| Author | Message | ||
     Glitch |
I'm sure this thread will get a lot of attention, but, why don't you just do a search? This subject has been beat to death.  | ||
| Moondust |
I know - I've done the searches - but alot of the feedback has been from 12 users who haven't ridden 9 & base their opinion on what others have said. Im hoping to get feedback from riders who have been down the same path Im heading down, where they owned a 9sx for a short while then decided on a 12 for whatevever reason. I guess its to make sure that Im not going to miss the 9 in anyway. For example 147db has both 12s & 9sx & he swears by the 9sx & practically hates the 12s  Im trying to feedback from any riders who regret going for a 12 over over a 9 or vice versa etc etc. (Message edited by moondust on April 08, 2007) | ||
| Old_man |
Other people's opinions are just that, their opinion. What do you care what other people like best? You rode them both. Which do you like best? | ||
| Moondust |
I did ride them both - I've been test riding the 12scg for the last few weeks - I like the 12 as it feels more gruntier & I like the riding position. But even tho I've ridden it 3 times now - its not real experience compared to people who have "owned" both bikes & then have a proper opinion to base on. I like the 12 - Im just trying backup my decision from riders who have had 9 & moved up to 12 & get their feedback - incase I've missed anything. Cheers! (Message edited by moondust on April 09, 2007) | ||
| Spatten1 |
I liked the 9 engine better at sea level. It has enough power for easy wheelies and revs quicker than the 12. However, now that I'm in the mountains, at 8k feet and above, it is really sucking wind. I wish I had the 12 up here. | ||
| Jandj_davis |
I like the 9 engine because it is smoother at lower revs than the 12. The 12 is lurchy and rough at low revs, like what you would use in a parking lot. Also, I like my revs, so I like the fact that there are 700 or so more RPM available on the 9 than the 12. So, given the choice, I would choose the 9 over the 12. Let me know if you want more details on why. | ||
| Moondust |
Jandj, Sure - would love to know more details. Have you had both models ? I have to tell ya - when I test rode the 12scg around London - I had a blast - I didn't feel any of the rough-ness that alot people mention. The 9sx is great but, with the 12scg, that extra oomph & agility it provides is so confidence inspiring. I've mentioned this before - I just don't understand why any riders would prefer the 9sx over 12s - apart from the price. Thats why Im posting the 'Q' - I really liked the feel & position of the 12scg & the acceleration felt quicker & more responsive. Am I missing something on my 9sx that I can't get with the 12scg ? Also - what market is the 9sx & 12s aimed at ? ie: clearly the Uly & the TT is aimed at an off road market. The firebolt is aimed at the more sports crochet rider. I can see that 9sx is aimed for city but - when I hit town - I see a fair few uly's & 12s's - haven't seen a city x yet - so Im guessing the 12 is fine for town & city riding? Actually the only thing Im thinking I might miss , is the shorter suspention travel - so hitting bumpier terrain will shake my bones a tad more .. but hey .. (Message edited by moondust on April 09, 2007) | ||
| Mesafirebolt |
Well, not the same as owning BUT , I rode my 12R in and test drove an SX. I didn't like the riding position, thats why I have an R and it lacked power,in my butt dyno, across the board. It didn't feel as nimble as my 12r. my 2 cents, worth about the same... | ||
| Spatten1 |
I've mentioned this before - I just don't understand why any riders would prefer the 9sx over 12s - apart from the price. Coming from hi-perf IL4s, the 9 feels more performance oriented to me. Too much flywheel with the 12. That said, I'd take the extra power now. | ||
| 147db |
My iter is M2>9S>12S>9SX. I'm back to the nine (after 30.000 Km on the 12) because the 984 engine is great and the bike has the correct and balanced parts on. On the 12 I've noticed a very bad delivery of power and a long list of inadequate details like battery, cooling system, capacity of oil and gas... and, to be with Spatten1, too much "flywheel effect" and too low redline. I'm happy again, now. XB9 rules!  | ||
| Moondust |
147db - we've spoken bout this already - I appreciate your wealth of knowledge on this subject! Please can you go into more detail - as Im sure other 12 owners would benefit from this. What other reasons are there for the 9sx being superior to the 12 models? Also - was your 12s model an 05/06 model - could the latest models be much more reliable ? I swear I wouldv'e taken the demo model - when I test rode - it was a much better ride. I also test rode the firebolt - that was also a beautiful ride but I knew - being stuck in traffic would start to wear thin on me - with that race position. I have asked other 12s owners about reliability & smoothness of the ride & there hasn't been any negative feedback - especially on newer models. The reviews in magazines & online have been very favorable for the 12 & I can't see why it would be inferior to the 9sx. Although I take your feedback with alot of respect. Any more feedback would be much appreciated.  | ||
