Our street ride included a stretch along the Pacific Coast Highway, with plenty of twisty asphalt in between to throw the front-running ZX against its Suzuki rival.
Do you remember the theme song from Smokey and the Bandit? 'We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.' Well, that's what kept playing in my head as we made our express run for the border of Northern California. It was Thursday morning and we were just leaving HQ in Medford, OR, and the plan was to drag race the bikes the next evening at the local Friday Night Drags at Champion Raceway. Our route would cover nearly 800 miles, starting with a 180-mile excursion down I-5 to NorCal's Red Bluff where we hooked-up with the curvy Highway 36. This was the start of the 180-mile run to the Pacific Coast and our destination at the end of day one, Arcata, CA. The next day we would complete the loop by riding up the Highway 101 past Crescent City before hooking up with Highway 199 that would take us almost the rest of the way home, through the Redwood Forest, up the Smith River canyon, past Illinois Valley and back to Medford, hopefully with time to spare. If you want to get from point-A to point-B in record time, might as well do it on than the fastest bikes ever built.
Droning down the freeway never is that much fun, but here in Oregon we're blessed with the Siskiyou mountain range that ensures the interstate is in fact a twisted one. Each bike offered up decent wind protection for a sportbike but the riding positions are markedly different. Both bikes are much more comfortable than any pure sportbike over the long haul, but your body size and personal preference will play a big part in which one will suit you best.
The
Hayabusa has a much more sport-oriented riding position, so the lower, narrower bars put a bit of extra pressure on the rider's upper body and wrists while the pegs force your legs into a more acute angle. This pays dividends when the road turns into a roller coaster, but you pay for it during the long and boring stretches of the ride. The twin-spar aluminum frame and big fuel tank on the Busa causes it to feel wide between the knees and subsequently makes it feel even bigger than it really is.
The ZX bars are higher and the pegs feel lower, so the rider's body and legs are not in such a cramped position, but the heat emanating from the opening in the ZX bodywork is directed onto your thighs. That fissure of warmth was useful when it got cold, but it wasn't so great in the heat and was really noticeable around town. The monocoque frame wraps over the motor rather than around it, which keeps the girth to a minimum relative to the
Suzuki. The tank feels narrower too, so when you climb on the ZX after riding the
Hayabusa it feels like a smaller bike. Wind protection from the Ninja's windscreen and the bodywork is quite a bit better thanks to its enormous front cowling.
The Busa's sportier riding position comes via a footpeg position which obliges a more agressive angle for the legs, as well as narrower bars which put pressure on the upper body.
Both seats are equally wide and supportive, so it took a while to figure out any shortcomings. After swapping bikes a couple times and spending close to an hour in the saddle, the ZX feels like it is pushing the rider forward into the tank. Its seat is comfortable, but it packs down near the tank after about an hour in the saddle - sitting further rearward helps. The Busa seat is plush, but after awhile it irritates a rider as it starts to mold to the shape of your butt cheeks. In both cases, a rider benefits from repositioning on the seats for maximum endurance.
The counter-balanced engines are super-smooth with very little in the way of vibration making its way through the bars. In fact the ZX feels downright silky and only gets vibey once the tach swings past 4500 rpm. In contrast, the Busa motor sent more vibes into the bars, but it too was very smooth and only started to get annoying after 4500 rpm. In either case, those revs equal about 90 mph, so it can be argued that this is barely worth a mention. The instruments of both machines include temperature, fuel, dual tripmeters, and clock, but the ZX's LCD information screen nestled nicely between the speedo and tach (including a gear-position indicator) looks new and high tech compared to the
Suzuki's bland dials and faux-carbon-fiber frame. The mirrors on the Busa are partially obstructed by the rider's elbows whereas the ZX stalks are longer and place the mirrors farther out, which offer up an unobstructed view but makes for a long reach to adjust them once you're underway. On these bikes, it's important to keep your eyes peeled and your butt covered since the fuzz often approaches from the backside of its prey.
Suspension on either bike is very good, and stability from the long wheelbases, 58.5 inches for the Busa and 57.5 for the Ninja, make for pleasant highway rides. They both feature a fully-adjustable 43mm inverted fork complimented by a single shock at the rear. No matter which way you go, you can rest assured both of these bikes roll down the road like a freight train running on velvet rails. They made believers out of us during the long freeway ride to our first stop at Railroad Park Resort. This little gem features cabins that are actually retired cabooses from the not-too-distant past, tucked away secretly against the backdrop of Castle Crags State Park in northern California.
It took some convincing for MCUSA photog Tom Lavine to give up shooting scenic photos and keep pushing on toward our hotel before we burned too much time. At this point, the ZX's comfier riding position, smoother engine and better fairing protection were giving it an advantage during highway burning. It's positively loafing at 80 mph, and the onboard computer reveals a respectable 40-mpg in the process.
