| Author | Message | ||
     Uh60crewdawg |
I'm currently deployed and shopping for my toy when i get back. I love the buell xb9r. Sounds great with force pipes and is American. My other v-twin bike i drool over is the Ducati Monster 696. Simply i love vtwin sport bikes. I'm trying to decide which is better for me all around. The buell has more cc's so insurance will be higher slightly, harder to find buell parts now a days. but the monster is more expensive right off the bat. And doesnt have as much low vtwin roar. Keep in mind I'm not experienced enough to be really racing. This is for badass looks sound and feel and commuter purpose. The name Ducati to most holds more respect then buell. Which i do think is unjust. I love buells and love that they are American. Just looking for opinions. | ||
| Froggy |
Go with what your heart desires. Ride both bikes, see what one calls for you more. Every bike has its pros and cons, and neither bike is a poor choice. As much as I would love to see you on a Buell, I rather you be happy on a Ducati instead of being upset with a Buell because it just isn't the right bike for you. (Message edited by froggy on April 13, 2011) | ||
| Chessm |
have you ridden the duc? the xb9 is kinda low in the power department but its got nice torque for oh shit moments. not enough to get you anywhere in a hurry, but just enough to help you make it through. ive ridden the 696 a couple of times the motor felt like a less torquey version of the 9 motor. also it didnt like being lugged around in low revs. it might not sound important to you until you get stuck in traffic. also, to me, the 696 was more comfy than the xb9R. but then i prefer bars over clipons. but really the 2 bikes are close enough that you will probably be happy with either. go with your gut. | ||
| Syonyk |
Ride both, then decide. If possible. Or buy both.  Why would the name Ducati holding more respect to most people matter? I didn't buy my bikes because of what other people will think of them. And, at this point, at least with most motorcycle types, Buell is a well enough known name. They may disagree with some of the design decisions, but that's fine. I disagree with the Ducati "bucket of bolts" sound from the dry clutch.  If you're commuting, you might want to consider the Lightning as well. I've got an XB9SX and an 1125R. The XB9 is a better commuter when I'm in traffic - the 1125 riding position is great for open highway, not so great for sitting at stoplights. As far as getting parts, there are still plenty of Buell parts out there, and people still making parts for them. There's also the maintenance issues to consider. The XB motor has a major benefit (IMO) in having the hydraulic lifters. You never need to adjust them. I'm pretty sure a Ducati 696 has valves that need adjusting. Valve adjustment, if you put a lot of miles on a bike, gets expensive or time consuming quickly. But, really, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. | ||
| Ion_man_87 |
I have an 05 xb9r with 30,000 miles. It has had issues here and there, but that was in part to the previous owner neglecting it (My crashing it probably didn't help either). I personaly have had no problem finding parts through websites or harley/buell dealerships. All in all this was a great first bike for me. Not very comfortable on 250+ mile trips in a single day, but like the other comments, GREAT BIKE TO HAVE IN TRAFIC! I have never ridden a Duccati, so my opinion is slighty one sided. Ride safe! | ||
| Vtpeg |
I rode the monster last year at my local Duc/suz dealer. A lot like my XB9S. Less power, but a six speed makes up for it. A little bit more refined in my opinion, but more $$ and more maintenance. | ||
| Sifo |
Ducati is sex on wheels IMO. I'm not familiar with the 696, but if it's typical Ducati, in addition to expensive valve adjustments you also have to periodically change the timing belts. You might want to check what maintenance will run you in the long run. This is where I really like the Buell. Easy cheap maintenance! | ||
| Wutend007 |
I have the Ducati S4R AND xb12s. that said the Duc feels like theres les power but smoother on takeoff and you can throw it around a bit more but the Xb is definatly more torquy and a bit more power curve to it. Duc defently more mataince and overall cost is higher. duc for longer travels and xb for spirited trips. | ||
| Nillaice |
yeah, have you considered regualr maintenance and up-keep costs? i've heard the ducs can get pretty spendy for a valve train adjustment. which is quite often from what i understand ... | ||
| Nillaice |
and thankyou for your service  | ||
| Spud |
Most believe that the parts problem will be short lived when more aftermarket maintenance parts are made available and I have friends that have had Duc's that got slammed at service time. I guess setting the desmo valves are an few hours job alone. I would say a 1125 has the power if not the recognition your looking for. The ducati is like a trophy wife, everyone wants one until the have one. That been said I would probably pick up a 848 Evo if my uly was ever lost. You flyin Mikes with 4th bat? I'm at KAF crew'n limas with A 7-101. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
I was torn when upgrading displacement from my starter bike. Ducati Monster, Triumph Speed Triple, or Buell. Once I began looking at service cost and ease of maintenance I became a lot more serious about Buell. Finding a kicken' deal on one (2000 Cyclone, 1,100 miles) was the clincher. So glad I chose to go with Buell! Two somehow aren't quite enough. I long for a CR and an S1. There are some killer deals on many different types of Buell's out there now. With E.B.R. picking up speed I think that a 1125 would be a good way to go, looking towards future support. Thanks for your service! | ||
| Uh60crewdawg |
Well First Off Thank You all for the Serious opinions. To be honest i was expecting a bit more " WTF BUY A BUELL •••• DUCATI attitudes" I am leaning towards buell because of the lower price. My only concern is insurance. I've been looking for a xb9r which seems hard to find. Will there really be that much of a difference if i went with a 12r?. I would love a 1125 but i have about talked myself out of it because i am a beginner rider. I dont want to ruin something beautiful because of my inexperience. Now to Spud : Yea I'm at WLV crewing these whiny lil Mike Models. Came from Alaska with old run down Alphas and i miss em. Not a fan of Mikes at all lol. But anyway you probably run into a few guys i know from Alaska. Fornal was my old Avionics guy. All of the Med up there i know. Wojo in 563rd. Oh and hows Bruns doing. Kinda of a slow old man but he means well lol Tell any and all of em Weiner says hi. | ||
