[SnS_12]

From the time I have purchased my Hayabusa (20-2-2017) I have been toying around with the thought of putting up an ownership thread. For being such a famous (Dhoom Bike) and well known model in India, I was surprised that there was only one ownership thread on Team- BHP of 'Despoine' owned by Mr. Ram (handle name pinnacle). So, I always thought by creating a thread and sharing my experiences, would help future prospective buyers. But, now in the current scenario those prospective buyers can only look at the used market as the Busa's 20 year dream run has finally ended.

I have been crazy about motorcycles from my teens and I was eagerly waiting to turn 18 so that I could get my riding license and finally have my own motorcycle. My first motorcycle which I still own is my 1999 RX 135, which my dad bought me or rather I begged him to buy for me in 2004 . Post that I added a Yamaha RD 125, RD 200 to my garage. After rebuilding my RD 200 and owning three bikes in my garage I was now looking forward to owning/adding a big bike in my garage.

You can read more about these rare motorcycles here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...-rd-200-a.html (My Barn Finds: Yamaha RD 125 & RD 200)

So, around in November 2012 I bought myself a brand new Ninja 650. Now, I already owned two parallel twin motorcycles and I was not very keen on having a third as I knew an inline four is what will satisfy my hunger for a big bike. But back then there weren't many options available at my price budget and I wasn't keen on going for a used motorcycle. Ninja was my first brand new motorcycle as all the other three bikes were used ones and two of them were in almost scrap condition.

Now, like most Indian fathers, my father was not very comfortable with motorcycles and especially with the concept of me having three. So buying a fourth one was clearly a no brainer. But the itch to own a big bike just grew by each passing day and so I decided I will buy it and will inform him about the purchase after a few months/years like I have done with the last two purchases. So it was around Diwali when I took delivery and I took the Ninja straight to my cousins house who was accompanying me. Now, I had no one from my immediate family present as my father had no clue. So, my bhabhi very kindly did the customary pooja and that is how I welcomed the Ninja into our family. Since, dad couldn't know about the Ninja it was parked in my cousin's stilt garage and every time I wanted to ride her I had to ride on one of my other motorcycles up to his place. This routine continued for a few months and all this while I used to feel bad that my whole family including my aunts and uncles knew about the Ninja except my father.

However, things were going to change and how. All these months I couldn't gather the courage to tell him about the Ninja as it was my biggest financial purchase till date and it was again on a motorcycle. But, the secret was not to me maintained for long as I got married in 2013 and my wife was astonished to know that I had kept such a big secret from my father. She pushed me over the next few months to make him aware and I finally did. As expected he was shocked and not very happy about it and I go an earful for making irresponsible financial decisions and as always it involved a motorcycle. But I guess he got a bigger shock when I sold the Ninja after owning it for just 18 months.

Yours truly with my Ninja 650



The Ninja was a fantastic bike for the price range with decent power. But, it was not a bike which excited me much. As, I have mentioned above the Ninja was my first new motorcycle and I purchased it without even taking a test ride.So I was not sure what to expect and my experience was limited to the online reviews I had seen and read about the bike. But, since there were no other options open to me at my price range I just went ahead with the purchase as waiting and saving up for a big bike just felt like an eternity. I would have kept the Ninja with me a little longer, but I was sure this bike won't be a permanent member of the garage and I did not want to lose out too much on the resale value owing to depreciation. So off went the Ninja and I was back to dreaming again.


Now, post selling the Ninja, I had two main aspects that would decide my next purchase.

1) It had to be comfortable to ride in the city as well as on long highway rides.

2) It had to be powerful enough to scare me every single day I ride it.

With the Ninja, what I enjoyed most was the riding position and the comfortable seat. Even after riding in bumper to bumper traffic I had absolutely no back issues or a sore bum. With regards to more power my two strokes are what have spoiled me over the years, as they were so easy to work on and with some simple modifications you could extract so much extra power. But with the Ninja, it was not the case and that is why I decided my next purchase will have to be the one which ticks all boxes as its gonna be a keeper.So, keeping these two aspects in mind I was back in the market in late 2015.

