| Author | Message | ||
     Jon |
I raced Busa's in 'Nam. | ||
| Spiderman |
I had Spidey Snacks, so I thought it only fair to get Dave some Davey Snacks Here's hoping Dave doesn't hate the name Davey | ||
| Daves |
I am not sure who the super hero is but "Adventure is his reward" | ||
| Spiderman |
ahem, Action is his reward...  | ||
| Rocketman |
Well Dave, I don't wish to blow my own trumpet here but I'm pretty much on the ball riding any bike. I don't have the hesitation or scare factor hanging over me getting on a new ride. Nothing two wheels phases me. I suspect you're the same, as are many of us on BadWeB. We're experienced right. So my Busa credentials are good to go. So I've had a few hours on a couple of Busa's and I got into them, trust me, and as most every road tester says, they make up such pace it's hard for any bike to stay in front of a Busa if that bike passed the Busa in a previous corner. The Busa just has so much fire power coming off the curve it's astonishing. I just don't know where an XB would ever hold a Busa back. A very twisty road then maybe. But not a chance down any of those canyon roads near Aaron's place in Colorado. End of the day the open road is not consistent and that has to work in the Busa's favour every time, unless most twisty roads you refer to are like that 'Dragon' you guys speak of. That is, hairpin after hairpin, in which case the XB, as would any nimble bike with any sort of power to speak of, beat a Busa. I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree, but at least I got Pops Yoshimura in my team  Troy Freakin' | ||
| Oldog |
Caution: Taking Ferris' bet may result in getting showered by sparks,  Ask me how I know. Buell / Busa in the corners it about the nut holding on the bars. I heard that Buell was going to introduce a water cooled bicycle next year... (Message edited by oldog on September 30, 2006) | ||
| Reepicheep |
No fair Ferris, you could probably kick half our asses on the road king, much less the Busa... | ||
| Blake |
The Skyway is fun, a wonderful ride, but it does not test a bike's ability to handle. The Dragon's tail does. Yes, I got to ride Paul's Busa for a very short stint in Oregon. There is a reason you don't see any Busa's competing on road racing tracks. This discussion reminds me of the twisty road test that www.motorcycle.com did where no matter who was riding which bike, the XB9R rider would always slowly pull away from the trailing rider on the - drum roll please - YZFR1. You wanna take that challenge with a Busa? Come one guys. Sheesh. Here's the pertinent excerpt from MO:
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| Blake |
Meant to post a link to the MO article. Here it is.  http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/02xb900.motml | ||
| Sparky |
Reep, I resemble that half-assed remark. Alas, it is true. The afore-mentioned Ferris has, indeed, kicked my complete ass on a slightly older Buell S2 Blurr while I was astride my slightly newer hooligan S1 Lightning on a SCAB ride through the Borrego desert twisties, whilst we were in our prime. Easily! Aaah, the memories. Thanks. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
There is a reason you don't see any Busa's competing on road racing tracks. my point (if i, in fact, had one) was that a 'Busa, or any other so-called "heavy" late-model Japanese bike, handles far, far better than anyone who's never ridden one could ever imagine. 'Busa against Buell on Deal's Gap? equal riders? my money's on the Buell. open up the road a wee little bit, and the game gets a lot more interesting. Blake, you say the Cherohala Skyway ain't about handling? geez, i was just there (and PRAISE BE finally had some dry pavement to play with!), and there are some (a LOT of, actually) corners that'll tie your scooter into knots. PLUS, there are some open stretches that'll make you a firm believer in the "Some is good, more is better, and too much is just enough" adage when it comes to effortless, breathtaking "Engage!" ability. not that i'd know on the Road King, 'cause it doesn't quite qualify for that accolade, but IS a fabulous traveling companion for, say, a 25-day road trip around the country. i digress. i love (most) Buells, i wish i still had one, i WILL have (at least) another one, and i'm not downing the machine or its Merry Maker one little bit. just trying to open an eye or two: unless you've got some seat time on a recent "big-boned" scooter from Japan, you've got no idea what one is capable of. and what one is capable of might blow your proverbial mind. ps: thx to Oldog, Reep and Sparky for the speed props; i'll be adding a bigger helmet to my Christmas list... FB | ||
