Buell question??

[FT BSTRD]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

So I have a quick story and then a question.

So me, my best friend, and his dad were outside washing and waxing their bikes about a week ago. My friend has an 05' R6, and his dad has an 82' Suzuki GS550. When we were done we took off the R6's side fairing to tighten up his frame slider a bit, and as we were doing that we heard a bike going by and I looked up and it was a Buell XB9R Firebolt. Now I have never been a V-2 fan and have never really looked into Buell bikes at all. But I do have to say it definatly grabbed my attention. So the guy seeing us and the R6... slowed, waved, and then preceded on his way. So then my friend's dad (who is a Harley guy... but has a Suzuki as well???) leaned over and said, "Theres the most ostracized bike ever..... not respected by the Harley riders... doesn't fit in with the Japs either." It gave me a good chuckle, but my friend didnt get it, so we had to explain it to him. So when we were done we went inside and jumped on the computer because matt knew even less about Buells than I did, and he was curious. So i showed him a couple picutes and vidoes on youtube, and we ended up on a forum about the bike. I believe it was SBN, my second go to forum. Now when I see "9", i automatically think fast and over my head... like zx-9r! So we were reading through this forum and I swear to god about 7 people said that they started on an xb9r and that they did great on them, because they arent as hellish up top. But then there was a guy that said no way. He said the ammount of torque that they have and the steep steering geomitry make the bike twitchy and unfit for an (note not complete noob) inexperienced rider. But then there were so many people that commented back and said it is great for city riding.

Now before you jump at me, I'm going to tell you that I'm not looking at buying this bike... me and my friend just wanted to see what you thought about these ppl's comments. Is a 900cc V-2 extremely different than a 900cc I-4??? I know we have a couple Buell people here...

Thanks, [Pork]

The 12 and the 9 don't have much real difference in peak HP and peak torque.

The 12 has a peak torque of 84ftlbs, the 9 has 70
The 12 has peak HP of 103, the 9 has 92.

The main difference is in the stroke of the engines. The 9 and the 12 have the same bore but the 9 is a short stroke engine. The 9 has a higher redline than the 12.

The 9 is much more like an I-4 in that you need to keep it spun up to keep it in the peak torque and HP. The 12 has grunt from idle, but it runs out of gas up top.

Both are noob friendly as long as you respect the torque.

Many say that the handling is "twitchy". I don't get that at all. It's responsive, but very stable. You can put it into a turn and it stays there until you aim it elsewhere.

My Uly was my first street bike. I had ridden dirt before but not street.

Buells allow even beginner riders to handle with confidence. The only requirement is that you set the suspension to your weight. If you leave it out of wack, it will feel unstable, sluggish, twitchy.

Now the 1125R or 1125CR, those will get you in trouble regardless. 12 grunt I-4 top end.

Scary fun.

[jeeps84]

Originally Posted by FT BSTRD

The only requirement is that you set the suspension to your weight. If you leave it out of wack, it will feel unstable, sluggish, twitchy.

This holds true with most all bikes.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by marko138

Not necessarily newb friendly...but MUCH more so than an I-4 900. There's a ton of torque. The bike is a bit twitchy if you aren't used to it's short wheel base and odd rake/trail. There is also very little engine braking due to the heavy flywheel.

They are different machines thats for sure. But if you play by their rules you will be rewarded. The best thing to do is go to a dealer and demo one.

If you don't act like an ass they can be managable for a newb.

Originally Posted by Ebbs15

depends on the noob to be honest... and this means taking a NO BULLSHIT view of yourself... can you resist the urge to twist your wrist when the hottie next to you wants you to wheelie? can you force yourself to take it slow and concentrate on the fundementals? can you focus on riding with out being distracted by the bike next to you, the car next to you, the chick flashing you from the back seat of her parent's mini van?

in reality... you could start out on a Turbo Busa and be fine... just all depends on 1. LUCK (though that just comes into play on how you hold up phyically... not what skill you gain) and 2. the rider.