The only two options I was looking at were the ZX 14R and the Hayabusa. As the 14R had more electrical aids and since I had a good experience with Kawasaki I was more inclined towards the 14R. However, the desirability of owning the Hayabusa was too strong to ignore as well. Back in 2015 getting test rides for these two beasts was not easy, but in late 2015 a friend informed that the Kawasaki Showroom in Palm Beach in Mumbai were organizing a test ride of their complete line up for potential buyers.

It was on a weekend and I and my wife along with a few friends drove down to the showroom. From the complete line up I rode only two bikes the ZX 14R and the Z800. First up was the 14R and I had sweaty palms just thinking I am finally going to ride what will be possibly be my next and my ultimate dream motorcycle for which I have waited for as long as I can remember. Got my lid on and off I went with gentle throttle inputs as I was shit scared to open her up even slightly. The test rides were allowed strictly on the service lane where the showroom was situated and not on the main Palm Beach road which is famous for screaming superbikes on a Sunday morning. However, one of the young riders did go the main road and opened the bike up giving almost a heart attack to the showroom folks organizing the event. Such a stupid thing to do on these big bikes when you have not yet got your self accustomed to the power and handling.

Getting back to my test ride experience, as I was reaching the end of the road I was just speaking to myself how easy or difficult would it be to take a turn on such a heavy bike and I was completely shocked with how calmly she just responded to my inputs. On the way back I just opened up the throttle a wee bit more to feel the power and boy did she respond instantly. I was completely sold. Now, it was turn to get the approval of the wifey and my friends convinced the guys to allow me to go for another spin as they were allowing only one test ride per bike. Wifey hopped on and she was happy as after the Ninja the 14R felt comfortable and at home except for the lean forward angle, which she would later realize how terrifying it is for a pillion while doing some silly speeds. After he 14R I rode the Z800 just to get a feel of it and it felt like I was riding my RX because of the weight difference after riding the considerably heavier 14R.

So, after the test ride I was completely sold and now was the time to decide whether to go for the 14R or not. I had not ridden the Hayabusa yet and it was still at the back of my mind as I had seen countless videos on these two being pitted against each other and I knew that even with fewer electronic aids and an older design and engine it was still a very potent package and could not be given a miss. However, the biggest draw back on the 14R for me was the price, which was an extortionate 22 lacs OTR. Crossing the 20 lac barrier had a bigger psychological effect and whenever I thought of the price I would be like does it make sense to invest so much on a motorcycle and my biggest worry how will I break this news to my father. Just thinking about these points would make me give up on the idea of buying a big bike until after a few days/weeks when the itch would start playing tricks with my brain again. All this while the Hayabusa kept calling out to me in my thoughts fondly as in 2015 it was almost 3 lacs cheaper than the 14R and below the psychological figure of 20 lacs. But, the eureka moment for me was when Suzuki India announced in early 2016 that they will start local assembly of the Hayabusa bringing the ex-showroom price to an irresistible 13.5 lacs and Mumbai OTR 16.85 lacs. That is when I decided that it is going to be the Hayabusa.


Test riding the 14R. Already grinning on just the thought of riding her for the first time



ZX 10R, which I did not test ride as I was sure that the litre bikes are not for me.



Imposing front end. You better make way if you these those angry eyes in your rear view mirror.



Then newly launched Versys 1000



The evergreen Z1000

[SnS_12]

Buying Experience


Now, that the mind over heart battle was won, it was time to execute the dream into a reality.Even though the Busa now just costs 16.85 lacs it was still big money and compared to my last purchase the Ninja had costed me 5.5 lacs OTR, so this was a massive jump financially. So I spent many months post the news of the Busa being assembled locally just pondering about my decision to finally buy my dream motorcycle. In these months I made close to 3 to 4 visits to two Suzuki showrooms in Mumbai. First being to Dream Suzuki situated back then in Juhu. So I generally go and inquire about the buying process and what are the timelines involved. The booking process explained to me was, I make the full payment and the order is punched in the system with Suzuki, Japan and it would take 45 days for the bike to arrive from Gurgaon, Haryana. So every time I visited the showroom and inquired this was the timeline confirmed to me. So mentally I was just preparing myself with this timeline to have my funds in place as I was going to make the full payment in cash and was not gonna opt for a motorcycle loan.