| 147db |
Moondust, I don't care of the reviews, the journalists are not buellers, or maybe "buellers for a day" only...  In my opinion the 9 is better than the 12 like MY05 is better than 06 and 07 (except for the very good clutch): the new air intake system sucks and the chinese swingarm too! The 1203 engine wasn't and isn't smooth, I'm sorry, at least not for my taste... I've tried an Uly just yesterday and the power delivery was obscene. And to go straight to the point: the Buell's engineers didn't make a good job "upgrading" the XB9 to the XB12... too attention to the vox populi and to the insane motto "no replacement for the displacement", maybe. | ||
| Moondust |
147db , When you say the power was "obscene " do you mean in a good way or bad ? The uly & all the xb12 models share the same the engine dont they ? | ||
| Ulendo |
$0.02 from test rides, etc. this is FOR ME, my riding style, and my riding requirements...keep that in mind. Uly - too tall for me ( 5'4") SCG - too low, and too much vibration (it will bottom on kerbs here, and has issues with speed bumps that I simply wheelie over on the 9 SX) 12R/9R - poor riding ergos with too much weight on the wrists for long distances, and the riding position is badly out of place for rougher surfaces. I prefer to move the bike under me, rather than throw myself across the top of the bike in corners, and riding thus improves my ability to see around blind corners ( I live in the mountains) vs sport bike riding with the riders head tucked in alongside the bike. 12S/SS - again, too much vibration for my tastes, and I wasnt happy with the handling. it 90% subjective: how it FEELs to YOU. to me, the 9SX with its uber short wheelbase, and high seat feels rides, and handles like an oversize enduro, or supermoto. ergos are excellent for long days, handguards usefull for cold weather, trail rides, and traffic hazards. Dont overlook the ability on the Uly, and SX to ride stand up fashion to see over, and around traffic. then theres the fuel & range thing: I regularly go 250-275km between fillups, and my personal best is 320 km - and I'm not the only SX rider to have noted that discrepancy from the 'listed' specs. also worth noting for the hooligan rider, a race ECM equipped 9 has significant power potential, especially with a big bore conversion.(revs+displacement ... mmm) | ||
| Cycleaddict |
the 9's fan runs less than a 12. | ||
| Ekass13 |
Just to stir up the pot… Best bike, XB9SX with the race kit I’ve rode both many times before I bought my 9 last year. To this day I ride with a 12R. My friend and I ride together all the time. The bikes are very evenly matched. In the triple digits is the only place he beats me, and not by much. That front fairing helps 2... When we ride in the city though, its all me. The city X zig zags like a fly, and the suspension makes curb jumping possible. The 9 is smooth and the engine has controllable, predictable power, which is plenty if driven right… I ride the 12R all the time, it’s a meat head, big and clumsy. Haha J/K. The only real difference you feel between the 2 is the pull. The 9, or mine with the race kit ect, Has a power ban after 5000. Where as the 12 is a continuous pull from 3000-6250. The sound of the 12 is a bit more grunty were as the 9 snorty. I hope this helped, or at least added 2 a good thread. | ||
| Xbullet |
if you wanna ride it and go, go with a 12. i prefer the 9sx. it has injectors out of the 12, taller suspension, and the potential to have the same horsepower as the 12 with some work. plus...when the hot rodding is done, you still have more RPM's at your disposal. i'm a fan of rpm headroom. if performance is your thing, and you don't wanna spend any more money on it, get a 12. the 9sx (again, IMHO) responds better to rider input and is also more forgiving due to the taller suspension, plus, if you're a tinkerer, you'll be greatly rewarded when you do some hot-rodding and find that the horsies are there. i sure did. | ||
| Moondust |
This is all great stuff people - keep it coming - lets get this fired up - some real 9sx pros & cons vs 12s models. Its very interesting - even Erik himself says he owns the 9sx on the video ( website ) so lets get into this more - very interesting stuff! | ||
| Mesafirebolt |
This may have been discussed already but the 12R is a purpose built bike. the S and SX are very utilitarian, I have always been a big block kind of guy, I DONT like revs, they KILL! I'll take a 454 or 460 over a 350 or 302 anyday. Not that I havent owned some FAST small block mustangs that reved, my 84 GT had a self imposed red line of 6,200 RPM, thats where the cam shaft gave up. Unfortunately, my 12 feels like it still has some "cam" left when the limiter kicks in. I LOVE to "tinker" with mechanical things but with the extended warranty I wanted something fast AND reliable that I wouldn't have to mess with right away.The S models look SIK especially with header wrap and black wheels, VERY much "Mad Max" I Love it, I'd have one if I could have 2 bikes but when I had my Hawk GT I always wanted a fairing, I like the faster "look" of the 12R and love those little projector bulbs up front. | ||
