| Author | Message | ||
     Dino |
Gotta agree with Blake on some of CW's asides, but then those guys are trying to be colorful and humorous...you know, entertaining. And we all have prejuidices and preconceptions. Gotta agree with Ferris (much as it pains me)concerning Canet. I've always been most impressed with the quality of his road/track test work. And, every other test of the Buell that I've seen has said the same things...you feel like you're fighting the bike but end up going faster than stink. | ||
| Blake |
One other thing that is funny to me is that they didn't include aesthetic apeal as an evaluation category in the test. It seemd to be based on mostly utilitarian aspects of motorcycling. For most motorcyclists, I think the appearance of a bike is a major factor. I know it is with me. Ease of maintenance is also a big item that was not included in the grading. FB, I appreciate your views amigo. Keep 'em comin'.  Blake | ||
| Jrh |
Yah,to me the looks is a Very important point,after all,where i live you've got about 5 months each year of the thing sitting in your living room.Im not gonna want to come home from working outside in the cold,light a fire in the fireplace,+ have to look at an ugly bike. Of those bikes the FB wins hands down in the looks department,bet it would look even better without the fairing.I knocked off 15 pounds of ugly plastic on my R1. | ||
| Raymaines |
I agree with everybody about everthing but this is what I agree with most:
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| Rick_A |
Why would they have to comment on looks when the pretty pictures allow us all to form our own opinions? | ||
| José_Quiñones |
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| Xgecko |
While I'm sure McCarthy's bike passes tech he sure does look like a man playing with boys doesn't he. Take him out and the rest of the field are pretty even.. If I were the other Ducati riders I'd be pissed he makes everyone else look bad. | ||
| Jima4media |
Kirk McCarthy has a lot of talent, and that is why he is winning Pro Thunder. The question is, why is he racing in Pro Thunder? He is an Australian Superbike champion in a third rate class. It would be like Nicky Hayden competing in a twins class in Australia. Maybe he just wants to get to know the U.S. tracks without the glare of bright lights on him if he raced in AMA Superbike. Maybe he wants to be noticed as a winner in Pro Thunder, before moving into Superbike or World Superbike. The other question I have is, what happened to Shawn Higbee in the Pro Thunder race? Jim X-2.5 | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Who is Kirk McCarthy and how did he end up on Jeff Nash's AMS Pro Thunder Ducati? From roadracingworld.com archives:
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| Detroit |
Does anyone know when PERFORMANCE parts will be coming out for the xb? All I have seen are cosmetic and comfort parts. | ||
| Blake |
Duc has a ringer in the Canadian Thunder series this year too. | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Blake, Nothing in the rules about who can ride the bike, each team is free to pick the best rider they can find/afford. If money spent on bikes and riders is any indication, it looks like Ducati wants it more than Buell, and Buell sponsors the class!  . I don't like it any more than you do. Tripp Nobles (Bleu Bayeou HDVR1000) and Shawn Higbee (Fast by Ferraci Ducati) are both ex AMA Superbike riders and plenty fast, so are Mike Cicotto (who did a similar last to first performance last year) and Dave Estok. Plus, they all already know the tracks, which should be a MAJOR advantage. To be fair, they are on a new bike (the XB) so they are still getting used to it. But they know the tracks. All these tracks are NEW to Mr. McCarthy and he is still spanking everybody. Impressive. Like the Nike commercial, It's gotta be the bike! If you swap bikes/riders, the AMS Duc will probably still win. Which is what will always happen when you race an apple against an orange (a heavily tweaked air cooled street bike against a heavily tweaked watercooled race bike)............. | ||
| Xgecko |
My only complaint if it could be called one is that The bike he is riding is not what anyone else can get (even given the money) There is a vast difference between what the WSS guys are riding and what the AMA Supersport guys are riding. For Ducati this means Pro Thunder. | ||
| Blake |
JQ, Thanks for clarifying that for me. I thought Duc was cheating.  | ||
| Xgecko |
I wouldn't really call it cheating...they just sold Unobtanium to a guy who had the best shot at retaining the Ducati hold on ProThunder. I agree that this class should be more about streetbike and less about race bikes but boys will be boys and all that. On a more positive note I found out to today that the first Firebolt sold in Hawaii was sold to a woman, who it seems loves the bike; she came back to the dealership 30hours later for her 500 mile checkup and 9 days after that for her 2500mile checkup. I am in no way surprised that it was a woman who bought it but to rack up those kinds of miles on O'ahu in such a short time is truely amazing. She must live on the bike (if I owned one I would likely be living on it as well). | ||
| Jima4media |
Tony, If it were more about streetbikes, it wouldn't be AMA professional racing, it would be BattleTrax. Nothing against BattleTrax, I like it as much as the next guy, but lets not lower the standards any more than they already are. Kirk McCarthy is kicking ass in Pro Thunder fair and square. He is a better rider, and he is on a better motorcycle. It is that simple. Jim X-2.5 | ||
