| Author | Message | ||
     Whistle |
Hi my name is Nick and I am addicted to motorcycles. This is my first post to Badweb, but I've been checking this place out since the spring. I've got to say of all of the different boards I've been on, I really like this one! Ya'll are very intelligent, friendly and OBVIOUSLY passionate about bikes. This place really feels cozy and inviting, so thanks to all of you who make that possible. I'll give you guys a little of my background before I move on to some questions that I have...I'm 24 a mechanical engineer graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park in the spring of '03. Bought my 2003 HD FXDWG in August of '03, right after I got married. The Harley was my graduation present that I had promised myself since I was 16. Rode the snot out of it all over the country over the next year. While on a trip up to the Catskills in NY last spring I made the mistake  of test riding an 04 XB12S at Woodstock HD's open house.  BIG mistake!!! A couple of months ago I moved to Houston, TX to work on a NASA contract for Lockheed Martin. I suppose I'm a rocket scientist now...  Wife and I just bought a house. I decided to sell the Harley since we needed a bunch of money to buy furniture and she wants to get a new car soon, so I figured I would just make the sacrifice and get rid of the bike...I could always get another bike at some point, right??? Last weekend I thought I had sold my Harley finally, and I was super-duper depressed about not having a bike anymore. My thoughts immediately turned to "How can I get another bike? But maybe a less expensive one?" The first thing that popped into my head was the AWESOME ride I took on that lightning so many months back. My first bike was a 1983 GL650 Honda Silverwing Interstate. Another big lunk of a touring bike (well I couldn't sit on the seat for more than 2 hours at a time but anyway). Because all of my previous experience was on slow lumbering cruisers the whole sportbike thing was totally new and exciting. I had always hated sportbikes previous to this test ride. They looked uncomfortable and most of the riders I met on them seemed to have too much testosterone and not enough brains. I always held Buells in special regard though since they were the only American Sportbike and seemed to having a lot of good engineering thought put into them. Unfortunately, when the buyer was supposed to show up with the cash for my Harley, he told me his wife had kirked out on him (she had been fine until he took out his old helmet) and he decided he couldn’t buy my bike. So at this point I’m going to run some more ads until my Wide Glide finally sells (the market down here is FLOODED with HD’s). At that point I think I’m going to save up for a decent down payment and get a Buell. That way I’m saving money (the payment will be less than HALF what it is on my HD), but I can still ride. I thought about getting a cheap rice grinder, but I couldn’t stomach the idea. I thought about just saving my money and building a custom bike, but it would take way too long and the wife would always be fighting to save that money (or spend it) on something else. I think I like the idea of getting a Buell better than anything else though…I’m really fighting with all these conflicts in my head. I think the ideal situation would be to have a Harley to cruise on and the Buell for fun riding. I apologize for my intro being so long but I hate doing things halfassed… Yesterday I went by my friendly local Buell dealer. I had checked out the XB9SX online, but wanted to see it in person. It looked about 6,548 times better than the online pics looked. I instantly fell in love. I was totally committed after sitting on it. I couldn’t believe how much more comfy the seating position was compared to the XB12S I had ridden earlier this year. I love the blacked out parts, black wheels, and the blue accents. Not too sure about the goofy hand guards, but WTH. Talked to the sales idiot for a little while. He said they would work on price some with me. I told him straight up I wasn’t going to pay MSRP for it and he was fine with that. For all of you fans of older Buells they must have had 5-6 X1’s, M-2’s etc. I don’t know what they are asking for the bikes, but they said they were having “specials on them.” Believe it or not they just built a new showroom, and when they went to move, lo and behold they “found” all of these older Buells. I was shocked that they did such a shoddy job of keeping track of inventory. Anyway, on to my questions… On