| Glitch |
This may have been discussed already but the 12R is a purpose built bike. What purpose, other than sales? The XB9R is purpose built as well, it was even first. It wasn't until the market cried 1203! Stroke the 984! That one was even built. Look into the history of the XB bikes. No mention of 12s. It's all about cams, injection and higher revs. Marketed as the "totally new V-Twin from Buell." | ||
| Mesafirebolt |
Yup, SALES. It got me to buy one! I wanted a Race Replica, think Honda 1000RR, The Buell just looked "Meaner" Speed in a straight line is OK but when do you REALLY get to use it. For what a Buell does and does well the SX and S models may do a little better but I LIKE the look and feel of the R's I'd like to ride a 9R or 12S some day to compare bike to bike. The 9SX and 12R are like comparing green apples and red apples. | ||
| Midknyte |
It's sadly ironic to see everyone talking up the 9 after the fact... Oh well, I got mine | ||
| Jandj_davis |
Moon, I haven't owned either one actually. I currently ride a Honda 550 IL4. So, my history has helped me decide what I like to ride. I really like the ability to tap into a "second wind" on a bike. My little Honda does just fine around town if I rev it from 3-7K, but if I feel like sprinting I can get into the cams and wring it out to 10K. The 9 reacts the same way in my opinion. It runs just fine from 2.5-5K, but every now and then sprinting up to 7.5K adds a little fun to the equation. My honda is also very smooth. There are no vibrations of any kind at any engine speed. In my opinion that is how a modern engine should feel. The 12, as many have mentioned, has a very "visceral" feel about it, where I prefer a more "refined" feel. The 9 delivers that for me. The final reason that I prefer the 9 has nothing to do with either bike but has everything to do with me. On principle, I will never own a twin bigger than 1L or a 1-4 bigger than 750cc. Today's motorcycles offer so much performance that even a 750 IL4 has the same or better power/weight ratio of most exotic cars. Being an engineer, I prefer rationality over enjoyment, and the 9's smaller motor gives that to me. The final reason I would choose a 9 over a 12 is for cost. I am not a well-to-do individual, though I can afford a few nice things. Think middle-middle class. I also like to buy new, never sell, and do my own work, so I know everything that goes wrong is my fault. The 9 has a much lower initial purchase cost, lower insurance cost, lower licensing costs (depending on the state), and probably gets a little better gas mileage than the 12. So, sorry for the length of the post, but you wanted details. If I had the opportunity, I would take the $ difference between the 12 and the 9 and add upgrades to the 9, like a micron muffler, performance air filter, custom ECM map, and VDSTS software for TPS resets. That would make me more happy with the performance of the 9 (dead even with a stock 12) and give my 9 some personality. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"I prefer rationality over enjoyment..." Well... I won't be going to Las Vegas with you anytime soon. There is no replacement for displacement. Is that irrational? Perhaps. Is it more fun? Absolutely positively! | ||
| 07xb12scg |
I bought the 12 and have never ridden a 9, but the 12 doesn't have a ton of power and I would be disappointed with even less power. Besides exhaust and FI tuning I plan on leaving the engine stock so IMO it would make no sense to buy the 9. I'd love more revs, but 700RPM more isn't even a drop in the bucket. | ||
| Court |
I spent a fair amount of time on s bone stock 9 and never wanted for more power. If I get power lust, I've got my S-2. | ||
| Jfor |
This is all very interesting stuff. I am 6'1" 250 lbs. I am currently looking for the right buy on an XB. I had ruled out the XB9 because I didn't think it would haul my butt around. Reading this thread has changed my mind. There is an XB9R for about 1500 less than what a dealer has an 04 XB12S for sale. I will have to look into the XB9! On a side note, how do you bigger fellas that ride an XB9 like them? Sorry to hijack the thread. | ||
| Old_man |
I weigh around 250 with gear and my XB9S has more than enough power. | ||
| Bads1 |
I have a XB9S and a XB12S in the garage. I like the nine but it doesn't have the grunt the 12 has in any way. It does everything well don't get me wrong. But I like the HP and Torque my 12 pushes way better. | ||
| Reepicheep |
6'2", 240+lbs, XB9SX, hauls me along fine, and feels faster then my race kitted Cyclone did. I look big, and it looks little, so if you are buying a bike for other people to look at you, that may be an issue for you. It is not an issue for me. |
