| Author | Message | ||
     2dflyer |
Hey y'all. Long time lurker, first time poster. Great board, I've learned a lot. Thanks. Like most of you I'm sure, I fell in lust when the first 9R pics hit the press. I'd been eyeballing tubers for awhile but the R caused a melt down. In February I was set to buy an '04 12R but bailed on the deal cause the demo was miserable. After all the static display demos I rode inside the store I thought I knew what to expect. Not so. Turn in and riding posit just threw me and a 3 mile demo just wasn't enough. Not wanting to give up too easily I've got a 12R rental lined up this week to give it a good work out. In the mean time I've been lurking about here and ST.N. Reading all the postings I'm getting the impression XB pilots get their rides just to rip up the back roads and am curious if this is right. So finally getting to my question, what kinda riding did you get your XB for? I'm currently riding a '99 Kaw ZRX1100 and just sold the '02 883C. Love the Kaw but after 5 years it's time for something different and I want it to be sport. Not because I'm a back roads burner, but because at 43 I want to ride a sport bike while I can still stand up straight when getting off. The Road King can wait a decade or 2. So I don't plan on strafing back roads. Ninety five percent of the miles will be commuting. Every once in a while I'll get an hour or two to hit some local favorite roads. Kinda got POSEUR written all over it. C ya | ||
| Got1nut |
da twisties  | ||
| Doughnut |
Don't have an XB, but here are my thoughts. I ride. I enjoy the simple and many commutes to work, and the very rare road carving adventure. Find the bike you enjoy the most, and get it. | ||
| Stainlessmag |
Overall im all about the twisties, but its a blast to comute on too. Alot of the rides i go on with friends are pretty mellow because alot of them ride cruisers which tends to get dull for me after a long while but i still have a good time. | ||
| Tpoppa |
400-500 mile weekend rides, Full Gear, Carving corners on the backroads. No Wheelies, No stunts on the highways. | ||
| Ethanr |
I ride my XB12S 32 miles each way to work commuting (at 45-50 mpg it's become my commuter of choice) and have done a number of 300-500 mile days with no problems. It's great on the backroads and decent on the open freeway. | ||
| Cyko_bob |
2dflyer I also have a ZRX1200 along my XB9S Buell. I will keep them both...along with a couple of Sportsters and a Valkyrie. As you will find, the Kawa and the Buell are totally different rides, but alike in that they are, or can be fun bikes. I like the Kawa as a sport touring bike, that is smooth for long trips, plus I can ride any speed I want, at triple digits if I want...depending on where I am, of course (like West Texas). The Buell is more of my Hooligan bike, just waiting to have fun...break the rules. It is short, just waiting to do a wheelie or a stoppie. Having said that, although I will always have a speed demon to burn up the road (my Kawa), I will always have at least one Buell and maybe some other some Quad-Cam bikes (Sportster type engines). Love the sound...love the attention the Buell gets. I am in Korea right now, and I brought the Buell because I thought it would be the bike for the job...small, economical, can snake in and out of traffic, then when you hit the mountains you are the leader of the pack (and on the straightaways too). Allen, I say keep the Kawa if you can afford it (unless you upgrade to a ZRX1200 or ZZR1200) plus have a Buell too. If you have been lurking you know there is another whole debate as to whether the 9 or the 12 is better. Personally, I like the short stroke, high reving engine (high reving for a Quad Cam) over the 12, and since you ride that ZRX too, you might prefer the 9 also. If you can, rent them both and decide what fits you. Whatever you ride...have fun. It is all a matter of personal taste and choice. Cyko Bob  | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I got my XB to ride, it isn't just for canyons or commuting but to do everything I ask of it, but then you should know that if your over on ST.N since I say the same thing there  | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
XB9S Monday to Friday: daily driver, don't commute - work at home. Saturday: Styling. Sunday: Sportriding with the lads on their crotch rockets. Riding the Blue Ridge with BRAG. Once so far: track day. In other words, 5000 miles from March to December. A bit of everything except commuting and touring. You might want to try a Lightning if you are planning to use it as your commuter. You might just find that you can carve up the corners rather nicely without the ergos demanded by the 'Bolt. | ||
| Brupska |
I like to cruise on the street with my 12R. Since I have ridden some track days. I don't like to ride hard on the street anymore. I plan on doing more track days to ride hard. I think the track has spoiled me. There are not blue hairs or cell phone drivers to worry about on the track. Yes it is cheaper to ride on the street but if you have ridden on a track you will be hooked. | ||
| Cruisin |
I guess I'm spoiled by where I live. Nothing better than tearing up the mountain road twisties... | ||
| Fl_billy |
