| Author |
Message |
    
Nautique4life
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 08:41 am: | 
|
I'm 26 and chose a 12r as my first bike. I think that if my bike were able to do 170, I wouldn't be around long. When I do have the need to scare the sh*t out of myself, I hop on my boys 1000rr and take off. A quick blast up to 170 and back, and I'm good for a while. |
Gentleman_jon
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 09:14 am: |
|
+1 What Hammer says. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 10:38 am: |
|
Tell him to ask how much it would cost to drop the GSXR in a parking lot (not moving, just fell over) and compare that to the Buell... |
Firebolt32
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 10:59 am: |
|
+1 on Reepi. My 10mph put down cost me $50 bucks. Absolutely no damage to my front fairing. A none moving put down on a GSXR is going to crush that fairing. |
12r
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 11:11 am: |
|
A GSX-R 600 or a Firebolt ? Hmm tricky.
I tested a GSX-R 750 before I bought my Firebolt and it was very hard to choose between the two. In the end, it was the disposable nature of the Suzuki that killed it and in this respect the 600 is even worse - a true use-it-up-wear-it-out commodity if ever there was one.
All else being equal, I'd go for the Firebolt. |
Hammer71
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 11:22 am: |
|
Have dropped my GSXR and it cost me a whopping 35 bucks to replace a foot peg and left frame slider. 40 mph by the way. Son has pushed it over in garage, no damage.
Have seen numerous posts here about broken items from falling over (kickstand issue) and needing about 50 to 100 bucks in parts. Have also seen posts where there were no broken items.
To say one bike will break and one wont is a tad ridiculous. Buell bodywork is great stuff but the rest of the bike gets expensive and down time sucks when no dealers stock your parts. Quick availability of parts is a strong point in the Jap bike market. |
Firebolt32
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 11:32 am: |
|
Got some luck on your side Hammer. My buddy had a GSXR. It fell over in his garage from the kids running into it and the right side of the fairing shattered. You do have a good point about the availability of Jap parts. H-D was going to order a back tire for me last week that would have took 7-10 to receive. Walked across the street to Barney's, they had 4 in stock. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 12:01 pm: |
|
Does the GSXR come stock with frame sliders? Thats great!
My buddy dropped his blackbird after an oil change... the fairing has a lot of nasty scratches... he is probably looking at $300 or $400 to make them go away. |
Spatten1
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 12:29 pm: |
|
Firebolt32:
Did your buddy install frame sliders on his gixxer? If not, he might want to think about it. |
Hammer71
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 03:08 pm: |
|
GSXR doesnt come stock with sliders nor does the Firebolt doesnt come with frame pucks. Forget where on the board it is but I do recall someone having a nice dent in their tank after a tipover, either way parts will break regardless of which manufacturer my point is how quickly the parts can be accessed. |
Herobluebuell
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 03:18 pm: |
|
I would have hated my XB when I was in my 20s and early 30s. In fact, I test rode Buells a few times, and the engine made me ill. Tons of vibration, and what then felt to me like piss-poor power. Now I am at the stage in life to appreciate it for what it is. I love riding the XB and would never trade it for a 600.
im 21 and I bought my first buell....i actually bought it when i was 20.
(Message edited by herobluebuell on June 05, 2008) |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 04:24 pm: |
|
Hammer,
08 bolts come from the factory with frame pucks.
Some of you may remember my "duct tape" friend at March Badness 2 years ago... He ran off the road with his Kawi 636. Killed every piece of plastic on it. He searched high and low to find good prices. The prices he found were so expensive he chose to turn it into a street fighter (with XBS headlights no less). He still hasn't replaced the front rotors because he is looking at nearly $400 to do so. |
Hammer71
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 05:27 pm: |
|
Stock frame pucks.. Had no Idea. Not to say plastic wont or doesnt break or that it wont cost an arm or a leg but it is more readily available. I should have stated earlier that I was more referencing the more commonly broken items such as pegs bars levers and such, not to mention the aftermarket.
Even with all this in mind I will still be on a Buell for March Badness 6 |
Brumbear
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 05:34 pm: |
|
The buell can be definetly very expensive to fix I found this out recently hell the KZ headlight is $84.00 as well but hey all things being mulled over buy what you like I love my buell but I am thinking of the new XR1200 for real. I Know it is nowhere near the buell but I like it. Your friend gotta be happy not me, ya know cause I sure aint thinking of anyone else when I pull the trigger on a new machine. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 05:57 pm: |
|
I wasn't trying to say a Buell is magic and a Gixer is junk, what I was getting at is that dropping a naked bike with an underslung exhaust will always be cheaper then dropping a faired bike with a side mounted exhaust. Especially if you are fussy about scratches.
