| Author | Message | ||
     2dflyer |
Since the XB's came out I've haven't really considered a tuber but this M2 caught my eye. I always thought the M2 was the best of the tubers and one of the best looking bikes going. I really don't think I'm gonna have the dosh for an XB this time around. 20K miles and and hour and a half from home. Even if well maintained the 20K part is a bit concerning. I don't turn more than 2500 miles a year but is this a lot to start with? http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/2002-BUELL -M2-CYCLONE-93739115  | ||
| Sstlouisjak |
I myself don't know the answer to your 20 k question...But it is one sweet bike...I just got an 01 M2 that is the same volcano grey/ mine has a black frame...I like the orange... I'm sure happy with my bike. That would be a tough call... | ||
| Brinnutz |
Same colors as mine, only mine has the PM wheels... Never did like the orange wheels...but that's me... | ||
| Mick |
20K 's not that much, as long as the bikes been looked after, some bikes over this way have done 50K before a top end job | ||
| 2dflyer |
I'd read another thread where someone had talked about cams and a couple of other things on 15k bike which is why I asked. Anyone know the differences between the XB and tuber motors - other than cooling fans etc? | ||
| Kilroy |
20k is nothing for a well maintained one of these engines. These can easily reach 100k before overhaul, if taken care of. There will be small issues (like gasket leaks) if the stock ones are still in there, but these fixes are easy. | ||
| Brinnutz |
2d, that's probably my thread. My bike runs, but I've ridden it hard.... I just wanted to replace the cams because of the power range shift with the X1 cams compared to M2 cams. | ||
| Zac4mac |
I wouldn't be put off by 20k if they were "taken care of" miles. My 1125R is 14 mos old with 15.3k on the Odo. She is still "very sweet". My 2¢ Getting ready for a trip into the hills, it's supposed to be almost 70 today!!!! Z <edit> Sharp M2 BTW... (Message edited by zac4mac on February 05, 2009) | ||
| Hippyjoe |
This one is the prettiest of the Cyclones imo, and here you will often find a lot of emotional responses as to why the tubers are great. This particular bike is priced about $800 above an "average" deal these days for an M2. Considering the mileage, it is priced about $1500 above a "screaming deal." I saw some bikes for sale here in the classifieds in the NC/SC area, you should shop around. You mention money keeping you off an XB, well they are going in the 5k range these days, so ~4k for a high-mileage Cyclone doesn't make a lot of economic sense in your case. At 20k it will need things like drive belt, front and rear isolators, intake seals... if they haven't been done recently. The parts are expensive enough, the labor requires either mechanical skill and adequate tools, or else money to pay a mechanic. I personally wouldn't buy a bike if I couldn't grill the p.o. personally, how high the rpm's were turned, was it ever dropped. These 2 things can cause grief in the top end and transmission. Also at 20k, all motors prior to 04 I believe have the potential for oil pump drive gear interface issues. All Cyclones have the further potential for cam lobe wear. Neither of these issues is numerically high risk, but the chance is there. Dig way back in the KV and you will see some horror stories of exploded gears and failed cams. This is all just my opinion of course. You should ride any bike you're considering, as they all have different riding traits across the various model lines. Again, a quick search of the OS forum will show several debates of the different tube frame bikes. | ||
| Brinnutz |
Oh, and with that color scheme, you'll pay more...it's a bit harder to come by. | ||
| Lovedabueller |
hey brin... with the cam swap you are doing....do the x1's rev higher than the m2's if so. are you changing the rev. limit. just curious. thread link if already posted? | ||
| Brinnutz |
they don't rev higher. They shift the HP and Torque bands higher... M2 has lower curve, X1 has higher..know what I'm saying? I'm not doing it now. got backed out on the deal cuz they got wet or something..so i'm sad. | ||
| Outdoors |
Take your time buying. There are lots of low mileage, beautiful condition Buells out there. If you have the cash on hand and do some looking you can find exactly what you want. I don't think the 20000 miles should totally deter you if you believe the seller took good care of the bike however that price is somewhat high if taking a chance. If however you really wanted that color combination and bike, you could drive it a few years and it really isn't losing much value. Do some research and be sure of your purchase so that selling it again will not even be a concern. Ride safe. | ||
| F_skinner |
