I am by no means a professional rider. I have been riding motorcycles since the age of 8. I have been ridng street bikes since the age of 14. I have either owned or operated most major manufacturers of motorcycles. This past year, I sold a 1999 Ducati ST2 (70,000 miles), 2000 BMW R1100RT (23,000 miles), and a 2002 Honda CBR 954 (12,000 miles). For the past two years, I have been attempting to find a motorcycle which embodied the betters attributes of these styles of bikes. I enjoy riding through the canyons at every oportunity. I also enjoy the longer rides as well (usually 2500-3500 miles). I have had several people recommend the Hayabusa to me but in my mind I saw a big motorcycle that would be too heavy in turns. I test rode the Honda ST1300 and found it was great on the open road but wasn't enough sport for tight canyons. I felt I was stuck buying a sport bike and modifying it to a sport touring bike or vice versa. I rode the BMW K1200S and K1200R and loved the experience. Additionally, I liked the Ducati Multistrada. I went in to Ducati four times with cash and friends to buy the bike but couldn't get the sales people to help me. BMW was a great bike and at least the sales people wanted to sell a bike. However they didn't impress me that thy wanted my business based on the low trade in value for my bike. I went by a local dealer and stopped in by chance. They treated me fairly and 30 minutes later, I owned a 2007 Black Hayabusa without a test ride. Generally, I can tell in the first 100 miles if I like a bike. The Hayabusa seems to fit me as a taller rider. I feel the position is better than my Ducati yet not as mundane as my BMW. The seats are comfortable. I am six months post op on full knee restructive surgery yet the foot position places my knees at a good angle. I replaced the factory windscreen with Puig smoked double bubble. I bought a throttle rocker for longer rides but every thing else is stock. The Hayabusa is smooth. In town, I average 42 mpg. I was worried it would be a pig in the canyons. I was wrong. The bike has this trust me stability in the turns. Transition from side to side is effortless and the full width of the 190 rear tire gets used. When it's time to go to work, this bike is without equal. Years ago, I rode a BMW K12. I was impressed how stable the bike was at triple digit speeds. The Hayabusa is amazing in this same respect. As indicated, the bike is so smooth and stable it doesn't feel like you're going that fast. On my GSRX 750 and CBR 954, you know when you're in the triple digits. With the Hayabusa, you have no clue. The Hayabusa seems to plain out like a jet ski boat. The bike becomes quiet at high speeds. The Battleaxe BT 055 haven't been a problem in the canyons. Lastly, the one aspect I truly enjoyed about the Ducati was the magnetic pull the bike had in the public. The Hayabusa shares that same animal magnetism. I used to get wow, it's a Ducati. Now I get wow, it's a Hayabusa. I never anticipated the familairity and appeal of this bike. I truly like this bike for all these and many more reasons.
Reliability
Quality
Performance
Comfort
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