| Author | Message | ||
     Glitch |
Reepicheep:What fun! I can't believe how this thing can transition from full lean to full lean, and how the thing is as stable as a rock no matter what I do to it. I know, and it is a beautiful thing! Fuscat:I just don't want to see the old tube frame's being looked down upon as inferior machines. Never, won't happen. | ||
| Glitch |
Ok, so I drive the wife's car to work 'cause I have a doctor's appointment. I take the wife's 'cause my Neon's computer has been recalled, and the dealer that has to do the job (a special reset with a special dealership tool) ain't in no hurry. I didn't take the XB because I had to carry x-rays and MRIs. So the damn thing (wife's car) dies, and dies, and dies. oh yeah, it's only about 90 outside on the side of the road, in Atlanta trafficFinally get it to a shop, and the mechanic says the battery's gone, but needed to check the charging system just to make sure 'cause this model had some issues (just a battery thank goodness). Got home, looked at the Buell, warmed 'er up and went for a ride. Thinkin' it sure is nice that the cars are on the blink, and the "Ol' reliable Buell" is just that. Kinda neat...thought I'd share... edited by Glitch on August 04, 2003 | ||
| Blasterd |
Thanks guys! Ken | ||
| Blake |
Don Canet seemed to reaffirm his disdain for non Asian non-racing machines. He complained about hitting the rev limiter at 140 mph, and about his poor tired clutch hand, and that the brake required a lot of effort to achieve full stopping power. He seemed to forget that he was riding a STREET bike and not an entry for the next FUSA Sportbike race. Steve Anderson did a great job reviewing the XB12's. | ||
| Aaron |
Ditto the comments on Steve's article. Informative and very well written. | ||
| Court |
Steve Anderson, as I noted in a prior post, is "time well spent". He has an uncanny ability to not, as is so often the case, displace his engineers skills and objectivity, with his ego. Frankly, he rides well enough he needn't run about screamin' "I can go faster than you". Steve understands WHY we ride. Kudos. Court | ||
| Smoke |
got an emergency road job friday which put me up in custer s.d. over yhe weekend. after completing repairs on the helicopter, i spent the afternoon wandering down main street in sturgis. not many buells, but there was one really well sorted creamy white s2 from cal with turbo and intercooler. very nicely done! anybody that comes here? nice curvy roads up there, but me without my bike. back in louisiana now. tim | ||
| Jim_witt |
test | ||
| Reepicheep |
Rocketman Sean... I think you oughta wait and actually ride an XB12S. I understand where you are coming from and I feel some of your pain. If my ride on the XB9 yesterday extrapolates to what I think the XB12 will feel like, then I think it is the Harley you have been reaching for all these years. Don't quit now when you are so close! Picture a chassis that outhandles and outruns your S1, an engine that is more powerful everywhere across the RPM band, ergos that are even better suited for aggressive sport riding, many trick bits (that just work right from the factory). Now picture it just working every time you thumb the starter. Change the tires, change the oil, replace the belt and wheel bearings every 15k miles... ride it forever. Walk towards the light! Form follows function man, the XB12S will grow on you! Think of it as your S1, but with all the extra bits removed (how's that for a mind bending concept!) edited by reepicheep on August 05, 2003 | ||
| Elvis |
The tubers aren't dinosaurs, they're classics. The more Buell changes and becomes a world player, the more interest there will be in the history and heritage of Buell. Buell is an amazing success story. How many other motorcycle manufacturers can you point to who have been able to get their feet in the door of this mature industry? Buell is constantly being compared (favorably or unfavorably) to the likes of BMW, Ducati, Triumph, Suzuki etc. How many of them started in a garage 20 years ago? Could a 1967 Corvette compete with the current model in terms of reliability, speed, comfort etc.? Not even close, but it's still a great machine and part of the Corvette heritage. Sure it seems silly to talk about a 5 year old motorcycle as a "classic", but if Buell continues the innovation that has allowed them to catch up with the competition to the logical point at which they leap frog ahead of them, there's no doubt those old tube framers will be treated with a lot of respect by anybody who knows anything about motorcycles. | ||
| Ara |
I think that part of what makes a classic is a combination of excellence and simplicity. The tube frame Buells, particularly the carbureted models, have that in spades. My S3 will stay mine. | ||
| Glitch |
Well said, Elvis. | ||
| Ara |
Tonight's American Thunder program on SPEED (9:00 to 9:30 CDT) is entitled "Buell Test Ride." | ||
| Locutus |
I gotta say, weight savings not withstanding, Buell apparently needs a hydraulic clutch. If this is a Street BikeŽ then why for God's sake do we need a high effort cable system? Every one I have allowed to test ride my Buell, in an attempt to convert them to the Dark Side has had an issue with the clutch pull vs. Japanese and even some Italian bikes. Yes, my cable is well lubed and brand new and feels just like every other Buell I've encountered. Not that (ahem) I'm not man enough to pull the lever (ahem) mind you  , but its part of the Buell/HD legacy that costs sales and we could live without. And it's one less thing for the magazine editors to bitch about | ||
| Glitch |
The XB is the only Buell I've owned. I had a Sportster long ago. But, I've got no issues with the clutch pull. I do a lot of city driving (commuting to Atlanta), I also ride a lot in the North Georgia mountains. My clutch hand isn't any more tired with the XB than, say, my Bandit. If you read the magazine's reviews on any bike, they nick pick every bike to death. I think it's because, after you ride so many bikes your view gets jaded after a while... | ||
| Ara |
Motorcyclists are supposed to be physically capable. Buy a tennis ball and exercise your hands. With a properly lubed clutch cable and a properly adjusted clutch, left hand effort shouldn't be a problem if one is in reasonable shape and does not have unusually small hands. | ||
