New Rider

Hey thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the advice and support I've received so far. I respect all your suggestions and comments, since all of you out there have a whole lot more experience than I do.

I think my plan will consist of a composite of everything that's been suggested, and will go something like this: I will convince(coerce?) a friend of mine to teach me how to ride their bike, then take the safety course. I'll probably buy a 250-size learner bike (250 ninja maybe?), and at the same, buy a 'busa and keep it locked up in a relative's garage. Then I'll ride the heck out of the little 250 and 'earn my wings' before even touching the 'busa. I'll probably trade the 250 in for an intermediate size bike before riding the 1300.

I'm a responsible and relatively sedate driver; the scream of a finely tuned bike engine is beautiful, but makes me cringe (just think of the enormous mechanical stresses on the engine parts). I don't think I could push the revs past 4,000 right now...
but I'm still a beginner.

I think this online forum is a great thing...both veteran and new riders can learn a lot from everyone else's experiences and mishaps.

Again, thanks for all the info. I'll keep you all posted on my progress. I think it would be great to meet up with some of you out there one day and cruise around when I'm capable of 'flying in formation' with others. I can't wait!
 
The 1st Busa sold in my city is now deceased the 25 yr old rider sustained major internal injurys and damn near died. I beleive he started riding at 22 on a 600 early 90s model. I spoke with him several times and knew he had bitten off more than he bargained for. The bike was totaled at 120 mph. I checked out the site he crashed at. Experience was definatly what he lacked and paid a very bad price for it. I think he has now given up motorcycling, learn to ride on something else put in alot of saddle time and you will enjoy it for a long time to come. I've put in 26 yrs of riding now and have plenty o battle scars from the past!

Mike
 
To borrow an expression, might be what we're talking about here is that it's not bikes that kill or maim people, but that it's people who kill or maim people....
 
I've been riding street bikes for the past 6 years, dirt bikes before that. I started with a 600 Shadow. What a difference this 1300 makes. Scarred the hell outta me too the first time I got on it. Now am learning to drag. I don't have wheelie problems unless I go to the track. I put a strap for the front for that, but am looking into other alternatives. Just don't go all out at the stop liht and you should be ok. You might think about starting with something a little easier to handle. The busa is very smooth, but I had to lower mine in order to be flat footed. But then i'm only 5'4". good luck.
 
Doc... Sounds like you have a good plan. One thing in the above advice I have to disagree with though. Don't buy a Busa now and think you're going to store it for a year or two then ride it.

There is no way possible any of us on this forum, including you, could own a Busa and not take it for a ride. All of us would just HAVE TO take it for a little spin.

Get a good low cost, low power sport bike and have a ball.

Let us know what you do and how you make out. Good Luck.
 
IXLR8
About 2 months ago I was in almost the same position as you. I was a 21yr old, had never owned a bike before and was considering buying a busa. The only difference is I had a small amount of experince on a friends gxsr6 and zx9. The first time I road his 6 I didn't know how to shift or even turn. It took me one time around the block to learn that you have to lean in order to make the bike turn. It took me a little longer to get the shifting down pat (1-up 2-5or6-down neutral between 1 and 2)about an hour or so. After about 100 miles on the 6 I felt I was ready for the 9. I was suprised, even though more powerful it was definetly controllable. I road his bikes maybe a total of 400 miles, and decided this year that I was going buy a bike of my own. This was a long process first it was the cbr9 then zx9 then I thought I felt more comfortable on the zx11,then the xx11, then I saw a BUSA! Every thing about it was perfect, yet I was told that I was unexperienced. After many days maybe even weeks of thought I came to this conclusion. It is top-of-line, very comfortable, beautful (in blue/silver), well priced, and as long as I would let my self grow into the bike and did not act stupid I would be able to handle it.
A month ago last monday I brought home my busa and have not regreted it for a second. I have over 1000miles on it and learning more about the bike and the sport daily. So if you think you can control your wrist and grow with the bike you will be fine.
 
IXLR8
About 2 months ago I was in almost the same position as you. I was a 21yr old, had never owned a bike before and was considering buying a busa. The only difference is I had a small amount of experince on a friends gxsr6 and zx9. The first time I road his 6 I didn't know how to shift or even turn. It took me one time around the block to learn that you have to lean in order to make the bike turn. It took me a little longer to get the shifting down pat (1-up 2-5or6-down neutral between 1 and 2)about an hour or so. After about 100 miles on the 6 I felt I was ready for the 9. I was suprised, even though more powerful it was definetly controllable. I road his bikes maybe a total of 400 miles, and decided this year that I was going buy a bike of my own. This was a long process first it was the cbr9 then zx9 then I thought I felt more comfortable on the zx11,then the xx11, then I saw a BUSA! Every thing about it was perfect, yet I was told that I was unexperienced. After many days maybe even weeks of thought I came to this conclusion. It is top-of-line, very comfortable, beautful (in blue/silver), well priced, and as long as I would let my self grow into the bike and did not act stupid I would be able to handle it.
A month ago last monday I brought home my busa and have not regreted it for a second. I have over 1000miles on it and learning more about the bike and the sport daily. So if you think you can control your wrist and grow with the bike you will be fine.
bigjim
 
I'll let y'all in on a little secret.

