| Author | Message | ||
     Budo |
 This is what I had hoped Buell would build. I have ridden a buddys TL1000S that he had put standard bars on and removed the faring. What a great motor! Great torque, great power, high revving. Well you get the idea. | ||
| Davegess |
Not to shoot you down but compared to an XB that is a pig!  | ||
| Jerome |
http://www.igd.fhg.de/~nbraun/Buell_Tuning_VDClassic.html This is instead what I'd hope to be built by Erik Buell at some point. A minimalist and vintage look, with big lungs. "Different in every sense", not a copy of Suzuki. | ||
| Jim_M |
I love that bike. Looks like a bike should...just missing a kick start ;^D | ||
| Darthane |
Suzuki = Hideous. S1 = Interesting. Not sure if I like it or not. I'll go look at it some more now... Bryan | ||
| Jim_M |
The zorsts throw it off a bit, but for the style they were aiming for, it fits. Not sure about the function of it though...I would like to see it with a supertrapp mounted underneath, though... | ||
| Buellbob |
Definitely like that bike. Shifter is where it should be instead of blocking the inspection cover like the stock one. Not sure about the exhaust tips, something like a megaphone style tip would look better I think. Bob | ||
| Leeaw |
My gripe with that Suzuki or many other Japanese bikes is that if you wipe Suzuki off the tank, most would have no clue as to what brand it was. But even when I am driving around in my car and see the slightest hint of the fairing or hear the deep roar of the exhaust echoing off the cement lane dividers, I know it is an Buell. Always makes me smile. | ||
| Rick_A |
About that S1...if I'm not mistaken I believe it had around $40,000 invested. There was a small article in a Cycle World about it years back. The frame is nickel plated. A lot of parts, like that tank, are hand made. Not my kinda Buell! | ||
| Ralph |
Dude, people read the name on my tank and still don't know what it is! bighairyralph | ||
| Xgecko |
yeah well When I tell people that it's really made in East Troy Wisconsin the ask if that's in southern france  That might just be a Hawaii thing though | ||
| Leeaw |
Ralph, That is what makes Buell's unique! | ||
| Djkaplan |
I'll tell people what it is, and they still give me a blank look. A Buell? A Buell what? Is it German? You'd be surprised how many people ask me if it's a BMW. That VD Classic S1 looks pretty sweet. I like the clean seat installation. Not sure if I like the over-complicated exhaust system though. Does anyone else find the name VD Classic to be the slightest bit ironic? I'm sure my grandfather would agree that VD from France is, indeed, classic. | ||
| Snowdave |
Hey man, I live forty miles from the factory and several of my co-workers thought Buell was a German bike manufacturer...and I work at a union plant! | ||
| Psychobueller |
That SV1000 thing looks like crap! I'm sure it runs nice, but come on. Does anyone really think that looks good? | ||
| Blacksix |
Nope. | ||
| Dynarider |
Xgecko & Snowdave, same here. I live in Kenosha which is only 35-40 miles away from east troy & yet most of the folks here have no idea what a Buell is, or where east troy. They know Alpine valley, but thats it. And that SV1000 is hideous. Thing looks massive & boring as hell. | ||
| Xgecko |
a while ago I saw a SV1000 built by the guys at Streetfighters USA. I say built because they shoehorned the TL1000 into a reinforced SV frame with a VFR swingarm and 916 rearwheel. The front end was off a GSXR750 and if I remember right they put MX bars on it. Now that was a nice bike I'll dig around for the photos. I think it was the bike that the Tomb Raider guys paterned that TMX after (another sweet bike). | ||
| Rick_A |
TMX? Don't you mean TRX? | ||
| Budo |
So what about the KTM DUKE 950? About 110hp and 385pounds half wet. That sounds pretty good. The write up in Motorcyclest made it sound great! The only problem is it is not going to be here until 2004, or 2005. I don't want to wait that long. | ||
| Crusty |
The bike Buell should have built is sitting in my garage. Wait a minute, Buell DID build it. Why should Buell build a bike that looks and feels like a Suzuki? That makes as much sense as Harley building a bike that looks and feels like a Honda Shadow. Hell, maybe Buell should build an inline 4 cylinder 600 that looks and feels like an R-6 or an F4. I think Buell's building some really great machines now. They don't need to build bikes without personality. | ||
| Xgecko |
Oops yup I meant the TRX...that bike is/was sweet | ||
| Misato |
cool except for the tractor seat.. \image | ||
| Misato |
I'll try that again..  | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
Misato...That doesn't fit the Buell Trilogy. On the upside, that is one of the coolest "cruiser" bikes made (IMHO). There is a black & red one that I see from time to time in my area. I've already added it to the "someday" list. | ||
| Rick_A |
I love bikes that look like engines with wheels. That one is no exception. It does look a bit too long/raked out. | ||
| Lornce |
I'm seeing a trend of praise for S1's here and elsewhere. Coincedence? When I picked up my red and race kitted '97 S1 in Toronto last June it was a revelation. I've been riding BMW's for the past 20 years, except for the odd Guzzi and GSX-R departure, and nothing prepared me for the stir the Buell created in Toronto's Beaches district. That thing was a magnet of human interest. Everyone, not just bikers, everyone watched it come down the street. It was a little unnerving. Folks walking down the street stopped to look while it was parked too. Even at the local Sunday morning bike hangout it created a stir: and it was 5 years old! I'm sure that Suzuki's fast and fun to ride but it's not a very strong or coherent statement of form. With the S1's, Buell hit the mark. | ||
| Libnosis |
Lornce Get used to it.  lib | ||
| Budo |
I agree, Buell did hit the mark with the S1, I have a 1998 S1W with over 30k miles on it. So, if the S1 is so great, why did they stop building it? Hmmm, dunno. Why do so many Buell dealers suck and Buell seems to be unable to do anything about it? Hmmmm, dunno. When we were all begging for a SV1000 kinda bike Buell builds the XB, why? Hmmmmm, dunno. When so many people were begging for a SV1000, Suzuki did build one, why? Well, because they respond to the requests of their customers. Sure it helps that they already had the motor and the know how. But it was obvious that alot of people wanted that bike and they built it. For whatever reason Buell builds what Buell wants. Ignoring for the most part, the requests from the consumers. It is almost like they are thinking 'well, sure they are asking for that, but we are going to build this and convince them that they want it'. I would really like to get the inside info on what drives their decision making process. It sure does not seem to be customer requests. | ||
| Rudebike |
Why should Buell have built a boring run of the mill like that (Suzuki)? EVERYBODY is building bikes like that. That's why I have an X1. |
