| Author | Message | ||
     Eor |
One of the local dealers has an orange XB12ss on the floor and I'm planning a road trip to look at it. I seem to have lost much of my initial enthusiam for the Ulysses and think the Lightning Long may be a better choice for me. I sold the CityX and have been looking at some other bikes [like the Tuono and the FZ1] but I keep coming back to Buell...the engine and the overall platform has served me and my type of riding well so far. I'll take the camera and snap some pics if they will allow me to. Anyone have an questions about it I can investigate or can answer with a picture? | ||
| M1combat |
Try to get some good pics of how the swingarm mounts? Is it narrower or wider than the '03-05 models? | ||
| Joele |
If you are looking at Tuono and FZ1, you must want naked horse power. | ||
| Dagwood |
Does the long lightning have that one piece rear fender/belt guard? | ||
| Jcbikes |
I looked at one (xb12Ss orange) last friday here in Denver. yes, the rear fender/belt guard seems to be all one piece. I was actually a little dissapointed with the rear section and new swingarm.The 04-05 just look simpler and cleaner. not big deal on the oil filler cap either. also the seating position is raise cause of the extra padding in the drivers seat. at lot softer but not for me, i am 5'9" and it seemed a little high. I think the new gears in the trans would be nice to see how much better they shift. Anyone compared this? | ||
| Eor |
If you are looking at Tuono and FZ1, you must want naked horse power. No...actually one of the things that may keep me on a Buell is its sensible HP compared to those other bikes. The XB9 was well capable of propelling me at nearly 2X the posted recommended speed on the mountain curves around here while using most of the tread available to me. I don't think I've ever gotten close to 100 mph on any bike...I'm just not interested in riding like that. If I'm on a straight stretch long enough for that kind of speed, I've made a wrong turn or I'm lost.  The cramped ergos and extreme geometry of the XB's are my complaints. The Ulysses and the Lightning Long may address those concerns with the longer wheelbase, increased rake angle and legroom. I'd really rather own a Buell but comfort is becoming a higher prority variable for me. | ||
| Jcbikes |
when I sat on the xb12Ss, it was more spread out which will work for you. | ||
| Bonesbuell |
Wondering about leg room. With my current xb9s, back of my knees gets sore, I want to stretch legs out more. 6'1" | ||
| 45_degrees |
I originally was leaning more towards the Ulysses too, but now I think I want the Long more. It's mostly because I just like that classic Lightning style a lot and I wouldn't mind adding another along side my XB9S. I think it would be nice to have the shorter compact 9 along with a more relaxed, roomier 12 for different riding moods. Plus the SS could do touring duty if necessary... but I sure wish they would make an optional 'long' front fender (in Surlyn), to protect the engine more during a 'long' journey. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Bones, Try the CityX seat, it's taller. | ||
| Dagwood |
"Try the CityX seat, it's taller." ...and flatter so you can slide back all the way to the tail if you want to stretch while on the bike. | ||
| Buelluk |
I thought about the Long as an alternative to my 9s, but the real clincher is that big comfy seat on the Uly and the back rest for the wife. | ||
| Justice |
... but I sure wish they would make an optional 'long' front fender (in Surlyn), to protect the engine more during a 'long' journey. I've also been looking for a longer front fender for my XB9R. Does anybody know of any aftermarket longer fenders? I know Streamline Carbon used to offer one, but they seem to be out of business. Anyone have a used one they want to sell? | ||
| Eor |
I know some of you will love the color...I don't care for it....   (Message edited by eor on August 18, 2005) | ||
| Eor |
I tried to get some shots of the swing arm...hard to see much, everything is hiddem by the plastic trim.     | ||
| Eor |
My impressions... I prefer the lines of the Lightning Long to the traditional XB bikes...that extra two inches helps...it doesn't look so "stubby" anymore. The seat appears to be comfortable...very much so indeed. Clutch pull seemd to be a bit less than what I'm used to...don't know if that is a characteristic of the new models or this particular bike. I don't understand how this bike is supposed to be more comfortable for larger riders... I didn't seem to have any more legroom on the Long model than I did the CityX or XB9S's that were on the floor. I confirmed this with a tape measure. The seat to peg distance is virtually the same for the CityX and the Lightning Long...both appeared to be roughly 1/2 " more than the XB9S with a stock seat...and that is all attributable to seat thickness. The angle of my knee bend on all three bikes was identical. I guess I've misunderstood something in the marketing of this bike. One of the sales guys thought that there was more room for legs against the tank and that you could move around more on the seat. My legs are short, so maybe I just can't appreciate what changes have been made and how they would help a taller rider. I was hoping for pegs moved a tad forward or lower... They recieved a Uly today but didn't have it uncrated. I'll have to go back in a couple of days to check it out. Other than the bike being two inches longer and having a more comfortable seat, I can't see any substantial difference between the XB12ss and the CityX. | ||
| M1combat |
Thanks for the pics of the swingarm  . They didn't quite answer my question but I appreciate the effort. | ||
| Mrh |
When I recently sat on a Lightning Long I also felt there was very little difference in seat to peg height from the '04 XB12S I had. The seat area, being 2" longer, was a big improvement though. Overall I like this bike alot...especially ORANGE!! | ||
| Whodom |
Eor, All the 06's are supposed to have significantly reduced clutch pull. Cycle World says this was accomplished through the combination of new tranny lube (less slippery) and softer clutch springs. (Message edited by whodom on August 19, 2005) | ||
| Bonesbuell |
Bummed that you didn't find more leg room, that is my only issue with my current xb9s. I recently added the Corbin seat and found a little more play in my "leg bend" due to sitting taller. Guess I find something else to spend 10K on. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
The fuel capacity increase on this bike has caught my attention. Some bungee cords and a trusty water-proof bag,,,,,my next sport tourer? G2 |
