| Author | Message | ||
     Buelliedan |
RD350, In your post you state that Buell dealers are being told to sell all their remaining 2002 M2,X1,S3 bikes at cost?? Please tell me what dealers are doing this. My dealer is still asking MSRP for all his bikes and is selling them. I believe a M2 at cost would be about $6,000, X1 around 8 and S3 around 10, Are the dealers in Utah selling them that cheap?? | ||
| Court |
Okay....we both left on our own acord, but I'm sure there was a huge sigh of relief  Actually....I RETURNED to diplomatic duty. Court | ||
| Mikej |
Dan, Pick up one of those 3cents a minute calling cards so their caller ID doesn't give your area code away and start calling a few of them. Start with the ones in Salt Lake City and tell them you just started working at one of the restaurants in Wendover and you'd really like to have a Buell and can they give you some prices over the telephone before you take the time to visit them in person.  Should be an educational telephone call. | ||
| Rd350 |
Buelliedan, Last time I was in that area the dealer in Salt Lake has a 2002 Blue m-2 low going for $6895.00 and a 2002 x-1 White lighting for $9095.00. They also have a bunch of blast sitting around.. Salt Lake City H-D/Buell The number is 1-801-487-4647 Jim is the owner talk to him so you don't get the run around on pricing. This dealer if a fat cat dealer who loves only H-d so just keep beating his ass up. He hates Buell he will give them up for a good deal. Good Luck.. | ||
| Davegess |
Well now that the Firebolt is shipping...I can't remember is anyone took my bet? Remember, all you guys who were saying what a mess Buell was making of this whole thing, that I was willing to bet that bikes would be in dealerships the 27th? Oh yeah now I remember no body took the bet, too bad I could use the cash to pay for my new Firebolt Sorry for the "I told ya so" attitude I just could not resist  dave | ||
| Hans |
Firebolts are shipped since april 8-th. First to far away dealers (but all in the USA). Next week each dealer will have one bike. California models shortly after.  Hans | ||
| Blake |
I'm applauding for you Dave. Visited Shreveport HD/Buell today. Their XB9R's will be delivered next week. Salesman I talked with said that they did not yet know how many Firebolts they will be getting with initial delivery or even for the rest of the model year. Doesn't jive with RD's dealers claiming that Buell asked them to take 25/25 P3's/XB9R's. | ||
| Blacksix |
Lone Star HD here in Tyler has the same date. "Next Week or so". MUHAHAHAHAhahaha.... Can't wait. | ||
| Mother_Big |
firebolt is in Edison NJ dealer now. no kidding. | ||
| Anonymous |
A dealership employee and Buell enthusiast mentioned to me this past Tuesday that deliveries are imminent. They are expecting 2 units, colors unknown, anytime now. | ||
| Mikej |
This could work out all too well. My M2 is due back in town next week, and I may have to miss the 27th shindig. Last night on northbound hwy-45 at about 10:30pm a H-D tractor-trailer rig went blasting past me doing at least 85+, don't know if he got off at Pilgrim road or not, but he wasn't wasting any time gettin' where he was goin'. I thought to myself, self, wonder if that rig if full of XBs. | ||
| Jmartz |
Mike: Are they assembling the XB's at the Pilgrim road plant? | ||
| Mikej |
I don't think so, the assembly line for the bikes should be in E.T., the engines are probably being built on Capitol Drive. I just thought it was interesting that with all the deadlines approaching that I would see local trucks flying up the freeways late at night. If I'd have been in the van I could have tried to talk to him on the CB. khkhkhkhkhkhhhh"Hey northbound Harley truck, whatcha hauling in such a hurry der buddy?" (khkhkhkhhhhh = poor representation of a weak CB in a van with a marginal alternator = static.) | ||
| Cro13 |
Crossroads H-D / BUELL Center Valley,PA. "Taking them (XB's) out of the crates as we speak" acording to the sales guy. Them, I asked, more than one. "Yea, I think so, I haven't been back there yet but everyone is excited." H.Carter 97 S3 03 XB(looks like soon) | ||
| Anonymous |
Freedom Harley in North Canton, OH uncrated their first Firebolt this morning. WOW!! It's nice. As far as the belt goes, the tensioner does look different than in previous pics. It is still fixed but is very large, but has lots of nice looking holes drilled in it. Also, the bracket holding the tensioner is machined from a solid chunk of Aluminum instead of made from a casting like on previous pics. Who knows, they might have changed that late in the game. My dealer spoke with the factory rep today and said Firebolt production was held up because of a death they had at teh Talladega test Facility. Testing was delayed becasue the facility was closed for an investigation. Go check your dealers!!!Text | ||
| Anonymous |
