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Dave_02_1200
| | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 08:04 am: | 
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When the Z-1 came out in 1973 it was the newest and baddest hot rod available and in stock form it could beat a stock Sportster every time.
But there were built Sportsters that were faster than a stock Z-1. Big bore, hot cams, and stroker motors were fairly common where I grew up in the Midwest.
The main difference was that the Z-1 could go fast all day long and was as reliable and maintenance-free as a watch.
The really fast Sportsters had drawbacks: Their iron heads and cylinders would overheat on a long fast ride and their highly-stressed motors had to be rebuilt fairly often.
The cool thing about the Buell Thunderstorm motor is that it makes lots of power, is easy to live with, and it is reliable.
Development has made the Sportster motor much better in every way.
Now, before we get too complacent about that, look at and compare what development has done for the old Kawasaki inline four:
The new ZX-14 is one of the fastest, most powerful motorcycles ever offered for sale to the public.
Development has been good for all of us but don't try to drag race a stock Buell against a stock ZX-14 unless you want to repeat history. |
Rotzaruck
| | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 09:17 am: |
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Though I haven't had much ride time on it , my M2 seems to have some indescribable feeling kind of thing that is ....well...hard to describe. It reminds me of that old built big block chevy feeling with more fresh air.
My old '73 Z1 and my M2 and my XB9 are very similar in one respect.
They will all go faster than I will.
Rotzaruck!! |
Dave_02_1200
| | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 10:07 am: |
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You have identified the best thing about the M-2. Not its outright speed, but something more subtle and far more important.
It simply feels good to ride it.
The motor has torque, a nice sound, and it seems "mechanical" is a way that many other bikes just can't match.
It definitely rates at the top in terms of "smiles per mile" and that is what it is all about from my point of view.
I love my M-2!
Cheers,
Dave |
Sgt_hollywood
| | Posted on Monday, April 28, 2008 - 01:51 pm: |
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Best all around bike I've owned and sold (used to work at dealership). Will you win in a straight line race? Probably not. But it'll be fun to 100 or that red light. In the twisties it can hang with the best of them. It's a bike that allows for several riding styles though out a single days ride. I'm 5'11" 195lbs and can still tuck and hang as well as just sit and cruise. Will it wheelie? Sure. Will it stoppie? Sure. But why? This bike was made to have both wheels chewing up the pavement. Not to mention, the carnage a mishap can cause.
The simplicity of its engineering makes it a breeze to work and tweak out. Put an intake, pipe & jet kit an it and revel in the thunderous applause of the twin engine.
I would say to look for an 01' or 02' since they were the last revisions and had several kinks worked out.
Plus it's so nice pulling up to a parking spot or light and not see 30 clones of your bike.
Not selling my 01 M2L. No way. |
Djkaplan
| | Posted on Monday, April 28, 2008 - 02:10 pm: |
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"I rode bitch on the back of a friends then new kz900 z1- whatever -might have been a '74 It went an indicated 140mph ( I was 19 years old then; you would not catch me doing that now ) My M2 won't go 140 TT 139 maybe."
Not one magazine that ever tested the Z1/KZ900 throughout the 70's ever got one to go over a true 130mph.
99-02 M2's have the same 6800rpm ignition limited top speed speed as the injected X1 and S3 Buells. It just takes them longer to get there with the milder cams.
Even a stock, out-of-the-box 99-02 M2 can hit it's rev limiter in 5th gear. |
Igneroid
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2008 - 10:00 pm: |
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Yesterday, while I was parking the Cyclone at the post office, this old guy(Im 53 so this guy was really old) comes up to me and says,
"Thats a Sportster engine aint it??" I go "yup". He said "Did you build that bike yourself?? My god it is gorgeous." He had never heard of a Buell but he made my day. I thanked him and told him it was a production bike. He just stood there and looked at it for a long time. If I coulda afforded it, Ida bought him one... |
Cbm2
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2008 - 11:34 pm: |
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My buddy just bought a new 07 CBR1000RR all decked out and we brought it to his mom's house so she could look at it and everyone immediately went over by my Buell and says how much they liked it and didn't even pay any attention to his brand new bike. I thought that was pretty funny. |
Dwardo
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 - 09:18 am: |
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When my buddy finally got a H-D Fat Boy, I was still riding my Norton as my everyday bike. I told him that no matter where we went everybody was gonna look at my bike and ignore his. Sure enough, that's what happens. Now when we ride and I use my M2, the same thing happens, just not to the same extent. Poor guy spent all that money to be ignored. Hee hee! Another time I parked my 1954 Hudson Super Wasp outside a liquor store while I ducked in for a 6-pack. When I came out there was a really old guy (I'm 53 too, so he was really old) walking around the car and staring at it. He said "I couldn't afford one then and I can't afford one now". |
Jayvee
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 - 02:34 pm: |
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Had a guy at work last week come up to me in the parking lot, he thought I had a custom-made bike too, never heard of a Buell, but recognized the Sportster engine.
Where have these people been? It's 25 years now!
Anyway, I talked his ear off about it, and he said he will start looking at Craigslist now. Really hard to believe for how little $ one can get an M2 now. |
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