| Author | Message | ||
     Chichihuil |
Hello everyone. Im kinda new to these boards. ive been reading them the past week or so, and finally decided to post. Im looking to buy a bike. My first, owned bike (ive driven/ridden many before, but this one would be my very own!). I really like the XB12R, but its a bit expensive, so ive been thinking about the 9R, with possible mods (exhaust, remove funnel, etc.) I am, however not decided and have not completely eliminated other brands (i like the Hayabousa, but not as much as the 12R). the thing with other brands is that they seem to be cheaper.. and have older models. I plan on at least waiting till the end of aug/bgn of sept to see what all is up w/the new yr models, but i would probably get a used one, b/c of price. i might be willing to wait more, however.. but i could get a CBR and then sell it when i found the XB i liked. I own no other form of transportation, as this would be my primary, but i dont travel much on wheels (fly a lot), as i am a college student and stay on campus most of the time. my folks just moved to within less than 2 hrs of my school though, and it'd be nice to visit them (and my bro) a little more often than 2ce yrly. anyways any suggestions would be welcome, including where to buy, and or what other bikes to look @. My main goal was a light, affordable sportsbike. The XB_R is this and much more... thanks -c | ||
| Barkandbite |
My OPINION -- go with the 9. Loadsa fun, revs better, lotsa good, cheap, easy parts, and it's cheaper to insure. YMMV. CHris | ||
| Brucelee |
The 9 and the Hayabusa are NOTHING alike. If your instincts are to go with the Buell, find a nice 9 and go from there. You will not be disappointed I believe. | ||
| Lovematt |
Unfortunately the Harley Dealer in Richmond does not appear to be a Buell dealership but I would suggest test riding both a 9 and a 12. One nice thing about HD/Buell is that you can actually ride a bike before you buy it. I have not been able to find any dealer from Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda that would allow that so far. As for which XB to get I would think about the type of riding you want to do. The power characteristics of the 9 is more flickable and you work with the motor more to make it do what you want. The 12 is more brute force and is still flickable but it has more power...sometimes too much in some cases. Personally I prefer the 9 even though the weight and how it feels is practically the same between both the 9 and 12. The power characteristics is really what makes the bike. Also...remember it is the rider who can make a bike "fast" or "better". A rider who is not good can get on the greatest bike and make it look like poor performer... edited by lovematt on June 23, 2004 | ||
| Daves |
First off, welcome to Badweb and the great world of Buell. I agree that you should test ride both before you make up your mind. Find a dealer that will let you take one of each for at least a 20 minute or so test ride. If they don't allow test rides I would question how serious they are about being in the Buell business. The 9 will be less to insure as was pointed out already and is plenty fast. Go ride a Busa too. Just don't get all hung up on specs and top speed numbers as you will spend very little(no) time there anyway. Instead concentrate on the handling of the bikes. When you test ride the buell make sure the suspension is set up for your weight. Or, you could fly to Appleton WI, get one from me and ride it back!  Ride to the edge! Dave daves@h-dappleton.com 1-866-757-1651 | ||
| Blackbelt |
Test ride is an Awesome idea, I have a X-1, but i have ridden the XB's. Very nice rides. I love the way the bikes throw into corners. I would buy from Dave if i was you. plus it would make a GREAT ride back to INDI from his place. a nice long day ride. get ya used to the saddle in a hurry. Good luck on your purchase. Hope to see ya at Battletrax sometime soon. | ||
| Raraf |
If the road to your parents is curvy. Get the Buell. If it is straight and want to get there in an hour as opposed to 2 hours...Get Da Busa!  Remember that a stock XB9 gets 65mpg on the highway too! | ||
| Lovematt |
Uh...how do I get 65 MPG on an XB9R (which I have)? I get about 110 miles out of 2.5 gallons of mixed riding which is about 45 miles per gallon. I belive the EPA says something like 53... edited by lovematt on June 23, 2004 | ||
| M1combat |
Yeah, I don't see how you could get 65 unless there is a good deal of down hill riding. I have gotten about 60 or a little better but it was with mostly coasting down some long hills. | ||