my demo ride I got uncomfortable pretty quickly, legs sore and palms sore. I think the City X will be a lot better because the positioning seems better for me, but I’m wondering if you all experienced this as well? Did it just take a few weeks of riding for your body to get used to the position or what? My second question is how much should I pay for the bike? The dealership also had a 2004 XB9S sitting next to it in yellow. I don’t know what the original MSRP was on those bikes, and I am wondering how much I should be able to get it for? I might go for that if they can work me a hella better deal on it. I can always black out parts on the “classic 9” (whoever started saying that I like it!) to get it to look the way I want. Third question, anyone wanna buy a nice 03 Wide Glide? I WANT MY BUELL!!! ride safe ya'll, Nick | ||
| BadS1 |
Nick welcome to the board and you might want to take a XB12S out again just ask them if they would take the seat off the City X and put it on the 12.Then maybe your thoughts would change again.There both great bikes though .Good Luck. | ||
| Glitch |
Hello Whistle. My name is Glitch, and I'm a Buellaholic. All I can say is best of luck! The best thing you can do is ride each one you like and go from there. That's a good thing, test rides, demo days, and the like. Welcome to the BadWeB. Read through the posts and archives, that's what I did. Soon you'll know what to do and how to do it. | ||
| M1combat |
I've noticed that sore palms is a result of too little practice... I mean not bending your elbows... Ummm, just support your weight with your back instead of your arms  . I've heard that the Buell traction grips help as well. Welcome to the BadWeb . | ||
| Whistle |
Thanks Glitch, BadS1 and M1Combat- The test ride I went on was pretty subdued. We stuck to the speedlimit, and were on some REALLY great twisty roads, but the speedlimit there was maybe 25mph...I was able to get the bike up to 65-70mph on a couple of straights, so that was neat. I'm not really a power crazy thrill seeker, so I'm not dedicated to getting a 12. I've heard on here that a 9 with the pro-kit (or similar after-market upgrades) is pretty comparable to a stock 12. Since price is a bit of an issue here, and the insurance is probably less on a 9, I will probably go with a 9. I want to test ride a 9, but haven't been able to. I like the fact that the City X comes with the 12 airbox already, and I like the fact that it's blacked out, so even if Icould buy an '04 xb9s for a good bit less than the city X, I would end up putting money into it to get it the way I want it, so that's pretty much a wash... Like I said I'm not out to race or do crazy stunts, and I'm a pretty conservative rider (doing a wheelie every now and then would be cool) so I think a 9 would be good for me. Anyone have any more input on this??? M1-what you said about my palms makes sense. I noticed when I accelerated hard I was more or less held up with no weight on my palms...guess I'll just keep the wick twisted!!! You guys got any info on prices??? thanks ya'll, Nick (Message edited by Whistle on October 21, 2004) | ||
| Glitch |
The City Cross is a great bike. With the upgrades Buell made it really is a smooth ride. Reepicheap will chime in soon, he just bought one after being on an M2 for a while. Prices seem to be all over the place, just do your research and plan a trip to Appleton WI. | ||
| Odie |
Welcome Nick, tons of info here to steer you in the right direction. I just put a set of Buell traction grips on my 12S this very morning and a few of us went out for a pretty hot ride for about an hour and a half. They made a world of difference. Should'a got them right off the bat. My back at first seemed sore but it goes away after a few weeks as your body uses different muscles on a different ride (I also have an '83 Wideglide). Which ever you choose, I'm sure you'll be happy.....Odie | ||
| Ingemar |
Nice story Nick. I can't help you on the price since I'm on the other side of the globe. On comfort ... I think it really depends on your shape and size. I am very comfortable on my xb9r. I need to ride days for my knees to hurt, although lately my neck has started to get a little painful after riding. I just need to do some exercises and then I'm fine. My hands only hurt when I'm too tense, , or in stop and go traffic. I need to loosen up and relax, and the pain goes away, and do what M1 said. Use your back too. And welcome to the madhouse! | ||
| Jaredkuper |