In earlier posts, sometime last year, I stated that when I want to go fast I get on the track. That post was concerning safety and, as most of us are well aware, a few of the very first 'busa riders are not with us today having become deceased while riding their 'busa.

I do not post much but when I have, pretty much all my posts have been related to my motorcycling experience and how I've handled myself in certain situations.

The reason I mention all this, as I know that most don't care much about explanations as they do about substance, is that I am not just new to the experience of riding a 'busa but new to the experience of riding a motorcycle itself.

Say what you will about my decision to make the GSX-1300R my first bike, as I know you will. Who can really say I made a mistake? Maybe that mistake is yet to come?

I learned to ride on a GSX-1300R and I'm sure anyone with determination, humility and care can do so as well.

Riding a motorcycle, even a 200mph motorcycle, means enjoying the freedom of that activity. Riding does not mean pushing a sportbike to its physical limits or cruising across the country on a Harley-Davidson as soon as the bike is purchased.

I bought the bike, had it delivered to an enclosed area and subsequently lowsided trying to get into first gear. I was wearing the appropiate protective gear for riding, especially since it was my first time and still got a little road rash on my left arm from a little over 3-5mph.

Got back on the fastest productioin bike ever made cruised around for about 20 minutes and put the bike away for the day.

Got back on again, cruised around town doing 10 to 35mph and put the bike away for a day.

Got some tips from a racing friend whom was kind enough to show me what over 100mph feels like from the BACK of a 'busa and learned to have a little more respect for the powerful machine I purchased. Increased the speed of my riding by hitting an empty highway the next day and put the bike away.

Even though I felt like a moron having '78 VW bugs pass me in town and riding w/ full gear on a 95 degree day in a state that doesn't even require a helmet I firmly believe that all riders should respect their bike and know their ability.

There are so many facets to riding, I would be the last to presume that I could speak in authority to or of any of them. All I can say is that if someone requests a litte input on whether an activity can be done, a few words of advice, then why not hear from someone who has done it.

Since then I've ridden in rush hour traffic in a major city highway, wheelied unwantingly, jumped the 'busa due to excessive speed for road conditions, hit over 130mph on the open highway, and got my knee down on a turn. None of this I reccomend even for the experienced rider and some of it I've been lucky to ride away from in one piece and not in jail.

Call me stupid, reckless, ballsy, an accident waiting to happen....., whatever. Just don't call me late for dinner. ha ha-- a little joke, very little.

What are you willing to risk, what do you want to do, what are you determined to do and not purposely endanger others? Weigh the risks and decide for yourself. That's all anyone can ask of you.

Yes the 'busa is decidedly not for the inexperienced rider let alone the beginner. If you are legally elligible to ride and feel like you are up to the task, as I was, then carefully go for it.

It's been a good year for me and my '99 GSX-1300R and I hope that the enjoyement never ends. I am much more confident with my bike and riding style. But I'll tell you this, I still wear my helmet on over 95% of my rides and try to keep myself w/in the posted speed limit, even on the highway. Better safe than sorry. And if I ever decide to race it's nothing but a racetrack for me.

Good luck to all riders out there, new or otherwise and I hope to hear more of your most informative posts. This is the best group I have had the pleasure to correspond w/ on the world wide web and I hope it will continue for years to come.
 
IXLR8, a number of issues to consider. But you can boil it down some. The Busa flipping over suddenly is the least of your worries. The power and size of the Busa are another matter. Both are very controllable - POTENTIALLY - but the potentially depends on you, other drivers, and the environment. Not so much on the bike - as long as it is well maintained. What you should really worry about: a) your capabilities, b) other people riding around in cages, c) environmental factors outside of your control. The capabilities and controllability of the bike are not in question. The bike won't get you. You will get you, or something or someone else will.

I would suggest you focus on your capabilities first. Your capabilities include: a) your experience, b) your discretion with the throttle, c) your natural talent to understand the physics of biking.

We know the answer to a. Only you know the answer to b. That leaves c.

If you have natural talent, and discretion, then that could potentially outweigh your lack of experience. Note I say COULD.

Let's evaluate your talent... I'll pick a funny example, but as funny as it is there is some truth in it too. Physics are physics. Talent is talent.

You have a pedal bike, right? Can you wheelie it? Stoppie it? Ride with no hands? Ride with no hands around a corner? Ride with no hands around a corner standing up? Corner it on pave to the limits of the tires? Corner it on dirt at speed while sliding the front and back tires? Ride over fallen trees? Stand in place, upright, for one minute, without putting your feet down?

If you answered yes to all these questions, then I would say you are more than enough talented, and if you have discretion also, the Busa as a first bike is in your grasp.

Otherwise buy a smaller bike, preferably a dirt bike. And if you haven't ridden a bicycle much start with that.

Yeah, I'm kidding. Should I be on a Busa? That is another question.
 
