| Author | Message | ||
     Spiderman |
November is the ETA but... remember what happened with the XB9R. | ||
| Blake |
Seeing as how the XB9S is simply a cosmetic/superficial revision of the XB9R, I cannnot believe that it would be subject to the same risk of delayed release as a totally new model. I'd be surprised if XB9S's aren't in the show rooms within two months. Still, all this is pure rumor-mongering. Until something official comes from the factory, I'll reserve judgement. | ||
| Anonymous |
XB9S's will be shipping in September | ||
| Loki |
I truly would like to see one in september. Need to replace the M2 that is now missing in action. When the insurance co is done the settlement goes down on one. | ||
| Loki |
just had a really weird thought go through my noggin. Those two colors, the size of the bike, not the weight though. Might tend to make the mind wander. Back into the early eighties. Just need a pic of a RZ350 dressed in KR colors. Hmmmmm | ||
| Fasteddieb |
like this?  | ||
| Dynarider |
They had no XB9S's at the factory open house today. We looked & looked & asked questions but kept getting the old "nothing but prototypes are out there". We did see a couple boxes labeled XB9S but no damn bike. I was really hoping that it would be there. Otherwise all we had to look at were the Lil Bolt & the Blast. I really dont think you will see any delivered in sept. | ||
| Loki |
fasteddieb, On the right track, but the yellow/black KR specials. Dyna, don't rain on my parade, its all I got for now. | ||
| Fasteddieb |
Sorry, it's the only RZ I have! At least it's got the King's signature!! | ||
| Loki |
All those lil RZs' a good bikes. I have one on the shopping list for the future Thanks though. Bry | ||
| Snowdave |
Dyna I too was at the factory Open House, but got more encouraging news about the 9S. The 9R production line is at 40/day and they expect to crank that way up and also use it to produce the 9S. The planning to enable that is well under way and the changes between the 9S & 9R are minimal. However, even if they started building them tomorrow, at somewhere between 20-60/day it would still take a while for them to reach all the dealers. Did you also see the large amount of boxed 9R's ready to go out the door? Is that related to slow sales? | ||
| Dynarider |
I too saw all of the boxed up Bolts. I have heard from several people & even a couple dealers I have talked with that sales of the lil bolt are quite a bit below expectations. My own personal guess as to the reasons for this are as follows. #1. Its a first year model bike & people remember the problems Buell has had with brand new stuff..example the 99 X1's. #2. People who have not ridden one hear that the power is down from the tube frames, so they will most likely wait until Buell offers either a larger engine or at least more hp. #3. Price, for what the Lil bolt is it's overpriced. Buell is not that exclusive of a marquee where they can actually justify a $10,000 bike that will get trounced by a $7,000 competitor. #4. A severe lack of aftermarket parts availability. Buells are sold in such small numbers that a lot of the larger manufacturers of parts cannot justify producing parts for them. And if they did the prices would be astronomical. Of course we do have the Brand new performance inhancing Chrome heel guards for the lil bolt. And everyone thought the axle covers were stupid  | ||
| Mikej |
You guys must have had a different tour guide. I asked when the "S" would hit the assembly line and he just said he can't say then quickly changed the subject. I did see some interesting things back in the COV area, but we were told we couldn't go back there. Bummer. | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
I spent a few mintues speaking with Erik regarding the XB9S. He seemed genuinely disappointed that they couldn't have a 9S on display. It seems the people at the mother company won't allow him to show the bike before it hits the dealers  . However, he did indicated that we may be seeing them at our local dealers by September. Also, one of the tour guides made a brief mention that they've already started production. | ||
| Raymaines |
That's kind of funny. Look what I found on the ATC board. "don't expect to see the XB9S--even for press demos--before September" | ||
| Blake |
Ray, Same statement, one positively slanted the other with a negative tone... The statement that XB9S's "may" hit the dealers "by September", I take to mean "sometime IN September," and "Don't expect to see the XB9S--even for press demos--before September" I take to mean "not in August but maybe in September." Neither statement contradicts the other; same statement, two different presentations. | ||
| Dynarider |
Mike, our tour guide who is the head of the P&A division point blank told us "no XB9S's have been produced" only a couple of prototypes. She even went so far as to state that the official Buell site was not supposed to have posted the pics yet. Now I dont know who is yanking the chains around there, but ut's quite obvious you cant get a straight answer from anyone. And the crap about Erik being sorry they couldnt have one there, why not??? They were at the dealer show, hell Randell has been riding the damn things. I really, really, wanted to see that thing, instead we all got shot down. | ||
| Spike |
Just another pic of the XB9S without mirrors or license plate bracket:  Mike L. '99 Cyclone | ||
| Rick_A |
That rocks  | ||
| Roadrunr |
But it's still an XB9R without the wind protection and it has a little better seat.  So what makes it rock? Yes, it's still a nice looking bike but c'mon,I have an X1 I can take the wind screen off of and sell you an X1S. ..Same engine, same frame? I love my buell but this is not even looking outside the box! Hope Erik has something more to offer than this for the next production year. | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
Roadrunr: I'd have to disagree. It's like saying that the M2 & S3 are the same bike with differnt windscreens.okay, there are more "performance" differences but not much difference in "styling". Personally, I don't like the look of the 9R but I think the 9S looks AWESOME. It reminds me of a Cafe Racer style. Would I spend $10K for one? Probably not. I rather find a nice used S1W or buy a new Ducati Monster S4. In the meantime....I just keep on riding my 98 S3T and keep on smiling ever mile  Mennis | ||
| Rick_A |
Roadrunr...Your X1 is basically an S3 with different bodywork, higher pegs, and a different tail section. What were you thinking??? I'll keep working on the S1...  | ||
| Blake |
Gripegripegripepooopooopooo.   | ||
| Roadrunr |
Thats all fine and good guys, but there was what? 4 years that the X1 was rolling off the line? And all 4 yr's it was called an X1, and it was an X1. Not an X1b or an X1s. L.B. An M2 and an S3 don't look like the same bike. Totally different bodywork. I didn't say I did not like the 9R or the 9S, I just thought somthing bigger and better would surface this year like the XB12, even though the same bike, at least adding more HP would make it more attractive. | ||
| Roadrunr |
Rick_A: Could you send me a pic of one of those S3's that looks like an X1? | ||
| Rick_A |
huh??? When did I say there was such a thing? I'm saying they're very similar as well, not that they look the same. ...though I could show you one...there aren't many people that would wanna make an S3 that ugly ...and thanks for your input Blake  | ||
| Blake |
Rick, My comment was directed at RR. | ||
| Rd350 |
The dealer told me that Buell is stocking up on Firebolts. They are going to stop production for Sept. Oct. and Nov. In this time they are only going to make the lighting. Then in Dec. start up production on both bikes. That is probably why you guys saw so many Bolts in boxes at the factory. Also, I heard that they are dropping the Blue color on the Bolt for 2004 and making black,white and yellow for that year. This is what the dealer told me. Not sure if this is true. | ||
| Anonymous |
I had a chance to see an XB9S over the weekend. It was the Firebolt blue color, and was a cutaway engineering display model. Yes, it was an XB9S, not an XB9R. Can't wait until it actually comes out. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Our own Steve Anderson did a fantastic job with a writeup of the XB9S for the Oct. issue of Cycle world. Excellent writeup, and we got the cover! Great job Steve! The article seemed to have survived the editors nicely |
