| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
Oh ••••, here we go again! Peter_T: I'll bet he can prove it too!  | ||
| chauly |
I like it! It has some great concepts. Hmmm, where to fit it in the garage.....:-) | ||
| Buellerken |
OK Blake. I think I'm up to the task. My post from 'Another Buell Related Website'. (Sorry Vik --ooops!): For me, this bike has a fresh look (aside from the diesel exhaust pipe, doh!), a very interesting approach to the total design, and enough 'attitude' to appeal to a broad range of riders. I'm looking forward to a test ride - final opinion (as if MY opinion friggin matters) reserved until then. Kudos to Erik and the folks at BMC for having the balls to take risks with the design. I just hope that those risks are not at the expense of reliability (cautiously optimistic on that one). All IMHO of course. BuellerKen '00M2 | ||
| dynarider |
I like it a lot. Very cool & sexy, any minor nitpicks or horsepower issues will be quickly undertaken by the aftermarket. Personally I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg & the best is still yet to come. | ||
| ben p |
I did some calcs about average piston speed. At 4000FPM, the "old" motor hits that at 6315rpm. The "new" motor hits it at 7680rpm. If the old motor could handle 7000rpm without exploding (4433FPM), then at the same FPM, the XB9R should be able to take 8500rpm. Maybe the "race kit" frees up the extra RPM (in the ECM) and the pipe opens up the top end. I wonder if there will be a significant difference (more than what you get from X1's or M2's) in peak HP from the race kit? I was really hoping for 100hp (at least), but I was dreaming of something that could WIN in AMA superbike (and shut Mladin up). Ben, 2000M2 | ||
| Court |
Chauly: Between you, Aaron and Woz.....you guys are going to have to expand your garages. Gang: As regards reliability. I know, based on folks who have been "out of the office testing" that the XB9R has been wrung out by folks who I hold in the highest regard. I don't KNOW, but am willing to bet that Erik placed reliabilty on parity with innovation. Website: Good news...you are BOTH right. Perfect it not, Buell has/is showing TREMENDOUS strides AND direct responses to the very things WE have asked for. I'm very happy. Court | ||
| Robs |
Haven't been on a motorcycle web site, or any web site in weeks, looked today and WOOHOO!! I think the new bike is exactly what Buell needed. Good power, different looks, decent price, and an engine that is modern but retains strong brand ties. What I am waiting to see is... IT BETTER BE OF HIGH QUALITY AND RELIABLE!!!! If it is not, Buell is done. I hope they tested the #$#%^ out of this bike!! Good luck Buell. RobS | ||
| Jareth |
It looks gorgeous. It has all sorts of interesting innovations that I'd love to show off to all my geek friends. Its wonderful. Its *perfect*. Except... ITS TOO DAMNED TALL!! *grumble* Hey, if anyone from Buell is listening...Us 5'2" riders have money, too! Market a bike for us, we'll buy it! Right now I have a Blast but there's only so much I can do to that engine to get more power...I'd have 'upgraded' in a heartbeat. | ||
| Anonymous |
Not getting any? Geez, Blake, that's awfully juvenille, even for you.  Cost/value is all in the mind of the purchaser. [much deleted upon later reflection...no point, you'll never see my POV] Oh jeez, the damn red-head crap again. Sorry your mind is so closed...if you've ridden any japanese sportbikes you must not have been trying too hard...hate to tell you they're just as fun, exciting, etc. as any other bike! May not be what you want, but that's just narrowminded drivel. Look close at some of those bikes and they have just as inventive and unique engineering in their engines...just cause it's not in your face, doesn't mean it's there. Neil Garretson - motorcycles, I love 'em all X0.5 - guess I've been booted as my username/pass don't work either. ??? | ||
| Choptop |
think about it boys....2003...100th aniversary.... there HAS to be something big coming. Why would the Firebolt be called a SPORTFIGHTER. Its teh bridge between the streetfighter Buell, and the all out Sportbike. Personally, the more I look at the numbers, and the bike, the more I want to ride one....on a VERY tight and twisty road. Deals Gap anyone? Dont know if it will be the track-day King that the Mille is, but from the early advertising for it, it doesnt sound like it was designed to be. Makes ya wonder huh. Also makes ya wonder if Buell was listening a while back when a few of us were hollaring for them to push what the then current bikes strengths are. Hell as few posts are damn near word for word what was in the print ads "...you dont live at 180 mph everyday...." (loosely paraphrased). I'll be DIEING for a test ride. lighter than a 600, shorter and rakeyer than anything alive, more power than all 600's same as some 750's, and in the v-twin package I love, and from the company that puts out bikes with tons of feel. MUST RIDE. Now....as far as them being reliable..........I hope, I hope , I hope.... if there is another new one coming next year, make it a World Beater. aim high. Think Mille, GSXR1000, R1, Busa....knock our socks off. | ||
| Raymaines |