Allen, looks like everyone has good advice. Only you can decide what to do but I did want to comment on one thing. 20K miles on a 6 to 7 year old bike is NOT a lot of miles. I do not know when the bike market started to become concerned with miles to the extreme as the used car market but that is less than 4K a year. I put at least 5K a year on all four of my bikes. These motors can last 100K without a rebuild and when they do need a rebuild they are easy to do. No matter if it has a "lot" of miles or just two miles, a bike made in 2001 or 2002 is going to need some TLC. You will probably want to check/replace parts from dry rot, regular use, rust or abuse. This includes isolators, belt, tires, brake pads etc. I think it is a matter of your comfort level of working on bikes. If you are not comfortable on working on a tube framed classic then hold out for XB. The tubers are easy to work on even by a geek like me. The XBs are some of the best bikes to hold a V-twin as far as maintenance goes. If the bike is in good shape and the previous owner took care of it (check the brake pads, isolators, bearings etc) and never down (check the ends of the brake and clutch lever and turn signals) and if it is in great condition it, in my opinion is worth 3.5 to 4.5K. That color combo is also one of the best to ever come out of Buell. The M2 is the do everything bike. You can commute, tour, hit the twisties and all the time be on a great looking classic. If you are able to ride it before hand then do it but be warned, you may get hooked. My 2 cents. Good luck | ||
| Rex |
I have a 97 M2 and it has 45,000 miles on it. I love mine. REX  | ||
| Lovedabueller |
rex who made that seat. it is NICE. brin. i get what your saying. thanks. | ||
| Rex |
Corbin made the seat. I did the drive in, they design it for you while you wait, then you drive away with it. I told them what I wanted and they built it for me. they mail the original seat back to your house. REX | ||
| 2dflyer |
Excellent stuff guys. Thank you. Knowing there's plenty of life left in a motor that's been taken care of is what I needed to know. Is there a thread out there describing motor improvements since '02? My first yeha Buell experience was a an hour on a '00 or so X1 about 5 years ago. I've been hooked since. I can handle most of the mechanical stuff without too many left over parts. The hard part for me is the time to do it. Hippyjoe - I'm outside Raleigh. There's a blue '02 in Beaufort in Cycle Trader with about 9K on the clock. That's about 5 hours from here. | ||
| Lovedabueller |
so thats like a thousand dollar seat? lol | ||
| Sstlouisjak |
This is my 01 M2L... I bought her last December 15th... She had 797 miles on her...I give $ 2500.oo cash for her. I rode her home in the freezing cold, smiling all the way. I pulled over at this spot to take this picture when she turned over 1797 miles.. Had a blast riding her today ...Got some awesome pictures too...She has 1805 miles on her now...  | ||
| Sstlouisjak |
I hate resizing pictures...Lets see if this is better...  | ||
| 2dflyer |
This is my 01 M2L... I bought her last December 15th... She had 797 miles on her...I give $ 2500.oo cash for her. NFW! Does she have a sister? | ||
| Hippyjoe |
Is there a thread out there describing motor improvements since '02? Yeah it would be in the XB forum, lol. Hippyjoe - I'm outside Raleigh. There's a blue '02 in Beaufort in Cycle Trader with about 9K on the clock. That's about 5 hours from here. What do they want for it? The guy who got his 01 for 2500 bucks... these deals do come along from time to time, it's all about being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes you have to be willing to travel. On the tubers, a cheap price might cost you more in the long run to update or repair, depending on previous maintenance. You should be up on your model years and what to look for, so when a deal pops up you can move on it. Here are a couple from the classifieds near you. 04 XB9, 7700 miles, $3600. Being an 04 you won't have to worry about the oil pump drive gear. Well worth the trip to Fl. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/ 432684.html?1233610249 03 XB9 in KY, $3500: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/ 432527.html?1233330337 White Stripe X1, MD, $4000, 12k miles: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/ 430595.html?1232941869 99 M2, Charlotte NC, $3800, 4300 miles: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/ 408995.html?1229706462 Looks like the other bike in Carolina sold already. The market is back up a little on the tubers since November/December, but it fluctuates. Any of these bikes should be up for a 2-state ride to Raleigh. Also imo a Harley rider should have brass balls anyway, so riding a bike across 2 states in February is a good way to verify that, lol. | ||
| 2dflyer |
Is there a thread out there describing motor improvements since '02? Yeah it would be in the XB forum, lol. I just spent the last 3 hours reading one string of threads and didn't cover half what's out there. I never knew tubers were such a passionate bunch. One of the more interesting opinions said to get a bike that had at least 10K on it so it would likely be shook out. Hippyjoe - I'm outside Raleigh. There's a blue '02 in Beaufort in Cycle Trader with about 9K on the clock. That's about 5 hours from here. What do they want for it? It's up for $4200 but the ad says the owner is getting ready to deploy so maybe more motivated? Dunno but that Volcano Gray / Blazing Orange is talking to me. I never thought I'd struggle over an XB / tuber decision but a lot of the tuber opinions hit home. Of course I'm a lot more conflicted than simply deciding between those two. From one day to the next I go from a KLR650 to a Thruxton to a cheap 600 just to get back riding right back to the Ss that I'd love to have but can't afford. I don't know about a brass set, but a couple of states isn't too far to go for the right bike. My wife knows I'm out of my mind. Just hope I'm not ready to sell by the time I get home. | ||
