How is the Busa in the Twisties?

[_ZeF]

I think we're similar riders... i'm 6'1 and 205 pounds, the Busa is my 8th sportbike over 15 years of riding and i simply LOVE it.

I find it is a near perfect balance of comfort and power. I did almost 4000KMS in 4 days on it not long ago and had no problem at all as far as back or neck aches...

Plus with an experienced rider onboard, the Busa is quite impressive in the twisties, just take a look and to see my last trip at The dragon in Tennessee...

I say go for it, you wont regret it...



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[frisbee]

Welcome to the board! The busa is great in the twisties and very comfortable . I rode mine in your area a couple years ago and man you guys got some nice roads . Anyway Where are the pics ? You got a wife that rides TOO! Lucky bugger!

 

[treebeard]

The Busa handles great, but you'll notice the weight in quick transitions. Set the sag up properly and it works well. Add the Ohlins rear shock and front fork internals and wow.

 

[stkr00]

Plus with an experienced rider onboard, the Busa is quite impressive in the twisties, just take a look and to see my last trip at The dragon in Tennessee...

ZeF is NOT a normal rider

He should have one of those statements on his pics...
"Professional rider on a "closed" course. Do not attemp"

You got some mad skills on that Busa Zef

 

[POR15 dist]

I am helping a local guy to sell one now. 2003 blk sil 3800 miles, this bike is mint! In Hattiesburg, Ms. 7700.00

 

[BentValve]

Hi sietek, I am not sure of your abilities and I dont really have a good idea of what exactly you are looking for but on the average the Busa is more than enough twistie bike for the average to well above average rider.

The Busa will have more leg room for you for sure and the Gixxer seat is comfy as the Busas is, although the Busas is alot wider since the bike is.

Overall , if you are tall then the Busa will give you alot more room and that will equal better comfort for you.


The Busa corners well for what it is but still its nothing at all like the Gixxer is in the corners, I can hit corners with much more confidence on the Gixxer because it is so forgiving...partially due to physics (lighter bike)...also in part because of its ergos.

Slam the brakes on the Busa and your trying to stop a freight train...take it easy pal because you are stopping a big mofo!

The Gixxer on the other hand stops on a dime, for real ....I just love slamming the brakes on hard and having the rear end come up a few inches.

I dont know....I suppose if I had to guess id say the Busa might be a good bike for you...go ahead and trade the Gixxer ..you can always go back if you are not happy with your choice.

 

[Tufbusa]

Welcome to the busa world! I'd suggest you find a friend with a busa that will switch bikes with you for a few day trips. I'd try to get in a little seat time before making the plunge. If money is not an issue, a busa to compliment the K5 would be the best idea. I have both an 05 LE Busa and a K5 as well. I enjoy my busa but I dearly love my K5. I was like most on this site with thoughts that the busa could hold it's own on the twisties until I got my hands on gixxer. I bought a gixxer in 04 to compliment my busa. As it turned out I rode the gixxer most of the time and the busa began to collect dust. I picked up a K5 this spring and it out performs the K4 by a sizable margin. I think what you will find is the busa is a ton of fun in the corners and if you are an exceptional rider you'll not get left behind but if you get an exceptional rider on a K5 you'll not see his tail light after a couple of corners. The busa will be just as much fun in the corners but it certainly won't be as fast as your K5. As far as power goes, my K5 fells like it pulls harder than the busa it's hard to tell. They are both blazing fast. If you like riding on one wheel, the K5 is a master. I'd ride the busa before making the choice? You won't be disipointed in either bike!

 

[GSXTacy]

Your welcome for the videos.  I came from riding Harleys and I truly love this bike.  Although after riding 7 hours yesterday with WWJD, my behind was killing me.  I think I lost feeling about 4-5 hours into it.  You will enjoy the Busa.

LOL, Greg will ride most people into the ground. Probably because he doesnt have much a$$ to go numb!  