| Bomber |
I seriously doubt if anyone takes a pass on an XB soley due to the effort required to work the clutch . . . it may be given as an excuse, but if someone wants a particular scoot, clutch effort ain't gonna queer the deal | ||
| Mikej |
The only times clutch effort becomes an issue is in heavy stop and go traffic and in parades. And Buells aren't really promoted as parade vehicles.  | ||
| Blasterd |
There is no issue with the clutch on my Cyclone, I have had alot worse. Ken | ||
| Kevyn |
...so install the hydraulic unit from American Sport Bike... | ||
| Reepicheep |
In case anyone is keeping track... I checked with a local dealer with a few 03 XB9s stacked up to see if they were desperate enough yet to make me a deal I could not refuse for a trade up from an M2 to an XB9. They ended up around $1000 short of what it would have taken to make it compelling for me. $7995 for a non race kitted 03 lightning (a good price, but not impossible to find) $3500 trade in for my 2000 M2 (not totally absurd, but a little on the low side). I have no beef with them, they were fair, they just did not make it a "deal I could not refuse". I like the arm ripping stonk of the low end M2 torque, I like the instantenaous transition ability and great reliability of the XB9S. I would be happy with either, and will just camp out waiting for a deal. I betcha at least one of those three XB9s's sitting on their sales floor are still there 6 months from now though... | ||
| Buellzebub |
i don't know, the clutch action on my S1 is a lot lighter than that of the old norton & shovelhead models i had riden before. i have to agree with ARA and say get a grip!  | ||
| Ara |
Buellzebub you make a good point: Nobody whined about clutch lever effort until hydraulic units became common. I would add that the advent of the motorcycle press - populated by opinionated critics not dissimilar from movie critics - who make their sole living by writing in glossy paged magazines, also has something to do with it. | ||
| Locutus |
So... we dont want an easier clutch because prospective customers can all go and squeeze tennis balls until they are man enough for the bike.... To elaborate on my point: Buells have a well deserved reputation for being, shall we say, a little rough around the edges. That's fine, in fact it's what makes a Buell a Buell, but when that roughness includes important "interfaces" with the bike it becomes a problem. If the bike vibrates a little at idle and isnt glass-smooth at speed that's ok. But when you have to haul in the clutch in stop and go traffic for the 80th time in five minutes you are gonna get picky about clutch pull right quick. To me there is little "character" value in having a Sportster-class arm-buster just because My daddy's bike had a similar problem. I dont much care if other bikes in motorcyling's history were harder to pull, it's still a pain. Now a (moderately) stiff clutch alone might not scare perspective buyers away but combine that with the general rough-cut nature of the rest of the bike and it just feels sloppy, and the guy walks. I'm not just telling you that, that's what the folks I have let ride my bike have said. Stuff like "Nice, I like the visceral feel, but that clutch is gonna be a pain" etc. etc. So why not continue what the XB's are doing and keep the "visceral" appeal while eliminating this particular sharp edge? Maybe a cable mechanism can be developed that is easier to deal with...or maybe a hydraulic cylinder is the answer. edited by locutus on August 05, 2003 | ||
| Al_lighton |
For those of you that have cracked S3 saddle bags, I just posted some repair instructions with lots of pictures in the knowledge vault at http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/34032.html . COmments/questions welcome. Thanks to Steve Slaughter for the inspiration to do it. I just repaired mine and Reindogs before SPLASH, and took mine over some SERIOUSLY rough dirt roads, fully loaded. If they were going to re-crack, I think they would have. Time will tell, but if this doesn't work, nothing will. I'll post another there tomorrow on some minor changes to the mounting system (inspired by the ATC tech tips) after I take a few more pictures. Al | ||
| Fuscat |
I agree with all you guys in regards to the tubers. I know deep down they will always be appreciated for the wonderful machines they are. I was just in a deep thinking mood. It will be nice one day to look at my S1 and tell the grandkids about "that old classic bike in the garage" Until I can someday afford another bike I will continue to rider her as much as possible. Sean- I wish there was something I could say in regards to your situation. It sounds like you ended up with a real lemon. Unfortunately even the best companies in the world have faulty products. It seems to me like it couldn't have happened to a worse candidate though. You really seem to carry the Buell spirit to the heart. Most other guys would have dumped the bike the first chance they got, and then warned off all you could based on your situation. You haven't and you don't, infact you stay around active with a community of people who ride the bikes you can't and stay well spirited about it the whole time. If you ever make it stateside and near the heart of the country in Kansas City, I have a beautiful black S1 in my garage that would be more then happy to give an ol' hooligan from accross the pond a good ride! Here is to hoping that once you do get that motor rebuilt that first ride makes you remember why you bought her and re-assure you why you want to keep her! | ||
| Bomber |
Locutus I don't think anyone is saying that they don't want improvements, or that the clutch effort should remain the same into the next century . . . just that it's not a big deal for most folks (if you're looking for nits to pick, it's an additional one, certainly . . . .if the scoot matches your needs and desires, it fades into the background) variable milage statement inserted here | ||
| Ara |
What logic. We don't want comfortable seats, either, and prospective customers can all go buy Bark-O-Loungers.  | ||
| Mikej |
Barges-R-Us  | ||
| Jim_witt |
Al, Outstanding write up on the hard bags. I really appreciate reading things like that. High Five, -JW:>  |
