brock's Performance Alien Head - YouTube[/url]
Click to expand...

Who you calling old? :laugh:

Its not how old you are... its how old you feel you are !

Yeah... next weekend for sure... or... are we gonna watch the Super Bowl? Doesn't really matter cause we have time for both... the game usually doesn't start till around 3:30 pm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ZRXMAX said:
Who you calling old? :laugh:

Its not how old you are... its how old you feel you are !

Yeah... next weekend for sure... or... are we gonna watch the Super Bowl? Doesn't really matter cause we have time for both... the game usually doesn't start till around 3:30 pm
Click to expand...

:laugh:

We can get out for a couple hours or so in the morning.:thumbsup:
 
Thanks to all who posted. I will be looking for a low mileage Gen 2 and will be starting a search in the next few weeks. Feeling welcome on this board, plan on hanging around for a awhile! :thumbsup:
 
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