| Author | Message | ||
     Jraice |
Got to test ride an XB12R for about 15 miles and an XB9SX for 2. Hopped on the XB12R, started it up. Very quiet and vibrations were not to bad. Rev'd it up, noticed a stumble from idle (didnt rev it after so it couldve been that it was cold) but later rev'd (didnt ride) an XB12Ss with an exhaust and it didnt have this stumble so I am not concerned. Turned the corner, shifted into 2nd and gave it some gas. Was expecting to get thrown back like I do on the R6, far from it (from 2,500rpm). Then I realized it has a lot of torque but to really get going, it needs to be atleastd at 3,000rpm and to really be going, maybe 4,000rpm. Still it was nice to see its not a TOTAL rocket as I want something a bit more fun to ride in the twisties (read, slower) and it still has enough power if you rev it up a bit more. Just not as much from 2,000rpm as most people make it sound. Cruised through town, onto the freeway, at any speed vibrations was not a problem. Took an exit and road a nice two lane twisty road, great engine for these tighter roads, smooth power allows a good pace with total control and power to pull you out if your in the 3,000-5,000rpm sweet spot. Had a blast and wish I could've road that bike home! Also got a short ride on an XB9SX, engine feels similar, a bit smoother, power starts closer to 4,000rpm, maybe 4,500... Handle bars felt great really like how responsive having bars is. Went over to Fremont sat on the XB12Scg and XB12Ss, talked a bit with some sales people and have decided, the XB12Ss is the bike for me. Just need to sell the R6 and then start negotiating and hopefully Ill have one pretty soon!  | ||
| Froggy |
These 09s? I just took a nice long ride on Skinstains 09 X, and noticed that it was seriously lacking in power below 2500 unlike my 06. Then again my 06 has quite of bit of modification, and the 09 was stock. | ||
| Jraice |
XB9SX was an 09, XB12R was a broken in 2008, all stock. What sort of mods does your 06' have? I would've thought a pipe would give you that low end but from what I have heard thats inaccurate... Perhaps a fuel remap to richen up the low end but from what I have heard with just a slip on and maybe a K&N most people dont do anything to the fuel map and it runs fine. Wouldnt mind having some power down low though... | ||
| Guell |
Jraice, a slipon and a k&n is going to lean it out, it would almost definently need a race ecm or some ecmspy time | ||
| Froggy |
My 06 has a Micron full system, open airbox with breather reroute, K&N, and a remap from American Sport Bike. I know the breather reroute and open airbox is what significantly helped low speed riding on my 06. I am curious how it would affect the 08 and 09s, as the motor is very different from the older bikes. | ||
| Jraice |
Any more info on how your buell or buells in general "feel" and where the power really is would be great Froggy... And yeah I plan to start off with a drummer or special ops when I get my buell... Then eventually the breather reroute, possibly a K&N and perhaps play around with the ecm. Ill likely talk to the guys at American Sport Bike about it and do as they recommend, I hear they are very helpful and have lots of maps to use as well. | ||
| Froggy |
I put 200 more miles on the 09 today, it sure as hell is different feeling. I am getting used to it. Smooth as silk, shifting is perfect, clutch is more grabby than I am used too. I am getting a feel for the low end on it, its not so bad once you get a hang of it and aren't trying to wring it out at super low rpms. Also I hate the high idle, its at about 1200rpm while my 06 is a barley running 750. It handles like a dream, soaks up the bumps like nothing. Anyway about the power, on every XB12 it really kicks in at 4000rpm. The 09 will pull strong all the way down from about 3000rpm, so if you ever miss a gear or forget to shift, you won't fall flat on your face. I have a habit of riding below 3000rpm 99% of the time, and its not an issue on my modified 06. The 09 sometimes feels like it is lugging at these engine speeds, I am still trying to put a finger on it as I ride more. I want to find a stock 04-07 XB12 to compare with. I do remember from my cousins stock 04 12S, it also was smooth but I didn't ride it long enough to get a feel for it. You mentioned in another thread you wanted it to be smooth, and leaving it bone stock is best way to keep it smooth. | ||
| Jraice |
