[anupam9557]

Just a question brother. Does the air filter cost 2500 bucks ? The price was 1,560 bucks the last time i bought for my Busa. My friend recently serviced his and the bill says 1670 bucks. Just check if they are not overcharging you. And yes BMC would be the best bet in terms of after market filter. And these are the pics of my new steed

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by anupam9557

Just a question brother. Does the air filter cost 2500 bucks ? The price was 1,560 bucks the last time i bought for my Busa. My friend recently serviced his and the bill says 1670 bucks. Just check if they are not overcharging you. And yes BMC would be the best bet in terms of after market filter. And these are the pics of my new steed

Now I will need to check on the next service what is the cost of the filter as that is the price I remembered offhand.

And congratulations on the purchase , but did you buy a Busa again?

Further, as an update the OE battery finally gave up after 3.5 years of usage. Thanks to the lockdown I used to start the busa once in 4 weeks since March. Also, getting a replacement battery was a nightmare as the OE was a Yuasa make and the ones available were retailing for around 10k without warranty. Mostly these were old stock and I didn't want to end up with a lemon.

My Suzuki dealer suggested to go in for Crank1 battery as they were offering one year replacement warranty and it costed around 9k.

Only issue being the negative terminal on the wiring harness had to be rotated to connect to the battery due to the design of the terminal on the Crank1 battery.

[anupam9557]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Now I will need to check on the next service what is the cost of the filter as that is the price I remembered offhand.

And congratulations on the purchase , but did you buy a Busa again?

Yes brother. Busa again because you know better
Further, as an update the OE battery finally gave up after 3.5 years of usage. Thanks to the lockdown I used to start the busa once in 4 weeks since March. Also, getting a replacement battery was a nightmare as the OE was a Yuasa make and the ones available were retailing for around 10k without warranty. Mostly these were old stock and I didn't want to end up with a lemon.

My Suzuki dealer suggested to go in for Crank1 battery as they were offering one year replacement warranty and it costed around 9k.

Only issue being the negative terminal on the wiring harness had to be rotated to connect to the battery due to the design of the terminal on the Crank1 battery.

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I had replaced the same Crank one battery in my ex busa. Its a good replacement one and next time if you directly talk to the owner of the company, he can give for 7K including shipping. His contact is available in their website. Keep updating and ride safe bro.

[SnS_12]

Thanks to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown the usage of the Busa along with my other motorcycles has been really low. In ideal world conditions I would have crossed 10k kms on the Busa in 2020 itself but the oddo reads at 9465 kms currently and looks like I will be able to put down some kms only post monsoon now as I don’t think things are going to get any better in the next two months before the monsoon starts.

Further after the battery fiasco of last year I did manage to do some long rides last year and Bluebird performed flawlessly. Managed to get the annual service done in March this year. The bike had just run over 1k + kms since the last oil change but since that was a year back got it changed along with the oil filter. The air filter was just cleaned with compressed air and put back. Also I noticed that prices of the parts have gone up over the years and the oil filter now costs 1k plus. Also replaced the led pilot lamps as they had gone weak and were flickering at times. Wanted to change the high beam to an LED unit as well but the part was not available then and now we are in another lockdown.

During the service I carried the EBC front brake pads along with me as always thinking I would finally try them but as luck would have it the OE pads still had life in them so decided to leave them on. Would be doing the brake and clutch fluid change after monsoon so hopefully would replace them then.

Apart from this I was really looking forward to the Gen 3 but apart from the fantastic electronic package and better brakes there was nothing that really excited me about it and guess my Gen 2 would be the only Busa in the garage for a longtime to come now. Lets see how they price the Gen 3 in India when it is officially launched tomorrow 26-4-2021. Now I am considering maybe to get a hyper naked next and have been reading and watching videos of the Speed Triple 1200 RS and the Z H2. Lets see what the future has in store and maybe there might be a garage update late 2021 or early 2022



A long ride on a Sunday with the gang post the 2020 monsoon got over. However, the return ride turned out to be the most painful ever thanks to an insane traffic jam due to a massive accident which had blocked the road for good.



Look at the amount of dust collected on the bike after riding for hours in first gear in full bumper to bumper traffic something these bikes are not designed to do. I had to finally stop to take a hydration break as I had almost sweated out the fluids in my body under the harsh sun and I was not even wearing my leather jacket that day thankfully. The return journey which normally is around and hour took me over 3.5 hrs that day.



