| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
https://www.motorcycle.com/features/church-of-mo-b uell-xb9r-firebolt-first-ride-review.html | ||
| Ahampton128 |
Seems like Buells never quite had the edge over their contemporaries but here are 20 years later at moto-journalists pine for them. Revzilla's article about the Uly in light of the Pan America really shows it. In case someone here hasn't seen it: https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/harley-dj-vu -remembering-the-original-h-d-adventure-bike | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I love new reviews of old bikes. I had bike mag subscriptions for years, because I just couldn't turn down a full year subscription for $7 so I kept buying them and they kept piling up. Although after reading enough you eventually realize that every single bike review is exactly the same, with the name of different bikes plugged in. Every year the bikes get slightly faster and slightly lighter, that's usually all there is to know. I love seeing them look back on old bikes and giving their opinion on bikes that they can now look at objectively without really worrying about the exact weight and HP specs. Plus as someone who still has an extensive list of bikes from the 90s and early 00s that I'd love to own, it's way more fun reading about those than it is reading about 2021 traction control and engine mapping and ABS being tied in with lean angle sensors.... | ||
| Skipbarberman |
I agree 100%. I have been lucky to have been given a friends mint 1998 CBR900RR last year. In addition, I own (2) XB9Rs, and a 2008 Aprilia RSV1000R. I'd love to see them go back and re-review these bikes. I have a relative who is in motorcycle publishing, and the games of advertising and money changing hands ALWAYS has an influence on 'new bikes'. If you doubt me, when was the last time you saw a bad review on a Honda motorcycle? To that end, having them re-review them - both in today's context, and relative to their contemporaries at the time - would be interesting to me. It'll never happen, because I might not spend that money in the ever-shrinking pool of new bike buyers, and the manufacturers would be against that at all costs. If you read a favorable review, on a 15 year old bike, and compared it to a new 2021 - and were smart enough to understand that most speed limits are 70 mph and below - you might not drop $20k. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I never doubted about money and advertising. Not only have I not read a bad Honda review, I can't remember the last time I really read any bad review of a motorcycle. I love the CBR900RRs. a 900RR was the first liter bike I've ever ridden, and the first time I ever got to enjoy a bike so fast that the bike decided we were going to wheelie, without me even suggesting it haha. Aside from my S1, which was always my dream bike, I also really hope to own an early 90's gsxr750 someday, although the longer I wait the harder I know that's going to be. Aside from that, you've got the old triumph daytonas, the TL1000's, the RC51s, those gorgeous SRAD gsxrs, the 2003-2004 zx6rs, the first generation 600rrs, early 90's ducati supersports. So many gorgeous bikes. I'm someone who could ride any bike and enjoy it, but I can say any of the bikes that have come out after 2005 just don't do it for me like those bikes from 1990-2005 do. The last bike I remember really being fascinated with was the 2004-2005 zx10r. That's the last bike I remember just being crazy fast and entirely in the riders control. Right after that was when the focus started shifting from power/weight to computers, and although I'm sure they're all still fun(thinking about the 1290 superduke here), they just don't appeal to me like the older ones did. | ||
| Skipbarberman |
Again, agree 100%. There are a few....rode a buddy's 2016 Panagale 1199R that was about $40k new with Ohlins NIX30s and a TTX out back. That bike is pretty amazing. But generally speaking, anything with 'nanny controls', doesn't appeal to me. If you don't have the 'hair' to ride it unadulterated and without electronics, then it's just about bragging rights and stat sheets at the ice cream stand. Yeah, I was pretty lucky.....he 'gave' me the bike...literally. I paid to ship it, going thru it now putting Ohlins up front and out back. Amazing how light that is..and feels. That bike changed the sportbike market. It would be cool to have them go back and look at bikes - like the 1985 GSXR 750 - that changed the market forever. (Message edited by skipbarberman on September 16, 2021) (Message edited by skipbarberman on September 16, 2021) | ||
| Ducbsa |
A review without the pressure to enthuse about all the electronics would be interesting. My XB12S is capable of way more than I have the guts to try and I have to wonder about a top 1998 bike being more capable than 90% of the riders out there. On the other hand, I've only had 2 new bikes in 51 years of riding, so I am possibly biased. | ||
| Skipbarberman |