Just had the chance to put about 120 miles on a Firebolt on some mountain roads -- fantastic bike. I doubt that anything can stay ahead of one on really twisty roads, ones where the corner speeds are 30 to 80, and one corner leads almost immediately to the next. On faster roads with straights, a more powerful bike will be able to make up some ground. Most notable features: The engine is really, really smooth. Vibration at low speed is there, but much diminished. Turns signals and mirrors never flop as on a S2/S3. Above 3000 rpm in top gear, there's almost no vibration reaching the rider worth discussing. Power delivery is very exceptionally smooth. Throttle on/off in corners does nothing to upset the bike. The driveline is very tight. The bike pulls quickly to the redline, and it's easy to run into the rev limiter. Handling is confidence inspiring, but different from almost anything else. The bike is extremely manuveurable, but steering efforts are, if anything, slightly heavy. The bike loves being flicked really hard into a corner, and never does anything disturbing in response. There are no stability issues. The riding position is quite a bit better than a racer replica. The seat-to-peg relationship is tight, but tolerable. I expect there will be aftermarket kits to drop the pegs for those who want more room, because you won't ever touch the stock ones down on the street. The underseat cooling fan runs often, and you can hear it when you're cruising at 30 or 40 mph. It runs noisily when the bike has first been shut down, and you could warm your hands with the air it blows out between the tire/rear-fender and the seat. The gearbox shifts much more cleanly than any previous Buell or Sportster, and better than that of current Big Twins. It's not perfect, but pretty damn good if you have the shift lever adjusted correctly for your foot position. The suspension is firm and responsive, with the rear being far more compliant than on any pull-shock Buell. It's very well controlled. enough for now . . . | ||
| Blastin |
My place of work is in a unique location here in downtown Milwaukee. We sit in the middle of the Marquette interchange, yes smack dab in the middle of it. (where I-94, 43 and a whole bunch of others come together) Our lunch room is just above the interchange ramps, so we can get a unique perspective. Just on my 30 minute lunch brake, I can see an average of 2 to 3 Harley trucks go by going in various directions. I would say that they are one of the most prevalent trucks that I see.(It could be that I notice them because they are black and orange though) Not sure what this means, but just wanted to add a little more kindling to the growing flames of enthusiasm. | ||
| Court |
Anonynous: Thank you for the first,of what I am guessing will be many, post confirming what I'd suspected a while back when the nay-sayers were massing.....
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| Psychobueller |
Sat on the XB at HD/Buell of Edison, NJ today. Looks so good! Can't wait to demo it. | ||
| Jima4media |
I had the opportunity to ride the Firebolt for the first time in December on the first ride given by Buell in Long Beach, California at the IMS Show. This is that story. There are two ways to evaluate a product - with your rational brain and with your emotional brain. I've now had the chance to do both with this bike. This is not a review of a race bike; the Firebolt is a street bike in the category that Buell calls Sportfighter. Emotionally, I liked the look of this bike the first time I saw it back in July of 2001. It appealed to my sense of what a street bike should be - a cafe racer with very little plastics covering the motor. A bike that is easy to service, a good commuter, and fun on the weekends. I have to agree with others about the welds on the tank. I noticed that on the bike in the Buell factory in August. You don't notice it as much in bright flat sunlight, but it would look nicer if those welds were ground out a bit. The whole bike would look great if it were polished, IMHO. Both the frame tank and the swingarm. Some people like that polished look, and other don't. YMMV. First off when you walk up to a running Firebolt the muffler sounds hollow and tinny like a stock Blast. Of course 9 out of 10 buyers will change out the muffler in the first week anyway, so who cares? When you are sitting on a running bike, it sounds better than from a distance. I killed the motor right away when we were getting ready to leave, and found out you have to have it in neutral to start the motor. Bad. You can't start it in gear with the clutch in. I first noticed the acceleration when I got it going and caught up with the four people who went by me in the parking lot. I was quickly in the number one position behind the demo leader. A couple of seconds later, Fireman Jim Higgins was right beside me and that is where we stayed for the whole ride. We were warned not to do wheelies, burnouts or stoppies or they would take the keys away, and we'd have to walk back, so we followed the rules. We pulled up to a stop sign and both Jim and I got on the brakes late and quick. This thing stops! No fade or grab or jumps. Just quick stopping when you want to. The rear wheel almost came off the ground, but I let loose of the brake and glided to the corner. The front-end feels like it just isn't there it is so light. Your arms are just out in front of you and you are pointing in the direction you want to go in. Intuitive. It doesn't feel down on horsepower, because the bike is so light. It accelerates faster than my race kitted X-1, so it is plenty for me. The transmission is smooth as silk, didn't miss a shift into second like I sometimes do on my X-1. The fuel injection is flawless. Not a hiccup or cough or wheeze, like my X-1. Smooth power delivery whenever you want it. I was concerned that the ergos would be too far forward for my liking, but it rode just fine. I don't like Ducati 996's or Aprilia Milles because your butt feels higher than your wrists, but this was comfortable. I'm sure on a 450 mile trip like I took to get