All this while my dear wife was being patient and tolerating my indecisive visits to the Suzuki showrooms. Months passed and we had now entered 2017 and I was now getting mentally ready to finally take the plunge. So, around 18th February I visited the other Suzuki showroom close to my house once again and asked them what is the waiting period to get the bike if I book it today and to my surprise the guy said you can have the bike tomorrow depending on the colour you choose. I was absolutely baffled hearing this and all this while I had the 45 day time frame on my mind, which meant If I book the bike now I would take delivery somewhere in April. This was perfect as normally during the financial year end we have a lot of work load and here the guy is telling me I can have my dream motorcycle the very next day. So then he asked me when you want to book and I instantly told him how much I have to pay now. On hearing this he thought maybe I wanted to have some finance arranged from a bank and I told him I can make the full payment in cash and that is when he said the bike can be yours tomorrow in that case. During all these conversation my wife who was with me was trying to make sense of what was actually happening and asked me are you actually buying it??? And I was like Yes! We had no time for the shock to settle in and then both of us started discussing tomorrow is a Sunday, my father will be home so how are we going to do this??? That is when the guy realized that being a Sunday the Octroi (Pre GST era) can't be paid so the delivery can only be done on Monday. Normally hearing a days delay in delivery of ones dream motorcycle would shatter him, but I was happy as it gave me one day's breather to put my mind into how do i get the bike home and revealed to my father...

Booking - Payment - Delivery all in one (20-2-2017)

The whole of Sunday was spent with my heart pumping at high RPM and I just couldn't believe that I was actually going to buy myself the legendary Hayabusa. Come Monday I reach office and switch on my laptop and add the Suzuki showrooms bank details to wire the payment. As this is the biggest financial transaction I have done till date I was a bit skeptical and told the guy I will wire 5 lacs first and after you confirm you have received the funds I will transfer the balance. With shivering hands I finally make the first transfer and await the guys confirmation, must have cross checked the details at least 10 times before hitting 'Confirm' and once I get the confirmation I wire the balance 11.85 lacs.(Zero discounts on a hot selling bike. But they did offer me a paddock stand and a bike cover for free) Phew! I have actually done it. Ring my wife and give her the thumbs up to start revealing the big news to my mom and I start sharing the news with a few colleagues who had absolutely no clue what important work had landed on my desk on a Monday morning that I was glued to my laptop. Its finally sinking in but at the same time my anxiety levels are rising thinking as too how my father is going to react to this??? Now, you guys must be thinking just like the Ninja I would refrain from telling my father about the Busa as well. This would have been the case had I not been married as my wife had made it clear that my father will be informed about it on day one and not later. Even I wanted him to be a part of it as this was a moment I had dreamed all my life and I was going to finally fulfill my dream. So I had instructed the Suzuki guys that the bike needs to be delivered at home on Monday as I want my father to be a part of the whole experience.

So finally at around 5 in the evening I get a call that the bike is on its way from the warehouse and will be clearing Octroi formalities soon. I wanted the bike to arrive home by 10 pm as that is the time normally my father reaches home from work. So by 6:30pm I leave from work and when I am at the railway station my younger sister calls up since the news has spread like fire in my family. Even she is shocked and cannot believe that I have finally bought it and asks me the same dreaded question how is father going to react to this are you going to tell him or not?? Finally i am home by 8:15pm and the guy calls me and says he can come with the bike now, but I tell him its too early and he needs to wait a little longer. This is when I realize I have to call my father and ask him what time he plans to be home. To my surprise he says he will be home early by 9 and I am like ok good come home soon there is a surprise for you All this while he was thinking that some of our relatives are coming over for dinner. He is home by around 9:05 and at the same time I get the call that the tempo is near the building. So i tell my father not to change and just come down with me to our parking along with the family. It did not make sense to him why the whole family has to go down together. By the time we go down to our parking the tempo is also just reversing in. So while I go and speak with the guys my father is wondering what is that big brown crate and wondering whether I have ordered a cupboard or a new fridge and then he sees the name 'Suzuki' written on it and he just leans against the wall in shock. As the crate is unloaded and the brown cover is taken off the Busa a.k.a Bluebird S12 is finally revealed to everyone and that is when my father grabs his head in his hands looking at the sheer size of this Blue Monster. My Son has done it again..

