| Author | Message | ||
     Geoffg  |
I've verbally agreed to buy a new Buell--an 05 XB9R (MSRP reductions have brought the price so close to what I can get an 03 for, I decided to go new...). However, another dealer is trying to sell me an 04 12R, for a bit more money (roughly 12 more payments...). He says the resale is better, etc. I dunno. I've ridden both, and I think I'll be just as happy with the 9--plus, there are insurance concerns (here in BC, insurance is based on displacement--categories are 401-750, 751-1150, 1151+). Anyone got any advice? (no, of course not--not here!). The deal's not cast in stone yet... | ||
| Chainsaw  |
...you can always punch the 984 out to 1200cc if you need more power, maybe even cheaper than the difference in price. And your insurance company may never know the true displacement.  | ||
| Kaese  |
I think you would be happy with either, why not go for the cheaper. Does the 05XB9R have partially hard to keep clean white wheels? May want to throw the wheel color into the foray. | ||
| Geoffg |
Oh, well. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Thought I had a deal on a new 05--sounded really good, only a few bucks over the leftover 03 I was gonna buy. Of course, when I asked for the deal in writing (because it just sounded sooo good) the dealer 'discovered' he'd made a mistake, and in fact the price was gonna be even slightly higher than I'd been quoted elsewhere for it. So, I called back the place that has the 03, and it's gonna be mine... So, no quandary any more--a 9R it'll be. Can't ride till April or so anyway, what with living in snow country! | ||
| Tpoppa |
I love my 9s, both are great bikes. IMO I believe that the 9 motor will last longer than the 12 (faster piston speeds on the 12 due to longer stroke), others may disagree... | ||
| Fullpower  |
others may disagree... Tp, what road speed are you refering to where the piston speed of the 12 is higher than the nine? | ||
| Geoffg |
Fullpower, the piston speed is going to be faster on the 12 at any given rpm, compared to the 9 at that same rpm (the piston has to complete the full stroke in the same period of time--the 12 has a longer stroke, therefore it has to travel faster). How much effect that has on engine life I dunno--the longer stroke engines are running at lower rpm for any given road speed and gear combination. Honestly, I doubt anyone would see these things as longevity factors--compression ratio and all kinds of other factors (like ambient temperature and oil change frequency) are probably more important! | ||
| Brad_buell  |
I have a 9S and love it as well. You'll be happy with the 9R. Grab it while you can. You can always throw on the XB Race Kit for more power! | ||
| Maxima4xu2 |
ill stick to my 12r thank you i like beeing able to pretend i have a diesel between my legs :P | ||
| Coldwthrrider  |
Congrats Geoff, I don't think you'll be disappointed....except by the weather making you wait. | ||
| Tpoppa |
Fullpower--what Geoffg said. I mean piston speed within the cylinder. The stroke on a 9 is 3.125 inches, the stroke on the 12 is 3.812 inches. Even though the 9 revs higher the 12's pistons are moving faster. More piston travel = more heat and wear. Again, my opinion, others may disagree. But that's one reason I picked the 9. I am curious to see which motor lasts longer... | ||
| Whistle |
One thing to remember though is that at the same speed...say 55 mph or whatever (you will be riding on average at the same speed on either the 12 or the 9), the 9 will be at higher RPM's. As RPM's increase the speed the piston is traveling also increases. So lets say (I'm pulling numbers outta my ••• here...so don't jump down my throat!) you're going 55 mph. On the 12 you're doing 3000 RPM's, on the 9 you're doing 3500 rpm's. So given that you have a longer stroke and higher piston speed in the 12 (but lower RPM's), or you have the 9 with a shorter stroke, lower piston speed, BUT HIGHER RPM's, the piston is traveling about the same speed overall. Over a ten mile stretch at the same speeds a 12 will turn less RPM's over the same distance when compared to the 9. It's half a dozen of one, six of the other. They are both great motors, and you will be happy either way of course. I just got a 9 after only test riding a 12, and I love the bike. It's tons of fun! One of these days I will get around to calculating what the REAL piston speeds are for the two bikes and compare them and all that. the you guys will have some real numbers to look at. Until then, lean a lot, smile more and ride safe! later, Nick | ||
| Aldaytona  |
I have both, you'll be happy with either, but, why would you buy an 03 with NO warranty for a little less money than a 05 NEW XB with a full 2 YEAR warranty?  Why would anyone? | ||