there it would be a different story. I'm 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, and the bike felt good to me. I have longer arms and shorter legs for someone 6 feet tall, so the bike fit me really well. Jim Higgins is shorter with shorter arms, and he said it fit him well too, but would like touring handlebars for longer rides. I agreed with people who said there was a need for Heli-Bars or something similar for longer rides. I hear that some company has them in the works right now. I hear there is a company working on a bar riser like a Heli-bar that will give more comfort on longer rides. On this bike the triple tree is the bar holder, saving on the number of parts. We went through a bunch of corners on the demo ride that were almost like BattleTrax, so they were slow and tight. It handled all of them without problem. Once in a while I'd glance in the mirror and see the rest of the pack a quarter of mile behind us. If my X-1 is flickable, the XB is ultra-flickable. When we came back we filled out an evaluation and got a T-Shirt, and Jim and I were video taped giving our impressions as the first customer riders of the Firebolt. I wanted to leave my X-1 there and take the XB home with me for a longer evaluation. 15 minutes is too short a time on the bike. My X-1 problems on the way to Long Beach is the subject of another story that I will have on my website. Thankfully, Mark from Buell had a shift arm on the demo truck to replace the vice grips on the shift arm. I think Erik Buell has created the best Street Fighter ever made. Hands down, no question. They asked if there were a single word to describe the bike - Jim Higgins said "Hooligan" and I said simply "Awesome" I want one, now. Jim Armstrong X-2.5 | ||
| Firemanjim |
Blake,I would love to ride at Deals Gap with Erik and co.What better way to get lessons.I followed Erik one afternoon at Taos and I know I never would have cornered that fast or leaned that far on my own,but I figured gravity worked the same for Erik as it did for me.What an experience!! | ||
| Jim_M |
You know, I've been thinking, it's not fair for everyone who has ridden with Erik to enter. Let some of us other poor slobs have the honor | ||
| Csg_Inc |
Bummed out...went to test ride the bike at az bike week...got there at 12:30...sat there till 3:30....only to find out no test rides today and no test rides of the firebolt at all. There were three bikes there you could look at touch sit on etc. but not ride.....The guy that finally showed up at 3:30 said that since their helpers are only available till 3pm no sense having any test rides today. Reportedly there was a problem with the city of scottsdale re: no rides till 3:00 today. The other interesting part was the guy in the trailor said the reason for no firebolt demo rides was so that more product could be put in the pipeline and that there was so much interest in the firebolt they were going to wait till after dealers had product before they would do any more demo rides they figured they could sell the bike with out demo rides for awhile. But I told him he sould have at least posted a note so some of future customers didn't just spend 3.5 hours waiting at over 91 degrees in the shade for a demo ride that will never happen. | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Wow, what Court said is true, everything about this bike is different, even the break in procedure......  | ||
| Davegess |
Fireman Jim, "followed Erik one afternoon at Taos and I know I never would have cornered that fast or leaned that far on my own,but I figured gravity worked the same for Erik as it did for me.What an experience!! " Erik tells a similar story, he figured if he followed the fast guy around the race track and did what he did he owuld learn a lot. The fast guy was Kenny Roberts. Erik learned he couldn't do what Kenny did. Erik crashed. Me, the few times I have riddne with Erik jus tlet him go. He scares the crap out of me  Dave | ||
| Anonymous |
Not true, Dave. Erik just found out he couldn't keep up with Kenny. Race: 1978 Daytona 200, Kenny was winning and lapped Erik (who was in 10th at the time...his rookie year). BTW, Kenny lapped 2nd place that year too...another Yamaha factory rider, how would you have liked to have been that guy? And if you check the records, you won't find Erik finished 10th, because his ignition quit working...fried by the heat from the exhaust  But still on two wheels. How do I know this...I'd tell ya but I'd havta kill ya... | ||
| Ferris |
shoot, Erik ain't that fast (but he's got a pretty good memory). nice to see ya drop in, Mr. B, tell the missus hello ride to lean, Ferris | ||
| Psychobueller |
Erik, Glad to see you peruse the boards tonight. I'm looking forward to a summer full of Buelling. Thanks for everything! | ||
| Firemanjim |
Yeah right,Ferris.Not that fast.What does that make us??I seem to remember him on an S-1 2-up with his wife-to-be leaving all in the dust one ride in Salinas.Fast enough to sneak up and turn your bike off. | ||
| Loki |
embarassed to have KR sr. lap ya. If I was a pro and in second place, YEAH. Me being me though I would be proud to just be on the same track. Then theres that EL feller. One of theses days when I gots the cash, I will have something to sit next to the M-Deuce. A real Kawi ELR. Back to reality, gonna miss the Detroit party, gonna miss the EB, gonna just have to make due, and take my bike to Philly. Just cant ride it there....my tool box is way to big  |