By this time my cousins who stay close by including the cousin who's house the Ninja was kept arrives and they are all just awestruck. Also, during all this drama there was a Gujarati couple who were walking near our parking and the wife suddenly shouts to her husband in Gujarati "Aah toh Hayabusa che" That is a Hayabusa. My family is perplexed hearing this as how can a lady of her age identify a Superbike by name??? That is how eminent the name Hayabusa is in India post the movie DHOOM that every kid or grownup can identify this bike in a sea of Superbikes.

Now I will let a few pics do a little talking:

This brochure is now a piece of History





First glimpse of Bluebirds S12. The picture was shred to me on whatsapp while it was having its Octroi paid.











Unboxing the Beast


What all my father has gone through in his life thanks to me. The petrified look on his face..

[SnS_12]

Now everyone would be wondering what my father said as he could not have just stood still for over two hours while Bluebird S12 was getting unboxed. But that is what actually happened. He did not utter a single word. After all the drama when we went up, we straight went to our individual rooms and that is when my wife said you can't have it that easy you have to go and speak to him. And I did, like a baby I spoke to him in the softest voice possible and I told him this was always a dream and I have finally achieved it. This was destined to happen as Bluebird S12 arrived on 20th February as its the same date as my birthday which is on 20th September. That is when he spoke up a bit and asked me how much finance did I take to buy the bike and I told him '0' and he was totally surprised as in his books I am not good with money management and in my family we save up to buy everything even a house. So he was glad at the same time surprised that I saved up so much money to fulfill my dream

Day two with Bluebird S12 a Happy Family in pics...

Garage buddies welcome their big sister..



Bluebird S12 all protected from the prying eyes



We never miss an occasion to order a cake from our favorite baker and this occasion had to be made extra special. Thanks to my darling wife..



My father has got his smile back...



A lovely card made by my lovely wife. Could not have achieved this day without her..





Dad trying to balance 268 kgs between his legs.



Family and neighbors celebrate together. Its not everyday that you cut a cake for a bike and especially when its a HyperBike. The kids in the building also could not believe the sight of cake being cut for a motorcycle.

[SnS_12]

Living with Bluebird S12

As Bluebird S12 had to be registered the only rides I could manage to do was in my building compound till then.Me and my wife wanted to personalize the Busa in some way and decided to get a special number. So both of us went to the RTO office and for a small fee of 5k we managed to get the number 1213 as this matched our wedding date. The registration formalities took a good 15 days and I had to take it to the RTO office before the number plate was issued. All this while I wanted to understand Bluebirds S12 better and so I used to sit and read through the manual during my train commute to work

Once the registration formalities was completed the process of running in the bike had to be started. As per the manual the tires would need around 160 kms of riding to be bed in. For the engine the first 800 kms you need to be below 5.5k RPM and the next 800 kms below 8K RPM. Now many people feel that big bike should be run in by riding it like you have stolen it from day one. But, i don't agree to this and i stick to what the manual and the manufacturer says. I have done many run ins on by two strokes after their rebuild. Its a painful process but a necessary one to maintain your engine in good health for a longer period.

For the initial days Bluebird S12 was a bit intimidating and I felt I have bitten more than I could chew. Plus a lot of people feel how can a bike which weighs 268 kgs be so easy to ride. But that is where the Busa excels. The way it has been engineered and designed has to be experienced to be believed. No wonder that even after 12 years since the Gen 2 model was launched it can still give the newer bikes a run for their money. Absolutely planted like a rock at speeds you would expect it to take off and can run on regular fuel without any hiccups. The engine on this thing is so massive and so powerful but still returns a mileage of around 25 kpl and when given the absolute beans I have managed around 14 kpl at the lowest.