| Geoffg |
Al, the dealership tells me they will give me 2 years warranty on the 03 (it is brand new, not used) and the money difference is significant enough (now that the dealer I had a verbal agreement on the 05 with has 'come clean') that I can get the 03 and insure it for less than the cost of the 05... Some of us are tight for cash, ya know! I'm going to get everything in writing before I hand over any money--that's how I discovered the price 'discrepancy' on the 05, when I insisted on getting the deal in writing (man, that frosts my apples--I'm a bit ticked with that dealership. We had verbally agreed on price and payments, I even called him back to confirm the deal, but when I said "Ok, just fax me those terms" he suddenly changed his tune). | ||
| Ted  |
Just make sure they have updated the 03 with the new kickstand and wheel bearings. I dont know if the bearings were a recall or not. | ||
| Steve_a |
I've recently been riding both a 2004 XB12S and a 2005 XB9SX CityX, and I was surprised by how much I liked the smaller bike. Everything else being equal, I tend to go for the more powerful machine, but there are important differences between the 9 and 12. Specifically, the 9 has a broader, smoother powerband, with more overrev -- you're less likely to bounce off the rev limiter with it, as torque is already falling when the limiter cuts in, giving you a natural shift cue. It's also smoother running, and the drivability provided by the 2005 fuel injection is superb -- though the 2005 12 is probably similar. With a lighter crank, the 9 also revs quicker, making it easier to match revs on downshifts and generally makes it feel quick and responsive. And then I like the CityX seat, hand guards and Pirelli tires enough I'm putting them on Cycle World's long-term 12. Given that the 9 is more than 2000 dollars cheaper than the 12, it makes it hard to justify the 12 -- but I still like that mid-range torque hit and the way it wheelies out of first gear corners when you stand it up quickly while accelerating. It's actually a tough call, and I'm not sure which way I'd go if I were putting my own money down. Erik Buell describes the difference as the choice between a big-block/small-block Chevy. They both have their advantages, and the choice is by no means clear-cut. | ||
| Cataract2 |
I currently have an XB9SX. When I was shopping for the Buell I really wanted to get the XB12R. Still do. What it came down to was my insurance would stay the same on the 9SX and the price was right. I find the 9 to have good power across the board and it is far more comfortable over long riding periods. I'll still get the 12 some time in the future. | ||
| Flick  |
Piston speed - schmiston speed! On the roads around where Geoffg lives, he'll be running into the rev limiter on every short straight before every sharp curve! Whether he's on a 9 or a 12! Lucky stiff!  - me green with envy! | ||
| Ingemar  |
I'm a bit ticked with that dealership. Talk to Dave Stueve. I'm sure he can help you better. | ||
| Bake |
I just bought a new 03/XB9R a few weeks ago and they included the 2 year warranty as well as promised to not start the countdown until I insure the bike in the spring. | ||
| Lpowel02  |
I have an '03 9R and I LOVE IT!! you won't regret buying it one bit...welcome to the club/habit/sickness... | ||
| Geoffg |
Ingemar, I'd talk to SteveS, but he's just a bit too far away (and in the wrong country)--and besides, I kinda like supporting my (somewhat) local dealer if I can. I'll sure be talking to him about parts, though, if the local guys can't get something in time and within budget. Ted & Bake, those are some of the things I'm getting in writing (all recalls done, two years warranty, etc). Flick, sounds like you know whereabouts I live (I see a lot of Alberta plates on bikes here in summer)--the local roads are one of the main reasons I'm sold on the Buell. I think it has the perfect character for this area, where handling is more important than straight-out speed. | ||
| Bake |
Geoffg, you live just a little south of me... I wonder who your local dealer is and what recalls there are for the 03. I just paid $9k for mine excluding taxes in Kamloops, care to let us in on the pricing there? | ||
| Geoffg |
Bake, hope you didn't buy mine! I've been dealing with the guys in Kamloops. I thought they only had the one 03 9R in stock--but I was dealing with Pete on this just two days ago. Other dealers I've talked to are in Vancouver, Langley, and two in Alberta. My closest dealer is Cranbrook, but they don't seem keen on Buell nor keen to deal. Whereabouts are you? There's only one other Buell in my area, a tuber...I've seen very few Buells on the roads here! | ||
| 12bolt  |
You guys should look into the Dealer here in Portland. They have a large selection with knowledgeable sales people. | ||