Neil, I don't think the Firebolt has to be a replacement for the M2. I can see having two lines of Buell products, a line of Blast! based bikes and a separate line of bikes based on a different motor. I think the M2 is too much of a "standard" type of bike to be replaced by such a radical street fighter as the XB9R. The new H2O motor would be much more suitable in a M2 and would be a great starting point for a maxed out X1. Somewhere in the line up there will have to be a full fairing hot rod that is somehow related to a factory race bike but that shouldn't be a big problem. Maybe that would be the top of the line Blast! based bike. An over the top X1 with the v-rod motor sounds like a great way to top off the big engine line and it would be a better starting point for a S3 bike as well. I'd love to see Buell knock 35 lbs. off of my M2 and juice it up to about 100 rwhp. That would be more fun than I could deal with, but I'm up for the challenge. | ||
| Davegess |
Vik, I understand what you are saying about a static web site. I just can see MCN offering a much wider audience to Buell but in exchange for featuring it "on the cover" they might demand and get web exclusivity. This is pretty common in the magazine biz, "we will give you the cover featuring the new xx5 from Yamhoda but you can't let the other magazine have the bike until we are done" Dave | ||
| Davet |
Choptop, all the current top 600's these days are lighter than the Firebolt and are putting out 100 RWHP +/- a couple. But I am excited about this!! | ||
| Blake |
Lsr_BBSr: LOL!!! If by your "... don't work either" comment you are implying that your uh, equipment is also having trouble, I can understand why you are so dang grumpy, and I apologize for my insensitive remark (though it was made with only good natured intentions and was thoughtfully so designated by the ubiquitous smiley  ). But seriously, no booting going on here. If you are still having username/pw trouble, let me know via email. "Oh jeez, the damn red-head crap again. Sorry your mind is so closed." Exactly what about appreciating uniqueness, style, and a wild exotic nature is "close minded"?  "If you've ridden any Japanese sportbikes, you must not have been trying too hard." "Trying too hard" to do what? Appreciate them? Enjoy them? Ride them fast? Fart? I've done all the above. I must say however with respect to the last point that the Buell's vibs at idle can really help you work things out, if you know what I mean.  ""...hate to tell you they're just as fun, exciting, etc. as any other bike!" Maybe the twins (TL1000R/S, VTR1000, RC51, SV650), but for me, no inline four can ever compete with the riding satisfaction/enjoyment of a twin. That is obviously a very personal preference. I friggin HATE the whine of an inline four, especially a small inline four. And they are no where near as "fun" or "exciting" to look at. Except for paint and decals, they all look pretty much the friggin same! You can't even see the engine. They need constant periodic valve lash maintenance, constant chain maintenance, and, boy they are sure fun to wrench on... NOT!!! "May not be what you want, but that's just narrow-minded drivel." Hmmm... driv·el - noun: 1. Saliva flowing from the mouth. 2. Stupid or senseless talk. "Look close(ly) at some of those bikes You'll get no argument from me that the Jap bikes' engines don't have beaucoup ultra-optimized engineering. But all that ultra-optimized high performance go fast engineering is not even in the same league as the radical design innovations debuted on the XB9R... Did you see that the front wheel/brake assy is 7 freaking pounds lighter than that of an R1? And the wheel ain't even magnesium or CF! That the fuel is stored inside the frame? That the oil is stored inside the swingarm? That the wheelbase is only 52"? That the rake is only 21 degrees? That the dry weight is only 385 LBs, 55LBs less than that of it's closest ancestor, the X1?! That's a 12.5% weight reduction! That the air-cooled, 45 degree, common crankpin, 4-valve, hydraulic pushrod, 984cc engine puts out 92 hp @ 7200 rpm? More HP/CI than ANY other production pushrod engine! That it has a clock? (do I hear a gasp from the audience) That it has an automatic reserve/low fuel tripmeter?! Is that another gasp of amazement?  I can't figure why it would be priced lower than or even at the same level as the X1? If you gave me the choice of one over the other, I'd take the XB9R every day! Shoot, just getting rid of all the X1's goiterous stock plastic is worth an extra $500! "Cost/value is all in the mind of the purchaser." Bingo! I agree! If we care to follow all the other lemmings and want a cookie cutter, just like all the others, Jap 600cc repli-racer, the XB9R is not going to hold much value for you. It would be overpriced. If say, however, you were thinking along the lines of an RC51, a TL1000R/S, a Speed Triple, an RSV Mille, a Voxan, a Monster S4, or an X1, well the XB9R is a VERY good alternative. Not sure, but I believe all the aforementioned bikes are in the $10K+ range. Isn't that the point I was debating with you... the pricing viability of the XB9R? Didn't you say something like "Hell, all it's direct competition is less than 8K!"? And you have the sheet to say that I'm spouting drivel?! Do you really believe that HD/Buell would overprice their targeted market/competition by 25%?!! Blake, the smartass juvenile SOB | ||
| Blake |
Davet: I think Chop is talking about the next "Buell to come", not the XB9R. |