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[sietek]

First of all, all I have to say is “… _Zef… you are an animalâ€. Nice job grinding those hard parts!!!!

djorgensen3 – I know what you are saying about loosing feeling in your backside.

I was out for about 4+ hours of “hard†riding with my better half this morning/afternoon, and my ass still hurts. I have pretty much accepted that butt pain is just the price that we pay for this particular pastime obsession, but when my knee started to hurt as well (old football injury), I started to once again long for a roomier machine.

I just don’t know if I can let go of my K5 Gixxer 1K. The lean angles I can hit on that bike are just amazing, not to mention the power to weight ratio of the bike. I literally have to stand on the front end to keep it from coming up on WOT acceleration.

BentValve – I feel ya on the breaking too. Today, I was coming into my favorite tight left hander, and as I was dumping off as much speed I could before hitting the lean, I could feel the rear tire come up about 4-5 inches or so…… but the bike kept 100% of its composure… as I just rolled into and through the turn….

Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone with a loaner Busa. Also, I don’t know of any dealerships who will give test rides either.

Decisions Decisions……..

 

[pashnit]

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[pashnit]

This is video is pretty poor, so oh well, but what I notice most is the transitions. Busa is big bike but you can still throw it around.

30K - Highway 1 - Pacific Coast Busa -

(nice small file) Also Highway 1 near Leggett, CA
12K- Chasing Tuono on Highway 1 -

One more, also along Highway 1 - just playin' around. Nothing fancy. Hope that helps.

Btw, I have a microphone attached to rear of bike right above exhaust that records exhaust note. That's how ya get that sound.

20K - Highway 1 - Big Sur Busa -

Good travel bike too! If you get this, first thing you should do is throw away the brake lines. Junk. Get steel-braided lines & you'll never look back.

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[pashnit]

The majority of my riding is in the North GA mountains, (some of the best “unknownâ€￾ back road twisties I have ever been on).

Something like this perhaps?

14K - El Dorado Twisties -

 

[busahaya]

Awesome vids Pashnit, thanks for sharing

 

[shenoyp]

Hey all,

I’m a pretty damn new member to this site, as you can tell this being post #1 for me, but I have been an avid reader of many of the interesting posts for some time now.

Anyway, Here we go…..

Should I sell my ’05 Gixxer 1K and get a Busa?

And how does the Busa do in the twisties?

A little history……..

I have been riding for about the last 18 years, having started out on the now legendary ’87 GSX-R750, and going from there. In the more recent years, I have owned a ’00 R1, a ’02 R1, an ’03 TL1000R, an ’03 GSX-R1000, (I owned the ’03 TL and the “03 Gixxer at the same time). See the pattern of small lightweight crotch-rockets.
About a year and a half ago, my wife and I decided to build a new house, so I was forced to clear the stables, due to both monetary as well as space constraints (it is tuff to store multiple bikes, while in temp housing). Being the loving partner that she is, my wife also begrudgingly sold her R6 (although she only sold hers on the promise of getting a new R1 after the house was finished). Plus, I was going to be getting a new bike myself, after the house was finished anyway, so selling my old bikes wasn’t that big a deal.

Fast forward to 2 months ago, and I currently own an ’05 GSX-R1000. And we got my wife her new R1.

So here is my dilemma….. Although I love the power and ride of the new Gixxer, I am thinking that I might want something a little more substantial (and comfortable and roomy) to ride. I am about 6 fee tall and 201 pounds. Built like a running back (I guess that makes sense, seeing as how I was a running back for a few years). The majority of my riding is in the North GA mountains, (some of the best “unknown†back road twisties I have ever been on). My question is this…. How does the Busa do in the twisties? I don’t need to be the fastest guy through the course. If I did, I would just keep my Gxxr 1K. I really prefer to be able to get through the turns quickly, and just hammer it from the apex of the turn till I run out of either nerve or road. I know the Busa has the power to catch anything on the road in a straight line, but I don’t want a nything that is unmanageable in the turns either. And as I get a bit older, I am beginning to put more of a premium on comfort. I have ridden a friends ’01 Busa, but only around town. Never in the mountains. The bike seemed to fit me very well, and have a lot of power.

