| Author | Message | ||
     Madbandito |
Spend 90% of my time commuting 45 miles each way to work every 3 days. Been riding a 1200 Bandit- Switched to a 636 Ninja. The UJM thing really doesn't wow me anymore. I've been lurking this site for some time now and it seems that Erik and his company have the reliability thing by the short hairs. with prices on the '05's just begging to be looked at, I just wanted to hear from anyone who rides long distance on a regular basis- Is this a bike that will fill the spot soon to be vacated by the 636? While the XB could easily be called "King of the twisties", how is it for routine straight line "drone home" work? | ||
| Crip2nite |
50 miles each day to work on the Parkway and it is GREAT!!! | ||
| Dago |
45 miles is nothing. The S may be your best choice since it sits you more upright. Personally, I can only do about 300 miles at one time before my legs start cramping a bit. But I'm sure there are some folks on this board who'll claim that 300 miles is nothing for them. -- | ||
| Kcfirebolt |
Try to talk with XB9Rski. I think his commute is 60+ miles each way. He's put on almost 40,000 miles since he got his bike less than a year ago. I've got 22,000 miles in 2.25 years, and you're right, the reliability is good. I'm leaving Thursday on my xb9r for a 4,000 mile trip over 10 days. Welcome to the site. | ||
| Tgroghan |
You may want to get some bolt on modification that re-adjust the handlebars, clutch lever, and a more comfortable Buell seat and some other misc. stuff if your gonna be doing that distance repeadily. Since you are planning to commute with it, then I'd opt for the XB9R. You will feel at home as on the Ninja the pleasure this American made bike can not begin to compare with a Japanese MC. People will look longingly at your XB unlike you've ever seen anyone look at a motorcycle. Also be prepared to talk to complete strangers about the bike. I'd say the only marginal side to owning a Buell is it's reliability. Plus side is that parts are cheap because they are american made and it is relatively easy to work on once you do have to work on it. I could go on and on, and I'm sure others will fill in the gaps where I left off. I loves my Buell .... loves my Buell. | ||
| Madbandito |
I have to admit that whatever bike I own I have to immediately do something to it to make it different from all the other out there and while others may snicker, I do think that buying American is a good thing. The XB is extremely unique and does what it does quite well. Its too bad HD doesnt see the jewel that they have right under their noses...And as has been repeated in the past, while they may not be the fastest bikes on the planet, they fit the bill for someone looking for something not quite so "me too". | ||
| Barkandbite |
120 miles round-trip each day. Heli bars, traction grips, CRG levers, throttlemeister, Sport Touring Windscreen, Touring seat, saddlebags...you're set! It's an awesome bike...the Lightning will have you beat up from the wind if you're going over 70 for more than a while on the freeway... Chris | ||
| Madbandito |
I'm looking at the XB-9R. My Bandit was nekkid and, yes, I got beat half to death or froze my ••• off in the winter. The Ninja is more of a reach to the bars but I love the Double Bubble screen which keeps the windblast and rain to a minimum. And I kinda like the heylookie Yellow on the '05 (Message edited by madbandito on August 30, 2004) | ||
| Fullpower |
Madban: the S model is very comfortable for me, with the corbin saddle. 400 mile afternoons are no problem at all. thousand mile weekends are pure fun, with a few fuel stops along the way. my 12 is averaging 56 miles per gallon on hiway rides, 52 city. only thing that may get expensive is tires. you will use up any soft compound tires, including the stock oem dunlops at an astounding rate. going to a sport touring tire like a metzeler Z6 will increase tire life, my last Z6 rear went 6400 miles, which is more then double the life of the original d 207. one more nice thing about my XB is that it runs just fine on 87 octane, which is easier to find out in the sticks. a lot of little mom and pop stations in alaska dont sell premium. cheers. dean | ||
| Fullpower |
My Lightning does not beat ME up at 70 mph on the hiway. I can do that all day long. A tank bag is all the windscreen you need. | ||
