| Author | Message | ||
     Milar |
I don't really care about hard bags for touring. Soft luggage is fine. I'd like to pick up a tuber for sport touring. Let's say 5-6 days at 350-450 miles/day. Any thoughts on the above options? M | ||
| Mick |
spent a coupla 10 hr days on me cyclone no probs.  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I use my X1 for that. It's not really supposed to be for that but it's what I got.  I personally use a backpack netted to the back but I have seen people install brackets for saddlebags to the aluminum tail. The M2 would probably be more comfortable due to the fat seat though. | ||
| Tattoodnscrewd |
I'd be inclined to say M2 as well .. BUT .. the S3 provides better wind protection for them long days - and the bonus of the built in luggage is there (better for bad weather than soft luggage) .. (I actually plan on picking up an S3T soon just for the couple week long camping trips I take every year ...) | ||
| Unibear12r |
The S3T is the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. I love the ergos, seat, space, looks and protection. But.. If you go with the stock hard bags they won't be nearly as nice as say the new Uly bags or aftermarket. There's a LOT of upgrades you should do to the bike to make it truly reliable. Most are cheep. Al at American Sport Bike can tell you about every problem (and it's fix) there ever was about the S3. The stock peg position will drag on a S3 sooner than any other tuber Buell in the twisties. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I've done many 500 miles days, and a couple 600 mile days on my cyclone without much problem. My biggest problem with sport touring this bike is that there are no tires out there that will last more than 5k miles. | ||
| Rex |
 Here is my m2. great bike. Have driven it to bonneville and back from northern cal, and also from phoenix az to buellton, and from Phoenix arizona to Death Valley. Six speed tranny, works good. thanks REX | ||
| Unibear12r |
Mike... maybe... I've been running the Avon ST45/46 sport touring tire on the S3 and Uly. Put over 10k miles on the ones on the Uly. 7700 of the miles in one trip, mostly superslabing. The bad.. the S3 just wore out it's rear and Avon has "upgraded to a new model". I'll need to figure it's mileage before next May's Run For The Wall. | ||
| Mikej |
Somewhere on the site here is a pic of my fully loaded M2 geared up for the trip several years ago from Milwaukee to Seattle. Probably averaged 700-850 mile days. Did just fine. Tank bag helped block the wind. | ||
| Cpres |
Tank bag, soft saddle bags, ventura pack rack, corbin seat, 5000 miles plus road trip with the wife on back. If you ride the bike so you are use to riding 300 to 400 miles a day isn't bad. The M2 is a great bike | ||
| Warlizard |
The S3. The S3T being ideal as it is designed for touring. The M2 and X1 can be toured with, but to me these bikes are thoroughbreds, not meant for long trips. I have seen X1's loaded up w/ luggage and to me it just looks wrong, like Secretariat pulling a beer cart. Also consider the wear and tear on the bike from the added weight of baggage and a passenger. You want a heavy bike for touring. | ||
| Tom_b |
the buell soft side bags are great. there is a set right now in the classifieds and another on ebay. A person can tour on almost any bike, just depends on your stamina. I would not hesitate taking my x-1 on a long trip if it were a shade more dependable. a friend who sold his s-1 last year rode his from ks to vt then to fl then to ca. which are all 1,000 mile plus one way trips. (Message edited by tom_b on August 30, 2007) | ||
| Shadowracerx1 |
 I second the X1 suggestion. From Detroit to Virginia to New York and back home. Ventura packs and an aftermarket seat. Even with my rear sets I was comfortable. | ||
| Akbuell |
In July, rode from Pr Rupert, B.C. to Laguna Seca and back on an '01 X-l, with tank bag, soft luggage, and a tail bag. Modified the bike with S-3 handlebars. Something in the area of 4.5k miles, and 50-55MPGs. Enjoyed the ride, although rain and bug protection were lacking, LOL. And changed to Metzler Roadtec tires. Good performance in both wet and dry, and great wear. An aux left-hand throttle would have been nice at times. | ||
| Reepicheep |
As weird as this sounds... I would, hands down, take a 9sx over any of those bikes for 1 up sport touring (and I sport toured on an M2 and put 20k+ miles on one). A TT would be even better. | ||
| Jayvee |
I've done 500 mile days on an SR500, no fairing at all. No problem. Any of these bikes would be great. Touring is a state of mind, not a motorcycle. But it's always nicer to have the "right tool for the job". Which would be the S3T. For my M2, I have a tank bag, soft saddlebags, tail pack, Ventura luggage rack, S3T handlebars, and Corbin seat. I would gladly welcome the opportunity to ride it for some 500 mile days. revised: Rex's M2 is THE COOLEST. (Message edited by jayvee on August 30, 2007) | ||
| Djkaplan |
SR500... one of my dream bikes from study hall in high school. I'm still waiting for part 2 of "How To Hotrod Your SR500" by Gordon Jennings in Cycle magazine. Seeing as how both of them have passed on, I guess I'll have to wait until I get to heaven (or much, much, much longer). | ||
| Tattoodnscrewd |