Normally, I would just get the Busa, and keep my Gixxer as well, but my wife and I now have a new strict “one bike per person†rule. So if I get a Busa, the Gixxer will have to go.

Also, should I go for an ’05 limited edition, or hold out for the New ’06?

Please let me know your thoughts/opinions.

Thanks in advance.

S.

Welcome to the board

I have owned both the Busa and the K5. My preference it the Busa... Nothing compares to one!!

To give you a very objective view ... I'd put it this way - If you are the knee sliding type who preferes to do a lot of track days, and you dont do lot of touring with the bike... then Id say you stick with the K5. Cuase the K5 is faster than the busa in the twisties *Does not mean the Busa is not fast*

If you are the kinda guy who tours a bit, wants a poweful bike... and want to do track days occasionally, then the Busa is your kinda bike. Id say the Busa satisfies motorcyclists who want a well rounded bike that can go insanely fast in straight lines... and be pretty nimble in the twisties.

As the members here have suggested, It's always best if you can bowworw a friends busa for a few miles in the twisties and judge for yourself. I'm sure you will not be dissapointed.

PS: ... and if your a big guy like me, then you will take to the busa like fish to water. The liters are just not comfortable for big guys IMO



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[_ZeF]

Plus with an experienced rider onboard, the Busa is quite impressive in the twisties, just take a look  and to see my last trip at The dragon in Tennessee...

ZeF is NOT a normal rider

 He should have one of those statements on his pics...
"Professional rider on a "closed" course.  Do not attemp"

You got some mad skills on that Busa Zef

I'll take that as a compliment

 

[Nijinsky3]

Well, all I can say is when you start scraping fairing.......

........it's time to SLOW DOWN!!!

(Just ask my bike....he had a little TOO much fun in a right hander on ACH one day! Needless to say, I don't let him have quite as much fun now....)


TRANSLATION: The Busa does just FINE in the canyons....

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[Lloyd]

Busa hold it`s own for sure..Many of the track riders comment on how much the Busa likes to lowside as compared to the ZX12r and other smaller bikes..

 

[Rocketman]

I think this is my favorite topic. I gotta tell you - I've been out 'on' a Katana600 and a ZX9R. I don't care how small and nimble those bikes are, I couldn't believe how fantastic my Busa was in the twisties.

I'm here in Utah and we have endless twisties. Me, a ZX6R, ZX9R, and GPZ1100 were out in canyons for 8 hours. *Yes, very painful at 7th hour* We're all pretty close in skill set. (Except the guy on the GPZ1100 - he's been through Kevin Schwantz and Freddie's racing classes.)

But I have to tell you - I couldn't be a prouder. I'm 5' 9", 185lbs and this bike flies through the twisties. I mean - flies. (Not crazy either - low and controlled.) Finding myself out on a knee and ahead of the tank was so stable and fantastic to manuver. We averaged about 110mph on these remote canyons and the Busa was in the 1 or 2 slot the whole time...

About a month ago - an RC51 came up on me through my usual twistie-ride home from work. He challenged and off we went. I expected him to blow by me at the corners. Never happened. (Course - maybe this guy was just holding back. dunno) The corners were a fantastic race. Anyway - nuff said. I can't help it - this bike rocks.

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[MN72Busa]

No canyons here in MN, but we have lots of cloverleafs...lol. Anyhow, Im no where the same calliber rider as some of the guys here, but Im just about able to drag my knee around cloverleafs rated for 20mph doing about 50 on stock tires. If I had better tires I think I would be more confident, and Im still learning the Busa. Just got her in July and only have about 8000 miles, but she handles much better than I would have expected.

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[Big O]

She's big and heavy and I get taken over in the corners on the track by the lighter bikes, but you can finesse the bike using the brakes and the throttle to make her flick pretty quickly side to side.