| Madbandito |
When I bought the ZX, I told my wife no more bikes...I think she's gonna be ever so slightly hostile....Considering the Kaw's only a few months old...BTW, if anybody around Austin, TX has a recommendation for which dealership is the most Buell-friendly for service or the always exciting demo ride, I'd be glad to get a heads up. Maybe we can hook up and go for a short spin through the hill country... | ||
| Keith |
I've done 400 mile days on my XB9S but it is much more comfortable at 70+ mph now that I've installed the Crossroads "clip ons". Keith | ||
| Coldwthrrider |
I ride 10 miles each way to work, twice a day so 40miles minimum per day on the freeway plus after work errands. I have the 9R, pretty much stock as far as seat and bars and I love it. It's great in traffic (used to have a Bandit 600S) with the V-twin grunt, way less shifting and gives more confidence when people are merging on tangled freeways. I thought I was going to want a touring windscreen and touring seat, but after riding a few long days on it I don't think I need it. I was surprised that after two 2-hour stretches (150mi each) I was completely comfortable, 250mi the next day started to wear on me. The touring seat is too soft, but if Corbin comes out with an R seat I'll consider it because they're usually firm but better foam. I also don't think I'll be getting Heli-bars. I don't want to give up the stock bar location. Basically if you're riding for 30min or less it's totally fine stock. If you go longer then you either need to adjust your body position occasionally or get some of the mods mentioned here. I also found the race pipe helps prevent people from merging into me, like what always happened on the ultra-quiet Bandit. | ||
| Dbird29 |
My commute is 45 miles round trip. I want a little higher bars on my XB9S because I just don't have a problem with the wind even at 80 mph. I have done 500 miles in one stint and not suffered terribly. 250 mile days no problem. Love the S model. | ||
| Spike |
As long as it's not raining when I leave the house, I'm riding my XB12R to work 5 days a week. My commute is only 14 miles each way, but since we got our new puppy I've been coming home every day for lunch, so I end up racking up over 50 miles a day. I realize it's not a long commute, but I think my XB handles it quite nicely. It's certainly not the most comfortable commuter bike out there, but it's comfortable enough to abandon my turbo miata for weeks at a time.  As Fullpower said, the tire wear is a problem, but that's not XB specific. The biggest XB related problem I have with commuting is that I find myself taking the long way home in search of new corners, which makes me late for dinner and makes the new wife unhappy.  Mike L. '04 XB12R | ||
| M1combat |
I just did 950 miles in three days and had no complaints at all on a 12R. I did ride with my feet dangling backwards every once in a while but most of it was in a standard tuck position. I'm certainly not going to say that I had not a care in the world when it came to comfort but it broke down to 400 miles the first and third day and 150 on Sunday. The 400 mile days I was feeling a LITTLE bit in my cheeks so I would just lay on the tank and let my legs dangle in the wind for ten-fifteen miles at 90 and all was good  . | ||
| Krassh |
I ride mine to work and for work daily, and let me tell you there is nothing like arriving at work with a sh*t eating grin every morning. Oh and going home is great until you realize the ride is over for the day, but luckily I have another ride at the house to come to and she puts a grin on my face too. XB9S (6' 2"  and it is comfortable for me. | ||
| Raraf |
XB9S commuting is fun fun fun! I only ride 20 mile in. About 40 miles going home  From Golden Co to Downtown Denver. It is awesome listening to the sound bouncing off the buildings. I do regret having my butt locked into 1 position on the seat though. It takes 2 hours of straight riding before I started noticing it though. I am 6 feet tall and 185 lbs. if that helps any. | ||
| Madbandito |
Yeah, I was just kinda curious as to how the XB performs on the highway. The ZX-636 is a blast to ride, but it really puts a buzz in the bars on the highway. Now when it comes time to wick it up, its hard to find fault in the Kwak, but I don't get to do much of that anymore. I think the XB's are just unique enough to stand out but have been around long enough to have ironed out the teething troubles from earlier efforts. | ||