New riders will probably drop a bike...
A friend dropped a VStrom 1000 in a parking lot, he is going the "duct tape" route (it is a Vstrom after all  ), otherwise he would have been into it for several hundred dollars.
In terms of price for tip over parts, I am running Buell turn signals and mirrors on my KLR-250. Lots of Vstrom and BlackBird riders running lightning footpegs as well.
Nobody can argue that the Zooks are not great bikes... least of all me. |
Spatten1
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 06:03 pm: |
|
Hero, my first bikes were smaller and slower than XBs. I had a 1976 KZ400 when I was 20. I think I paid $400 for it. A total pile compared to an XB.
I'm just saying that if he can ride well and wants to haul ass in turns and in straights, he will enjoy the hell out of the gixxer. |
Hammer71
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 07:31 pm: |
|
I'm just saying that if he can ride well and wants to haul ass in turns and in straights, he will enjoy the hell out of the gixxer.
My question is why not an 1125, best of both worlds. |
Randomchaos
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 07:52 pm: |
|
Im betting the guy is looking for a cheap, fast, used bike. Gixxer fits that bill very well since they are petty common bikes. Buells are a bit more difficult to find, and the 1125r is so new, you would still have to give an arm and a leg compared to a gixxer to get one, even if its used. |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 09:09 pm: |
|
If he doesn't have a clear understanding of the obvious and stark differences between these two motorcycles than he is lost, anyway. I've always thought Buell owners were generally a more educated and discerning demographic, though that may just be what I tell myself  |
Howler1203
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 10:05 pm: |
|
Buells have style,inventiveness and character,they do not have balls out speed compared to the Gsxr however 135 is fine with me and my license witch was lost due to my"none fast bike".I stand strong in the area of handling that Buells are on par and above some other street bikes and there is plenty of proof.I have only been riding for a few years and make no claim to have bad ass skill,I have ridden the gsxr750 and its a very nice bike,but the buell fits my riding style better.low end power and torque gives for a good feel on the road and what I think is a good usable powerband for EVERY-DAY practical riding.besides naked street fighters kick ass! in the short run it does come down to the person,I know guys that can dust "better" faster bikes in the turns on there older smaller bikes due to rider skill.HAVE FUN RIDE WHAT U WANT, WE ALL HAVE 2 WHEELS! |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 10:59 pm: |
|
Let your friend get what he wants...then schedule a looong ride immediately after he gets it. See how he's doing after a few hundred miles in the seat, compared to you and your Buell 
Not everybody likes the same thing... |
Vanvideo
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 12:12 am: |
|
In the last year, I've owned both, a GSX-R750 and an XB9R. The Buell has way more torque and is a blast to ride, but I found the Gixxer to be an all around more competent street bike. It just felt so much more smoother and solidly built. Lighter and better handling, too. It's so easy to sling a Gix into a corner. I did find it's lack of low-end grunt annoying, though.
That said, I sold both to buy an RC51. Now I have the best of both worlds - v-twin torque and character with the sophistication and reliability of a Japanese sport bike.
Buell or Gixxer, your buddy can't lose. |
Point_doc
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 12:28 am: |
|
Vanvideo, I almost went with a RC-51...what are your thoughts when comparing your bike with the 1125R? |
Retrittion
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 02:09 am: |
|
Well, I know three things:
1.People need to make their own decisions. Let the guy get the bike he wants -- he'll figure things out.
2.Comparing bikes is interesting, like any other good gearhead topic, but it really doesn't take you anywhere as far as definitive answers, any more than an argument about who would hypothetically beat up who (I predict an argument on this one).
3.I don't know why other people choose Buells, but personally I chose it because it was made here, made well, powered by a great engine, and a perm-a-grin joy to ride!
Oh, and I do know that this is the first bike that seems to make GSXR riders give me the horns and do wheelies when I am riding though town -- and it's only gotten worse since I installed the SpecOps pipe.
Oh yeah, I also enjoy riding a Buell because of the great people who ride them, answer questions on BadWeb, and make the parts that make our bikes better. There is something nice about talking directly to American Sport Bike, Dark Horse Moto, Odie, or all the other people who make the stuff for our bikes. Maybe it's just me but what I really like is a great community that likes riding these great bikes -- and it seems a lot of Buellers out there feel the same way.
