| Author |
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Rick_A
| | Posted on Friday, October 18, 2002 - 11:20 pm: | 
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One thing is for sure...the kit bike streetfighter thrown together look will never be...as Buells are no longer cobbled together production kit bikes. What a shame. |
Rudebike
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 12:30 am: |
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The Buell isn't a kit bike. A schwinn bicycle unassembled in a box at christmas...That's a kit bike. |
Josh
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 12:34 am: |
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Buell did sell kit bikes at one time. Seems that was the only way to get them into Cali.
As I recall those 15? bikes back in '91 got funny VIN numbers as a result. |
Rick_A
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 08:39 am: |
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Well, they look the part...I don't think many would disagree with that. I actually like the tubers better in many respects. |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 09:06 am: |
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>>>>> the fuel in the frame go back ten years
Make that 14 years and we can avoid a nasty disagreement.
That design, I'll remind you as you enter your twilight years and your memory fades, was during the era when the Compaq desktop was being loaded in the trunk of the Audi and transported to the farm so Erik could continue to work AND babysit.
 |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 09:23 am: |
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A bit of clarification may be in order.
First of all, you have my vote on the "tube frames", I've been hooked, am hooked and will never be without one.
Now this "kit bike" thing. I'd agree with "kit bike" in the context that Buell were basically built from bought, as opposed to manufactured parts. Two countries, Japan and Italy, pretty much make up the universe of where parts come from. You can get, what is essentially a J.C. Whitney catalog, of parts from either of these countries. Note that the Buell controls on the 1998 S1 arre identical in all respects (well, techincally we did change the rocker kill switch to make "forward" run adn "backward" kill).
Fact is, unless you are dealing with tremendous volumes, you've no choice but to go this route or be a temporaru fixture (can you say Indian or Excelsior-Henderson) in the business.
Now, "kit bike" in the "slapped together" sense, I'd take exception to. The Buells are the result of careful, meticulous engineering, sophisticated testing, skilled sourcing and dedicated assembly.
Kit bike = bought parts, I'll go with.
Kit bike = Excalibut automobiles, no way.
With regards to "sophistication" I'll bump you on the nose and tell you that Erik Buell has never designed anything that was driven by sophistication.
He's frankly, kind of a dull, down to earth, "If we don't need it, why buy it" sort of a fellow.
Think for a moment. You've got this frame under you that's hollow and has tons of surface area. You've got this fuel you have to carry and the cooler you can keep it the better.
I listen to folks talk about "collsion exposure" and ask myself.."would I rather be on the XB with a frame that's been subjected to instantaneous impacts of up to 400G, has a triple clamp designed of variable density material that has been designed, tested and proven to yeild in a very well designed energy dissappating fashion and it's mounted to a head section made to, if the triple clamp would fail, give up it's head section without compromising the integrity of the fuel system. One of Buell's first research projects was weeks digging around in motorcycle salvage yards taking a close look at the 3/64" skins holding 5 gallons of fuel that the world had been mounting their nuts on and riding to crash scenes.
Bottom line, the fuel went in the frame because it was simpler and a better design. It freed up space to accomadate other better designs, reduced the number of parts ( a bit of an Erik Buell obsession) and WORKED. Erik designed it, in 1988, for another project and has been passionate about it for all those years as it continued to be studied, perfected and made suitable for use by humans.
Dave Gess can, having spent years and years, buying materials and facilitating Erik's ideas, speak to some of the systems issues as well.
Erik, frankly, is driven so steadfastly by function it's scary. He's a true "outside the boxer" which sometimes makes him look, perhaps, more sophisticated than he intends.
Court (wanna know what he thought up in 1989 and 1990? ) |
Ralph
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 09:47 am: |
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I have a feeling we'll be finding out in the next few years, Court.
bighairyralph |
Josh
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 12:20 pm: |
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> Note that the Buell controls on the 1998 S1 arre identical in all respects (well, techincally we did change the rocker kill switch to make "forward" run adn "backward" kill). ..
Hey Court,
Identical to what? |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 01:29 pm: |
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BRAIN FART: Identical to Ducati.
Only difference (they both come from C.E.V.) is that the Ducati kill switch is configured as backward = run and the Buell's switch is forward=run.
Made sense to me....I always do this silly pnuemonic.....forward switch = forward bike.
Josh....this getting to complicated? Need me to break this logic into it's component pieces?
By the way....smarty pants...when do you intend to break the news that you now own FOUR FRICKIN' BUELLS! I have your owner's manual and parts manual ready to mail.
Court (and update that profile before I fine you ) |
Davegess
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 04:57 pm: |
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Oh good now I get to argue with Court over the meaning of sophsiticated.
A Buell will never be complicated for the sake of complication but will be as complicated and intricate as need be to get the job done. Given a choice simpler will be the answer. But it will not be naive to the demands of the market and the performance needed.
The XB is simple and sophisticated in my mind. It is a much simpler design than say a Honda Inteceptor but is is also more sophisticated in the sense of being outside the box of conventional thinking
Dave |
Josh
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 05:42 pm: |
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>By the way....smarty pants...
I was holding off until it was in my garage. The deal's made, everyone's agreed & I pick it up Friday.... But it's not here yet so shhhh. 
oh, so does that mean 2 of the Team Elves members own 11 Buells? |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 06:14 pm: |
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>>>>so does that mean 2 of the Team Elves members own 11 Buells?
See here, Gear head......technically that's the way is SOUNDS.....as a matter of reality I consider two of them being held in custody for me
My seals are lipped...... |
Stormfool
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 09:30 pm: |
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Tubers--I like tubers--any kind of root really--and I'll root for tubers with a Hawg like snout if needed--fancy eyetalian extrusions are all right, too--but not at the expense of support for us tuber rooters--makes me kinda mistyeyed the way he ditched the tubes this year--all that development and then SEEEya--too much like the all the other manufacturers hustling out the NEW NEW NEW stuff--what about those of us that simply can't crank our carapaces around the NEW stuff--I guess Erik doesn't care about that...well good for him that he finally got to bring his 15/14 year dream to light--now stretch it a little bigger so us Biggger buggers can fit on it! |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:12 pm: |
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>>>>> the fuel in the frame go back ten years
Court : Make that 14 years and we can avoid a nasty disagreement.
Court, not to be to pedantic, but it's somewhere in the 1920's if memory serves
Rocket  |
Cyclone1
| | Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 11:31 pm: |
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I aqgree with Stormfool...I was VERY dissapointed to see all the tuber stuff (like that big ass tank bag and such..) go away after 3 months of buying a brand new tuber. Maybe I should have seen it coming? Naa, no way. I think that caught most all of us by surprise.
As far as the XB platform is concerned...I love every aspect of it...been in it, around it, and have ridden it several times BUT...us "fat ass tall guys" need more room  heehee (if you're offended by the fat ass comment, get over it )
Frank |
Stormfool
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 12:27 am: |
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Now that my X1 is running right I don't think I could trade for that XB9S (even though it fits me) the power band is narrow and I'd miss the grunt and presence of the bulkier lightning.
I even like the way the turn signals bounce around at idle! |
Rick_A
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 01:18 am: |
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I love the narrow dirtbike feel of the older tube framers...specifically S1's and M2's from '96-'98. Seeing I have some parts to replace, my baby will have that feel and look even more so! |
Rudebike
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 02:56 pm: |
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Cyclone1,
I am offended by your "fat-ass tall guys" remark. Even though I am not overweight and work out regularly, I am still highly offended.
FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY, MAN...WHY WOULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING!!!!
Naaa just kidding...
LONG LIVE THE TUBERS!!!! |
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