After that day I almost didn’t ride any bike for well over a month and the next few rides were well within city limits and were solo thanks to the pandemic picking up again.





Two different falcons captured in one frame.



My father with my just over a year old niece. If you ask her where I have gone if I am out of the house she will say Vroom Vroom.



This is a official Suzuki accessory and the tyre valve cap costed 150 for a pair.







The OE pads still have decent life left in them.









Replaced the old LED pilot bulbs.



The last proper long ride with the boys before we went in lockdown again.



After a three hour cleaning and detailing session.











This was the last ride on the Busa and a memorable one. We have a place in Girgaum Chowpatty where my father takes private tution. The place had been unattended to over a year and needed cleaning. So the day we were supposed to get that done he told me the previous night that we will go on the Busa and I was zapped on hearing that as he had never sat on the Busa in four years on the road. His only condition was that I don’t ride fast. Looks like he couldn’t give in to the temptation of experiencing what it feels like to sit on one and when we returned home he was so impressed that he wanted to do it again in the future. That day he was telling everyone who called how it felt to sit on this monstrosity of a motorcycle and how everyone on the road would slow down and keeping looking back at the motorcycle.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Buying Experience


Now, that the mind over heart battle was won,

The biggest battle isn't it, somehow I had missed this gem of an ownership thread. Congratulations once again, she looks great in this color, and i wish you millions of same KMs on the bike.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

[b][u]

The look on your fathers face, priceless.

Sums up your struggles real well with your dad, luckily now my dad has come on terms, and he was actually surprised I did not go for V4.



Colorful garage indeed, just Like poppins

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by AtheK

The biggest battle isn't it, somehow I had missed this gem of an ownership thread. Congratulations once again, she looks great in this color, and i wish you millions of same KMs on the bike.

Thank you very much for your kind words. It just been over a year since I pended down my ownership experience and that was something that was on my mind for a while. As you had mentioned in your 959 ownership thread that your bike had been discontinued and had been upgraded with a new model but still the thread might help people looking at used models. In my case I really wanted to read an Indian ownership experience on Team BHP and back then there was only one. With the Busa you had so many online reviews and videos considering its popularity and there was all the information required over the internet. But still wanted to read the views of an Indian owner and the challenges one might face and I hope my thread would help people looking at used option or even the Gen3.

The mind battle for me really was what my Dads reaction would be on hearing about this purchase then what model to go for. Post I sold my Ninja 650 I used to keep toying with the idea of purchasing the next new launched model as my next purchase and at one time I had considered the 796 Monster, the 10R and lastly the 14R. In the end it was just the 14R and the Busa and the Busa finally won.

The blue shade was not my first choice and I would have gone with the black one, but my wife chose this colour and for all the support I have had from her couldn't say no, and I am glad I got it in Blue

Originally Posted by AtheK

The look on your fathers face, priceless.

Sums up your struggles real well with your dad, luckily now my dad has come on terms, and he was actually surprised I did not go for V4.

For my father the biggest concern when he saw this humongous bike was that this is how he would loose his son. As a father your children safety is one of your primary concern and till this day he is always worried till the time I get back from a ride especially on the Busa. That is a thought that keeps me sane on Bluebird and stops me from doing silly things even if that means I am the slowest or at the end of the squad on one of the fastest motorcycles in the world. I must admit though that this thought affects my confidence at times in exploring my capabilities and I feel the most confident/natural self riding my Rx. But that is ok as you have folks who care and need you back at home.

Originally Posted by AtheK

Colorful garage indeed, just Like poppins

Haha. The red RD 350 belongs to a friend but has been with me for many years now as he is not in the country. If things had gone the way I wanted there would have been a Titanium Grey colour 125cc parallel twin among this line up as well.

Now, I am fighting another mind battle and trying to convince myself not to spend 20+ big ones on the next purchase and try and add another Blue bike Had the Gen 3 Busa been launched in a different (higher) engine tune I would gone for that and things would have been so much easier. But maybe there was always something else planned in my destiny.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Now, I am fighting another mind battle and trying to convince myself not to spend 20+ big ones on the next purchase and try and add another Blue bike

In the words of our dearly beloved Darth Vader - "don't fight your temptation, join the dark side". (something like that)

Buy it, post here online. Life is lived only once.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by no_fear

In the words of our dearly beloved Darth Vader - "don't fight your temptation, join the dark side". (something like that)

Buy it, post here online. Life is lived only once.

For a change I am trying to rationalise the amount of money that will be spent on the next purchase.