| Court |
>>>I like the CityX seat, hand guards Steve: I too am starting to do some seat time on an XB9SX and found one of the first imprssions I had was "hey, I like these handguards". I consider them, given that Buell sent the bike the day before temps plumeted and will doubtless want it back the day before spring arrives, my one chance to do some actual riding in the artic NE. You also make a good point about the price. My little webatribes the coming week, about the XB9SX, will be on "value" and "quality". For here in THE CITY, the City Crosser is looking good. Court | ||
| Daves |
Ingemar, Thanks for the plug but I checked into it and I am not "allowed" to sell Buells to riders in other countries. Parts yes, no problem. | ||
| Geoffg |
I've also investigated importation, and it can be a bit of a hassle (not to say expensive). I think I'm better off buying a bike here in Canada... | ||
| Bake |
Revelstoke BC here Geoffg. I find this all a little suprising too as I thought mine (which I paid for in full 3 weeks ago) was the last of their old stock. Mine is white, but I left it there for them to store over the winter for me. I dealt with Pete on this bike. They had a blue 03 XB9R (used 7,000k) for $7k that I looked at but.... It had a well used front tire and a new rear tire, I thought it was possibly raced or abused to wear out the tires that quick (they were not positive it wasn't raced) Came with a 90 day warranty) It had a tick in 1 lifter I didn't like, their mechanic first told me it would go away after it was warm (which it didn't)... then tried to tell me all sportster engines made that noise and that was normal tire wear for this bike. My girlfriend (who ride a sporty was there so I asked her in front of the mechanic if hers ticked.... she said no. I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling from the mechanic. I had them fire up the new bike and it sounded much better, plus for an extra $2k I got a brand new bike with full warranty. I wonder what bike you are dealing on there? Pete was excellent to deal with, the mechanic should have stepped back a few paces as far as I am concerned. bake | ||
| Reepicheep  |
For an 03 9r, 7k on a front is doing pretty well actually. Thats *really* soft rubber. | ||
| Tnthumper |
Hello everyone.Am currently riding an '05 Blast and am thinking of giving it to the wife in the spring and stepping up to the Lightning 12scg due to my being kind of short.First if you're worried about engine wear and temps check out www.microlon.com and check out some of the tests on diesel and gas and aircraft engines.In particular the test by Detroit diesel where after treating engine they ran for 2.5 hrs with NO oil in crankcase and saw temp only rise by 3 degrees and still be under what it was stock.I have treated my pickup and have seen close to a 7% gain in fuel economy but that is normal driving can also get power increase. Now i want to know if anyone here has a cg Lightning and if anyone has been to east TN to ride the dragon.And Blade Trinity has a couple of Buells in it.Hope everyone has a merry Christmas. | ||
| Flick |
Geoffg...yep, been traveling out to your parts for about 20 years now. We camp at Silverton every summer and burn up the tarmac around there. I particularly love roads like Creston to Balfour, Faquier to Cherryville, Hwy 33 south of Kelowna, New Denver to Kaslo, Silverton to Slocan. Of all the bikes I've ridden out there, the Buell is definitely the most satisfying. Permanent grins for two weeks! Hope you and Bake haven't purchased the same machine!?!? You'll have to divide up the week so you each get a few days to ride it! Mind you, you can split maintenance and parts expenses... | ||
| Kaese |
Had some experience with cg with kart engines. Sure it made them perform better, but I noticed the longevity take a big nose dive. If you have an unlimited source of funds, by all means take the plunge. You will be among the front runners on raceday. | ||
| Blake |
 What kind of "cg" are you talking about? Geoff is talking about the XB9Scg, the slightly lowered version of the Buell Lightning. Those oil additives are ALL bunk. And that is an expert opinion. Seriously though, there is one way to decrease frictional losses in a hydrodynamic lubricant, which is the type of lubrication engines use. That is to reduce the viscosity of the lubricant. Do so at your own peril. Reducing viscosity in turn reduces the thickness of the hydrodynamic film. Detroit Diesel did the testing? Doubtful. | ||
| Tpoppa |
I used to work for Quaker State the parent company of Slick 50. Those additives are NOT what they are cracked up to be (another expert opinion). The Federal Trade Commission didn't think so either... |
