The wild and wacky adventures of the amazing Marko138

[marko138]

The 2008 riding season started as the previous 4 had, with old Pinky being removed from storage for another year of low milage riding.



Then...a call from a friend. An amazing deal on a fantastic bike. Completely out of the blue, as I had planned on riding my old friend Pink for another year. Crunch a few numbers and talk to the wife...and BOOM...I'm off to Boonsboro, MD to pick up a new bike. A 2005 Buell XB12R Firebolt...with 5300 miles on it and in wonderful condition.

While the forecast was less than ideal on May 3rd, it didn't matter. I had to work at 3:30pm, it didn't matter. All that mattered was looking in the rearview mirror of my cousins truck at my new Buell.



After returning the truck to my cousin came the short ride home...only about 10 miles...but a glorious 10 miles none the less. The inagural 10 miles on the XB.





I've now had the bike for 10 days. Aside from a few days of rain, what a wonderful 10 days. I've rode to work 3 times, hit a nice 90 mile twisty run last week, and have just cruised around at every opportunity. In 10 days I've put about 230 miles on the Buell and I've loved every mile. The bike is beyond fun to ride.










At day 10 I currently have 2 bikes in the stable, my new Buell and my old pal Pinky, who has been great to me over the years. She is now on the selling block and MUST go. It'll be sad when she finally leaves with the new owner...but I just don't give her the attention she needs anymore.





The first round of modifying the XB has begun. Simple enough for the first round, Frame pucks from americansportbike.com.



Installation will come later today when it warms up a bit.

The next mods will come in this order:

*bar end sliders
*front and rear axle sliders

[marko138]

Installation of the pucks was a breeze. And they look pretty cool. I'll be riding to work today...a whopping 4 miles. YEAH!!!!!

[marko138]

So I've had this bike now for just over 3 weeks. I've put just a touch over 400 miles on it and I love it more every time I ride it. It's just so much fun and the sound of the monstrous 1203cc Thunderstorm engine pumping through the Drummer pipe is intoxicating. FUCK YES.

So....up next...

I JUST ordered a set of Lyndal Gold+ Carbon Kevlar brake pads for the mighty ZTL. $65 ducketts...but from what I hear it will be money well spent. My boy Al at American Sportbike does it right...and he will continue to get my business.

When the pads come....they will be installed along with fresh fluid and a thorough cleaning of the caliper...which, in my experience, makes a WORLD of difference in stopping power.



Buell haters be damned and FUCK OFF.

[marko138]

The day has come. Pinky McPinkerson is SOLD. A guy came to look at it friday night. He loved it. Came back today and laid down a solid deposit and will be back on Tuesday to pick it up. She's officially going to a new home. I rode it this morning....somewhat of a good bye ride. Holy F what a different machine than the Buell. Much smoother actually. Clutch pull is 100x easier. Shifting is much less of an effort. And it sits so damn low. I really felt like a newb again for the first few miles.

I'm gonna be sad to see it go...but I love that Buell way more than I've ever loved the Zuk. And it helps I'm making out pretty well on the whole deal.





In other news....I did my first intentional wheelie yesterday. Buell=shannanigans.