| Author | Message | ||
     Buellfirebolt31 |
Why is all of a sudden people rejecting Buell, and saying "oh my Buell's this and my Buell's that". Thats STUPID!!!!! Now I feel better, Bradley | ||
| Pipefittermike |
AMEN!! I am picking up my first this Sunday, it's an 05 XB9SX. No one has gotten me down yet, I just hope this isn't some sign I am ignoring about getting the bike...  (no real reason for the pic, just liked it) | ||
| Diablobrian |
That's good mike. Remember that there is a very vocal minority that have had trouble with the xb series. you know how it goes with the squeaky wheels. You don't hear huge stories about absolutely nothing going wrong. Quite frankly it'd be boring as hell. Enjoy your bike, ride every chance you get, and be happy. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
I think most of the "haters" are just looking for a reaction from the members of the site. I think that a lot of problems that folks have could be resolved with talk to the service manager at their dealer of choice. I know it's difficult at times. Dealer getting parts seems to be an issue. Badwebbers have a source with some of the sponsors here on the site. Simple PM could fix most potential problems. You just can't ride them and put them away wet. I think it is the responsibility of the rider to check and tighten, check oil etc. Not just start the bike, hop on and hit the rev limiter before the oil is warm and has reached the top end. It is really difficult to read a lot of the posts putting down the machine and whining how the Hummingbird Special Screamer is the way to go. | ||
| Sgthigg |
I love my buell. Mike congrats on the bike. I know without a doubt you will enjoy you Buell. Trust me NOTHING gets attention like a Buell does.  Dude your gonna love it! | ||
| Tq_freak |
I love my Buell to death and I wouldnt trade a minuite of saddle time for anything in the world (except a good shoulder) Mike, YOU WILL LOVE YOUR BUELL!!! dont worry dont let a few haters get you down, there are so many more people that love theres and have been trouble free to make up for the very little that have had problems. Just like Sgthigg said "nothing gets attention like a buell does" | ||
| Rocketman |
It's more a truth that the minority is partly based on the fact that they have found their way here once disappointed. Others so disappointed that are already here are in a minority to start with, as not everyone, in the majority, has issues that put them off their Buell so much they wish they'd never purchased one. Frankly, I'd say the product is still not up to the standards of most other manufacturers when it comes to the fitting from new of quality components. Whilst the fandango wheels may be way cool, or the frame similar for example, it is things like wheel bearings or transmission components, or electrical gremlins, etc etc that let the Buells down. For me this is where the quality is let down by the bean counting of production cost to sustain a larger profit margin. The argument here is whether the profit margin is necessary for the company to continue, or is it just greed? Rocket | ||
| Twig |
Congrats pipefitter...You're gonna fall in love with the xb once you get used to it. It's by far the "most fun" bike I've ever had. I've only had a couple of small mishaps with my xb. It's mechanical, right? Just take care of your bike and it will take care of you. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Rocket, gotta ask. Wheel bearings? Maybe the 03's, but the new ones seem to be darn good. I have 29,000 miles on mine. The electrical gremlins seem to come and go. A lot of times it turns out to just be a loose connection. The transmition I'll give you. There was a period where it seems like each one was having trouble. Seems to have gone away. I haven't heard of any problems with the 06 transmitions though. Not argueing with you, just trying to see where your coming from. That's all. | ||
| Stretchman |
You will never really understand the Buell experience without getting into some serious group riding with it. That is where the Buell really shines. The reason is performance in the streets, which is what a streetfighter is. Until you've done some saddletime with guys who are better than you and know these bikes, the thrill of riding them really isn't there. After that experience, you will be able to ride with a smile on your face. BTW, any high performance machine is going to have it's share of issues. Work the bugs out of it while it's still under warranty. Then you can do what you want. Stretch | ||
| Tattdbueller |
I bounce around between this forum and a few others consisting of all different makes and there is always a handful of people on each forum that has had alot of problems with their new bike of a certain make. Most just chalk it up to the bike they got has some problems, they fix it and move on. They are not as quick to sell as new Buellers. Is this because Buell is still trying to "prove" itself among the others. So, when someone does get a "problem" bike they kinda say to themselves, "I wanted it to be a good bike, but it did'nt work out so I'll get something else now. Would they do what was necessary to fix the bike if it was'nt a Buell and keep it. Don't get me wrong I'd be pissed too and might even do the same thing. Just something I was thinking about. | ||
| Rasmonis |
Stretch, Ditto, couldn't have said it better myself. The owners I've met since I bought my Buell are a class of their own. You don't just get a motorcycle when you buy a Buell. Get out on the road with other owners, join a group and you'll see what I mean - some of the best people I've ever had the opportunity to meet. While it appears HD does not support the brand, I see this as a changing trend - at least in the dealerships in my area. Get to know the staff/techs and learn from other BWB'ers. You'll be glad you got your bike. I read somewhere (I think on a review for the '06 XB's) that what people don't see when a Buell goes by is the huge a$$ grin behind the helmet.  | ||