The only two negatives I have experienced on her till date in stock form are the massive exhaust which need a good amount of time to cool down and the brakes, which even with Brembo calipers don't provide you the confidence you need but that is primarily because of the weight of the bike. Also, with the stock exhaust the bike incredibly silent and steals away some fun of riding it minus the inline four exhaust growl.

Both have been taken care off to a certain extent as detailed below.

On the positives the list can just go on.

1) Super comfortable. This is one motorcycle that even after a 250 km breakfast ride you will feel like riding her again. No back pain no sore bum.

2) They don't call her a Intercontinental Ballistic Missile for nothing. I have only ridden her on mode 'A' till date. Any gear anytime the 155 nm torque is available to propel you out of the stratosphere. The way this thing accelerates just baffles you completely. On my Ninja 650 when you are nearing its top speed you could feel her run out of breath but not this one. This girl just becomes another beast as the speed builds up and I have never noticed any signs of her running out of steam even around her restricted top speed.

3) 268 kgs but those are good kgs. Rock solid at any speed or surface and soaks in bumps like a magic carpet.

4) The suspension feels tuned for India and the ground clearance is just perfect and never scrapes the bottom even two up

5) Brilliant bulletproof engine. Will run on regular fuel and doesn't crave for a high octane diet. Smooth as butter gear shifts.Plus with the 155 NM torque at offer you can coast around in city traffic at 60 KPH on 6th gear. And can build up your speed from 6th gear even at 60 KPH without the need to downshift.

6) Suzuki are known for their engineering excellence and it shows and how. 1340 cc engine producing 197 BHP and 155 NM of torque and returning a fuel efficiency of 25 KPL (when ridden sedately). On our Sunday morning breakfast ride I am the only one in our group who doesn't have to fill up on the way back with a mammoth 21 litre fuel tank I have a good 320+ range. Just Brilliant!

7) Talking on engineering for a 268 kg motorcycle she is quite light on her feet once on the move and you will never feel the weight unless taking slow U turns or while moving her around in the parking.

8) Reliability and build quality. Has been around for ages (20 years between two generations) and the Gen 2 has no known drawbacks.

9) Never had any electronic issues which most of the Italian bikes normally face. For eg I pack up the bike in monsoon and only start in a few weeks and at times once in four weeks and it fires up straight away, no dead battery.

10) Efficient cooling system. She will heat up in bumper to bumper traffic but will be still manageable and the heat is well channeled away from your legs.

11) Cheap to maintain and parts are not exorbitant. Service interval was initially 4k kms or every 4 months. Now recently Suzuki has changed it to 6k kms 6 months. A regular service will cost you anywhere between 7 to 10k, depending on parts replaced (Oil, oil filter and air filter)

12) I don't know whether to call this a positive feature but she is a people magnet. All super bikes attract attention but this one is a hit with the masses, uncle, aunties and even kids they just go crazy around her. In a recent incident I was at Carter road with the Team MBR group just casually talking to them when two kids literally started screaming Hayabuss and made their dad stop next to Bluebird S12. They were admiring her and waited till I left only to hear it and there was a sea of other superbikes, but they wanted to see and hear only the Busa. In a separate incident there was a Gujarati couple in my building lift with me and the wife suddenly pointed to her Husband that the Blue bike belongs to me and he just smiled and said to me 'Aapka scooter mast hai', You have a lovely scooter...Hahaha..

13) Because of her popularity globally you have a lot of option for aftermarket parts and accessories.

14) I know I have already mentioned about the comfort but the pillion comfort has to be given a special mention as well. This was one of the main reason why I was looking at only the 14R and Hayabusa from Day 1. If you have sat on any of the current age litre bike irrespective of the brand you will know what I am talking about. All, you need is bucket load of courage to sit behind, I for one will never sit at the back ever..


