| Author | Message | ||
     Spidrman |
Hi all!! I'm going to be purchasing a Blast sometime in the next month and wanted to introduce myself and ask a couple of questions. I live in the Houston, TX area (Tomball actually), I'm 38 and this will be my third motorcycle. I haven't ridden or owned any motorcycle for about 7 years. I crashed my last bike (a 600cc crotch rocket that was too much for my abilities) when me and a rock in the road had an argument and the rock won.  (proper gear let me walk away with just a couple of bruises) I'm eager to finally get another bike and have decided on the Blast for several reasons: 1. It's a Buell. I've loved the look of Buell's since they came out. 2. It's small enough to learn on again without getting me into trouble again but should be big enough that I can live with it for at least 2 years before wanting something bigger (XB9SX  ). 3. 70 MPG Number three is the real kicker. I'm planning on using this for a daily commuter. I drive 30 miles one way to work and my truck and it's 15 MPG kinda sux. I calculated that I'd be saving almost $190 a month in gas by riding the Blast to and from work. My only debate left is to buy new or used. I know the MSRP is $4600 on a new one but what should I expect to really pay for a new one? Do Harley/Buell dealers negotiate or am I going to pay full sticker? I'm planning on financing this so my second question is does HD offer financing on used bikes at their dealerships? Thanks in advance for any answers / advice! | ||
| Imadreadhead |
buy used..and by it on ebay....they wont go over $2500 on ebay..theres a few in texas right now | ||
| Ezblast |
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| Gearheaderiko |
New vs used. Do you want a warranty and a virgin motorcycle? Are you planning to keep it? Are you mechanically inclined? I bought new as I planned on keeping it for a long time and it was my commuter bike. I also didnt want any problems. Any used bike can give you problems, but if I'm the only mechanic to have worked on it, I know any problems will stem from me or the factory. I've since bought 2 used Blasts with the usual minor common problems that go with them. The one I kept together has been very reliable. If you're all thumbs, buy new. If you have some ability and arent going to get frustrated at the slightest little problem , buy used. They can be had for much less than $2500, but beware of 'Riders Edge' bikes. They've seen a lot of abuse. Pay accordingly. Learner bike=pay less. Many owners=pay less. Heavily modified=pay less (unless you know the mechanic and trust them). Bone stock, 1 owner, low miles, be willing to pay fair market value (but you still might get a really good deal). There are plenty of low mileage Blasts (all years) out there. The dealer may finance used (some do on other HD/Buell models). Dealers will also negotiate on new Blasts especially if its been sitting on their floor a long time. Look for leftovers and be prepared to walk if they wont deal. They will want to sell it. The heyday of such wheeling and dealing has passed, since production and sales of Blasts has decreased since there are many more used Blasts on the market. (Message edited by gearheaderiko on February 19, 2008) | ||
| Spidrman |
Warranty is nice (without paying extra for one) Probably planning to keep it even if and when I get something bigger. Yes ... mechanically inclined but want to avoid fixing somebody else's problems. I'd like to save my spare time to do a few mods and not spend it fixing somebody else's attempts at mods. This will be a commuter bike as well. Called my local HD Dealer today (Mancuso in Houston) and they are not willing to negotiate the price of the 2008 models but they have at least one 2007 left over that the girl I spoke with is going to see if her manager will lower it and will call me back. They are currently out of used Blasts as apparently they have a big "Rider's Edge" demand and all the used ones go to their rider training. There are at least two more Harley dealers in town so I'm going to make a couple of more calls tomorrow and see what I can turn up. | ||
| Ezblast |
Thats why I bought new, and that there where no used out at the time;0) EZ | ||
| Styxnpicks |
I bought my 01 used for $2200 with 4000mi and couldn't be happier. the guy delivered it to my door and even threw in a new rear tire | ||
| Pushpoppnh |
hey everyone--- I am 22 looking into getting a motorcycle, and have never owned/ ridden one. I recently went to a HD Dealership and was asking about the Blast, and the salesman was quick to point me in the direction of a sportster and other Buell bikes. Now i know salespeople always want to upgrade you to a expensive bike but it came across as if the blast was not something they were really keen on wanting to sell! And they didnt have any in the showroom, he took me to the repair shop to let me sit on a riders edge blast that was being fixed, not the greatest way to be intoduced to a bike, having it in the shop! Anyways, question is......are dealerships just not wanting to stock or be helpful in the selling of Blasts? 1. My other questions are in dealing with the actual bike and they may come off as common sense to you all who own blasts but as you read the guy at the dealership knew next to nothing about the bike! I am looking at the Blast, Ninja, and Nighthawk as starter bikes, all are in the same price range. Other than the bigger engine of the blast compared to the other 2, how do you rate the other bikes when compared to the Blast? 2. How long does it take HD to fix items on the Blast? Somewhere i heard they take forever on getting the bike back to you.... 3. I am 6 foot 2 and 180 lbs, can this bike carry me along with the big trucks going down the highway or am i going to feel like i am going to be blown off the road? Can you take a passenger? (My girlfriend is interested in this part) 4. what the life range of these bikes, with normal service and such? I am looking to use this as a commuter bike of 20-30 miles a day. I would buy new or next to new. Thanks for everyones help in this! | ||