As mentioned in my earlier post looking at maybe adding a naked/hyper naked next in the garage. The current rough list of models running me crazy are as below:

Street Triple RS

Have never ridden one before (regular or RS) and only sat on one to check ergonomics when I had visited the Triumph dealership. The RS version especially interests me because of the better suspension and brake package it offers along with that potent triple engine. The only negative that runs in my mind is that with the Busa I am really spoilt with torque and something I might miss on the triple and might land in a similar position like the Ninja 650 and will get rid of it in a few years.

Speed Triple RS

The bigger brother with 125 NM of torque and insane 180 PS will will keep me happy for years to come and a triple will mean I have everything from a single to a inline four in the garage

But the biggest negative against it is the stiff suspension setup which every international review points out too which really shines on the track but something I might never take it too. Plus if these guys find it stiff on those roads I just shudder to think the feel on our butter smooth tarmac.

Z H2

You can’t go any more bonkers than this a supercharged liter naked which makes a melodious sound when the supercharger blade breaks the sound barrier making 200PS.

Would have some insane mid range that I really want to try out. But this would be another fat girl at 239 kgs wet and plus will make a big dent in the bank balance at 21.9 ex showroom. Plus the bigger kwackers are fuel sensitive and have idling issues and require regular throttle body cleaning thanks to the conditions that prevail in India. Finally if I book one today I might be the first one to do in India and a feeling I am really not comfortable with.

Considering all of the above I am pushing my brain towards a Suzuki again one with a legendary K5 engine which maybe a old technology just like the Gen 2 Busa engine but has no known niggles and a potent engine till date. Owning the Busa has only strengthen the trust over Suzuki engineering and this latest one comes with slipper clutch and quick shifter which would be brilliant to use which I miss doing on my busa as you can’t be doing aggressive downshifts entering a corner without locking up the rear wheel and have to instead ride the torque curve which is less dramatic



P.S - The Ninja 650 and Busa both were bikes which I had never ridden until I bought mine. And that above list of bikes is similar minus the GSXS 1000 as I have ridden the previous generation.

[no_fear]

To make life a bit more complicated,

you can also consider the 2021 Aprilia Tuono. Its releasing in India this year.

[GoBlue]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Considering all of the above I am pushing my brain towards a Suzuki again one with a legendary K5 engine which maybe a old technology just like the Gen 2 Busa engine but has no known niggles and a potent engine till date. Owning the Busa has only strengthen the trust over Suzuki..

Suzuki India would be launching the Katana this year.

That could be perfect for your needs if looking for a brand new purchase.

If going pre-owned, a GSX S1000 or a GSX S750 would also be suitable.

Given a choice, I wouldn't pick any other I4/naked other than Suzuki either. Was sad to let go of the GSX S750. There’s a different crispy/smooth feeling that Suzuki I4s have as compared to the Triumph Triples or even their other Japanese brothers (Kawasaki/Honda), which is noticeable when one has ridden/compared notes. Especially when the throttle is closed at higher RPMs in lower gears, the way a Suzuki I4 feels is quite special. Fueling is crisp with adequate engine braking, without feeling too aggressive.

Have ridden the Street Triple RS, it's a brilliant bike. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side for our roads. In the long run that could be a source of discomfort especially considering condition of roads in MH.

Try taking a test ride of the Street Triple RS with the rebound adjusted to softest setting. Although that could compromise the handling, which after all, is the USP of the bike.

[krishnaprasadgg]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Street Triple RS

While it is one hell of a taught machine, coming from the Busa you won't be finding out much about the bike while living with it. It would start to feel tame almost immediately, but it will for sure be fun to ride and screw around with.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Speed Triple RS

Now that's an awesome option and if I were you this is where I'd be looking at. Might I add if you can find a good example in the used market you'd be saving a ton of money too. So yeah, I'd keep this as option 1.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Z H2

I would suggest against it as Kawasaki apart from the TB clan issues, you will also have to deal with expensive maintenance, and being supercharged I'd imagine the importance of good timely sc checks would be more. Also parts might be considerably costlier than what you can expect from the Triumph side, I think, don't quote me on that

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Considering all of the above I am pushing my brain towards a Suzuki again ....

It's a safe plan but make it a bit more exciting with multiple manufacturers.

Originally Posted by no_fear

To make life a bit more complicated,

you can also consider the 2021 Aprilia Tuono. Its releasing in India this year.