Did I really mention that? I cant remember... My goal is to maximize power without going out of control (best bang for buck) and I want whatever mods I do to intake or ECM to revolve around a Special Ops or Drummer as that is a mod I am doing without a question. Have to have that sound . I guess maybe the bike just felt weak (compared to my R6 atleast) because I didnt really play to much with the power band but overall I was happy with the bike and think it would be a blast and keep me from getting myself into to much trouble! But yeah the clutch feel and tranny were fine on the 2008 I road, and it probably didnt have synthetic oil which would make it even better... Just as easy to shift as my R6 and the clutch was not noticably hard to pull although I didnt spend any time feathering it in the lot etc... | ||
| Saratoga |
I have an 09 Ss... putting around below 3k is fine if you're alone, but in traffic it won't respond quickly enough. I usually keep it between 4-4500 and all is well. There is an odd harmonic vibration that can be felt when cruising around 37-3800. | ||
| Biff |
I just want to point one thing out. These bikes often seem slower then they actually are. what do I mean!? your mind gets so used to the high RPMS, that when you are at lower revs, you often feel like you are slower then what the bike is actually moving. stack a buell (9 or 12) next to a 600 at a stop light. staying within legal speeds, you will see the bike is quicker then you give it credit. am I saying you will kill a I4? no, but you will hold your own... and might have a slight advantage up to around 60-65. after that... get out of the way. | ||
| Paul_in_japan |
+1 on what Biff says. I was chasing my friend yesterday, he is on a Kawasaki 636, with a race slip on which screams like an F1 car. It sounds like he is hauling ass (well we were a bit) here I am right behind him all the way on my stock 12R. he is doing 13,000 RPM and here i am doing 4000rpm. It always reminds me of the cartoon skunk, Pepe Le Pew trotting after that sexy cat which was always sprinting away from him. He always managed to arrive before her. | ||
| Jraice |
I agree it might be the rev's, I admit I never opened it up through all the gears (did take it up to 6,000rpm, not sure if it was WOT though)... The stock exhaust vs. my loud raspy devil on the R6 might be another thing... As I mentioned, there was a point where I felt like I wasnt going very quick but looked down and was going 60mph on a 25mph back road (not a big deal but my dad was behind me on the harley I wouldnt do that when riding with him on the R6)... | ||
| Jraice |
I will admit I didnt play around with 1st gear much but still its a twin, I expected it to be a rocket in 2nd still... Maybe I need to ride it again a bit harder and see if it feels faster then I remembered but for example... I was just riding the R6, came up on a truck slowing to let me pass before changing into my lane, I was in 1st gear, 40mph, somewhere just under 10,000rpm (up there but not in the meat of the power band) and just a crack of throttle, I am talking maybe 1/2 throttle, and its as if I teleported to the front of the truck... I just didnt feel that way with the buell, but I guess it could be the screaming motor or that I didnt really get into the power band of the buell enough and was expecting the power lower then it truly is. | ||
| Deanh8 |
Fremont as in northern California? I had a 636 and now ride a Buell XB9R. I have a micron, dyno tune, and intake. My ZX6 made just under 130whp (with ~40ftlbs) with similar mods. The buell makes 95whp (9R not a 12). Top end and high rpm's there is no comparison. unless you go WOT everywhere you go, the buell is the better bike by far. If you are concerned with who can top out higher and who can get to 120 the fastest the buell is not your bike. While I do miss insanity of going 60-120 not even trying on the ninja, the buell has been way more fun to ride. I know for a fact the ninja was way faster, but the buell would be right on its is ass until 100+. You really cant compare them to a 600cc Supersport. The SS600's are very modern engines, overhead cams, 4 valve heads, watercooled, Inline engine design, 4 cylinders. The buell is just an air cooled pushrod 2 valve 2 cylinder. Better comparison would be an 1125R but its still not the same... | ||
| Jraice |
