| Author | Message | ||
     The_stever |
I'm interested in purchasing a 2003 XB9R Firebolt, and was wondering what the reliability issues were with this bike. On several other forums there is great discussion surrounding breakdowns and the like. One forum discussed how a few of XB9R owners went through a couple of belts in as many months. Were they breaking because the bikes were being ridden hard and pushed to perform? Does anybody know of any other things prematurely malfunctioning on these bikes? Also, what is the typical cost/year to operate this bike (oil changes, etc....) if I do the work myself? Thank you! | ||
| Glitch |
Stever, where in the world are you getting your information. Yes the first belts were short on life, but that's no longer an issue with the better Gates belt. My best friend had well over 27thousand miles on his XB9R. Original belt up to 24thousand miles. These weren't babied miles either, he rode that bike HARD it's whole life. Too bad he found out it wasn't as tough as the car that hit him. If you want the bike buy the bike. Where are you? | ||
| Ted |
obviously depends on your mileage. an oil & filter change might be $18..X 3 changes (?) Your biggest expense would be replacement tires. (use the search function for tons of tire advise ) | ||
| Lovematt |
I have over 11,000 miles on my 2003 XB9R with very few problems...spark plug wire had to be replaced for $3.50 and Speedo Sensor replaced under warranty for $0.00. I also have a 2003 SV1000S that developed a frigging knock after only 4000 miles! Needless to say I will be promptly selling that once the warranty work is done and sticking with the Buell from now on. Besides emotionally my heart is with the Buell...it was as soon as I got it and I already had the SV at the time...11,000 miles on the Buell and 4,000 on the SV..there is a reason for that! If you did the work yourself and rode say 10,000 miles a year (as I do mostly), my total cost has been about $200 (gaskets, oil, filters, spark plugs, plug wires, o-rings). I changed the engine oil/primary at 500 miles, 1000 miles, 2500 miles, and then every 2500 after that. Otherwise the belt has to be replaced every 15,000 miles (~150) and the fork oil should be replaced periodically (~20,000 miles or less if desired). | ||
| Lpowel02 |
highly recommend it...my 2003 XB9R is awesome and super reliable. costs/effort for oil changes and the like are minimal | ||
| Lpd22 |
Get it. I love my 2003 xb9r. The good things about the bike outweigh the minor problems(if any problems at all) 100:1. | ||
| Cyko_bob |
Stever Watching the posts, the clutch cable seems to be a weak point also. Some mention it breaking at the clutch lever about 10,000 miles. That might be a maintenance problem of lubing also. I am sure it depends on usage though...lots of city miles versus touring (read that as clutch lever usage. I will be watching my cable for fraying. I am overseas, so I stocked up on what I thought might go wrong/need replacing so I am not sidelined long. I have extra tires, a clutch cable, lots of oil filters, an extra air cleaner (and a K&N...just clean periodically) an extra belt (improved version), spark plugs and spark plug wires (plan to replace every time I replace the plugs). I have some hard miles on my bike over here, but except for replacing the tires I have had zero problems. If the stock belt lasts to 15K I will replace it before it breaks...during one of my rear tire changes. Otherwise, ride it like you stole it! Cyko Bob  | ||
| Shawn_9r |
stever... I have a 03 xb9r. The biggest expense I have is taking my wife places because she can't put a smile on my face like my bike does. Routine maintenance (if you do at the times the manual say) is minimal. Get it you will NEVER regret it. Shawn | ||
| Cataract2 |
05 XB9SX with 4200 miles on it. 0 problems. | ||
| Geoffg |
Lovematt, glad to hear your comparison of the XB9R with the SV1000S. I rode an SV1000S last year, and it was about the only other bike I was considering (well, maybe a Superhawk). A buddy of mine bought one (SV) last fall. When I rode the SV, I was kept thinking that it reminded me of the XB I had ridden, only not as much fun... | ||
| Daves |
I have a 2003 that I just traded for. It is Battle Blue and only has 1100 miles on it. 6250.00 Dave | ||
| Lovematt |
Geoffg, Don't get me wrong...the SV1000S is a fun bike, good acceleration, decent turning, and would be a choice over an inline-4. An 11,000 redline is pretty good for the bike of this size with the torque curve of a V-Twin. It is this knock that kind of bugs me it would happen so soon...and I take care of my stuff well...first time I ever had anything like that happen. However I would have loved this bike when I was younger...the emotional aspect of a bike was not realized until about 10 years ago. Since then the sound of the Harley motor has spoken to me and lifted me except I will wanted to TURN. All during college I got the chance to try out an X1, M2, S1, and S2...they had the same spirit as the FatBoy but could TURN. They were only short rides but I was definitely hooked... | ||
| Reepicheep |
Stever, note some of the details in this thread, they speak volumes. There were to "sort of" legit issues raised here, belt breakage and speedo sensor failures. Note *both* parts are upgraded were you to order a new part from your dealer today. Note that the belt system has further been completely revised on the 05 models. With the chronic belt breakage, there were a couple of contributing factors that made the problem to a large degree (but not totally) self inflicted. First, many of the initial belt failures were the result of people removing the belt guards for cosmetic reasons. Buell put them there for a reason, remove them if you want (you are an adult) but then don't whine when the belt gets FOD damage. The compounding factor on that was a RTFM issue. Mechanics and home installers failed to "believe" the threats about how to handle the belt while installing. The original, due to its construction, could be very easily damaged by mishandling, and frequently was. The tubers had some reliability issues, but are absolutely worth the trouble. The XB's are some of the most reliable bikes built today. Several here with 30k plus miles on the engine, and far fewer problems then I had with, for example, my previous yamaha had at 18k miles. (Message edited by reepicheep on February 26, 2005) |
