| Author | Message | ||
     12r |
Performance Bikes just ran a giant test to find the world's fastest production bike, taking into account top speed, acceleration and lap times...  The Buell was voted 'The Most Balanced Package' but needs a new engine to stay with the sportsbikes  | ||
| Koz5150 |
I wish there was another v-twin on that list. 50 mph less then the top dog is kinda sad, but most people (myself included) don't ride around at 135 mph or more. Still though, I think it contributes to the bias against Buell by the sportbike population. | ||
| Court |
I know...my same old question....when was the last time you spent significant (say over 30 minutes) time at over 110MPH? The metrics they measure by are meaningless in my world. Use the same thinking for a gal and you'd risk ending up with a Jennifer Lopez. Court | ||
| Buellman39 |
There is another v-twin on the list,Ducati And I had my XB12R doing 140 this past weekend?? | ||
| Buellman39 |
Like court says, do the same test some where else with different people and the results are totally different. | ||
| Djkaplan |
Wow! The XB12 can hit 100mph in only 8.8 seconds? Cool! | ||
| Jlnance |
Wow! The XB12 can hit 100mph in only 8.8 seconds? Aint it great! I love the fact that my M2, which cost me less than $4000, is faster (0-60 & quarter mile) than most Porsches. | ||
| Race_pirate |
Not Bad for an advance on a 1903 designed engine. Im glad to hear "Best Balanced", the Buell is not even in the same class as a GSXR1000. The XB is an Air Cooled PUSH ROD Vtwin, mean sounding all around fun sport bike!!! A better comparison is other twins, Id rather see the #'s compared to a Ducati 999. | ||
| Al_lighton |
"my same old question....when was the last time you spent significant (say over 30 minutes) time at over 110MPH?" Well, Two weeks ago at Springfast...well, we did back it down below 100 when an the occasional opposing car came that we couldn't identify as having lights on top or not, but then it was right back up to 110-115. That said, it was pretty crazy, I've never done it before, don't plan on doing it much in the future, and wouldn't buy a STREET bike because of it's ability to do speeds like the Gixxers can. I could have gone faster than 115, but didn't feel the need to do so. 115 seems pretty fast on the street to me. But we were racing a nasty storm back to the hotel (and won!), felt like the right thing to do at the time. AL | ||
| 12r |
None of us spend much time above 100 mph, but I was disappointed with the lap times - almost 15 seconds down on a Daytona 650 (Jeez) in a 3-minute lap. I figured at least we could've wasted a few 600s  | ||
| Wheelsleaning |
What the hell is a Fazer and a Gixxer turbo? And how is a Gixxer turbo slower than a stock gixxer?  | ||
| Race_pirate |
Also take into account the "Rider" when it comes to lap times. When I switched from a 650 4 stroke Vtwin (The NT650 Warhawk) to a 250 V twin 2 stroke my lap times suffered initially. I was used to having a wee bit of grunt exiting a corner. The 2 stroke required a whole new approach to riding, but once I got the idea THERE IS NO FEELING ON EARTH LIKE RACING A 2 STROKE. Ill bet $$$ that an OK rider can still pull pretty good times on a GSXR1000 cause he/she can make up time with massive straight away acceleration and speed. If the test rider was snickering thru the gear box on the XB he was wasting alot of time, applying corner speed with grunt can be a very good combination, leaving a bike in 3rd gear in a 2nd gear corner and simply opening the throttle gives a rider a lot less to think about from the apex on thru the exit. SMOOTH IS FAST | ||
| 12r |
They used 6 riders - 2 racers and 4 roadies. Every rider rode every bike and they used control tyres. The Fazer is Yamaha's R1-engined streetbike, the Turbo was thrown in to show that bhp isn't everything. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
There is an interesting dilemma here. On the one hand, I find in spirited sport riding on the street, even spotting the rest of my group some 40 years and 50 horsepower, I don't have a real hard time keeping up, unless they want to do alot of over 100 stuff on the public roads, not my cup of tea. On the other hand, none of the "lads" would ever consider buying a bike as "slow" as an XB9S, mostly because they feel the need to be able to keep up with their mates when they all decide to "get stupid". Oh well, I guess that is their problem, except that I think it might be nice to have wider sales for Buell so that the brand might be better supported. Maybe not. Haven ridden some faster bikes, like the Aprilia Mille,and Japazaki Fours, even though I prefer the handling of my Buell, I didn't find the increased power to be difficult to handle. More a matter of self control. Bottom line: A more powerful motor, say a Rotax watercooled Vee twin, wouldn't do much for a slow old timer like myself, but it would probably increase sales, and would not make the bike any less attractive, or harder to ride for me, unless the bike got bigger and/or heavier. | ||