| Blake |
But FB, I've been on a bunch of them and they didn't blow my mind at all. They seemed ponderous compared to my Cyclone, and my Cyclone feels ponderous compared to an XB. I just don't ride at speeds much over 80 mph on public roads. The track is my place for that. Granted though, acceleration and top speed is the rhealm where a Busa excels. In handling? A true measure of handling is found via a timed slalom course. So if we are going to talk about the relative handling prowess of different motorcycles, that would be the gauge by which to compare them. I recall when Cycle World did their street riding handling course comparison including a slalom course, the XB9R was a full two seconds quicker than even an FZ1. I'd expect a Busa would come in somewhere significantly further back than that. | ||
| M1combat |
While I was (and still am) amazed at what that 2-up FJR was doing in front of me on the 191 I have to make the point that we weren't on the limit . The only time we were sliding around (and I was eight feet behind you for most of it so I know ) was when the gravel dictated it. We could have gone faster as I'm sure you realize. I didn't want to... we were cooking along well enough for me for sure . You put up a great pace Jerry (and Denise) . I had no need or want to go faster. I'm sure I could have, but at what cost? I'm sure you could have as well but the same applies. That's the road for you . You remember when we were on that road that I DO know yes? I know... I had you at a marked dis-advantage... I'd been on that road at least 750 times by then (at least 750 more by now). I'm very sure that I'd be suprised by a Busa... Certain of it. I'd be completely astonished if I could run the 191 or the Spars quicker on a Busa though... It's just not made for a road that tight. "So, M1, if the Buell is so fast coming out of the corners and can stick like flypaper in all the twisties, and can beat the snot out a 'busa, or anything else, why doesn't it win EVERY race it enters?" I didn't say "beat the snot" but I do have an answer for your question ... It doesn't win every time on the racetrack against the 600's because the 600's are faster than a Busa on a tight canyon road as well . I think there's entirely too many people on the planet who haven't got a clue what a tight canyon road even is... The good ones are marked 35MPH with MANY corners marked yellow at 15MPH. Roads that are literally 90% turn. Roads where power is very close to useless. Roads where you're doing nothing but transitioning from one turn to the next on the "straights" because they're only 60' long and there's only one in between every tenth turn... This is the place we're talking about. A place where flickability, road holding and handling matter a LOT more than power. Alright... "Pig" might be too strong of a word to use to describe the handling of a Hayabusa. I'm sure they aren't oil tankers... I should reserve the word "pig" for something like a boss hoss I suppose... If the XB is a Lotus Elise, The Busa is a GTO. Which do you suppose my money would be betting for on the Dragon? | ||
| Rocketman |
MCN did a similar test with a Buell and several other rice rockets a few years ago but the test was a little more involved than the simple slalom of a few corners. MCN attempted to create a more accurate picture by having several timing markers along a stretch of road that included tight twisties, straights and flowing corners. Basuically a mixed bag covering a few miles of tarmac. The XB9 did indeed win the first tight section of the course, but at the end of the 12 mile run it was 8 seconds down on the fastest bike, which was a Hayabusa. No just kidding. It too was an R1. There was no Busa in the test, but had there have been........... Not everything is black and white. Rocket | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