| Bad_karma |
Allen good info here, I would like to add that close attention needs to be paid to the rear shock. Look for leaks or pogo rear suspension. It wouldn't stop me from buying the bike, neither would the mileage. But budget between $650 to $1200 if the shock needs attention. Good luck Joe | ||
| Hippyjoe |
I just spent the last 3 hours reading one string of threads and didn't cover half what's out there. You could dig around on this board for 3 months and maybe know about half of what is "out there" ...on your particular bike. The other half you invariably learn on your own, usually in your garage in a puddle of oil. Basically with a tuber there are 2 kinds of mechanical categories you need to consider. The first is the "replace it now" category, which affects bikes coming up on 15k or so miles, based on previous owners' experience, which you find by digging around here and in the KV. Keep in mind that these things are usually handled by factory updates, 02 being the most sorted out and then descending by year, with each previous year back to '98 basically there's another thing or two that should be updated. The other category isn't covered by updates or else isn't going to leave you stranded, at least until you get around 30k miles. They also typically involve a little more mechanical digging, i.e. not pure "bolt-on" fixes. For these the KV is usually the best place to look. Just hope I'm not ready to sell by the time I get home. It sounds like you really need to start riding before you buy. Maybe find a bike shop nearby selling old buells and at least sit on them, try to ride. If you liked that X1 you rode then you will probably like the M2 as well, the Cyclone is a little less aggressive. But budget between $650 to $1200 if the shock needs attention. That is what a new shock costs, or a race shock. Keep in mind you can score a used update for around 150, although it's a roll of the dice. Buells are largely driven by emotional decisions, which can be expensive, but sometimes you get lucky. They are basically good bikes and a lot comes down to previous maintenance. A good thing about the M2 is that a lot of older guys bought them new, and a lot of those old farts took pretty good care of their bikes. X1s tend to get thrashed by the younger set. Plus they usually cost more, maybe the testosterone factor, but they came in some cool colors. Just my .01. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
2002 M2 is my favorite ride and I have some options. I'm going to be getting rid of a tuber in the very near future if anyone's interested in a 2002 M2. (have no fear my tuber brethren as I'll still have a tuber  ) | ||
| Rex |
no, not a thousand dollar seat from corbin. they charged the same thing that you would pay for a normal seat, plus they have a 50's restaurant by the plant. You ride the bike in, they give you your own tech that is going to make the seat. You sit there in the restaurant and watch them work on the seat. they come in and get you , periodically and have you sit on it, pick out the material , etc. Plus they give you a free meal from the restaurant while you are there. You drive out of the plant the same day, with your new seat. really cool. rex | ||
| 2dflyer |
Just hope I'm not ready to sell by the time I get home. It sounds like you really need to start riding before you buy. Maybe find a bike shop nearby selling old buells and at least sit on them, try to ride. If you liked that X1 you rode then you will probably like the M2 as well, the Cyclone is a little less aggressive. What I meant here is I have very short attention span. I get tired of a bike soon as the novelty wears off and am always looking to knock another one off the short list. Part of the reason I'm not riding right now is it got to the point where I couldn't be satisfied with a bike for more than a few months. It got to be more about the bike than the ride. A two state hop is about as many miles as I used to put on in 2 or 3 months so by the time I got home I'd be looking for the next bike. I don't have any doubts about a Buell. I've come close a couple of times but some other irresistible deal landed in my lap. I bathe in KoolAid but also want the next one to be a keeper. I really do not want a Buell to fall victim to my conflicted state and be another check in the box. BTW the .02 worth of advice here pays huge. Many thanks. 2002 M2 is my favorite ride and I have some options. I'm going to be getting rid of a tuber in the very near future if anyone's interested in a 2002 M2. Bigdaddy - Ping me if you get around to putting the M2 up. What part of NC are you in? Since I have a job today but who know about next month so I'm only really half ready. The Volcano/Orange one I was looking at on Cycle Trader in Greensboro sold. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
The neat thing about having a tuber is there is a lot that you can do to one, not only performance wise; but body and just general personality as well. Browse the KV and you'll see, so when you get bored it's easy to scratch the itch by making that mod that's been kicking around in the empty spaces of the mind. I can't leave my bike alone, every time I get it perfect, another little refinement to make to it bubbles up to the surface! Thread jack note to Rex: That Corbin plant sounds awesome! I'm now thinking of getting a Corbin seat, wonder when I can plan that... hmmmmmmm... |