Mods done till date..


After the first month of ownership I wanted to have some paint protection and had it sent over to Sumant (FalconRider) for a Ceramic Quartz detailing. Sumant is a Chef by profession and a passionate detailer. He did a fantastic job and even offered me a 500 discount as he loves Hayabusa's and owns one as well.

The other or real mod I have done is changed the exhaust to Two Brothers Titanium end cans. I am not a fan of the carbon fiber ones and don't feel they look good on the motorcycle as well. Plus the Titanium cans sound sweet and cools down super quickly. And on the braking front I have bought EBC double sintered brake pads for the front and I am yet to try it out as I am still running on my original pads. Also, some small yet significant changes like a clear tank protection pad and I changed the low beam to a led bulb. I don't plan to make any further changes in the future.

Some pictures...

Sumant getting set to work his magic..













The final result. Ceramic Quartz





The Japanese Lineup





Colorful Garage







Black Commandos protecting Bluebird S12



My friend got them from US. His daughter generously applied TBR stickers provided with the cans on both of them before handing over to me.

[SnS_12]

Now a few terrifying moments with Bluebird S12

Apart from the occasional cattle crossing or when a truck suddenly veers into my lane of approach I have had one really heart in the mouth experience with her till date.Now I don't know whether to call the number 20 lucky or unlucky as this incident happened exactly 3 months after I got the bike on 20th May. I was riding back home solo and I was in the fast lane with a truck driving in the center lane. The next thing I notice is that there is huge stone in the middle of the road right in the trucks path (probably left by a broken down truck) and that moment I was just parallel to the truck near its rear wheel with my eyes glued on the stone. And within milliseconds the truck tyres go over the stone and propels it like a bullet towards me and I hear a loud bam. My initial thought were it has hit my front end and I am going to lose control any minute now but surprisingly the bike behaved normally. Trying to convince myself that all is well and I have avoided any damage I continued for a few meters but that bone shattering sound was still buzzing in my head. So I pulled over to the left and with my heart redlining away I inspected the front end. The disc, alloy wheel, suspension, caliper showed absolutely no sign of damage and as I moved my eye sight towards the right the horror started unfolding with a huge rupture on the bottom left front of the fairing and my heart just sank. Checked for any oil leaks and decided to proceed home before I collapse with a heart attack on the road. When I reached home I called my parents and my wife down and told them what had happened and the look in their eyes were like the one fear they always had a crash on this Beast.But they were relived that I was OK without any injuries. Called up Suzuki and took the bike straight to the workshop. Initially we thought that it is just a cracked fairing but as we inspected and opened up the panels the true horror started revealing itself. Will let the pics talk for themselves.

The other minor damage was created sometime without my knowledge but we found it out during a routine service as there was a hissing sound coming from the front bottom.

After - Welded and sealed the whole which was making the hissing sound. Bluebird S12 never fails to attract unwanted attention including some unwanted stones...



Before - The small but significant damage on one of the four bend pipes.



This is what a 2 -3 kg stone propelled towards you like a bullet can do. Luckily it did not hit my leg or worst my head...





The horror just gets bigger once the panel is opened up to reveal the true extent of damage...











Now you can see the impact damage.. One stone has set me back by almost 1.3 lacs worth of parts to be replaced with labour.







Not even the oil cooler was spared.. Luckily none of the fluids leaked out or else I would have been stranded on the highway. That is why I say this was an unlucky day with my guardian angel riding with me..









Dropping her off for repairs and an almost 30 day long wait for her to be back on the road.







New parts been fitted and she is ready to hit the highway again..

[SnS_12]

Though I had zero depreciation Insurance I still had to pay upfront for the parts to be ordered as it was not a cashless procedure. That is the thing with these big motorcycles and cars where the buying part is the easiest but maintaining them is what you need to be prepared for financially. This incident happened three months into the ownership and that is why you need to have a minimum budget 30 to 40% over the cost of the motorcycle/car so that you don't end up in an financial crisis in an unfortunate situation like I had.