| Ezblast |
LOL - a riders edge bike takes more punishment than even my humble formerly red bike that had 10 prior owners would have to have endured. Though the intake boot can be a pain, the newer Blasts are the most reliable bike built by HD to date - period. That fact galls a few folks - lol - Blasts are not a big ticket/profit for HD sales so they don't like dealing with them - lol - these bikes are so easy to work on though that I un-retired my tools and now do all my own servicing. The Blast is a better bike than either of those others you selected - period. The bike will take you and your GF readily - you'll feel like your being blown off the road even on a big twin - you get used to it - the wind. The life is as long as you want it to be - parts are cheap and plentiful, and labor is pretty easy. It will handle your commute easily. EZ | ||
| Berkshire |
Spidrman, I was in there a couple days ago, and they had 2 Blasts - both were Black (didn't look to see what year models). I don't think there were any mechanical changes from '07 to '08, so I would go for whichever one they'll deal on - *IF* I was going to buy a new one. If you do your own automotive work like replacing an alternator or brake pads, then you should be comfortable with doing whatever work a used Blast would need, and can save a ton of money compared to buying new. I bought a 2000 w/ 4100 miles about 2 years ago for $1750 from a guy who had it listed on one of the local moto forums. The turn signals, footpegs, and brake/clutch/shift levers were all scraped and/or bent, but I figured that stuff doesn't matter - the Blast is not a bike for impressing people, it's a bike for riding! If you are going to get maximum enjoyment out of the bike (and improve your skills), then you'll be scraping the pegs regularly anyway. The other stuff is easy to straighten and/or buff out, and cheap to replace if you want to go that route. I get about 50 mpg, but I ride the hell out of it. So far I have put another 8k miles on it, and all it has needed is normal wear items (brake pads, wheel bearings, tires), plus a broken belt at 10K miles. | ||
| Berkshire |
Push, I was about 190 lbs when I got my Blast, and acceleration to 70 mph was brisk... above that, aerodynamics is more of a factor than weight - 70 to 80 is a little slower, and 85 may be about all it will do for a tall guy sitting up straight with a headwind. Ducking down should (eventually) get you up to 96mph, where the rev limiter kicks in - so YES, it'll do fine on the interstate! The Blast is rated for the same weight (actually a hair more, IIRC) as the twins, but 2-up riding kills the acceleration and so isn't so much fun (or perhaps I just need a skinny girl!) ...then again, considering the price of used Blasts, you might consider buying "his" & "hers"! | ||
| Reuel |
I was up to 225 pounds, but I'm only 5'11". HD service departments that are good are few and far between. I was banned from Seaford Delaware HD/Buell for raising the BS flag on them. On my ride to work, I'm averaging about 52MPG. When I just hit the back roads, doing 55 or so, I get around 65MPG. I'll be reaching 40K this spring, I'm sure. Outside of scheduled maintenance items, I've had to replace a bolt on the front of the engine and the TPS. Warranty covered the old paper gasket. | ||
| Buellistic |
BLASTers: "i" can say that Berkshire's BLAST is a very good running BLAST as "i" have rode behind him ... At times it was hard for me to keep up with him and "i" was riding my 97S3T ... In BLASTing LaFayette | ||
| Rainman |
OK, here's three-cents because I'm a generous, liberal type: My 03 Blast is a Rider's Edge bike and pretty beaten but I've put 6,000 commuting/freeway miles on it in heat, cold, rain and freezing rain, ran it 3,000 miles past its first oil change and 1,000 check-up adjust and the damn thing just keeps getting better and better. I've done 85 up a mountain passing trucks and Thumper loves riding 65 to 70. I get 63 mpg consistently in all-city driving (I'm laid-back) and 69 to 75 on the highway, depending on whether I can keep my throttle down below 70. As a former Sportster and Gold Wing owner, I can say the Blast is one rocking fun toy. OK, that's four cents. I'll just raise your taxes to pay for it. | ||
| Buellistic |
Rainman: You are LUCKY that you got a Rider's Edge Bike !!! "i" am the sixth owner of my 2000 Blast and "i" can asure you it was in much worse shape that any Rider's Edge Bike !!! In BLASTing LaFayette | ||
| Spidrman |