Amen, brother. Where I used to live in NY, there was a reservoir with 61 turns around the 3 mi length of the east side. When I was 'dialing in' my Ohlins on the back of the 1060 XB9R, I had a kid try to stay with me on a 2008 ZX-10. I stopped and was adjusting the rebound damping when he caught up to me. In the right hands, it doesn't matter what your 'spec sheet' or Cycle World magazine says. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
"In the right hands, it doesn't matter what your 'spec sheet' or Cycle World magazine says." Sometimes they know what they're talking about. Even if they picked on Buells, a few of the magazines still recognized how good they rode. I can't find a link to the article but Bike magazine rated the 50 best handling bikes in 2005 and gave the xb12/9r the #1 spot. Found this while I was was searching for the other article too. https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/first-rides-te sts/2009/may/may2109-top-5-handlers-according-to-y ou/ I will say in addendum to my previous comment about selling the XB9S because I got tired of chasing my friends inline 4s down the highway, we'd also spent a lot of time in the city too, and they weren't even close at keeping up with me on those roads. So it wasn't that the XB was too slow. Bikes have their different strong points, and the highway just wasn't the XB's. I test rode a Panigale V4R, I think that's what it's called. This one was closer to $20k. I was really looking forward to the test ride and was worried I'd get back on my bike for a disappointing ride home just realizing how rough and beat up my bike feels. The opposite was true. That bike was no where near as fast as I thought it was going to feel. I flipped through the setting before we left to put it in sport mode and turn off any of the electronic controls I could find, but maybe they had that stuff on override since it was a demo bike and knew people would be doing stupid stuff on it? Not sure. Aside from not feeling as fast as I thought it would, the subframe got SO hot, and was roasting my leg the entire time to the point that it wasn't even fun to ride unless you were consistently moving at speed. I wish I had gotten to test ride that new Supersport instead, that looks like a much better ride on the street. On the upside I was happy to get back on my 20 year old bike for the ride home. | ||
| Skipbarberman |
Again, can only go 'so fast'. The torque is what it's all about, but 135 mph top end makes 80-90 mph on my XB screaming, and Charlotte traffic sometimes moves at that speed. I agree - bang for the buck, can't beat the older models out there....there really are some fantastic bikes to be had, for the right price if you can pick out the owners who took care of them. And yeah, when I rode his 1199R twin, he set up a demo for me at the local Ducati dealership. The 2021 V4S I rode, was around $27k. Absolutely torched my right thigh...I now know what barbecue FEELS like. Was more impressed with his 1199R twin for like $20k current market value. And that wasn't a ton different than my 2008 RSV1000R or the 1998 CBR900RR, and combined I don't have $10k in them. (Message edited by skipbarberman on September 18, 2021) | ||
| Upthemaiden |
Hard to justify the cost of new bikes anymore when you see what you can get older ones for, especially since like we said, the power/weight ratios haven't increased THAT much, you're just getting all of the electronics that a lot of people don't care for anyway. It was one thing when it was just Ducati and KTM, but I saw Triumph came out with a new 1200 based on the speed triple with an upgraded suspension and a half fairing, ......$25k. That's great if you have that kind of money for a motorcycle, but even if you do, would you rather have one Triumph, or a 5 year old speed triple, parked next to a used sportbike, cruiser, and a supermoto all of which cost you less than the one bike? Probably have enough for a cheap project bike for rainy days too. | ||
| Slaughter |
I raced the XB9. Raced two of them for a dozen years. On all the tracks I raced, it had enough power to push me to the threshold of my fear and ability. That's as fast as I can go (racetrack or otherwise). Anything more is just comparing spec sheets. I think the original article was from 2003 or 2004. (Message edited by Slaughter on September 22, 2021) | ||
| Skipbarberman |
Amen, Steve. Any bike is only as fast as YOU are willing to go. And, going from AMA 600 Supersport CBR to a 1060 Buell 25 years later, forces you to learn what the word MOMENTUM really means. | ||
| Ceejay |
Not trying to get the “back in my day vibe” but most everything I look for is in the 06 to 09 time frame as it seems from bikes to cars as well as trucks they kind of forgot what was important about them. Here’s a cool article that revzilla did about similar… https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2020-ducati- panigale-v4-2005-suzuki-gsxr1000-superbike-test | ||
| Skipbarberman |
Ceejay.....that video was awesome. THAT, is precisely the point. Thank you for that, very refreshing. |