| Joojoo |
You cannot commute on a Buell. The bike will not run. The commute sensor will halt fuel supply to the engine, and the airbox will explode. Only ride your Buell when your going somewhere cool, like to hang with buddies. Otherwise, the Buell will know, and you'll be stranded. Says so in the manual. Jack | ||
| Paulson |
I ride my all-stock XB9SL to and from work daily - 20 freeway miles each way. I love every minute of it.  | ||
| Nedwreck |
Ride the Buell to work? It's the only way I'm able to show up at work with a smile on my face. Bob | ||
| Ethanr |
I ride my XB12S 32 miles each way to work in Phoenix with nothing but smiles (and sweat this time of year...110 today) to show for it. Bar height is fine for me, but I'm looking for thicker grips. Recommendations anyone? Oh, and I've got Napoleon end-mount mirrors...the grips would have to work with them. | ||
| Reepicheep |
One problem with commuting on my cyclone... I grind down the tips of all my "work shoes" dragging pegs. | ||
| Davefl |
Reep, Put the Banke rearsets on that M2 and you won't drag pegs no more  | ||
| Black_sunshine |
Ethanr...Progrip gel. I replaced my stock grips with those. They are a little more "cushie" | ||
| Coldwthrrider |
I've never tried gel grips, worried about the lack of firm control. Get the Buell traction grips, they're about $16 and work great. Not a whole lot less vibes but the shape is a lot more comfortable on the hand (less tight grip and more ergonomic curve). | ||
| Bradyclt |
Looks like Paulson and I are in similar situations: 20 mile one way Interstate commute on an XB9SL. And as long as it isn't raining (weak, I know) and above 40 degrees it's my weapon of choice. When shopping around last year I knew I'd spend 90% of my miles on the future bike commuting, so whatever I chose had to excel in that role. I looked at standards and sportbikes trying to find the best blend of comfort and performance... the closest thing to the XB I seriously considered was the Ducati M800. Didn't even ride it... one sit on it and I knew it'd be hard to live with long term due to it's riding position. Having owned multi-cylinder sportbikes previously, I'd decided that my days of riding in a permanent tuck were over. But I also didn't want to compromise any handling performance by going with a true standard. Stock, the XB9/12S offers a high level of comfort given its capability... sure, it's not a serious sport-tourer like a Kaw ZZr-1200 but is excellent in its segment. Would I ride an XB cross country? Probably not... I'd be more likely to fly wherever and rent one after arrival. But for commuting and recreational riding? Every chance I get... One thing I've found about buying a bike is that if you're honest with yourself about how you're really going to use it and make your purchasing decision on that basis you'll be happier down the road (literally and figuratively) than relying only on spec sheets, brochures, media reviews and biased/unobjective opinions. These other things are just tools/input to use in the decision process. But, I suspect on this board I'm preaching to the already converted with my philosophy. | ||
| Xbduck |
I have ridden my bikes to work every day now for two months. My ride is 11 miles if I take the long way. So I don't ride the Buell every day now. I still have a Yamaha Virago 250 that was to be sold this spring. I didn't like the offers I was getting for it so I'm keeping it. I ride it the most now, days not miles. If my ride to work was longer the 250 would be gone or going. I really don't want to stress my wonderful Buell. Another deciding factor for riding the 250 is cost. Rear tires aren't cheap on an XB and when your dealer only stocks tires for the vrod waiting for a fix is no fun. I'm going to try NOT to turn this into a flaming rant. If your going to ride long enough for the engine to come to temp and run some I would say, go for it! | ||
| Static |
I bought my 9r last October and commute 70+ mi a day. I couldn't have bought a better bike to commute on, and it withstands not only the torture I put it through but the 112+ degree days we see in phoenix. |