The problem is most people who are looking into new bikes don't understand just how fast they accelerate and how they're gonna react. the natural reaction can be the exact one that will fuck you. example when your rear starts sliding in a corner... your mind imediatly says... close throttle... do that... and your gonna see what your bike looks like from 4' above it... as you'll probably high side.

point is... everyone says they're a responsible person and they'll go slow... but we've all been 16-25... we all know how you can want something so bad you convince yourself or skew the views to meet your objective.

There's nothing wrong with starting small... there's nothing wrong with starting big... it's all how you handle it.

I started on a 600 and went 7000 miles before I loop'd it at a stop light because I wasn't paying 100% attention. shit happens. I had several close calls prior to that and on a 1000cc bike I'd have been off for sure, as there's less room for error... Vtwin or I4.

Truth... the standard XB Buells wheelie like that's what they were built to do... the longer versions (Ss, X, ST) not so much...

Originally Posted by jeeps84

You are right in the CC's of a twin vs. a I-4. The 9's are closer to the performance of the I-4 600's. With that said a lil experience on a XB, Its not for the beginner. Its handling is way to sharp and twitchy. Its just not forgiving for the lil mistakes that a beginner will commonly make.

Also should make mention of the difference between an air-cooled v-twin vs. a liquid cooled v-twin... that makes the most difference.

Originally Posted by FT BSTRD

The 12 and the 9 don't have much real difference in peak HP and peak torque.

The 12 has a peak torque of 84ftlbs, the 9 has 70
The 12 has peak HP of 103, the 9 has 92.

The main difference is in the stroke of the engines. The 9 and the 12 have the same bore but the 9 is a short stroke engine. The 9 has a higher redline than the 12.

The 9 is much more like an I-4 in that you need to keep it spun up to keep it in the peak torque and HP. The 12 has grunt from idle, but it runs out of gas up top.

Both are noob friendly as long as you respect the torque.

Many say that the handling is "twitchy". I don't get that at all. It's responsive, but very stable. You can put it into a turn and it stays there until you aim it elsewhere.

My Uly was my first street bike. I had ridden dirt before but not street.

Buells allow even beginner riders to handle with confidence. The only requirement is that you set the suspension to your weight. If you leave it out of wack, it will feel unstable, sluggish, twitchy.

Now the 1125R or 1125CR, those will get you in trouble regardless. 12 grunt I-4 top end.

Scary fun.

I dunno about the difference in power not being that significant... I guess it's all relative... I know that 20% increase in torque from the 9 to the 12 sure feels different...

I get the twitchy comment... especially after riding the short wheelbase XB after riding my Ss... I do not think twitchy is the correct word... I'd say it was more 'hyper-responsive'... very little steering input required in comparison.

To add to what these guys are saying... one thing that always caught me off guard with the Buell was it's tendency to stand up when braking in a corner... Now, I prefer to get all my braking done prior to dipping in, but sometimes shit happens and you need to brake a little... The fuckin' bikes just stand straight back up with even the smallest amount of force applied to either rotor... Granted, a noob braking in the corner is probably going to eat shit anyway, but it's certainly worth mentioning.

[marko138]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Truth... the standard XB Buells wheelie like that's what they were built to do... the longer versions (Ss, X, ST) not so much...



Also should make mention of the difference between an air-cooled v-twin vs. a liquid cooled v-twin... that makes the most difference.



I dunno about the difference in power not being that significant... I guess it's all relative... I know that 20% increase in torque from the 9 to the 12 sure feels different...

I get the twitchy comment... especially after riding the short wheelbase XB after riding my Ss... I do not think twitchy is the correct word... I'd say it was more 'hyper-responsive'... very little steering input required in comparison.

To add to what these guys are saying... one thing that always caught me off guard with the Buell was it's tendency to stand up when braking in a corner... Now, I prefer to get all my braking done prior to dipping in, but sometimes shit happens and you need to brake a little... The fuckin' bikes just stand straight back up with even the smallest amount of force applied to either rotor... Granted, a noob braking in the corner is probably going to eat shit anyway, but it's certainly worth mentioning.

Thats true...and should definately be mentioned. If you even think about touching the brakes once you've leaned over....you're gonna run off the road. That surprised me big time the first time I road the bike. You get your braking done BEFORE you turn that motorcycle.