Don't know much about soreness. I have the XB9SL and I'm 6' so I figured I'd be uncomfortable. Turns out I only get uncomfortable after a few hours on the highway. Anyway, good luck with the Buell. I'm also a 20 something engineer. There's a chance I'll be in Houston at the start of next year, I'll look you up if I am. | ||
| Ingemar |
tons of info here to counter-steer you in the right direction.  | ||
| Glitch |
 | ||
| Nick |
Hi Nick. Nick here. I just got my CityX yesterday. Just 30 miles cos it rained all day today. Buy one, they're cool. I'm also 20 something. And I was an engineer once..... Cheers | ||
| Glitch |
Cheers, Nick! | ||
| Sflabuell |
Nick, if money is an object, why not get a used 12? I don't think you'll find many if any used 9s yet. They would certainly raise the insurance bar, though. My 2000 X1 is race kitted, heavy head work, all kinds of nice special parts, and it was right at 7K out the door at a dealer, so i could get the warranty if I wanted. Just another idea. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Glitch, am I that predicatable I am very satisfied with my 9sx. I came from a Cyclone. The seat is not *quite* as good as the M2 was, but it is a lot closer then I thought. I was also amazed that on the one short ride my wife took with me (short rides is about all she is interested in), she had no complaints about the 9s seat, and said it was just as good as the M2 seat. Go figure. The handguards, as I keep defending them here, are GREAT. A fantastic solution to late and early season riding. Its a very nicely sorted platform, and like you said, has all the upgrades you would do to an earlier model right from the factory (12 airbox, updated belt system) and a few you could not realistically do (bigger throttle body(?), better suspension). The seating position is great. I can look over the top of sport utes. Very commanding view of the road. I love the tires as well, both how they look, and how they work. And it looks very cool. Not that I am vain or anything. Well, not that I will admit it in public The bike gets a LOT of attention. Power wise? It ain't no 12, true. And it does not have the low end grunt of the M2. That being said, I am pretty sure it is a faster overall bike then the cyclone, and on the one time I forgot to downshift coming to a stop and accidentally pulled out from a stop in 3rd gear, it sounded ugly, but went fine. Pulled an inadvertent small 2nd gear power wheelie while escaping a "deer plow" (my new nickname for cars) today as well. It's more about balance, the classic middleweight sporting twin. The 12 is more about grunt, kind of a musclebike that can handle. Both are great bikes, but I would not give up the sx perks (and the extra $1000 retail, and the extra $insurance) for the 12 engine. I want a drummer for it, but that is as much aesthetics as it is performance. I do notice the hole around 3.5k rpm, and that would be nice to fill in, but it is not a big deal. If I decide it is underpowered in a couple years, I am sure Aaron or Pammy will be happy to take my 9 to a place a stock 12 can only dream of for not much more extra then I would have paid for the 12 in the first place (especially considering insurance). Downsides? I got some gas dribbles on the tank from an offbrand station on a hot day that mar'd the plastics. Most could be cleaned with Novus and a huge amount of work, but some around the letters that I can't get at is likely permanent. Only shows up if I know where to look, and easy to avoid if you know it is a risk. I have to pay a little more attention to what gear I am in if I want to keep the power up, but not to the point where it is distracting or disruptive. It is a little wider then the M2. Have to get used to it, not really any worse. Probably harder to work on then the M2, it is in many ways an M2 with all the "open places" removed. A rocker box repair on the M2 was a no brainer, it looks pretty scary on the XB. That being said, rocker box work on an M2 is a normal maintenance item, and very rare on an XB. So is a hard job that you don't have to do really harder then an easy job you have to do 3 times? Anyway, I love mine 9sx, no regrets whatsoever, it is more then enough motor for me. I think the real reason for the 12 is that you want a bike that will wheelie at will, or really like the color scheme. That is about the only compelling difference I can think of. | ||
| BadS1 |
Reep better suspension????Theres no diff other then the fork is a couple mm's larger.That doesn't make it better. | ||
| Reepicheep |
