Hayabusa easy to drop?

I screwed up the first month I had my new virgin '04 Busa. I was at a 120 degree stop sign with the front turned to the right and I leaned the bike to the right and it started to go over. I'm about 6 feet tall and at the time weighed about 240 and I couldn't catch it. With the low bars, it's already substantial lean, and with my legs spread and all the weight on my right leg, the best I could do was gently lower it to the asphalt. I then got my body underneath it to minimize the contact and with my only free arm tried to flag down passing traffic. Although many drivers just looked at me as they sped by, and I wish them chicken bones in their throats, a cager who owned a Harley stopped. It took him and his passenger to get the bike back up. And I had pulled every muscle in my right leg, from ankle to groin. My hamstring turned purple and the bruise was the size of a football, and it took months to heal.
 
While building up a Salvaged Busa. Had the pleasure of dropping it twice. Fairings weren't on and both times it fell onto a plastic tool box. Heheh two new tool boxes
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First time there was no engine in the frame. It lifted off it's side very easily. Second time was with an egine in the frame. It's a bit of a struggle grabbing under the seat and without a fairing grabbed the frame.
With fairings on, have to lift with the engine centered to your body. Getting a hold under the clip-on grip and grabbing underside of seat puts you in best position to lift. Using arm, back and leg power can hoist the busa back onto it's kickstand. But having two people lift is by far best choice to make. Less damage to fairings when lifted with some control.



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I had a brain fart once when my Busa was only about a month old~ I went to pull away from the curb, completely forgeting to take off the front disc lock! Luckily I didn't goose it and pulled away easy~ As soon as the lock came in contact with the brake caliper the bars whipped and over she went~ I was off the bike and holding 'er maybe two inches from contacting the asphalt~ I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my life! Took all I had in me.. and then some to get 'er back up right~ I guess it's like those things you see and/or read about Mom's and such having more power then imaginable when the time calls for it~ I still don't know how I got off and caught it so quickly~ Never did touch the ground though!
I don't think it drops or falls over any easier then any other bike out there~ With the Busa you're just more apt to stop it from touching the ground then if it was any other bike...  
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Hey buddy go to gnc grab some creatine and some protien, then hit the gym hard this winter and you should be strait next year. Squats and some side leans to get the thighs and the abs right incase you have to catch the bike. trust me. If i wasnt as swole as i am i would have put mine down to. the secret weight room
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2 cents from a short guy who's caught many a bike.... if she is going down, you have to learn to slide and pivot. You can't sit on her normal and hope to catch her (I did that once with my 600 lb zx11 and not many people could have done that, believe me (hx on me... I'm a powerlifter used to pulling over 800 lbs from the racks and 500 lbs from the floor).

Anyways I can only get the balls of my feet to touch on the busa cause I'm short, so I almost drop her at least once a week (happens when I'm not paying full attention when I come to a stop or when I'm taking a really tight turn.)

So I've learned that when its going down slide as much to the side that is leaning as possible (if your super quick, jump off the bike and face it). Then pivot your leg thats on the ground, (for us slow folks who can't jump off the bike) towards the bike, and lift with all your might!

In short...try to square yourself up with the side of the bike as much as possible. To do this you must slide to that side of the bike as far/as fast as you can. And make sure you pivot that foot straight into the bike (you don't want a groin pull.) Hope this helps someone!
 
In the movies, when the bike was about half-way to the pavement, Mel Gibson would crack open the throttle and she'd just lay rubber in a complete circle and wind up facing the right direction, solidly on both wheels. Mel would wink at the camera thru his visor and... then the freight train would hit him.... oops... sorry... wrong movie.

In the real world, it don't work that way.
 
I would not advise anyone to "get their body between the bike and the pavement", that's a good way to get parts of your anatomy mashed, and fixing that usually costs more than scratched plastic and a scraped exhaust.

If the bike starts to go over, there's a critical point where you need to get out of the way and let gravity take over. If you can stop the bike before it reaches that point, fine. Otherwise, get out of the way.

Definitely get some sliders fitted, they will help reduce low/zero-speed damage.
 
Yes , they do fall like any bike but as far as getting them back up its not that hard . I thought I was reading Hayabusa org. not the little girls on bikes forum. If you take the saftey course they show you how to pick up a bike ,and like I said its not that hard . And by no way was I trying to say girls can't be stronger than some of you .
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The bike falls like any other. isnt easier to drop. But i can say from experence it seems the bigger CC bikes like to fall when no ones around more than anything lol. Parked mine outside a store to go in " on level ground up by the entrance on the concrete in the shade " came outside and WOW , bike was laying on its side. Zx12 took a dip in the carport lol. They always end up on the ground sooner or later. its all about when. Hopefully it isnt at 70mph during rush hour traffic.
 
How much easier is a Hayabusa to drop than a 600 in slow speed conditions? I'm 5'8 140 and not very strong, I went and sat on one at the dealership today and it didn't really feel heavier than my bike, especially the riding position was much more forgiving.
I can feel a HUGE-HUGE difference in weight between a 05 R1 and the Busa. Busa is alot of bike and slow speeds are not its strong point.

With that said if you have good balance you should be able to handle the busa. I've seen women your size handle it with ease.
 
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