| Tap |
Not meaning to spoil the overall positive mood concerning the firebolt (because to me it looks great), but in this weeks Motorrad the bolt didn't really get a high score: 566 out of a possible 1000 points. Overall the story isn't all negative, but a lot of the criticisms of Blake's friend seem to be shared with our german friends. http://www.motorradonline.de/MRD/hft/magazin.htm | ||
| Mikej |
"she came back to the dealership 30hours later for her 500 mile checkup and 9 days after that for her 2500mile checkup" Sounds like someone Buell needs to interview for their FUELL magazine (that I don't seem to be getting lately). | ||
| Anonymous |
Translation by Google from Motorrad's preview on their web site (articles aren't posted): "Top test Buell Firebolt XB9R The American interpretation of a sportsman: not perfectly, but captivatingly." Can anyone post a translation of the entire article? | ||
| Spiderman |
Mikej me either i get em here at the dealer a good 2 to 3 weeks before i get one at my house. | ||
| Blake |
Tap, Who's my friend? Don Canet? I wish. Until I understand what how a scoring system works, a score of 566 out of a possible 1000 is doesn't tell me much. Do they score ALL bikes on the same criteria? Does the score include grades for aesthetic appeal, or fuel mileage, or slalom course performance, or braking performance, or luggage capacity, or ease of maintenance, or two up touring comfort, or price, or... See what I mean? | ||
| Blacksix |
Anon- If I can get into the article I will try to have something resembling a translation posted this evening. Depending on how much of my "kinder deutsch" I can recall of course. Post the URL? | ||
| Blacksix |
Never mind.....I see it. LOL. | ||
| Epierce |
Has anyone had problems with the oil cooler lines leaking on their firebolt? Replaced one at less than 100 miles on the bike. Bike has 345 miles on it and it is in the shop waiting to have oil line replaced again. This time it is leaking at the fitting. Last time it was leaking in the line itselt.  | ||
| Blacksix |
Dug around on the site and could only find the article which says they will test the bike later in the year. It contained general information like we have seen on every other "preview". It was certainly not the article that we want to see. Someone needs to scan it if they can get a copy. | ||
| Epierce |
Line. | ||
| Fasteddieb |
Just (yesterday) added a Buell Firebolt to my (small) collection of bikes. Hope to be an active member here as I learn more about the bike. I live in S. Florida, if anyone's in this area. Fast Eddie B. (Ed Benson - Cooper City, FL/Mineral Bluff, GA)  | ||
| Jim_M |
Fasteddieb, What type of beemer is that? Looks like a K1200RS? Did you take the belly pan off? Looks nice. Oh yeah, congrats on the Firebolt | ||
| Kevinhern |
Fasteddieb, That's a great combo. I've also got a K1200RS and a Buell M2. Looks like you took the belly pan off the K12RS. That looks pretty cool and makes for easy oil changes. I love the Buell for short runs and the BMW for long ones.   | ||
| Anonymous |
The Motorrad test seems to be largely a scorch. I've run part of it (typed from the print version) through babelfish on altavista, which gives a reasonably lousy translation, but here's a section on handling: "Despite Erik Buells fair Muhen around handiness and dynamics is with the Firebolt in no situation the frohliche ease of a normal Japan running roll zeu experience. This engine will mark a round record even in 100 years in no sport chassis of the world. Also a Sumo sumo-ringer nich to the Primaballerina, only far it its fat quanta into clenching shoes forced. Here as the strength lies there in the peace. In districts with long pulled Kuven for example if the enormously frontlastige Buell in stoischer manners their elbow draws, the front wheel cleanly the trace gives, which XB9R arrange for something from this sticky-safe Ducati feeling. Places itself bumps middle Ausmabes into the way, ist's past with the peace. And on long grooves the Gefuhl arises, as if front and rear wheel the Freizugigkeit of the divided framework concept hit themselves mashen and short hand separate ways. If kie curves become closer and wavier, humans and machine an intimate co-operation are recommended. With firm knee conclusion and clear instruction by means of pressure more uber the Lenkerhalften even masters the duo such challenges with much fun and a little sportyness. Hanging off, the kind of play of the genuine Sportier, does not bring much -- except unrest. And one can use those in the close gel on already nich, because the XB9R offers still a characteristic which can be taken seriously. Brakes in Schraglage or when tender giving in it swingt inevitably into the senkrechte. And in a way, as it from widerpenstigen Sportlen does not admit so far be-powerlessly tries the engaged rider to force upon to the Ross the Wilen. To Vergeflich, one drive struck the large bent, rushes on a line around hit a corner, which one had not invented in such a way. Wovei also this thing with Geduid to get is thereby packs the front brake with 375 of millimter large disk souveran and with tidy to be dosedness too, however the rear wheel lifts all too fruh in front soil, thus fruh that the determined Brernsweg pulls itself on 43,3 meters." Doesn't seem to resemble the bike I've ridden . . . |