See, that's what I am talking about no_fear is a bad influence when it comes to Italians

Cheers
Krishna

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

See, that's what I am talking about no_fear is a bad influence when it comes to Italians

Cheers
Krishna

be thankful I didn't offer him choices as the Ducati Streetfighter, or the new MV Brutale 800.

I rode the Tuono a long time ago and I personally think its a brilliant machine. On top Aprilia offers value for money + its owner is Piaggio so it can't be all that bad.

I think the Street or Speed Triple will be more interesting and a bit different due to the 3 cylinders.

SnS, start a voting page and see the results. Should be fun

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by no_fear

To make life a bit more complicated,

you can also consider the 2021 Aprilia Tuono. Its releasing in India this year.

I am more inclined towards Japanese and maybe British. But have never considered the exotic Italians or even the tech crazy German. And to keep it that way I even avoid at even looking at any video reviews of these bikes unless it is a comparison.

Originally Posted by GoBlue

Suzuki India would be launching the Katana this year.

That could be perfect for your needs if looking for a brand new purchase.

If going pre-owned, a GSX S1000 or a GSX S750 would also be suitable.

Katana has the same K5 engine as the GSX S, but will need to see how its rides compared to the GSX S and also I prefer the way the later looks. Also, I won't be going down the used bike route so I am looking at the newer models only.

Originally Posted by GoBlue

Given a choice, I wouldn't pick any other I4/naked other than Suzuki either. Was sad to let go of the GSX S750. There’s a different crispy/smooth feeling that Suzuki I4s have as compared to the Triumph Triples or even their other Japanese brothers (Kawasaki/Honda), which is noticeable when one has ridden/compared notes. Especially when the throttle is closed at higher RPMs in lower gears, the way a Suzuki I4 feels is quite special. Fueling is crisp with adequate engine braking, without feeling too aggressive.

Suzuki and I have a bit of a history as the first big bike I sat on as a pillion was a Gen 1 Busa and my friend made me experience the thrill of a big bike acceleration by red lining it in the first two gears. It was a experience I will never forget as I have never sat at those speeds as pillion ever again.

Also, the first big bike I rode was the legendary 1992 GSXR 750.

Suzuki, really make iconic/reliable motorbikes which have always been offered at affordable prices and hence their models have a larger life span to recover the investment costs. Also, their big bikes work well in our environment which is an added advantage.

Originally Posted by GoBlue

Have ridden the Street Triple RS, it's a brilliant bike. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side for our roads. In the long run that could be a source of discomfort especially considering condition of roads in MH.

Try taking a test ride of the Street Triple RS with the rebound adjusted to softest setting. Although that could compromise the handling, which after all, is the USP of the bike.

Ideally I would have gone for this bike instead of the Ninja 650 but, after the Busa I don't think this would keep me excited for years to come.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

While it is one hell of a taught machine, coming from the Busa you won't be finding out much about the bike while living with it. It would start to feel tame almost immediately, but it will for sure be fun to ride and screw around with.

Exactly my thoughts.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Now that's an awesome option and if I were you this is where I'd be looking at. Might I add if you can find a good example in the used market you'd be saving a ton of money too. So yeah, I'd keep this as option 1.

As mentioned above to GoBlue I am not going to go the pre owned route and plus there are no 1200 RS sold in the country yet?? But its the stiffer ride I am worried about and only a test ride (if possible) will give me some confidence to consider it further. I don't want to plonk money on a bike who's ex showroom price is more than the OTR price I paid for the Busa and later regret my purchase.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I would suggest against it as Kawasaki apart from the TB clan issues, you will also have to deal with expensive maintenance, and being supercharged I'd imagine the importance of good timely sc checks would be more. Also parts might be considerably costlier than what you can expect from the Triumph side, I think, don't quote me on that

Yes, all that runs on my mind when I consider a Kwacker with a liter plus engine size. And more than the cost of parts and maintenance its the thought of whether the Indian authorised service centre guys are capable of doing any technical work when the need arises.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

It's a safe plan but make it a bit more exciting with multiple manufacturers.

See, that's what I am talking about no_fear is a bad influence when it comes to Italians

Cheers
Krishna

He definitely is and considering the amount of Italians he owns I am sure he knows his stuff when he recommends one or the work to be done on one.

But as mentioned earlier Japanese and British brands is what I may only consider. Considering that I am not keen on the offering from Yamaha and Honda in the naked liter category at this point.

Originally Posted by no_fear

be thankful I didn't offer him choices as the Ducati Streetfighter, or the new MV Brutale 800.