Looks like I may have found a Blast to consider. One of the local HD/Buell shops has an '05 with 13k miles for $2100. I can't go look at it until the 1st but hopefully they'll still have it then. It's black which is the color I want. They "say" it's a trade in and not a "Riders Edge" bike. Anything in particular I should look for when I go check it out? Or just the normal things one would inspect when buying a used bike? And with that kind of mileage on it, are there any spare parts I should pick up like an extra belt? How long do the belts normally last? I guess now I really have to get the garage cleaned up since that's the deal I made with the wife. Clean garage = motorcycle. Probably need to go find a good ramp first too so I can truck it home since I don't want to ride it home from where they are. Too many freeways. Heck, I don't like driving my truck in that part of town. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Pushpoppn! I'll try to cover what hasnt been covered. ALL dealers can take a long time getting you your bike back. I've heard that from every brand owner. Most riders are pleasure riders, that means they just need it back by next weekend. If you tell them its your only transportation, they generally will get it back asap, but you need to be firm.Its also very easy to work on and taking a Blast to an HD dealer for repairs is like taking a VW to a Porsche dealer. You'll pay expert repair costs for a very simple bike. If you can, do your own work. I believe the Ninja (250) will be too small and much more expensive if you drop it (you will drop it-its your first bike). I haven't seen a newer Nighthawk. Yes, dealers always want to sell you a bigger bike. Many reasons. Some-the Blast is the new Sportster. Back in the day when HD only sold Big Twins and Sportsters, they'd always steer you away from the Sportsters. They almost always had leftover Sportsters on the showroom floor and would pawn them off when they had nothing else and needed a sale (Harley showrooms used to have very little in the way of new stock). The Blast is the new Sportster and they dont take it (or, until perhaps recently, Buells) seriously. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Spidrman! See, good deals can be found, even at the dealer! | ||
| Ezblast |
03 and above are bullet proof! Enjoy! EZ | ||
| Gbaz |
Any of yall keeping up with what happened over at beginnerbikers.org? Sucks, i really liked their site  | ||
| Ezblast |
Hell yes that sucks - I may have to write another review on the Blast - lol EZ | ||
| Gbaz |
ive read so many reviews you have done of different sites... you should be able to cut and paste by now lol. O I was trying to access your yahoo site and it would not let me sign up. dont know if its my comp or the site, but if you have a chance could you look into it? thanks | ||
| Ezblast |
You should just be able to join like any yahoo group open to the public - try clearing your browser history then give it a shot. I actually like doing the reviews - it clears up a lot of mis-conceptions - lol EZ | ||
| Spiderman |
Need to change your name there Spidrman.  | ||
| Swampy |
Pushpophn, welcome to the Thumper Forum! The Big Kid is 6'2" and weighs over 200 lbs and regularly rides his Blast to the rev limiter on the highway. I have ridden 2up on the Little Kids Blast I am 5' 10" 175 and Precious is 5'2" 200+ none of my business. What I am trying to say is the Blast can handle it. Just change the bars, rejet the carb and upgrade the tires. In case anybody is wondering where I have been for the last couple of days.... Florida! EPCOT rocks! I am taking a little break from 50 years of guarding our Northern Borders from the imanint attack from the blood thirsty Canadians. | ||
| Gbaz |
Dont really care for epcot... just went to disney 2 months ago for my honeymoon. the mouse almost killed me with the meal plan, i gained 10 lbs in a week. well finished jetting the carb and moving the breather hose and moddin the air box. my only issue is i jetted it to what i would need for the exaust upgrade and my pipes are still off being coated. so im a bit rich. as soon as the weather clears up time for the test ride o and im 215 lbs and 6 foot and feel a little cramped with the short seat, but no issues with power. it goes faster than my old truck... just need to resist the urge to get the 600 cc kit... will my will power hold out... wonder if this thing can handle 11 to 1 compression on pump gas... | ||
| Ezblast |
Swampy - enjoy the Rum drinks, hit Party Island once, then another nite at Rosie O'Grady's - both a bit of fun. I've always liked the 515 kit because it allows easier Parts availability come rebuild time without altering the case. The 600 kit is a world of money - in my mind - because of so many other things I would have to do if I was splitting the cases - once I have to go there, the bike will definitely be down for a while during the rebuild - just to accumulate parts - lol - but its exactly where I'll go though, if I ever do have to split the case - in for a penny, in for a pound;0) EZ (Message edited by ezblast on February 22, 2008) | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
" if I ever do have to split the case - in for a penny, in for a pound" Amen to that, brother! Erik Disneyland Annual Pass Holder (hey, its only 6 miles away)! | ||
| Ezblast |
Did any one see the LSR single in Cycle World - totally awesome - 90hp rw supercharged - off the Nitrous, 125 on - lol - that is one hell of a custom! Oh yeah - 154mph top pass! EZ (Message edited by ezblast on February 22, 2008) | ||
| Spidrman |
To Spiderman: lol ... sorry dude ... I've been "spidrman" online for a looooong time. And the spelling without the "e" is intentional as it has nothing to do with 8 legged "spiders". I used to work for a company that sold a product called a "SPIDR". It was an acronym for "Self Powered Intelligent Data Retriever" and was used for testing gas wells. Long story short my customers started calling me "spidrman" and so I ran with it ... |