THe best thing to do is take advantage of Buell's demo program. They are one of the few dealers who will let you try before you buy.

[FT BSTRD]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

I dunno about the difference in power not being that significant... I guess it's all relative... I know that 20% increase in torque from the 9 to the 12 sure feels different...

I get the twitchy comment... especially after riding the short wheelbase XB after riding my Ss... I do not think twitchy is the correct word... I'd say it was more 'hyper-responsive'... very little steering input required in comparison.

To add to what these guys are saying... one thing that always caught me off guard with the Buell was it's tendency to stand up when braking in a corner... Now, I prefer to get all my braking done prior to dipping in, but sometimes shit happens and you need to brake a little... The fuckin' bikes just stand straight back up with even the smallest amount of force applied to either rotor... Granted, a noob braking in the corner is probably going to eat shit anyway, but it's certainly worth mentioning.

What is the difference between a 600 and 1000 in HP and Torque. I always assumed it was significantly different. That's what I meant by not much difference between the two.

As far as standing up under braking, I have never experienced it. I regularly trail brake front and rear in corners without issue.

I know that much of the problem with the bike standing up under braking was due to the tires. The D208's that came on many of the first run bikes were awful at standing up mid corner.

[Shift]

Originally Posted by FT BSTRD

What is the difference between a 600 and 1000 in HP and Torque.

Whp is about 105 vs 155.
Torque around 40 vs 80.

[Sanchez]

Technical stuff aside, the best reason to buy a Buell is the Buell community. There's nothing like it out there for any other brand I've found. Buell has a great relationship with its customers - right down to posting on our boards - and Buell people are some of the best people I've ever met.

We had a gathering we called Buelltoberfest earlier this month. Dozens of Buell riders from all over the place converged on the North GA mountains. One rider wrecked, and he was immediately surrounded with friends who took care of everything for him. One group escorted him to the hospital while another group recovered his bike. A guy he hardly knew from NC drove him and his bike all the way down to Colombus, GA and wouldn't even accept gas money, just because he rode a Buell.

The rider's response to all of this really sums up why I'll always have a Buell in my garage: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgib...32#POST1276732

[FT BSTRD]

Originally Posted by Sanchez

Technical stuff aside, the best reason to buy a Buell is the Buell community. There's nothing like it out there for any other brand I've found. Buell has a great relationship with its customers - right down to posting on our boards - and Buell people are some of the best people I've ever met.

We had a gathering we called Buelltoberfest earlier this month. Dozens of Buell riders from all over the place converged on the North GA mountains. One rider wrecked, and he was immediately surrounded with friends who took care of everything for him. One group escorted him to the hospital while another group recovered his bike. A guy he hardly knew from NC drove him and his bike all the way down to Colombus, GA and wouldn't even accept gas money, just because he rode a Buell.

The rider's response to all of this really sums up why I'll always have a Buell in my garage: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgib...32#POST1276732

Agreed!


It's hard to explain. Since there are so few of us, ownership kinda invokes "club behavior". You're instantly compelled to chase down and meet another Buell rider.

Maybe Buell just attracts stalkers.

[marko138]

Originally Posted by Sanchez

Technical stuff aside, the best reason to buy a Buell is the Buell community. There's nothing like it out there for any other brand I've found. Buell has a great relationship with its customers - right down to posting on our boards - and Buell people are some of the best people I've ever met.

We had a gathering we called Buelltoberfest earlier this month. Dozens of Buell riders from all over the place converged on the North GA mountains. One rider wrecked, and he was immediately surrounded with friends who took care of everything for him. One group escorted him to the hospital while another group recovered his bike. A guy he hardly knew from NC drove him and his bike all the way down to Colombus, GA and wouldn't even accept gas money, just because he rode a Buell.

The rider's response to all of this really sums up why I'll always have a Buell in my garage: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgib...32#POST1276732

Exactly. Buell riders are some of the nicest people. They take care of their own. Great community.

[Mr Lefty]

marko... I think I asked this before but can't remember if you answered... but what do you get for range on your firebolt? it's got a small tank I know... but from what I hear they get great mileage...