Jayvee .. my M2 has everything yours does with the exception of taller handlebars ... Sure wish someone would have caught me riding on my last camping trip fully packed and running the rustic roads in NE Wisconsin .. boy was it fun (nothing like tossing the bike around packed for a week long camping trip (with tent)) .. had to stop and wait for my father-in-law at every stop .. What was even crazier was when I went camping a month earlier in SW Wisconsin... ON THE S1 ... I was carrying so much I barely fit on the bike .. Here is a picture of the bike with all the gear I was carrying (backpack is what's on the seat) - nothing like a long ride with rearsets, clip-ons and full gear .. Was still avoiding the slab and hitting the twisties most of the way there and back .. Forgive the crappy phone pic ..  (Message edited by tattoodnscrewd on August 30, 2007) | ||
| Warlizard |
Whats with all the Jap looking windscreens? | ||
| Bad_karma |
The S3 is my choice due to seat and riding position. The Thunderbolt engine helps too. Joe | ||
| Shadowracerx1 |
Warlizard: Not to be an elitist but you'll find the "Euro fairing" styling to be based on the Ducati 900 Super Sport rather than any Asian fair...  | ||
| Warlizard |
It still looks wrong, IMO. Looks better w/ no screen at all, as soon as I can come up w/ a way to cover the eyesore behind the flyscreen, mine is coming off. I find the tubes look better and better as you take off the plastic. | ||
| Shadowracerx1 |
I will say the wind protection it provides makes a big difference when highway touring. I suppose it may have even helped in the torrential down pours I kept getting caught in as well. | ||
| Jayvee |
That full fairing is a look, it's not bad, but it's reminiscent of a VFR to me, not ducati. But maybe because I ignore all new Ducati models since about 1997, just like I pretty much ignore the XB line of Buells (so far.) | ||
| Aesquire |
I have the S3T bars & fairing w/aftermarket tall shield on my M2L. I seldom drag the pegs, but I am on my 3rd set of boots. The fairing moved the all day long wind comfort speed ( for ME, this is very subjective, and depends on your body shape ) from 65 to 85mph. The M2L seat is a torture device for people who carry their reproductive organs on the outside, so I threw on the "Buell Custom Color matched" seat, & the M2 is fine. ( though the "L" seat puts me in fairly dead air with my setup, It'd be great for a short female ) See my profile pic. I've added a tank bag and have soft saddle & tail bags for long trips. The S3T is made for sport touring. The M2 & X1 can do the job depending on your personal needs. The only real advantage my M2L has over a S3T is the carb, and you have to balance that against the $$$ I've put into changing it into the machine I wanted. I figure $6-700 for a fairing, either S3 or Rifle, bars, seat, etc. to make a M2 into a near match for long range comfort to a S3T. YMMV | ||
| Jayvee |
Aesquire (nice bike!) and/or Rex, just how hard/complicated was it to put the S3 fairing on? What does it mount to, it looks like the frame, but how? The M2 with S3 front is so much better looking than the S3. The best of each maybe. | ||
| Aesquire |
The mounting hardware is the same on the late model tube frames, ( m2, x1, s3 ) 2 steel tubes welded to the head tube. ( you'd think them useless, on your M2 or X1, Erik & crew are smarter than I am )The "spider" ( subframe ) that holds the fairing bolts on w/2 bolts. A dozen odd bolts, spider, fairing & wind shield, the upper handlebar clamp casting, ( the M2's holds the instruments on the clamp ) instrument panel & guage buckets are the needed parts. The turn signal wires had to be extended, ( I made extension cords w/plugs ) guages & warning light panel relocated to the S3 dash, and cables & wires moved to relieve tension. You can either get a S3 clock, or pick another guage to fill the clock's hole. I bought my setup ( fairing, spider, dash & hardware ) from E-bay, from a company that had it mounted on a X1. ( Black Cat Racing, they did fine by me ) I bought the guage buckets from the dealer & installation was fairly easy. A Rifle fairing would be my second choice, for about the same money. I was about to buy one when I found the S3 fairing. Rex, which windshield are you using? Is that a light mounted to shine throught the shield? Nice bike. (Message edited by aesquire on August 31, 2007) | ||
| Mbsween |
Milar, I've done several 900+ mile Days on the X1 with a ventura pack and tank bag. Its a very comfortable bike for the long haul as are all of the tubers, well minus the S1 maybe. I frequently do 300+ mile day on both an IL4 and the X1, I think the Buell is easier to ride for a long way because of the vibration difference. The IL4 is "buzzy" where as the Buell is "rumbly". I find buzzy more tiring as the miles add up. On the other hand if your ride involves lots of stop and go , the Buell can be tough on the arms. I have moderate carpal tunnel in both, I tend to lose feeling if I'm doing a lot (meaning 30 - 40 miles) of stop and go. I found the KTM Superduke to have the same effect (also a twin). The other nice thing about the Buell is you can get low 200s out of tank without much worry (when slabbing it), thats about how far I like to go between tanks There's some pics here and here Matt |
