A Buell?

I want one - an XB9SX.

Am I asking for a world of pain and anguish?

This purchase would involve getting my motorcycle license and all that too. Call it an early mid-life crisis....

Make sure you enjoy riding first. You can also get an XB12sx for not much more. Buells aren't bad bikes. Just don't expect to keep up with a decently ridden 600cc sportbike.

rotard wrote: Make sure you enjoy riding first. You can also get an XB12sx for not much more. Buells aren't bad bikes. Just don't expect to keep up with a decently ridden 600cc sportbike.

It's totally about the appearance and engineering weirdness/neatness. As long as they're reliable and have no serious mechanical problems...

...other than the Harley v-twin engine.

I'm also thinking SV650, but they're so plain by comparison

A friend of mine bought a first year XB12... The only things he did was to shorten the exhaust (picks the powerband up considerably), played with the ride height and spring rates to suit him, and swapped that E36 M3ty easy to break belt for a regular chain and sprockets. Beyond that he said it's just a fancy handling chassis'd Sportster.

I test road a couple...liked everything except low speeds. the mirrors are useless below 20 mph.

oth...short shifting 4-5 will make you stare at the sky really quick ;)

akamcfly wrote:

rotard wrote: Make sure you enjoy riding first. You can also get an XB12sx for not much more. Buells aren't bad bikes. Just don't expect to keep up with a decently ridden 600cc sportbike.

It's totally about the appearance and engineering weirdness/neatness. As long as they're reliable and have no serious mechanical problems... ...other than the Harley v-twin engine. I'm also thinking SV650, but they're so plain by comparison

SV650 all the way. It's better in pretty much every way, aside from aesthetics. Good luck trying to get a Harley dealership help you with parts and whatnot.

I'd also consider a Triumph Speed Triple or Speed 4 instead. The newer Street Triples and Speed Triples are awesome, but more $$$.

You can pick up older Speed Trips for stupid cheap these days.

Appleseed wrote: You can pick up older Speed Trips for stupid cheap these days.

They don't do anything for me, I'm afraid.

Ducatis do, but i worry about price vs reliability and insurance costs. That's based in assumption though - I haven't actually done any research.

akamcfly wrote: It's totally about the appearance and engineering weirdness/neatness. As long as they're reliable and have no serious mechanical problems...

I see what you mean - they look awesome.

Matt B wrote:

akamcfly wrote: It's totally about the appearance and engineering weirdness/neatness. As long as they're reliable and have no serious mechanical problems...

I see what you mean - they look awesome.

That's a killer pic - to bad about the hotlink police....

I'd look for a Monster over any of the XB series.

akamcfly wrote:

Appleseed wrote: You can pick up older Speed Trips for stupid cheap these days.

They don't do anything for me, I'm afraid.

Then you, sir, are dead inside.

Appleseed wrote: Then you, sir, are dead inside.

That would explain the muscle stiffness and funky smell.

I've owned 3 Buells for a total 60k+ miles. I've never had a belt break. But I don't ride in gravel which is, from what I hear, the way to break them. Get something between the sprocket..er...drive pulley and it will cut the belt.

I've never had engine troubles with my Buell's but they were all tubers. Which institutional knowledge states should be less reliable than the XB series. I don't ride them at the redline much. I treat them like muscle car motors. I ride the torque peak and don't rev them hard like some sportbike riders.

I don't have trouble finding parts but again, I'm a tuber bike. The early style before the XB.

I wanted that blue buell but the dealer wouldn't allow test rides. I got a water cooled monster instead. I love the monsters ( I am on my third). I have also had a sv650. If you are a new rider, you may be better off with something like a sv so that you learn street riding skills on something less intimidating.

A few years ago I had a new 2006 SV650S and I took it to the (then) Buell/Harley dealer for a special Buell test ride day. I rode a XB9r Firebolt. About the only thing I liked better about the Buell was the fork (SV's have old-school damping rod forks). Otherwise it felt like a third-world version of the SV - like comparing a Cavalier to a Civic.