Your friend is welcome to join, or not. Either way tell him to ride safe! |
Howler1203
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 04:13 pm: |
|
Good article in PB performance bike mag,Honda600 stock vs a Firebolt with a few mods supplied by Trojan Horse.seems the best match-up for the xb12 and its air cooled 12 are liquid cooled 600s.Does anyone know if Buell is still racing FormulaXtream?I was at Sears Point in may but I missed that race.[and when I say match-up Im talkin Twisties not drag we all know they got us on the strait] |
Expatriate
| | Posted on Monday, June 09, 2008 - 03:25 pm: |
|
Suzukis are a dime a dozen, its hard to make any of them even interesting anymore. I quit buying 2WTuner magazine because all I saw was 'busas and GSXRs, how many extended swing arms and 300 rear tire kits can you take before that becomes run of the mill? For all that they'd maybe have one tricked out Buell every six months.
Your buddy can buy what he wants but I bought my Buell because I wanted something different
non-conformity RULES!!!! |
Johnnylunchbox
| | Posted on Monday, June 09, 2008 - 05:24 pm: |
|
Anyone who doesn't ride a Madass sux.
http://www.gekgo.com/sachs_madass.html
...and their bikes suck too. |
Vanvideo
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - 11:06 pm: |
|
"Vanvideo, I almost went with a RC-51...what are your thoughts when comparing your bike with the 1125R?"
}
Doc, I've only had one brief ride on an 1125R. But I can tell you, that one ride was incredible. The 1125R actually felt more like a Gixxer than an RC51. It was light, like the Gixxer, very easy to toss into a curve. Compared to the RC, I felt the RC had more torque down low, but the Buell accelerated very fast and smoothly from then on. I remember after riding the Buell and climbing back on my RC, I thought, "this thing is heavy!" It seemed to me like the 1125R was a combination of a Gixxer and an RC51 - lightweight and flickable with gobs of torque.
I love my RC51, I find it to be a lot better bike than my old XB9R could ever be. But if there's a bike I'd consider trading it in for, it'd be the 1125R. |
Point_doc
| | Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 - 11:55 am: |
|
Vanvideo,
Thanks, I had deep, haunting, nagging suspicion that the 1125R "IS THE BIKE" to covet!! You know the one that you wish you weren’t feeling. 
Again, thanks. |
Bigredwood
| | Posted on Friday, June 13, 2008 - 03:06 am: |
|
Let him buy what he not only wants . . . but will be happy paying that monthly bill.
I would point out the belt vs. chain, if you must push the Buell. My STT is ridden before any others for that one reason. |
Skully
| | Posted on Friday, June 13, 2008 - 01:30 pm: |
|
Thanks Ehren, we appreciate you saying that!
Keith
DarkhorseMoto, LLC
Protecting and Propelling Buell Motorcycles(TM)
http://www.darkhorsemoto.com |
Runswithlightning
| | Posted on Sunday, June 15, 2008 - 05:57 pm: |
|
Wow didnt expect that much insight. Thanks alot guys. I thought about it more after i posted this and i dont care what he rides. Im 19 and i love my cityx. What he rides is up to him and all that matters is what i ride. I know im gonna have a heck of a lot more fun on my buell. I dont want anything else. so ill let him get his 03 gsxr for $7000, i just paid $7500 for my 07 leftover cityx and i couldnt be happier riding it everyday on the backroads of NH. Thanks again. |
Starter
| | Posted on Monday, June 16, 2008 - 06:41 pm: |
|
My only advice for potential Buell buyers is "Are you going to appreciate the Buell for what it is and not what it's not?". I've had GSXR750s and put over 50,000km on a 98 model in 3 years. It was reliable, fast and heaps of fun. The 1st fuel injected model to be precise and it was spot on, Suzuki really knew their shit to take that gamble and have it work. Then I sidelined it for a K1 GSXR750. I don't think I had it 3 months before I decided there was more to bikes.
Then along came the 2004 XB9R into the garage. It had everything the GSXRs didn't. It was twitchy changing directions and felt like my hands were running on the road rather than the rubber. It shook and bounced at idle. It sounds tame at idle but like nothing else on the road on the gas. No one else had one. Very few people had seen one. It had a tweaked out air cooled motor very close to the limits of reliability. It now howls with intake noise with no noticable degradation to performance (you try opening the airbox on a GSXR!!!). It pops and farts and crackles and squirels and squirms on heavy deceleration. And my favourite being my bike is now 4 1/2 years old and punters still think it is the current model. |
|