Yes Norcal, I am from Los Gatos (close to San Jose). And I dont want or need power at 120mph... My speed range is realistically 0-75, with the occasional jaunt to 90mph on the freeway or a backroad. What exaclty did you do to your intake? How much did the dyno tune cost? There is a world class Harley dyno tuner in the area, but Fremont also has a Dyno. Not sure who I would take it to but the Harley specialist got like 11hp with just an exhaust and air cleaner on his road king. I have been told however that with the buell there is not much to gain and I'd be best off just getting the slip on (for the sound mostly) and leaving it as be. I wouldnt mind getting it dyno'd and tuned at some point though, if you think there are some differences. And I rarely go WOT or over 10,000rpm but the R6 still feels faster then the XB12R I road, perhaps I just wasnt riding it properly for its power type/band or it was the sound making the R6 feel faster... Anyways I need to ride another XB12 but regardless I have decided its the bike for me. It may be faster then I think/rememeber from last weekends ride but it was plenty fast and I really want a more comfortable upright bike with superb suspension for the rouger backroads I love to ride. | ||
| Froggy |
What I think it is, the 09s are very smooth, and smoothness does not feel as fast or powerful as something more rough. If you have a lumpy power curve or one that suddenly kicks in at certain point, it will suddenly feel a lot faster, especially more than something that runs smoother. You even said yourself you looked down and saw you were doing twice the speed limit. I am really curious to throw my bike, a stock 06, and a stock 09 on the dyno at the same time. I know they will be similar results, but my bike will feel the fastest from the little imperfections in the power curve. | ||
| Jraice |
I am hoping a drummer will make it seem a little more rough and powerful  . | ||
| Froggy |
You will love the drummer. Your neighbors, car alarms, and anyone nearby when you are going down an ally/tunnel will not. | ||
| Jraice |
I am sure I will! Is it really just sound? Without race ecm or air filter does it not add any power, seems like it does based on dyno's but maybe its not significant. Either way I am just getting a pipe for the sound... All motorcycles I have seen or ridden just seemed kind-of bland with a stock exhaust, except maybe some harleys or I4's. The SV650, ninja 250, those are some pretty wimpy stock bikes. My stock honda MB5 50cc sounded meaner screaming at 10,000rpm then those... Buell was similar, started it up and it vibrated but was quiet and not to much excitement, when you get on it the stock exhaust sounds alright but still not involving enough. I heard a piped XB12Ss (strange looking pipe, not sure what type, sales man said its louder then a drummer) just being rev'd, now that sounded nasty (in a good way!)!!! A piped SV650 is a great sound, very raw and racy because its a motor that likes to rev a bit more then a buell (think it rev's over 10,000rpm atleast) but nothing beats that raw powerful deep rumble! Except maybe a duc with termi pipes but then you have the nasty (in a bad way :P) dry clutch sound when not rolling. | ||
| Froggy |
I have heard most of the pipes. In the end they all sound about the same. Some are louder than others, some have a nicer tone, all of them alter the power band. Drummer improves low end torque, race pipe is excellent for top end HP but kills midrange, Micron does great in the entire range. Stock is good all around too, but it sounds so lame unless you are full throttle and the valve opens. The American Sport Bike exhaust shootout gives dynos of all the major pipes that were out at the time. It gives a good comparison of all the different options, as they are all tested on the same bike and same conditions. Don't expect huge gains with any pipe, as bone stock the bikes are excellent. You need to do serious engine internals to get serious more power, but you sacrifice reliability. | ||
| Hogs |
And the BESON is Best in all Aspects, And I just happen to have a whole system for SALE...!  | ||
| Gunut75 |
"My speed range is realistically 0-75, with the occasional jaunt to 90mph on the freeway or a backroad." I knew you were B-essin about that top speed on 2 wheels!!!!! BUSTED!  }} | ||
| Deanh8 |
we should meetup sometime and swap bikes, im from san jose. I noticed huge difference after my "bolt ons", plus its pipped so I think you would enjoy it. If you are coming from a supersport a stock xb9 or xb12 isnt enough. | ||
| Jraice |
Thats what I have been trying to do for weeks... Find someone with a well setup bike (piped) to do a little riding/swap... I'd absolutely love to meet up. Performance wise the R6 is all stock but does have a mean Devil Exhaust slip on so it has a great sound, and stock as you know its a super quick bike . I love the power but honestly have not opened it up all the way to redline in 1st, its a scary feeling with just a crack of the throttle... What type of bike do you have excactly and what mods? I am around next Saturday most of the day and would absolutely love to swap bikes for a little riding... |