| Greg_e |
If you are mechanically inclined, what about a project bike that should be good on insurance since it is a single and only 600-700 CC class: http://www.rycamotors.com/ They have videos up now: http://www.youtube.com/rycamotors#p/u/2/7U0IVWqmJSA Yup, I want one someday. The donors can be had for $1000-$1500 in running condition which brings the total to about $3000-$3500. Not nearly as powerful as an xb9 but might make a good starter bike and have some unique class to go with it. (Message edited by Greg_E on April 17, 2011) | ||
| Syonyk |
My only concern is insurance. I've been looking for a xb9r which seems hard to find. Will there really be that much of a difference if i went with a 12r?. I would love a 1125 but i have about talked myself out of it because i am a beginner rider. I dont want to ruin something beautiful because of my inexperience. My thoughts: The 9 & the 12 are rather different engines. I've ridden both, and I own a 9. The 12 has more low end torque, but runs out of revs sooner. It's also rather heavy on the vibration. It shakes like a paint mixer at low RPM, and is still buzzy on the highway. Some people don't mind... I did. That was my main complaint with the Buell XBs - until I rode a '9. The 9 revs a bit higher, and is SO much smoother. I didn't look forward to the idea of taking a 12 for long rides on the highway, but I love my '9 - at speed, the engine is very, very smooth. As far as actual power delivery, it would be a little bit harder to get in trouble with a '9, but they're both great engines, and as to "which is faster," opinions differ. Which means, translated, that which is faster depends on exactly what you're doing, and there's not a huge difference between them. Nobody argues about which is faster, an 1125R or an XB12.  If you're a newer rider, I'd have no trouble recommending an XB9 or an XB12. I'd hold out for the 9r personally, but that's just because I like the 9 more than the 12. I definitely would NOT recommend an 1125R. It's a totally different beast. You can be pretty rough with the throttle on a 9 or 12 and it'll just be annoyed. Do the same on the 1125R, and it will do exactly what you told it to do. Not a good trait for newer riders. As for Buell vs Ducati... that's a tough one, but if it were *my* money, I'd go with Buell. ... which would be why there are 3 crammed in my garage right now. The XBs can be found inexpensively, they're fairly easy to work on, and they don't have expensive valve adjustments every few months (I put over 1000 miles/month on bikes, so some of the Ducatis would literally be in the shop every few months). That's a big deal in the "total cost of ownership." Also, parts for XBs are easy to come by. The engine shares a lot of parts with Harleys, and the rest of the bike is "Bog standard XB." Most of the XBs use the exact same parts, and everything bolts to everything. This is very nice. There's also not that much to screw up if you crash a Buell. You don't have that many parts to break. You either don't do much damage, or you total the bike (if there's damage to the frame). This is kind of nice. So, I think the summary of this post is "ZOMG GET A BUELL," but not for just random fanboi reasons. | ||
| Dallasb |
I recently tried out the new 796. It was a really fun bike that felt very similar to my xb9. It had a slightly more sportier position though. You may want to confirm the maintenance figures with a dealership but IIRC the service on the new ducs are 7500 miles. Major services every 15k. With that being said....I wouldn't trade my xb9 for any monster. | ||
| Lostartist |
the S-40/savage for the Ryca kit would be cool, I started on a S-40, it's a small light bike, goes just fine too, not as sporty feeling as an xb9 but it has enough power for everything you need to do, highway speeds are a bit buzzy but not terrible. and it has a great online forum too! almost as cool as this one! the S-40/Savage are also very simple to maintain and you can do everything yourself. valve checks are a bit of a pain but there's only 1 cylinder. 1 carb 1 exhaust. and it's a great starter platform for projects too, not just the RYCA but Blue Collar Bobbers has stuff for them and you can adapt a lot of stuff if you want. I miss my S-40 | ||
| Sifo |
I've ridden both, and I own a 9. The 12 has more low end torque, but runs out of revs sooner. It's also rather heavy on the vibration. It shakes like a paint mixer at low RPM, and is still buzzy on the highway. Some people don't mind... I did. I guess I'm one of those that don't mind. I've never ridden a 9 but have put 38K on my 12 in 3 seasons of riding (northern states rider too). If someone thinks a 12 is buzzy I would hate to hear what they think of an I4. I guess it's all relative. | ||
| California69gs |
I'm not sure of your driving record or age but shop around for insurance if that's your biggest issue. My Allstate wanted to charge me $450 a year for my XB12 even with discounts for house and cars. Progressive charges me $112 for a year, same coverage and no other discounts. When I had my 9x I only paid $75 for a year. I have no tickets, no history, and I was 30 when I got my first motorcycle. I love the Duc and had VERY seriously thought about getting the 696 when my buddy gave me a hell of a deal on his Buell. The maintenance of the Duc turned me off despite the "sexy" appeal. | ||
| Slaughter |
The XB9 is STILL no problem for parts... just not every dealer is really helpful. There are HUGE sources... not to mention Badweb. I'm doing a rebuild again on the racebike (spark plug self-destructed and lunched the front jug) - no worries. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
Make sure you actually get quotes on the insurance. I'd be willing to bet that insurance on the Buell would be cheaper even with more displacement simply because the ducati is more expensive to repair or replace in the event of an accident. |
