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Usually this time of year everyone takes a few last rides and gets their bike ready for winter storage....(you can already see where this is going). I decided after a painful ride to Palmer and back on the Yamaha R6 that I needed something that wasn't so racetrack oriented. Especially considering around where I live is mostly straights, the R6 didn't make much sense. So in search of something with a less aggressive seating position and softer suspension set up, the R6 left and I picked up this guy:
Nevermind the broken s2k in the background. I was always iffy on the looks of the Hayabusa, but after riding it for about a week I get it. For its reputation, its actually a very docile, smooth, and confidence inspiring bike. The power of this engine is genuinely bonkers, mainly because it doesn't feel like you are going as fast as you actually are. The massive torque makes a 6th gear pull to overtake a car effortless, and when you look at the speedo you realize you're going many many many mph over the limit. Also compared to the R6 this is SOOOO comfortable. At speed it feels very light on its feet and changes direction effortlessly. And because of the softer suspension setup, cornering at speed on a bumpy road is no longer a freakish ordeal. I see the Busa as a compromise bike. In the sense that outside of offroad capability, it will do just about everything. It can blast down a straightaway, take a corner moderately well, and still not kill you with discomfort on a long cruise. The reason I wanted such a bike is that I plan on doing a lot more long distance trips, such as the one I will begin tomorrow. 4 days, 1300 miles total, 14 riders. I believe we are riding toward the West Virginia area and then back up. I have the go pro mounted to the helmet and will take a bunch of photos as well and will post updates throughout the day.
So back from the trip. Just a hair over 1300 miles in 4 days. Started in Elicottville, NY and made our way to St. Clairsville OH by the end of day 1, passing through PA. Day 2 and 3 consisted of riding through the rolling hills of West Viginia and Virginia, with day 4 set for a ride home. We had a wide range of bikes on the trip. Outside of the Hayabusa there was my buddy on his brand new Honda Africa Twin, and a Moto Guzzi LeMans, BMW GS1200, a spattering of Triumphs and Yamaha FJR's. Really tremendous roads over there as you can see in the video. Roads are perfectly kept, nicely cambered, blind, and surrounded by beautiful scenery. Its like an endless Watkins Glen. Starting out, I really liked the Busa, but by the end of the trip I fell in love with it. I think its reputation has been ruined by those that throw chrome accents/wheels and an extended swing arm at it. Because in stock form it is highly capable. As Bugsy said, it really is like an SR71. But even through the rolling hills I was able to get knee down a few times which not only surprised me, but the other riders on the trip. When I looked at the wear on the rear tire, sure enough I had only a millimeter or 2 more on the tire before I ran out. Granted I had to get off the seat completely to get the bike to turn so sharply, at no point was the bike unsettled or anything less than very compliant. And lets not forget the monster of an engine it has. It even averaged 49 mpg throughout the trip. The remarkable thing is, everyone else commented that they didn't hear the bike make a sound at any point, but when I cranked the throttle I would just disappear. The only thing I intend on changing is the seat so that my weight is more evenly distributed for long trips. But despite the stock seat, I didn't feel any significant discomfort throughout the day. After being on it for 4 days, I'm shocked that many just consider it a drag racing bike, when it is far more capable than just going fast in a straight line....but it does go VERY effin fast in a straight line . Here are some pics and a video of various roads we were on.
Obligatory helmet hair photo
On the walk back to the hotel from the restaurant/bar in Staunton, VA we ran across this clean CTR in the obligatory Champ White. Seeing this thing in person made me really want one. I was the youngest of the group and the only real Honda fanboy so I started vomiting all the specs and importance of the Type R to everyone else in the group. But even the old school guys admitted that is was a striking looking car and seemed intrigued by it. There was also a small classic car museum in town we looked at through the windows. The big takeaways were that they had a Smokey and the Bandit replica car, and a 2 seater indy car, among some 30's and 40's era cars. Nice little town.
Taking a trip on a motorcycle is a totally different and awesome experience. You have the bare minimum with you, everything is unexpected, but even the simple stuff makes a lasting memory. I plan for many more trips next year, as well as adding another motorcycle to do a different kind of trip
Another MCY? Loud pipes save lives type of motorcycle??
Great write up and nice pics to boot. I’ll watch the video once I’m home from work. Glad you had a fun trip. The championship white CTR is the one I want the most.
09-27-2017, 06:12 PM
. Here are some pics and a video of various roads we were on.
