New to riding, how about some advice

[Tufbusa]

Food for thought:

Speed without skill = ER.

The laws of physics are pretty much absolute.

The MSF course is the "Extremes" of basic.

He who teaches himself hath a fool for a master! Ben Franklin.

There is no substitute for proper training!

Engage the brain in gear before turning the key.

Leave the tunes at home.

Everyone wants to master the throttle. Master the brakes first. The brakes are much more likely to save your life than the throttle. If you loose your fear of triple digit speed, practice emergency braking to a stop from those speeds on a regular basis. You'd be surprised how many riders who classify themselves as "Seasoned" who find the front brake lever terrifying, especially at speed!

You are opening the doorway to a whole new world of fun and excitement. Along with that fun and excitement comes risk, manage it wisely!

 

[Jaysdee]

If you already have your sights set on purchasing a 'Busa, anything other than that would ultimately be less than satisfying. You will end up purchasing the 'Busa eventually anyway. And to the notion of not learning on the Hayabusa...She is as docile as anything else on 2 wheels until you rip the throttle. And depending on how hard you "rip" it, you will see just how angry she becomes! My advice is this: learn the motorcycle's characteristics, learn your limits and ride within them.

 

[skydivr]

The Busa is just like any other bike (it can kill you), but this one can do it faster. It all comes down to how much self-control you have. You can always ride it in degraded mode until you are comfortable with it's power, but the real thing that gets people in trouble is the blank space between their ears. Just don't push your luck and you'll be fine.

 

[GsxrBots]

I'm siding with the other folks here about the weight of the mighty Busa...
My Gsxr 1000's were way more of a death machine than the Busa is. She's perfectly happy just tooling around at 1/8 throttle or so..

Just do it!

 

[Busa1166]

If you buying may want to get a Gen 2 since great deals to be had on them, that is if you can stand the uglier tail section.


Ride like a sane person you will be just fine, want to improve your skill do track days & rider class. You will have a lot of fun and improve your skills with the bike in the safest environment considering the activity you are about to partake in. Regardless of your skill ride like a road racer on the street it's only a matter of time regardless of the size or type of bike you buy. Heard of plenty of riders losing it on smaller bikes with and without skills

 

[djreed2]

I think that I may just buy the Busa at this point. I am not a show off, I'm old. I just want something I can enjoy myself on and I think I agree with the several other folks above in that if I get something else, I'll be wishing the whole time I just bought what I wanted. I will be taking the course prior to purchasing it though, there really isn't a reason not to take the course as far as I can tell. Thanks everyone for the input, I did read each one, although, I must say, I had some salt with a couple of them.

 

[StromBusa]

The big girl is sure footed, and listens well. If you get into trouble with her, it's on you. Be careful and you should be fine. Maintain respect for the bike, about the time you start to feel that you have mastered it, that will be the danger time (assuming you have fundamental motorcycle skills). If you don't have fundamental skills (and even if you do) a refresher safety course is in order.

 

[brumanchu]

to the org!
Lots of good advice up above. So really think about why you want the 'busa and make sure you are prepared for the decision you make.
Buying one of the fastest bikes on the market as a first ride means you're going to have to put work in to make sure your mentally aware and physically ready with the skills needed to ride safely. Def take the MSF course. If nothing else, it'll spark some thoughts and increase awareness to proper techniques.

I'm a taller guy, and bought the 'busa mainly for the fit and comfort. It is perfect for me and I haven't looked back. Good Luck!

 

[t.rob99]

I have been riding since i was a very young man, metric cruisers , Harley, and sport bike. I tell people the Hayabusa is such a smooth and easy to ride machine that it is truly effortless to ride, but you need to know that when you twist the throttle, Sh1t starts happening really fast.

 

[Penguin]

Some good advice in this thread, OP. I am new to the forum, and just picked of my first Hayabusa. I am not, however, new to sportbikes. As stated above, the Gen 2 Hayabusa is as docile as you want it to be; so I can see it as a first bike choice if you are big and have some self control. I have owned bikes that weren't as tame, and had less power on tap ultimately.

If you have your heart set on it, then nothing will likely do in its place. There are others I could recommend, though.

Welcome to our world, and the best of luck with your decision!

 

[rusheriv]

Gobs of power at the flick of your wrist!
Big or small bike - it's not so much the bike as it is the rider's ability to control the bike.
With the Busa it's hard at times to not want to grip 'n rip.

She'll learn ya the hard way if you push her beyond your limits.

 

[bigjack7679]

The busa was my first bike. I did not know how to turn a motorcycle before I got the busa. lol

I brought the bike on a Friday, took the class that weekend. And 1 year/12k miles later I'm still here. It has been a blast

I'm a big guy as well

 

[Boosa Barry]

Well if you're a bigger guy and you still want a sport bike then a Hayabusa is probably going to be your best bet. I see a lot of big guys on them. As far as the engine size and performance goes, you're right not to be scared just start out at your own pace and your riding skillset. Statistics says it takes 6 months of riding a bike to really get to know a bike.
You can ride a Busa any speed you want and as slow as you want, it's when you twist the throttle a little longer in each gear that it will climb above 7 grand on the tach and you'll notice it really starting to pull and open up; nothing you can't get used to just make sure you have some room in front of you.