Apart from these, the ownership till date has been memorable and she is going to be a permanent member of the garage. I was sad when the last Busa was sold in India this March and the Big Old Girl was finally taken off production globally but at least I am glad that I own one and is a piece of history that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Ending this post with a few more pictures and this quote from the 1993 film The Sandlot, which is aptly put by Sagar (Sergeant) Sheldekar in the second episode of Powerdrift's Blockbusters featuring the Hayabusa


"Heroes get remembered, but legends never die"





When you go to work even on a Sunday just to ride her..



The infamous saree guard but, well executed



Those OEM exhaust look like gun barrels















The unwanted attention my motorcycles get from people in my society.. My wife wrote this down thinking it would be deterrent but the kids tore off all the zeroes later leaving just the 1



The Dream Garage.. Some of my motorcycles are older than me







Titanium exhaust look and sound so much better.. But 99% of the TBR's seen in India are always the Carbon fiber models, which change colour due to the heat overtime.











A motorcycle so powerful that Suzuki had to electronically restrict its top speed. Don't let the speedo reading fool you, this one is capable of doing much much more. That is why I said even at its restricted speed limit it just keeps accelerating and never runs out of breath.

[SnS_12]

The final Goodbye !!!

Eagerly waiting for Gen 3 or whatever they decide to call it along with the name Hayabusa, which is planned to be launched at 2020 EICMA.. I am sure my father would be closely following the launch as well as he knows this is not his sons last buy or the end of his motorcycle madness

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Superbike Section. Thanks for sharing!

A review straight from the heart, man! Congratulations. Your beast is going to our homepage in a bit .

[krishnaprasadgg]

What a roller coaster of a ride it was reading the review!
It is always special when you finally attain the exact thing you had been dreaming off and working towards, just can't beat that feeling.

It really gave me a chuckle reading about how you were keeping bike purchases from your dad. Man, I would not have the guts to do that in my family, only I know the years of prep work I had to do to get them prepared for it when I finally took the plunge.
But nonetheless, I'm sure your father would be very proud of you more than words can say, it's just that they might not show it in front of us. That too has its own special feeling for sure.

And I fully agree with you, the titanium end cans look so much better than the CF cans, something about the CF pattern on the TB exhausts that don't sit well with me. And not to mention nothing beats the colors the titanium pipes leave after enough heat cycles.

It was sad reading about the mishap you had, but machines can be repaired, so no harm there.

To end this post, Man am I envious of your garage.!! The amount of history just in that lineup is crazy. The feeling of riding a 2 stroke is still next to none, no matter what hyperbikes or superbikes have to offer. Even after all these years seeing those RX and RD bikes brings a very special feeling.

Here's to wishing you many more miles with the Bluebird.

Cheers Mate
Krishna

[bigron]

Looking real good.

This thread brings back such great memories. It takes me back a decade to when I picked up the Gen 2. Plus, a fat gixxer thread is quite rear around here.

This is a phenomenal bike. A true testament to motorcycle engineering. As long as you understand its limitations there is little it cannot do. And yes it will leave a grin on your face every time you go WOT. That acceleration rush never fades away. Has not for me in over 14 years.

Yes, the brakes on this leaves a lot to be desired. I have the one without the abs. Suzuki did okay with going with monoblocks and abs.
If you really want to help with braking because braking feel is as important as stopping power, I suggest SS braided lines, a brembo MC and sintered performance pads from EBC or galfers. I prefer EBC. Never mind the rotors, they are more for looks than anything else.
Frankly, the stock monoblocks that Suzuki uses is pretty basic but its still a step up from the 4 point Nissin before. She will never brake like a 1000 cc but with few parts it can give you the confidence to push her further and braking will not be a need of worry. Let me know if you need to know more about how to go about it.

You ve already taken care of the exhausts. The stock are hideous and heavy as hell, but I loved that one could fly past most anything with only a slight wind noise. Truly stealth. I held on to stock exhausts for months before swapping them out. I love riding stock bikes.