I just don't ride at speeds much over 80 mph on public roads. Blake, truth be told, neither do i, especially since i offed the FJR. you'll note that i've given Buell all due props vs. our hypothetical 'Busa on a tight, twisty road like the Dragon. my point, again (even tho i've said i don't have one), is that a "heavy" bike like a Hayabusa would astonish the Buell owners on this forum who've never ridden one, or, more to the point, tried to keep up with one. tell ya what, my friend, let's play Fantasy Racer for a moment here: you take your XB, i'll take a 'Busa, and let's you and i run 'em. i need the 'Busa for a day or two first, to get used to one again, and then we do a tight track (Streets of Willow comes to mind), and then we do a long track (the big track at Willow Springs comes to mind), and see where we're at in this little competition. me thinks you'd make me look old and fat (partly because i am) on the "Streets," and me thinks i MIGHT just hand you your arse on the big track. in the end, what have we proven? only that we're both having copious amounts of fun! We could have gone faster as I'm sure you realize. Don, 191 was a pretty fair test of machines that day, as the road wasn't familiar to us (it was my first time on it, and it'd been awhile for you, right?). yep, the Spars doesn't count - your 750 laps against my first time over it stacked the odds squarely against me, not to mention that that day was the very first time me 'n D had ridden the FJR two-up in anger (i'd only had the bike a very short time before that weekend). anyway, back to 191. my point (hmmm, maybe i DO have one after all) is that a veritable PIG of a motorcycle (get this: the FJR weighs a whopping 89 pounds more than a 'Busa, and is down 29 horsepower and 9 pounds of torque - go ahead and take a moment to let those numbers sink in...), with the extra weight of TWO people on board and saddlebags packed to the rafters, made relatively short work of an expertly-ridden (you're welcome) Buell XB12R, and what appeared to be an equally well-ridden Aprilia Tuono. you say you could have ridden faster that day, i.e. you could've gotten around me? me no think so, kimosabe. (one of my all-time favorite moto-memories, from four decades of this stuff, was when i finally couldn't focus hard enough any longer - after what, something like 30 or 40 miles of riding at that pace? - and slowed down and waved you and Ruben to go by, and then watched you two in my mirrors arguing via sign language, "You go!", "No, YOU go!" and neither one of you would. ) so here we've got a bike that makes a 'Busa look like a Jenny Craig graduate, with the extra weight of a second passenger AND gear, and yet i was able to keep a couple of pretty damn good riders, on pretty damn good bikes, in my mirrors, for a LONG time, on a REAL road. (btw, Blake, if you're keeping up, 191 isn't a "big speed" road, it's more of a "handling" road. Don, would you agree?) as i mentioned in my first post directed your way, a lot had to do with me, a LOT had to do with Denise, but MOST had to do with the amazing ability of the FJR. it handles far, far better than a machine its size and weight has a right to, and i repeat: any Buell owner on this forum who summarily dismisses the handling ability of any late-model "big and/or heavy" Japanese bike, without having ridden one or having tried to keep up with one, is being, to be blunt, patriotically naive. so Blake, when and where we gonna run? FB (Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 01, 2006) | ||
| Anonymous |
Ferris, Ferris, I can pass you and turn off your bike in a corner with me two up and you solo. Quit bragging or I'll have to come out and give you some humility. Geez! Give a little American company a break! You really think a Hayabusa handles like an XB? Or are you just trolling? C'mon, man, that's beneath you. | ||
| Court |
>>>Not everything is black and white. Therein lies the crux of this discussion and why I'd PREFER the Buell. High speeds, the forte' of the Hayabusa, on public roads gobble up friends voraciously. I grew weary. Court | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Anony, i'm not bragging. i think my last paragraph in my last post sums up my point quite nicely: any Buell owner on this forum who summarily dismisses the handling ability of any late-model "big and/or heavy" Japanese bike, without having ridden one or having tried to keep up with one, is being, to be blunt, patriotically naive. nowhere have i said a 'Busa handles like an XB. if i'm wrong about that statement, show me, please. i've only tried to make the point that those who summarily dismiss the handling ability of so-called "heavy" Japanese bikes, ESPECIALLY those who have never ridden one or tried to keep up with one, are not armed with enough information