My assumption is that a generally a bigger fork would be either lighter, or more rigid, then a narrower one. Doubt the difference is anything a rider of my skills would notice, but in theory I assume it is better. | ||
| BadS1 |
Kinda like the old topics about conventional vs's USD there really just as good.I'd like to know why there larger.Maybe supplier doesn't make them in the 04 size anylonger so BUELL was forced sorta speak to use the next size up.I'll possibly seeing Erik this weekend.That could be a question that I should ask. | ||
| Whitetrashxb |
Hey Nick, as far as price goes, shop around. I'm in Austin, and when i decided on a 9r, i pretty much called every dealer in the state to see who had what on their floor and what they were asking for it. The website states the MSRP is $8,695 for the cityX. I think both dealers here in Austin have one on the floor, and i know there are 3 dealers in Houston. See who will match competitors prices. By doing this, i drove about an hour away to a dealer outside of San Antonio, but they beat the next best price by $1,000. Just my suggestion. Good luck and maybe we can roll sometime. | ||
| Whistle |
Wow guys! Thanks for all the info! Reep-it sounds as if your reason for purchasing a City X are pretty much the same as mine... Ya know, one thing that is sorta hard to get over is how "available" Erik Buell is to people...I know there are special folks on here with some special access, but sheesh! Never in my life have I talked to someone about Harleys and the dude said "oh shoot, if I run into Willy G this weekend I'll make sure to ask him!?!?!?!?!?" Holy crap is that cool! Have any of you guys seen the little CD they are passing out for the '05 bikes? One of the first videos you see Erik is talking about how Buells are about more than raw power..he says (loosly quoted) "Anyone can hop on a bike that makes gobs of power and go fast, so what?" (he imitates twisting the throttle and makes a tongue sticking out ppphhhhhhhbbbbbb noise) halarious!!!! White trash-sounds like a good idea. I like shopping for a buell much more than HD shopping. "Will you PRETTY PLEASE sell it to me for JUST MSRP????!!!!" Whatalottacrap! Anyway, like I said earlier, I really like this board, thanks for making me feel welcome, your excitement and passion really shines through in your posts guys... I thought it was funny how excited I felt over the Buell after 1 ride, and then I come here and see so many others who feel the same way!!!!!!!!! Toooooooooooooooooooo cool.  lata~ | ||
| Bomber |
whistle -- welcome, and I think you'll find a large number of similarly addicted folks here -- Erik Buell is without a doubt one of the best marketing tools for Buell motorcycles and rational design there is -- the fact that he loves what he does makes that enthusiasm infectous lots of good data here -- even more good folks -- | ||
| Goldenboy9r |
Whistle, sounds like you had a visit to Stubbs! Welcome to the board and Houston. I live right down the road from your work off of Bay Area. Let me know when you are serious about buying and we'll see if we can get you a better hook up than Stubbs. Plenty of good backroad riding down here but be careful,its VERY ADDICTING ! | ||
| Blake |
Put that Hog on ebay with a lot of geat pics and a good writeup and it will sell for big bucks. | ||
| Whistle |
Thanks everyone! Goldenboy9r-yeah I did go to Stubbs...they were convenient and happened to have a city x I could look at so I popped over there. There seem to be a lot of HD dealers here-which I suppose is a good thing. But only 3 or so buell dealers...I'm not sure which of the dealers will work a good price with me and which ones are the aholes, so I definitely appreciate your offer of help with finding a bike!!! Put another ad in the Houston Chronicle this weekend hopefully the weather holds and people feel like going out bike shopping...I've already been trying to sell the Harley for 1.5 months. The last guy that almost bought it saved my original newspaper ad from well over a month ago...I was sorta surprised by that! And Goldenboy I could definitely use some showing around to find the good roads...seems like they're all straight and flat!!! Really weird coming from maryland where there were no straight or flat roads! Anywho, the weekend is almost here and it's time to enjoy some nice early morning crusing! later~ Nick | ||
| Trenchtractor |
If you buy an 'S' model, FIT MOTOX 'BARS... Anyhting 7/8th" will fit straight up. More leverage and better control. But then I came over from supermotards, so I'm biased. |