Coming to your incident. Good to know that the damage was mostly cosmetic. Broken fairing is far better than broken bones. From my experience there are a few things I keep in mind while out riding on the open road. Before that, I would also highly recommend that you start preparing and equipping yourself to eventually work on this on your own.

First, never ride parallel to anything. Be a good distance behind if coasting.
Second, make overtaking quick and decisive.
Third, people who randomly cross roads will have no idea at what speed you would be approaching them. They will drag themselves across only to realize the bike is much closer than it was. Be weary of these people.
Fourth, forget that you have rear brakes. Its the front that will haul you down. As long as the front is straight you will not fall no matter where the rear goes.
The superiority of this bike lies in its stability. The faster you go the more stable it gets.

This is a big bike and it needs space and effort to turn in and overtake. Avoid darting between vehicles unless you are sure the acceleration will pull you through swiftly and cleanly.

This bike will burn your thighs on hot city rides. It will not stop or overheat but become extremely uncomfortable.
Once you really push it, the milage goes for a toss. I cover around 240 kms on a single tank on the highway.
It will eat the rear tyres so keep a look out for that.
If you can get 97 RON great other wise stick to normal fuel from a quality bunk. Do not add any additives etc. Also, do not wait for the tank to get near empty before refilling. The pump will pull in tank debris.
Take care of that chain every 500-700 km of riding.
Before every ride, take a look at fork seals and if dusty a quick cleaning with a micro fiber. The seals have a tendency to leak if run dusty.
Get rid of the stock windshield and get hold of a double bubble. It will help tremendously on highways with wind blast.
There is so much you can do to this to make it truly yours. The parts catalog is truly endless. We can share more once the thread progresses.

You are going to have an amazing time with this. It is truly a keeper.

Let me know if you need assistance with anything on this.
I ll add a photo to give company to your bike.
Cheers.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Lovely read.

More than the even the bike - my focus was on the entire father-son relationship you have written so beautifully! Reminds me of my own experience.

My wife was in full support, but father gave both of us an earful when I told him about the Versys 650. In fact, wife started doubting her own decision after this! As if destiny, Triumph guys called at this exact same time to offer a nice deal on the Tiger 800. After asking about the ex-showroom price of the Tiger - suddenly father went - '15 lakhs? What's wrong with the 8 lakhs bike?

Anyways - Don't upgrade if the next-gen comes, mate! Hayabusa will go down in history as a legend, unlike any other new-generation bike. In India, especially, it is unlikely that any other big bike will match the road presence of a Busa. After reading the ZX14R review last week, and your Busa review this week - I'm really waiting for an opportunity to get to ride one of these hypertourers someday.

Ride safe.

[amods]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Buying Experience


Attachment 1999019

Forgive me for it, but I find this picture absolutely hilarious and almost fell off chair seeing it after reading your commentary up to now.

Haven't read the whole post yet, but already struck by it - because it is a BUSA ! Deep down we all love this machine.

The fact that you made a full payment for it, speaks volume about what you've achieved in life. Great post, and let me continue reading it Thanks for sharing.

[Tassem]

Congratulations!

Of all the pics you posted, the one with your dad sitting on the Bluebird s12 was the one that told me "All's well that ends well"

Wish you many many happy rides!

[HYPERTOURER]

Wonderful ownership review. The busa and the 14r are both phased out more, let's hote that the japanese get back the big engine in better packaging soon.

[yesyeswe]

I couldn't stop laughing looking at the look of your father, but in your defence our parents can never understand the love for a motorcycle. To them a splendour and a ninja are the same bike.

I recently bought a royal enfield continental gt 650 and till date my father believes that it is a 10 day used bike which i got for 1.25 lakhs rupees, he doesn't understand the letter M of motorcycles and i'm happy with him not knowing about it.

I can't even imagine what will be his reaction if he came to know that i paid 2 lakhs extra and around 50k for accessories and riding gear.

I loved your review and your love for your motorcycle, and kudos to your wife for supporting such a big decision, happy miles and ride safe.