A couple years later I test rode an XB12-something at bike week. Got stopped at a long light and it almost gave me second-degree burns on my right inner thigh. Plus this one had some major objection to going into neutral.

I think it is a bad idea to fall in love with a bike without riding it, particulary if you haven't ridden ANY motorcycle before. Those Buells looked great on paper and in the magazines, but I had no interest after riding them. The 1125 models on the other hand...

Harleys post 1984 are reliable. The Sportsters are probably the most reliable. I have not heard of Buell reliability issues. Go for it. Do be careful, though. Riding on 2 wheels takes a whole new outlook on traffic.

MCODave wrote: A couple years later I test rode an XB12-something at bike week. Got stopped at a long light and it almost gave me second-degree burns on my right inner thigh. Plus this one had some major objection to going into neutral. I think it is a bad idea to fall in love with a bike without riding it, particulary if you haven't ridden ANY motorcycle before. Those Buells looked great on paper and in the magazines, but I had no interest after riding them. The 1125 models on the other hand...

These are all valid concerns.

The heat on your leg was from the header routing. It's a "quirk" of the design. Strangely enough you get used to it. These days I'm trained to keep my right leg a little loose at long idles. I'm not saying it's ok, you just get used to it. Like stuffing yourself into a Miata.

The gearboxes are also incredibly over built. Because of that when they're new they're very, very stiff. You do have to develop a feel for dropping it into neutral. After about 20k miles it's a non-issue. Again, a valid concern and complaint on your part. I'm just posting this data to give a longer term report.

I also agree with you about test riding first. You can't do that on Jap bikes but you can, or could, at HD/Buell dealerships. I test rode each Buell I owned before buying. Jap dealers either can't or won't let you test ride anything.

Appleseed wrote: You can pick up older Speed Trips for stupid cheap these days.

DAMN YOU!

Your post made me hit up searchallcraigs for "speed triple", one of my favorite "someday" bikes. There's one in the crazy nitro-green color in IN for $2300! I totally shouldn't think about it too much, but I could easily afford it... grrrr.... too many projects... already have a streetfighter... harumph... Its Xmas season and really shouldn't spend lots of money on myself... flinflarnfilth!~

Corey, could you go pick it up for me? kthnxbai~!

http://carbondale.craigslist.org/mcy/2670736547.html

For what it's worth, I'm more comfortable on my RC51 than I was on an XB12R.

In reply to problemaddict:

Talk about a bait and switch!!!

I do enough dumb stuff with my SV650... I'm better off not having a Speed Triple and its 45 extra horses.

problemaddict wrote:

Appleseed wrote: You can pick up older Speed Trips for stupid cheap these days.

DAMN YOU! Your post made me hit up searchallcraigs for "speed triple", one of my favorite "someday" bikes. There's one in the crazy nitro-green color in IN for $2300! I totally shouldn't think about it too much, but I could easily afford it... grrrr.... too many projects... already have a streetfighter... harumph... Its Xmas season and really shouldn't spend lots of money on myself... flinflarnfilth!~ Corey, could you go pick it up for me? kthnxbai~! http://carbondale.craigslist.org/mcy/2670736547.html

Told ya.

akamcfly wrote: I want one - an XB9SX. Am I asking for a world of pain and anguish?

Depends on your level of riding experience. They're somewhat intended to be wheelie machines, and the handling and brakes react pretty quickly. Not a bad choice as a second street bike, I'd say it's probably OK if you've got a decent amount of recent dirt bike experience, but not the best choice for a total newb. (There are much worse choices out there, but still, this one could bite you if you haven't mastered throttle control.)

I'm not aware of any reliability issues with them, and they're designed for a bit less maintenance than Japanese bikes (hydraulic valves, belt instead of a chain, etc).