| Aldaytona |
Frankly, I'd say the product is way better than any of the other manufacturers except Harley-Davidson because they share the lowest warranty claims in that order. All machines can have issues, ours just have LESS/FEWER issues. My M2, no warranty claims, my brothers M2, no warranty claims, my XB9R, no warranty claims, my XB12R, no warranty claims, my Sportster, no warranty claims, my Superglide, no warranty claims, we could go on but you get the point............... | ||
| Speedfreaks101 |
When I bought my Buell it came down to a few bikes the Buell and the VFR were my top two. I spent some time on the VFR forums and I was horrified with all the issues. I now understand that it is not the majority that has issues, but that the people that do have issues are looking for solutions and the internet seems to be the common place to find answers. So when you log on all you see is bad info. Virtually all bikes made today are good bikes IMO. Just get what you like and be happy. BTW in the future I will have a VFR in addition to my Buell  | ||
| Buellistic |
97S3T FIVE(5) recalls, "BUT" now it has 89K miles as of the last ride ... The "TOP END" has never been OFF ??? Been on the side of the road broke twice ... 1. Broken front motor mount(recall warranty issue) ... 2. Broken REAR DRIVE BELT, did not replace when it should have been(was seeing just how long it would last) ... Could this be a problem ??? | ||
| Ulendo |
Mines on order - no too much leeway for 'bashing' there. I was looking for a bike to keep, and even though the dealer is 200km away, Buell ended up on top. ALL of the bike forums have their vocal minority /token a$$. One thing that very much led to buying the Buell is the group spirit, and ride smart attitude displayed by almost all of the buell riders I've seen. Riding through traffic, who wants to be lumped in with 'oh, just another crotch rocket weenie' c | ||
| Metalstorm |
The reason the minority with problems are so vocal is because the majority without problems are out riding instead of typing. Put me in the without problems class. My bike from day one had a chaffed wire near the steering stem that caused the ign fuse to blow every other time I hit the starter button. It took almost two weeks to find the little bugger but once found it was fixed within 30 minutes. Next week I will have had my Buell for one full year and I have had no other problems. In fact, the bike just keeps getting better & better as I put miles on her. At about the 5275 mile mark she started getting really smooth & the butt dyno tells me she has a little more grunt. As she wears in more & more she continues to impress me more & more. | ||
| Pcmodeler |
<<<<t's more a truth that the minority is partly based on the fact that they have found their way here once disappointed. Others so disappointed that are already here are in a minority to start with, as not everyone, in the majority, has issues that put them off their Buell so much they wish they'd never purchased one. Frankly, I'd say the product is still not up to the standards of most other manufacturers when it comes to the fitting from new of quality components. Whilst the fandango wheels may be way cool, or the frame similar for example, it is things like wheel bearings or transmission components, or electrical gremlins, etc etc that let the Buells down. For me this is where the quality is let down by the bean counting of production cost to sustain a larger profit margin. The argument here is whether the profit margin is necessary for the company to continue, or is it just greed? Rocket>>>> Well, I gotta admit that I would be one that complains. I am constantly having things wrong with it. That in itself wouldn't bother me so much because I could equally have problems with any bike. My biggest issue is the lack of support from Harley. A lot of you guys comment that it's getting better, but in my area (Richmond, VA) it's getting worse. The local dealer carries two Buell's (Lightnings) and they are '05's. I really don't think they are going to carry Buell's much longer. Every time they fix one thing, something else goes wrong.....and they are the largest Harley dealer in Virginia. I would have to drive to DC for service and from what I've heard, those shops aren't much better. I should not have to drive 1+ hours one way to get my bike serviced. Yes, if I had known dealer support was going to suck this bad, I would have never bought the bike. | ||
| Buellistic |
REMEMBER THIS !!! TWO MOST THE DANGEROUS THINGS IN THE WORLD ARE: 1. A HARLEY-DAVIDSON "TECHNICIAN" working on your BUELL ... 2. A HARLEY-DAVDSON "ORINTATED" PERSON giving you advise on your BUELL ... | ||
| Heads |
4 hour drive/ride one way to my buell dealer. good thing my bike has been good to me,took it back once for its first service. | ||
| Rocketman |
It amazes me that HD mechanics get so much shit thrown at them from the BadWeB. If I were a HD mechanic I'd be well pissed off! There are only good and bad mechanics. First it is the company that employs the mechanic to ensure they are good. If not, sack them. Second it is your choice to recognize a good mechanic, or have someone at least try recognize one for you. I mean, do people have this problem when they hire a plumber or an electrician? Is the www full of forums dedicated to plumbing? How hard can it be to find a good HD (Buell) mechanic? Obviously a lot harder than trying to find a bad one, if we are to believe some of the stuff written on the BadWeB about HD mechanics. Poor bastards. That's all I can say. Rocket | ||
| Mikexlr650 |