No matter what you learn to ride on, at least learn the right things. BigJim, leaning is not what turns a bike. Countersteering is what turns a bike. It so happens that leaning will initiate a countersteer and turn the bike, but it's an indirect way, and failing to know the right way can cause big trouble when you need to make a split-second manuever to dodge the car that just crossed into your lane on the turn you're taking a little too fast.

Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist II video explains turning and braking and all the other stuff in a simple, entertaining way. The Motorcycle Safety Institute course teaches the right way to ride.

My attitude is that I'm still learning how to ride, everytime I ride, and I've been doing it for 40 years now. Practice certainly hasn't made perfect in my case, but I'm comfortable on the Busa, I have a lot of fun, and I get a lot thrills.
 
Big Jim and Suicide Rider, I'll have my wife light candles for you. You know not what you do, and you are on the wrong bike to safely learn it.

There are a million things out there that can kill you, even if you don't make a mistake. Add those to the mistakes you can make and you are bucking the odds.

You may be able to stay upright for a while, if you are really careful, but you would learn 10 times as much in one tenth the time with a more user friendly bike. Sooner or later you will run into something for which you are not prepared,and the Busa will bite you in the butt if you don't get it right.

Big Jim, you have not even begun to face the hazards out there. Please don't think that after the first 1000 miles you have it knocked.

What you two are attempting isn't impossible, just very difficult. It's sorta like learning poker in a no limit game in Vegas. The penalty for mistakes is a lot higher than necessary.

That being said, I wish you the very best good luck. You have no idea how much you are going to need it.
 
And the most important rule of all is:
WHEN IN DOUBT, IMMEDIATELY APPLY FULL THROTTLE.
 
Anybody who would start out on a Busa is outa their cotton pickin' minds.8=) I came off a powerful sport bike and it still took me several months to feel really comfortable with the power.

I can't really agree with the recommendation for a Nighthawk or a 250. The Nighthawk would be cheap, but if you want to learn how to ride a sportbike, it's better to get used to a riding position that is at least similar. The 250 would be light, but would be peaky and not all that easy to ride well.
Johnnycheese is right. A 600 sport bike would work, but plastic bodywork is expensive. Johnny's recommendation of the SV650 is spot on. Actually an EX 500 would work, also. You could ride either of those until you are ready for a Busa, unlike a 250.

Either of those bikes will prepare you for a Busa better than a Nighthawk.
 
1) ...too powerful?

No...you control the power. Busa power is very easy to modulate.

2) ...too big?

No...based upon the number of other riders who are your size or smaller, the busa would fit OK.

3) ...flip over accidently?

Extremely unlikely. It takes a deliberate effort to flip a busa. It doesn't just snap over like some bikes. Your own sense of self-preservation would probably make you ease up on the throttle before it flipped.

If you got the money and something to live for, get one. They're easy to ride.
 
Hey, I'm thinking of getting a horse, but I've never ridden that many, and they're awefully big. The donkeys are smaller. Do ya'll think if I turn around and ride him backwards, then smack him real hard on the backside, do you think that would make him go then??
 
Ok ryder remember when he falls down your insurance goes up yeah I guess that is ok.
Get something smaller and learn.
A nice used P.O.S. that you can thrash.
with just liabilty.
 
NO, definately not. i know it is hard to justify buying a new 600 like a bandit for a sport/standard. or a cruiser type to get your riding skills almost up to par, but you must. personally i have been riding since age 5 mini bike, age 8 yamaha 80 ,age 11 rm 125 , age 14 my fathers yam rd 350. i than stopped riding for about 10 yrs. when i got the bug again i wanted a sport bike but needed to get my skills back so i bought the biggest cruiser. suzuki 1400 intruder. it has power a different kind torque not megga hp. i rode it 10k in a summer went to an advanced riding school, YOU MUST NOT SKIMP AND DONT FEEL ASHAMED TO GO TO A BASIC OR ADVANCED SCHOOL.you do learn quite a bit and get to try things in a controlled enviorment. kept my intruder for 1 yr than bought a black bird xx (for sale 97 7500 yosh rs3 dynojet stage 1 143 hp, 83 tq) rode and raced it at the track and now 1-1/2 yrs later bought a busa.
lesson, take your time,get your skills and ability up to your pears who ride similar bikes, and most importantly DONT RIDE FASTER THAN YOUR LINE OF SIGHT.
 
In your case sarge I would say yes. Please do not waste time trying this method out. Better bring along your service pistol just in case the horse resists.
 
Have friend that wanted to learn to ride. Went with him and we picked out a 250 dual sport and I rode it home for him. We started in a grass field, worked up to 2nd gear, stops(on the wheels), trails, parking lots, streets & hi-ways. Did not do this overnight but we had a ton of fun, he is still with us and happy with his new ZX-9. We still laugh about his first fall in grass field, on bike 10 sec, dropped it in gear, killed it, fell over. He had a couple crashs on that dual sport, no damage to him & cheap damage to bike. Whats the price of a lower fairing? Get a cheap bike and have fun with it till you learn. BTW, he still has the old dual sport that he has not outgrown. Jack.
 
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