| Author | Message | ||
     Midknyte |
What the heck's feeding the rumor that the Blast [engine] is on it's last legs? | ||
| Shea |
The Blast had legs? Not sure what rumor you are talking about, the one about the Blast not having a good engine or the one about it being changed. In the beginning, the Blast had quite a few problems. Have not heard anything new lately. | ||
| Daves |
what rumor? | ||
| Ezblast |
OK - on another forum a certain person showed up with a comment, and a request was made directly after the comment that on the last year that they decided to produce the Blast - to please make it Artic White - a year and change later, at the end of Buell's obligations to HD's rider Edge program a Artic White Blast appears - could this be a coincidence or a cue for the curtain call on this model - will only know when next year rolls around, however, the timming seems right in line. The real question in my mind is - will Buell do anything with this model now that its run is done? - It has been a very good run, with changes only as nescessary providing a very reliable fun tool to ride! GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Acejay |
haha at shea. we dont get them in oz, but damn thats an awkward looking bike!! | ||
| Ezblast |
Ace - see my profile for possibilities! GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Daves |
OH, the old dreaded "as soon as they make a white one they are done for theory" I see. Well they never made a white M2 S3 S3T XB9S They did make a white XB9R and they are still here and kicking. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I have a white 03 XB9R was that the end of the XB9R? If so someone needs to pinch me I've been having one hell of a realistic dream that has covered over 3 years! | ||
| Ezblast |
No - thats not the theory - the theory is that EB showed up on a forum and actually responded to a request after he answered a question - responding with a White Blast - conjecture - yes, however, he was also noted as saying that the Blast would be around long enough to fullfill their RE obligations and probably not longer than that - I heard that at a dinner in his honor last year. So put the two together and the conjecture seems both reasonable and plausable. As I said earlier - the real question is - will they do something else with this platform? GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Ezblast |
Hey - I'd love for someone to prove that rumor wrong! GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Glitch |
Maybe the Blast (as it is) is finished. But, I doubt it. One reason, might be that Blast engine. What an engine! They are damned near bullet proof. My hope is that they build a better frame to put it in. Aren't dirt trackers using the Blast engine? | ||
| Ezblast |
Yes, and they are getting quite popular in singles road racing. Not because of great speed, but because of great durability! If you can't finish - your chance of winning is nil - lol - a lot of Blasts do 2 seasons of racing before needing freshening up in the motor. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Kdan |
Motard Blast!!! | ||
| U4euh |
The dealer who I bought my 9s from stopped selling Buells, in fact mine was their last. That was 3 years ago. Fast Forward to a month ago. I ran into the chief mechanic at a show. We struck up conversation about the brand. He said that they had ordered 27, yes 27, Blast for the RE course. Said they got a really good deal on them. Don't know how true that # is, but I do know they got at least 6 of them in, I had to stop and get the shipping covers! How are the prices looking in the showroom's for the Blast? | ||
| Jlnance |
I don't really care that much if Buell continues to make the Blast. But I do very much hope they replace it with something similar if they discontinue it. It's nice to have a good bike that you can get new for $4000. It's nice to have a starter bike that you want to keep even after you're not a beginner anymore. It's particulary nice to have a bike small enough that 5 foot ladies can ride. It's nice to have a bike with cheap tires that gets 60 mpg. And I think it's good for Buell to. I've owned 3 Buells. A Blast, and a Cyclone which I traded for a Ulysses. If it hadn't been for the Blast, I never would have owned a Buell at all. Not because I would have decided not to, but because I never would have heard of them. My introduction to Buell was riding a Blast in Riders Edge. I bet I'm not the only one in that boat. | ||
| Slaughter |
That DOES IT - I'm selling all my white shirts! Can't take any chances that this is my last year. | ||
| Court |
As many holes in that theory as there are in my 1988 Buell shirts. . . | ||
| Naustin |
Unless Harley plans to discontinue the RE program, I would think that the Blast will continue in that roll virtually permanently. It could be built as it is practically forever - or at least until it won't pass emissions. And even then, it could probably be tweaked to run a Cat and put out enough extra ponies to make up for it - and that wouldn't even impact it's production cost that much... The tooling and design costs on that bike have been depreciated for years so it's a no brainer to keep building it as long as you can keep selling it. Its purpose and target market is still there. As with all buells, the blast's only handicap is the dealers who look down on all Buell's, and the Blast most of all. I swear, the Shop Manager at the Harley shop in my town gets nauseous if he sees a Buell, and the mere mention of the Blast causes him to twitch. I really hate the dealers...  | ||
| Court |
The Blast is an elegant motorcycle and a rolling trophy to the power of process. | ||
| Naustin |
That alone doesn't sell it - at least not in quantity. People sell it. Its the sales and support staff that matter to customers that don't know an oil line from a breather tube. Its damn tough to sell Tofu and Caviar out of a greasy Hamburger Stand. Nick | ||
| Ezblast |
Concur! - lol | ||
| Ezblast |
Hey - I hope Buell proves me and others wrong, still it would be nice to see an updated model with a few more ponies and a smoother tranny. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Glitch |
Looks to me that the relative small production cost is what keeps it around. | ||
| Midwayav8r |
It is amazing how many threads are saying the same thing. We have a motorcycle being made by a giant, that no one wants to service or supply! When is Buell going to get a hint. Be it Blast or anything else, no one wants to work on them. I have had a 9S and now a 12S, but I won't buy another until Buell does something about backing the product! Let's hear it for Hayabusa! | ||
| Swampy |
I'll work on it! I love to work on it. These are the easiest things I have ever worked on. And rewarding to boot! And once you find a parts source all the better! | ||
| Kdan |
E-Bay is your parts source, Swampy. What I need new, I can get from one of our 2 most excellent Buell dealers on the North Side. I've been riding my Blast again, as my XB's been getting a little major surgery and the Gurlfrien' got her a new SV650. That little bike is a hoot, I need to make it taller is all. Just a little more up in the ass end and I'm good. | ||
| Swampy |
Yep, I got parts! Kdan, Try the larger Avon Vyper Strykes, 110/70/16 front and 14/70/16 rear, puts a different set to the whole bike. | ||
| Ezblast |
I can always find parts - that will never be my problem. I'd just like to see a little evolution before the model is lost to history - sigh GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Nytrashman |
of course it is going to be discontinued......i just bought one ('05) and i have no dought Buell will do away with not only the blast but any & all parts i may need in the near future. this is how my luck runs, so if the blast is dropped from production you can all blame me for it. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Hmmm well they did announce that the XB9R wont return for next year. and you should hear some of the rumors that has started! | ||
| Buellistic |
Check www.buell.com and you will find that the XB9 is not being exported !!! In BUELLing LaFayette | ||
| Rainman |
I have no idea and anything is possible. I do know, however, that the Rider's Edge program is not being phased out but is growing. The dealership I teach at made more than $1.5 million off of RE grads last year, including bike sales. It's a source of income that the dealer thinks is worth the cost. I doubt that RE would want to use GZ 250s or CB 250s or anything else they don't sell to train new riders on, especially as they tout the Blast as being big enough to make a Sportster feel more comfortable and an XB doesn't feel much bigger (an it's not size wise) than the Blast. The Blast works great in training, with a few exceptions, of course. If they do phase it, I would imagine they'd have to replace it. |