I generally like the Italian designs and the best bike would be one designed by an Italian with a Japanese engine but the Ducati streetfighter looks like a bike which has been built around its huge radiators.

Brutale again really good to look at but not sure of owning one and at the price point they are available.

Originally Posted by no_fear

I rode the Tuono a long time ago and I personally think its a brilliant machine. On top Aprilia offers value for money + its owner is Piaggio so it can't be all that bad.

When service center guys use medical syringe to change brake oil in front of you instead of doing a proper bleed replacement is when you pray that your bike never develops a complex engine or electric issue which will leave you at the mercy of the authorized service centers in India. Hence, I prefer Japanese over anything else for peace of mind.

Using the syringe to fill brake oil is the smarter way of using it not to replace old oil though.

Originally Posted by no_fear

I think the Street or Speed Triple will be more interesting and a bit different due to the 3 cylinders.

SnS, start a voting page and see the results. Should be fun

Because of the three cylinder configuration is why I was looking at the Speed Triple 1200 RS, but need to see how it rides on our surface as I don't want a track focused naked. The wind blast is the biggest negatives on a naked but then the other way to look at it is that the triple digit speeds yo do on it will feel exactly how it should.

The list is still evolving and the purchase might happen only close to the end of the year or early next and around then I plan to start a separate thread to take in suggestions and maybe start a poll. Till then its just daydreaming.

[neil.jericho]

SnS_12, hope you dont mind me joining the day dreaming party!

Now that you have decided that you want a naked motorcycle in your garage, I would only suggest that you look at your decision from the lens of do you want a new bike to supplement your current motorcycling experience or do you want one to complement your current motorcycling experience? You cant go wrong with either decision, but it is your decision to make.

If you want to go with Japanese litre class nakeds, I would suggest that you keep it between the Suzuki and the Honda (whenever Honda relaunches it in the BS6 avataar, I am sure they will). The Suzuki looks to be sportier while the Honda will be the consummate gentleman. The Z H2 is definitely not meant for our roads and I shudder to think about the service experience if your bike is going to be the first one in the country.

If you want to go with British bikes, as GoBlue rightly mentioned, the suspension on the 765 RS is really stiff for our roads. That is its biggest weakness and it was the only reason that made me drop it when I was bike hunting. The suspension of the Speed Triple RS1200 needs to be tested on Indian roads. Based on what the international media has said, I have a feeling that it is going to be even stiffer than the Street Triple 765RS and that it will be too hardcore for us to be able to enjoy.

I like having different motorcycles in my garage that give me completely different experiences. I feel a light, middleweight motorcycle would round off your garage. But there is no point of erring on the side of something relatively tame (in your case) like the Triumph Trident.

I really think you should consider a hooligan motorcycle like the Ducati Hypermotard 950 as your next choice.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

I generally like the Italian designs and the best bike would be one designed by an Italian with a Japanese engine

for that, I present to you Bimota. (utterly bonkers, utterly unreliable, bankrupt more times than Donald Trump and now bought by Kawasaki and available with a Kawasaki engine).

Now I will be a bit harsh on you (all in good fun) and say, that you are using your Busa experience and shoe horning that to other bikes. I make the same mistake. We are all comfortable riding a particular model and then compare it to the next purchase we make. More so, we want the next bike to match, fill or be better than the one we own, else what's the point.

But here lies the anomaly. Every bike is different. Before I got into collecting Italians, I owned a Ninja 1000. I liked that bike but I didn't enjoy riding it. It was good but nothing spectacular. I downgraded to a KTM Duke 390 and I enjoyed it immensely. I thought naked bikes won't be fun and the power is not there, but measure for measure, its the most fun bike.

Would I go back and buy a Duke 390 - for sure. I stopped riding it, so I sold it, but that bike changed my attitude towards how I looked at bike types in general.

I rode ZX 10R and Z900 several times, and I always chose the Z900 because I had more fun with it, and the power delivery felt smoother.

I suggest you hit the dealerships and test ride every naked you want to. Don't think about costs, prices, etc in the beginning. Once you get a feel of what you are comfortable with, then you start trimming down the choices.

One example to highlight why I am suggesting this route - both my MV Agusta F4 RR and Brutale RR are pretty much the same engine. The RR is de-tuned and has lesser power. But I love riding the Brutale because its more responsive and has sharper handling skills.

I didn't consider the Brutale in the beginning, because why spend so much on a bike that is of lower spec + weaker engine than the faired one. But the two bikes are as different as chalk and cheese.