Sounds like you ride just like I do. I can only afford one bike so whichever bike that is has to do a little of everything. My last two bikes were Zuki liter twin sportbikes and now I have a 12R. This bike sees daily commuter duty, errand-running duty, sport duty and general hooligan duty. It also sees full-on cruiser mode on occasion and this really happens to be it's only shortcoming so far, but still acceptable in the realm of sportbikes. For everything else, it is a fantastic, capable, flexible and attention-getting ride! I absolutely love my 12R! | ||
| Cruisin |
Yeah, unfortunately it's only one bike at a time - otherwise I wouldn't have traded in my S2...but my XB12R has been great at covering all the bases - daily commuter, general hooliganizing, as well as my weekender - ride 300 miles to camp for the weekend (thankfully she pull a trailer behind her bike to carry the essential gear). I'm just thankful I got my new seat in! I'm looking forward to this summer, whenever it finally gets here! | ||
| Ejiii |
I commute on my CityX every day but I got it for full road gear twisty rippin'. 300-500mi days in the canyons is where it's at for me! | ||
| Gearheart |
I ride my xb12s every day for commuting around town. For commuting its actually a hoot except it makes me want to disobey traffic laws. The riding position is absolutely perfect for the kinda commutes which I have which are all city streets with no freeway and the Buell is small and quick so it really feels like you can put it anywhere in traffic. My XB makes me really miss being able to lanesplit as its illegal here in Florida. So if you know most of your miles will be off the superslab the XBS, 9 or 12, would be the way to go in my opinion of course as usual your mileage may vary. | ||
| Glitch |
I'm getting the impression XB pilots get their rides just to rip up the back roads and am curious if this is right. I rip up the twisties every chance I get, but, I also use mine every day for every day stuff. Thursday night you'll see me at the Vortex for bike night. The weekends you'll see me in the North Georgia Mountains. Any other day you'll see me ridin' over to friend's houses, goin' off to the store, headin' out to the back roads and twisties around the house. I'd say XB pilots just like to have fun ridin' | ||
| Dilysi73 |
I bought my first bike (04 XB9SL) in Jan. I am in the Army and live in Hawaii. I use my XB as both a daily comuter and daily stress reliver. After dreaming about a Honda CBR 1000RR for the past year in Iraq, A friend told me to try Buell before I bought. Since then, well I hang with the IL4s in the straits and leave them in the corners,GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR THE WHOLE TIME. bye the way I have have put 3200 care free miles on my XB so far and loved every one, commuting or carvig!  (Message edited by dilysi73 on March 22, 2005) | ||
| Kaese |
Got mine for the SuperSlab commute, 42 miles each way. Very nimble in traffic. Out on the weekends every chance I get to rip it up. | ||
| Lpowel02 |
I got my XB to ride, it isn't just for canyons or commuting but to do everything I ask of it... exactly...I love the fact that my bike is comfortable (and I'm comfortable on it) in just about anything that comes along | ||
| Truk |
I am fortunate enough to have a several bikes. I have a 01 Yamaha R1, a 03 XB9R and an GL1800 Goldwing. The Wing is for my wife and I. I have had my R1 for several years and 44,000 miles. I use it for some serious back road /twisties riding / mountains, etc.. and for Touring. (E.G. Last June I did a weeks trip just shy of 2,500 miles on it. ) I recently purchased the XB9R. I got it more for around town and daily use and some back road /twisties/ mtn riding as well. The bikes are so different, I enjoy them both. I have Heli bars on both bikes as well as touring seat (Corbin of the R1 and the Buell touring seat on it plus the xb9s lower foot pegs), and after market windscreen on both for better wind protection. For me, with the way I have it set up, XB9R is a better around town bike than the R1. The Ergo's are better. Power delivery better for daily use. I do not have a lot of stop and go traffic to deal with. I test road both the XB12R as well as the 9R and in my opinion the power delivery on the 9r is better around town. I was thinking about the XB9S, but came across a great deal on the XB9R. I love sport bikes. I prefer the looks of the XB9R. I am glad I got the XB9R because of that and the better wind protection. The Buells are just so unique. I am 52 and 6 ft. | ||
| Jerseyguy |
Go to this thread for my survey. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/4062/99407.html?1109198248 | ||
| 2dflyer |
Great help guys. Thanks much. There's a lot more mixed riding than I expected. My riding style is also more in line than I expected. If Truk is still keepin after it then there is hope for me too! | ||
| Slaughter |
Well - the S3 takes me places on the street. It pretty much doesn't go as fast around the turns as it used to. More like semi-spirited cruising. The XB is strictly race/track bike. My SV racebike just went to a good home - 2 racebikes are like 2 competing addictions. | ||
| Tatsu |
Ride everyday to work. Friday night the north shore of Oahu.. Saturday night all over Sunday..group ride.. All with the inline crowd.... |