rocket, finding an electrician or plumber that can do the job is easy. finding one that can "do the job" the way i like it to be done is a whole different story. most of the techs are probably more than capable (as are most p & e's)but when you add in the pressures that they face (must stay ahead of the quoted time allowance for each job, rarity of buells, etc.) and the tendency of the buell to require that extra bit of patience to get it just right you get problems. it seems the basic 88 twin cam is somewhat forgiving maybe due to its relatively low state of tune compared to the buell which may be pushing the old sportster motor a bit. getting a sporty motor to hit 100hp is probably not to tough, but maintaining that power while hitting longevity goals and epa standards has got to be tough. maybe i'm wrong, just an idea. | ||
| Henrik |
I mean, do people have this problem when they hire a plumber or an electrician? Unfortunately yes! I can tell you stories from the last 2 years of renovating ... I too have had my questionable experiences with certified dealer mechanics. Most of the trouble stemmed from said "Buell" mechanics working on my Buell with ingrained HD experience overriding the Buell manual. Should we generalize and call all HD mechanics "bad for Buell"? No, I don't think so - 'cause there are many excellent mechanics out there. Unfortunately some concern and preparedness is warranted ... Henrik | ||
| Txfatcat |
as I said when i started my thread last week. I love my Buell and it has NEVER let me down. I recomend that anyone go test ride one. I have put over 4000 miles on mine in about 2 1/2 months and continue everyday. I just know there are other bikes out there and they all have their own personality. I want to find one with the best fit for me. This is the place where I know that I can find people with far more "seat" time than me on different bikes. | ||
| Blake |
What is interesting if not extremely suspicious to me is that most of the more vocal complainers are very new to the board. I'd not put it past the likes of some extremely miserable folk to intentionally pollute the place with false naysaying. What a miserable way to go through life, spreading negativity and consternation. This too shall pass. Buell builds excellent motorcycles. | ||
| Rocketman |
I like to think I offer warranted criticism, where due, to keep the scales balanced. Everyone builds an excellent motorcycle. Buell build unusual motorcycles. Once upon a tube frame time they were less well known and somewhat more desirable from a scarcity point of view. They commanded a price that reflected such too. I can't say the same is true of todays Buells. Making waves into mainstream production, some of the magic that once appealed, I find not there any longer. There are bikes available new today that can be considered much more desirably scarce that fill the gap that Buell once had. When the S1 came out, there was nothing quite like it, except Ducati's Monsters, but the Monsters looked like girls bikes in comparison. Buell should have considered keeping a limited production of the original hooligan bike, and just made it better and better and better, like Ducati have with the Monster. Maybe then...........who knows. Rocket | ||
| Skypephillis |
every company has problems with their product, its how you handle the problems that matters. Seems that some of the dealers are not handling the problems as well as expected. | ||
| Ulendo |
sky - you mean like the local kawi / ktm / suzuki dealer who ignored me for almost an hour while I was looking over $18k ktm adventure bikes? I came in with my kids, and they didnt think I had the cash, so they weren't interested in serving me ..... and the KTM 640 adventure is the other bike I was seriously looking at All brands have good, and 'bad' dealerships. going to a good dealer for one brand, and a mediocre one for another doesnt make for any kind of valid test, or comparison. | ||
| Rocketman |
who ignored me for almost an hour while I was looking over $18k ktm adventure bikes? I came in with my kids, and they didnt think I had the cash, so they weren't interested in serving me ..... See this is a problem created by you yourself, and many that share a similar attitude. You went shopping for an 18k motorcycle with your kids? Fair point, but maybe the sales person thought you were looking, not buying. I mean, how do you know they ignored you? Did they say as much? How do you know they didn't think you had the cash? Did they say this much too? Man, if you were seriously interested in buying an 18k KTM, why didn't YOU say so? Or perhaps you wanted to be talked into buying a KTM because you weren't confident enough to make the decision yourself, so you were happy to be 'ignored', or was that a good sales person not hassling you - leaving you to your own devices? Whatever went against you in that KTM showroom, sales staff aren't mind readers. Rocket | ||
| Skypephillis |
>>>sky - you mean like the local kawi / ktm / suzuki dealer who ignored me for almost an hour while I was looking over $18k ktm adventure bikes? To an extent in todays modern world i think you need to pick your dealer and then pick your bike. if the local buell dealer is a clown but your local suzi dealer is the king of good service then perhaps you just need to decide that in the long term the buell may be more trouble then you need, not bashing buell this statement relates to any brand or product. like i said any product can fail its just the reality of mechanics, its how your dealer and the mothership company is geared to respond to your problems that sets each company apart. My experience with my buell dealer is that im a second grade customer and that harley, sales service and parts take priority over buell. Im not impressed when i go to my buell dealer for a new belt and they dont have it in stock, however if i want a harley davidson toothbrush i can have it in any color i want. |