| Dcmortalcoil |
I've consistently get about 64mpg for straight highway rides on my XB9S. | ||
| Glitch |
The most I've gotten is 55 mpg. | ||
| 420at145mph |
i get 100 miles EVERY TIME before the light comes on seems like i got a little more before i did the generic upgrades | ||
| Lovematt |
Hmmm...I am curious how there could be so many downhills without going up once in a while. Okay...  | ||
| 420at145mph |
"IM ON THE HIIIIIIGHWAY TO HELL" | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
We need to consider rider weight and style. I ride the hell outa mine and weigh 220 lbs. My wife likes to baby hers and weighs 100 lbs less. I get about 42 mpg and she gets 50-53 mpg. Both are 9R's... Something to consider. | ||
| 420at145mph |
i think riding style has more of an impact than weight im sure weight plays into it A LITTLE but not 10-15mpg diffrence i get 100-110miles before the light comes on EVERY time but i flog the •••• outta my poor bike lots of 90+ riding on the freeway and LOTS N LOTS of halfblock wheelies | ||
| Raraf |
From Buell's website: MPG - EPA Urban/Highway Test2 50/65 mpg (4.7/3.6 L/100 Km) I have been averaging a little over 60 mpg. | ||
| Austinrider |
You may want to check out the CBR message boards and check out their technical forum. I picked up a CBR as a track bike and found that the cam chain tensioners go out on them and need to be replaced with in 5k miles. | ||
| Jasonblue |
One of the things you said you wanted was a "light" bike. That is definately not a Busa. You said you have never owned a bike but that you have ridden many. What bikes have you ridden? I haven't ridden a 12 but the 9's are easy bikes to ride. Very forgiving, with a really nice and smooth power delivery. In any case I wouldn't recommend a Busa as your first bike until you get quite a bit of seat time. | ||
| Lovematt |
Hmmm..weight eh? I do weigh about 250... | ||
| Starter |
Ride the 12 then the 9 back to back. Don't let the dealer try to use a race kitted 9 if you don't intend on buying the kit as it makes alot of difference. If on the 9 you don't feel the need for more horses and can;t feel the difference then save your pennies and get the 9. | ||
| Spike |
I know it's been said already, but be sure to test ride both. The 12s are noticably more powerful, but due to the lower rev limit and the taller gearing they're not that much faster. The 12's motor makes it easier to be lazy. There's less need to keep the bike revved up. Also, the 12 lets you lounge around and short-shift away from stoplights. Even with a passenger, I can shift my XB12R at 3k rpm and easily pull away from traffic. The 9 has a more playful powerband. It's not that it really needs to be revved hard, it just feels more "happy" when it's between 4k rpm and redline. The shorter gearing makes it easier to wring the bike out around town. Quite honestly, if I didn't have my 12R and was in the market for another bike, I'd have a hard time deciding between a new 12R and a used 9R. | ||
| Chichihuil |
 Thanks guys (and gals) the first thing i do when i get back in the states is prob to go and test ride both (im currently in Brazil, on vacation! sooo many beautiful ppl!) it is tru that i am looking for a light bike. my mom just moved from Austin, TX to Indi, so i have yet to see her new house, but ive been told that the traffic from Richmond to broadripple (her neighborhood in indi) can be really bad at times. Indiana is pretty much flat (maaaaannnn is that annoooyyying!! sooo many cornfield!!! but hey, who doesnt like conr on the cob? <which i can finally eat after almost 7 yrs of braces>  anyways yeah.. im leaning towards the 9 too. i hadnt thought about insurance.. but that is a good point. seeing as thats what kept me from getting a car... i would be taking my bro on the back from time to time, but i can get the new seat pad (or he can, if he complains  ) i weigh between 130-150. my weight fluctuates, but i like it around 137. handling and quick response are def more important to me than top speed, seeing as IN cops can be real pr|cks. esp, ive heard w/bikers. does anybody know of a buell dealer in the INDI area? i checked out some HD dealers, but couldnt figure out if they carried buell. ive never seen one in richmond, and ive only been to indi a couple of times. its sad my mom moved out of austin (Austinrider). its a wonderful city. i mountainbike, and the greenbelt is just beautiful! | ||
| Stainlessmag |
