| Author | Message | ||
     Barker |
http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=376 4146&fSectionId=1566&fSetId=381 Buell XB12S Lightning: Flawed genius April 3, 2007 By Tim Luckhurst Specifications Engine: 1203cc air/fan/oil-cooled V-twin. Maximum power: 74kW at 6600rpm. Maximum torque: 110Nm at 6000rpm. Brakes: Front 375mm rotor, rear 240mm rotor. Transmission: Five-speed gearbox, belt final drive. Dry weight: 179kg. Seat height: 765mm. Fuel capacity: 14 litres. Price: £7795 (about R111 000). SA price R100 000. Erik Buell is a flawed genius. This motorcycle proves it. The 2007 XB12S Lightning (a revised, updated version of the bike motoring Treated roughly, this motorcycle lifts its front wheel .co.za reviewed in December 2003) is as practical as chocolate lingerie and about as entertaining. On first encountering it, I thought the delivery van had dropped off the wrong bike - it doesn't look big enough to have a 1203cc engine. It seemed more like a 250cc street bike than a 74kW monster parked beside my beloved Triumph Sprint. Then I switched it on and, after a whine from the fuel pump, the huge 45-degree V-twin throbbed into action and neighbours' dogs barked. At standstill, the noise is sumptuous, but the bike vibrates like a pneumatic drill. Adjusting the mirrors prior to take off, I nearly gave up. They were shaking so violently I could not tell whether they were correctly positioned. But this vibration at tickover is more of an eccentricity than a problem The bike feels raw, uncivilised and, frankly, a bit intimidating until you've got the hang of it . It stops as soon as you start to move. Above 2000rpm this big, brutal torque-mountain of an engine pulls smoothly and the pulsating world in the mirrors comes sharply into focus. Then you notice just how hard that engine is pulling. Treated roughly, this motorcycle lifts its front wheel. It stops almost as fast. The big rim-mounted front brake rotor is powerful enough to lift the rear wheel (Check how Craig Jones does it on a Buell!). In expert hands, the Lightning can do a fair impression of a powered unicycle. But I do not recommend trying it on British roads. Our police can be inflexible about such things. Antics that Italian carabinieri applaud are likely to result in prosecution. This is a shame when playing with something as fundamentally frolicsome as the Buell Lightning. This is the motorcycling equivalent of a mustang, those wild horses of the American Plains that the first cowboys took as their mounts. Getting used to a Lightning is not a million miles from breaking a bucking bronco. Giggle inside your helmet The bike feels raw, uncivilised and, frankly, a bit intimidating until you've got the hang of it. Then 20km later it has you giggling inside your helmet and marvelling at just how much fun urban riding can be. I say urban because this is not a freeway motorcycle. It's more than quick enough, surging through 210km/h with power to spare, but the rider is totally exposed. The wide, flat handlebars, which feel so good in tight bends, start to jerk and pull like a fish on a hook. That tiny little screen in front of the instruments protects the instruments, not you. But this motorcycle wasn't built to travel in straight lines. It's a curve-king with an exceptionally short wheelbase, a steep 21-degree fork angle and a big, strong aluminium frame. All this is augmented by Buell's obsession: mass centralisation. Fuel is carried in the frame, not the translucent tank-shaped thing between the rider and the handlebars. The swingarm doubles as oil reservoir and the exhaust is below the engine. As agile as a gymnast The end product is a motorcycle that, though heavy, has the agility of a gymnast and tracks through bends like a car on a rollercoaster. Jousting with buses, taxis and delivery vans has rarely been as rewarding. Blasting and leaning through tight, undulating bends was a joy. This big twin has the handling to outpace anything on four wheels and many things on two. It is, of course, Harley-Davidson derived, pushrod technology pushed to the maximum. But its torque band is immensely broad and a clever exhaust system maximises performance. Japanese four-cylinder engines and British triples achieve more power from less capacity but the Buell seethes with the grunt required for short-range fun. Treat it firmly The worst thing is the five-speed gearbox; it works noisily, clunkily and occasionally imprecisely. The solution is to treat it firmly - you don't soothe the Lightning into first or cajole it into second. A good kick works better. Get used to that and the noises that accompany the shift out of neutral cease to cause concern. I couldn't afford to own a Lightning as my only motorcycle - but it's tempting as a luxury for high-speed acrobatics. Potential purchasers should compare it with naked steeds such as the Triumph Speed Triple, Ducati Monster S4R, Moto Guzzi Griso and BMW K1200R. Finally, the look: you love or hate Buells. I'm a fan. The exposed frame, swingarm and colour co-ordinated aluminium wheels are charismatic. So is the ventilated silver tailplate If you want to be daringly different, the Lightning invites inspection - particularly in translucent Cherry red. - The Independent, London | ||
| Thespive |
Great review, what an awesome writer. --Sean |
