| Author | Message | ||
     Jima4media |
I heard the same rumor of an oil leak on the XB9R from a dealer, while at Donner Lake. That is why the Texas Speedway Demo for Dealers is being rescheduled. Jim X-2.5 | ||
| Pilot |
O.K. if this rumour is true.I will stand behind Erik's "Launch when Ready" statement.And await a revised delivery date. No big deal,I would rather wait and continue to ride my 99X1. The grin factor is still high. | ||
| court |
My point precisely, my Ozbound Buddy. Let's just say ( and I have no idea ) that there, in fact, is some snag in the development process. You have laid down your money already. Would you prefer to get the bike:
My deposit's in too. I want my white one when Erik F. Buell says "it's soup now". Gads...am I getting old? Court | ||
| Loki |
Court, You will only get old when you give up the dream. Bry(Loki) | ||
| Raymaines |
A quote from one of my favorite writers | ||
| Imonabuss |
Guys, At the dealer show it was made clear that the Firebolt would be at dealers for the spring selling season. Any conjecture that it would be available sooner flies in the face of that reality...and therefore doesn't fly very far. I happen to know why the dealer demo was delayed, and it has nothing to do with an "oil leak". Bottom line...all these ideas of blaming poor quality or development problems with delaying launch...well, if they thought the bike was going to be available sooner, why would they have said that it wouldn't be available until the spring?!! I know, patience sucks, let's blame something! | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Imonabuss, Very cool racing, with many brands and displacements, they way it ought to be! R.I.P. XR750, come on HD, where is its replacement? | ||
| Davegess |
Raymianes, Just a comment on your " a little late for reliability testing. First thing you do is layout the basic bike, then you start to design the parts. When the design is pretty far along you can begin computer stress analysis. If the part passes this you make some and put them on bike, or test benches and test them. When all the parts are designed and tested and built you can build a motorcycle. This first complete motorcycle will probably apear about 6 months before scheudled launch. All the pieces will have been tested in a variety of ways prior to this point but all the pieces will not have been on the same bike. In fact some of the peices on this bike may have aleady FAILED and are being redesigned. The redisgned parts will go on a bike whne they are ready. Only when you have a real complete motorcycle using almost entirely parts that will match the production bike can you begine true reliablitiy testing. Actually TESTING is not really the right word. A better wrod would be PROVING. All the testing is done, now you are trying to "ride the wheels off" the thing to see what you can break. This PROVING continues after the bike is launched as test rider continue to pile on the miles. Often they are testing one particular part for a planned impovement but they log everything about the bike they are riding. So by definition the final high milage reliabity and durability testing has to happen in the few months just prior to launch. If something fails this test then its redesign and start the test over. It is a real pressure cooker for a company that needs fast product design cycles like Buell. It is easier for a slower moving company like H-D as their product cycle is much longer than Buells and they seldom have a complete new motorcycle to test. Dave | ||
| Raymaines |
Thanks Dave, The Buell is the only bike I've ever cared enough about to closely follow as a new model is introduced. My question (objection?) to what's happening isn't to the "proving" so much as to the timing of the events. Especially in light of Buells past reliability problems, I think all of the proving should have been done before the bike was introduced to the public. If there was ever a problem with an oil leak it should have been an Elf family secret and not open to ridicule on every MC BBS in the world. I suppose I'm taking all of this too personally but I really want any new Buell to be absolutely perfect. I don't want any critic, anywhere or at anytime to be able to cast any shadow of doubt on the reliability of the Firebolt. Every prospective buyer will decide if they want a lightweight bike with a 52” wheel base and an air cooled push rod V-twin motor but reliability shouldn’t be a issue. Any delay in the availability date looks bad. I’m hoping that “Imonabuss” is right in saying that next spring has always been the proposed introduction date and, further, that’s when the Firebolt is introduced. I think it was Court that asked if I wanted the bike now or when Erik said it was ready to go? Of course I want it when EB is happy with it, but I think that a 7-8 month (Aug. 2001 – March\April 2002) delay between the introduction and availability is about six month too long. | ||
| Court |
VALIDATION | ||
| Davegess |
Court, VALIDATION. that the word. Ray, I think the very early unveiling was needed to show the dealers that good things where on the way. Usually the bikes that are shown to the dealers at the dealer show in July (and in the magazine in september/october) are not delievered for sale until october or november, (this is true for H-D as well as Buell). So Buell is not really delaying the launch but a few months longer than normal. Dave | ||
| Spinedoc |
I think IMHO that Buell owners on this board should be trying to support/praise the new-bike-efforts of Buell, instead of immediately promoting threads that follow a supposed problem. We (well, I don't own one yet...but will in spring) should be the defenders of the brand, as the magazine testers will obviously be really looking for reliability problems more with Buells that oriental bikes. I read too many of these mags/rags anyway, but it seems that Japanese sportbikes have reached a new high in un-reliability: from my reading it looks like every magazine that tested a gsxr-1000 has crashed it! Seriously though, the Firebolt looks poised to bring Buell to a new level of performance and innovation. Let's not start talking about problems with it just yet... my .02 Richard | ||
| Jima4media |
DVT = Design Validation Testing PVT = Product Validation Testing The two different stages of testing a product. Richard, The reason there is rumor and speculation on this and other discussion boards is because there is NO information that flows out of the factory. Lets hope there is some good news that comes out at Homecoming next week. I did here another tidbit today - The Texas Motor Speedway event was rescheduled for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and had nothing to do with the Firebolt. My guess and theory as to the early launch date relative to the late ship date had something to do with Honda introducing the NAS prototype at Laguna Seca in early July. my .02 Jim | ||
| Jima4media |
Quality is something that has to be built into a product, and can't be added on at a later date. I sure hope Buell is building the Firebolt with all of the quality it can muster. Here is a quality quote that I like - "Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives" - Willa A. Foster | ||
| José_Quiñones |
From Motorcycle Consumer News Don't expect to see the production models until early next year at the soonest. H-D is not forcing Buell to being production until Erik is satisfied that the machine is perfect _________________________________________________ Now on to another subject. let's play guess the dyno chart. So, far the only thing we know about the XB9R is the following: 92 Hp at 7200 rpm 68 lbs/ft @ 5500 rpm Now, what those numbers are saying is that from 5500 rpm to 7200 rpm, the XB9R goes from 68 lbs/ft down to an amazing drop of torque of 1 lbs/ft, to 67 lbs/ft! Talk about a Flat Torque Curve! By the way at redline, the XB9R's piston speed is only 3,905 ft/sec. This motor should be able to rev to 8,500 rpm (Tilley has done this, and the Dirt Track Blast reportedly also spins this fast) I wonder what the rest of the dyno chart will look like. |