| Redtail69 |
I don't know man but I just cannot see my self ever doing over 80 here in the bay area. I mean we're always chocked up with traffic. Up in the Oakland hills you'd be a damm fool to try and go 100 mph. I am more appreciative of the torque and pull that my XB12R offers and I have yet to really put her through her paces. Let's face it unless your intention is to race in a track the numbers on that list are just BUllS#&! And this is from someone who loves the Jap IL4s, I've got one as well. | ||
| Bigeasy |
My buell has plenty get up for me. I didnt buy one of those liter bikes because of the speeds they can reach. I would get myself in to much trouble for sure. My only bitch is I really would like a 6th gear!!!!! Plus I LOVE the sound of my xb12s with the D&D, you just cant beat that! I've pulled up to lights next to those rice burners with their after market pipes singing that mean high pitch sound. Then I smile and rev up the Buell and man the look on their face is priceless. Most of them dont know what the hell I'm riding and thinking just how quick is it. I know they can smoke me in a straight line but I seem to be able to beat the 600s street light to street light. Besides with the xbs short wheel base how much more power would you need? The front tire climbs for the ski as it is off the light. If I had my choice of the rice burners I think I would take the R1. Those things look like they are flying when they are standing still! Plus I love Yamaha and have owned a few. Everyone of them I had seemed to be bullit proof. Art | ||
| Mstarbird |
I currently have both and XB12R ( '04 ) and an R1 ( '05 ) and love them both. They are different bikes and you ride them differently. I feel like I can ride the Buell harder than the R1 because the power seems to be very smooth where as when the R1 hits around 8000 takes off and you really have to pay attention. That said any of the current sport bikes are very nice machines and the majority of us will not even push them close to their limits on the street. Mo | ||
| Wheelsleaning |
Mstarbird: What's the highest speed you can pull the front tire up on that R1? I saw a chart somewhere that showed the lateral force in pounds of the top sportbikes. All of the new literbikes had over 400lbs of force at 100mph  | ||
| Mstarbird |
Hmmmm. I am one of those that really tries to keep both tires on the ground at all times ( well most of them ). Currently ( and I have only 1000 miles on the R1 ) I do know that it will pull the front off the ground at most any speed below 100. I do not think that I have the nerve to even try that at over 100. | ||
| Scooterroid |
snip Use the same thinking for a gal and you'd risk ending up with a Jennifer Lopez. snip TFF I wonder what would be the motorcycle equivalent to Beatrice Arthur (Maude)? | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
That would be a Norton ES 2. | ||
| Vikingdave |
It's the same old saying..."if I gotta explain it to you, you wouldn't understand". I'm glad the XB isn't mainstream, who wants to be just like everybody else anyway. Ride to Live Brothers!!!  | ||
| Jeremyh |
they should have put an RC-51 in there | ||
| Scooterroid |
 Uncanny. Scary. | ||
| Jasonxb12s |
Scooteroid....."That's a man baby!!!!!!!!!" | ||
| Fat_tony |
The reason I love my XB12R: "Mean Sounding, twistie owning, head turning, American made sport bike..." | ||
| Norrisperformance |
I’ve owned many jap bikes, with big horsepower. And yes it’s very easy to run top speeds. And 17-year-old drivers with no experience own a lot of them. I don’t need that much power. I bought the XB, for the simple fact it has great handling and a Harley motor. | ||
| Mrvvrroomm |
I own 2 of the bikes on the list. And 2 of my other bikes are STILL quicker/faster than my XB9. LOL | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Scooter Awesome and Very Excellent Post!!!  | ||
| Triumph900 |
"I wonder what would be the motorcycle equivalent to Beatrice Arthur (Maude)?" What's the difference between Bea Arthur and an old shoe? If you HAD to, you could eat the shoe....(sorry). |