Last year i got a chance to test ride a 12s and 9r back to back. I ended up getting the 9s. I didnt think the differance in power was worth the extra couple grand. Plus for the price of a 9 you could put a drummer, race ecm, 12 airbox, k&n filter and a set of tires that really make it handle nice and still have paid less then what you would have for the 12 and have a nice sounding, quicker handling bike. | ||
| Chichihuil |
thanks stainless that seems to be what most ppl (including myself) think ill later start a new thread asking about mods, esp. different exhaust.. but later. lets see me get the bike first how does an mod. xb9r compare to an R1? -c | ||
| Jasonblue |
Go read some of the posts on the quickboard, or just ask Dyna. | ||
| Roc |
Chichihuil - what do you ride now? If cash is a concern then buy a cheap bike you will get your money out of later, ride it all summer, then buy what you like when you really know what it is. XB9 is like a skinny girl you flick around, Busa' is a big girl with lots of power - both fun but opposite ends of the bike pool. I have about 6k miles on each, I bought an XB. | ||
| Opto |
I test rode a 9 (last year) and felt it lacked midrange power, was disappointed, didn't feel any quicker than my 1200 Sporty. When the salesman said they're bringing out a 12 I put a deposit down right away. The 12 does it easy, just costs more. | ||
| 420at145mph |
the only real diffrences between my neighbors 02 R1 nad my 03 9R my xb stops at 135mph his keeps right on going past 170 mine gets ALOT lower in the corners his does wheelies past me at 70mph on the freeway they both fun as hell to ride but the buell is just plain MORE fun and interesting | ||
| Chichihuil |
hum.. looks like my last post didnt show... or was it edited??? in it a say that the only bike i own (apart from my GIANT Skooled stuntbike) is a Specialized FSR (mountainbike) this would be my 1st motorcycle. my main experience riding is with dirt bikes and 4-wheelers, though lately ive been riding a honda workbike. i had the please to (once) ride on my cousins CBR. man was that thing fast! and short-shifting was lotsa fun. id love 2 do wheelies, but at the moment, i have trouble keeping them up w/my own 2 legs. that would come later.. | ||
| Bud_man |
Hey Chichihuil, I have a 02 R1 and a XB12S ... both are a ton of fun to ride. The best way I explain to people is that the R1 is like flying an F14 and the XB12S is more like flying a WWII P51 Mustang. Both are amazing bikes ... just very different character. The XB12S is MUCH more comfortable to ride, not as fast (especially once you get past 100), but makes me smile big time every time I climb aboard ... it's like a grown up mini-bike! I'd buy the Buell, it's just too much fun to ride! Good luck. - Bud | ||
| Sshbsn |
I ride a Schwinn Homegrown XTR and a Buell XB12R. I chose the 12 over the 9 because I'll spend as much time on the interstate as on twisty (for Florida) roads,and I wanted the midrange muscle and taller gearing of the 12; it's totally relaxed at speed. You should check just how much difference YOU will see in insurance between the two before you make that part of the consideration. As for an R1, well, Dyna doesn't seem to dislike his too much (KV search to see) but I'm not sure he ever experienced the amazing power and top speed of an XB. Maybe the R1 is his "stepping-stone" bike... | ||
| Curtyd |
I have heard of new 9R's down around 6500 or 7000 dollars, why buy used, when you can get new with the 2 yr warranty? Somewhere out in AZ, iI think, add 350 or so to ship to your door, voila! | ||
| Chichihuil |
arizona huh.. ill look into it. id buy used b/c it would be $3g less, which would put it intto my price range. oh.. wait.. just checked ebay.. maybe ive been lookin at CBRs and R1s too much.. ill have to keep hunting | ||
| M1combat |
Grand Canyon HD has a white 9R I think... About 8K as I recall... | ||
| Captainplanet |
Most of the "New" 9R's will really be leftover 03 models with just 1 year warranty and the old style belt. | ||
| M1combat |
As is the case with the one at Grand Canyon... | ||
| Starter |
Over here in Aust there was no price difference between an 03 and 04 XB9. It was up to the buyer to be aware of the subtle differences. Most of the dealers had the 04 "on delivery" so the customer could take immediate delivery of the 03. Of the 3 dealers I phoned and talked to only 1 acknowledged the upgrades between the models even though they were handing out the 04 pamphlets. | ||
| Chichihuil |
hmm.. and '05? i like the used/eBay idea, b/c i can get one that already has a nice pipe on it, and maybe some of the upgrades, and i wouldnt have to pay for them. their loss, my gain |