to make such bold proclamations. as for giving a little American company a break, show me where i've dissed Buell, and i'll apologize. i don't even own one, yet the only board i frequent is THIS one, i still enjoy being known as "Ferris Bueller," and, as i stated earlier, i hope to have another Buell someday. nope, i'm not trolling, and i haven't said anything that's beneath me, or you, or anyone else. go back and read my posts on this thread (take a deep breath first, maybe smoke a cigarette or two), and see what i've said that's so heinous. if you find anything, copy and paste it here, and if i'm wrong, i'll apologize. as far as your "I can pass you and turn off your bike in a corner with me two up and you solo" statement, um, WHO'S bragging? that was in a galaxy a long time ago and far, far away, my friend, and besides, Rich Ray was holding us all up (wink, wink). come on out, bring an XB, i think i can find someone to loan me a 'Busa (better yet, an FJR, since it's so much heavier than a 'Busa and a bike i'm familiar with), and we'll go mano-a-mano. you might spank me, but i'll make it a lot harder than you think, and you WON'T be reaching for my kill switch this time. keep up the good work. FB | ||
| Rex |
ahhahaah. ferris and anonymous...ahahahah. weren't the keys tossed also? | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Court gets the "guilty" verdict on tossing Anony's keys that day - i was still too stunned by having my kill switch fondled at speed to consider flinging someone's keys in the ditch. FB | ||
| Court |
Great story....but I fear the wrongnonymous. Rich Ray changed the way we rode that day. . . pretty scary, that 2-up gig he and Britta were doing. I ended up with Britta aboard and she, an excellent rider in her own right, is an excellent passenger. | ||
| Bomber |
Jon -- that was YOU! I wondered who passed the APC AND the Huey on Route 1! ya made my day, sir! Yesterday, I did about 400 miles on the slimey drud run, on my much loved and abused MaDeuce -- at any given point, I might have wished to be on a Uly/VStrom/BMWGS kinda bike (some of those alphabet soup Wisconsin roads were a bit adventurous!), a Busa (the numbered roads and slab would been more comfy and more quickly navigagted), a KTM Motard (for when the GPS doesn't show the difference between a road and a highspeed Btrax) . . . point is, no one bike does it all perfectly -- so long as I'm limited to less than three or four bikes, they will ALL be compromises -- which is one of the reasons I always get such a kick outa "this bike will beat that bike" conversations -- and my Mom DID dress me funny, btw | ||
| Pammy |
Is there a "BAD" motorcycle....really? I have owned a LOT of motorcycles and I can't think of one that made me really unhappy. I own 3 right now and they each have a specialty. Just as there are different shoes for different occasions, so are there motorcyles.... Now, where are my dancin' shoes? | ||
| Bomber |
different shoes? OOOooooo -- ya mean like zoris and riding boots (aka Dancing shoes!) got it ;-} | ||
| Pammy |
You betcha... Shall we Tango? can I lead? | ||
| Bomber |
Pammy -- I would never even THINK about leading you . . . . . ;-} sides, I'd just get us lost | ||
| Spiderman |
we already seen you fishin, I hope not to see you in heels | ||
| Pammy |
"sides, I'd just get us lost" And I wouldn't know the difference, my dear. ;o) | ||
| Rocketman |
If we could compare the XBRR to the 600s back-to-back, it would be straightforward to figure out where it stands comparatively in terms of cornering speed, acceleration, ergonomics and the all-important lap times. Since that's not the case, I'm forced to make the inference that this bike feels as competent, if not more so, than any stock Supersport bike through the turns. The motor feels faster than hell on the track too, albeit in a vacuum. I would be hard-pressed to say it can pull harder than a built 600cc racebike, but it seems quicker than any stock 600 I can remember. It is ridiculously faster than the stock Firebolt XB12R and Lightning XB12S machines we were testing that afternoon, and they are a boat-load of fun to ride on the track. So the RR seems quicker than a stock 600 and is ridiculously faster than the XB12's. Those Hayabusa's must be real slow. Rocket | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
ps to Anony: i forgot the in my post to you. FB (Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 02, 2006) |
