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| Motorcycle Message Board - Motorcycle USA > MotorcycleUSA.com! > General Motorcycle Chat > Buell shut down by HD? | Forum Quick Jump
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sfarson
Registered Member
      
Date Joined Oct 2007
Total Posts : 116
| Posted 10/31/2009 1:54 PM (GMT -8) |   | | Tastro... Major congrats and good call. Yes, the seating position is very well thought out. Enjoy the many rides and grins it will deliver. | | Back to Top | | |
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iman501
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2008
Total Posts : 227
| Posted 11/2/2009 7:21 PM (GMT -8) | | so earlier i said ive been wanting to get down to the harley buell dealership lately, yet due to weather, and being busy w/ getting my eagle project done, ive been busy.
However today was the day i finally got down there, and got to demo ride a very nice xb9sx lightning!, i had to take my dad w/ me to co-sighn the waiver form since i'm still only 17 (for another month). well i've decided that i def. want a buell, the stock seat that is on the bike was pretty stiff, and would be nice to have somthing with a little more cushion, the front brake was really really touchy, which wasnt bad, i just wasnt used to it. Also i know its just me, but i am so used to the clutch with my honda, that i would need some practice with the clutch on the buell, other than that stuff though, i really did enjoy the buell demo ride!, i went for about a 20 min ride, and rode on the interstate, around town, and our on some curvey roads ( a little bit of everything!) I could def tell that there was a big difference in size between my old honda, and the buell. the buell sat lower, was easy to tell that it had a shorter length, and a little more compact riding position.
Compared to my honda, the buell def. had a lot more power, and a ton of tourqe!, The guy from the dealer that took me out on the ride was on a 1125r, and man is that a quick bike, on the interstate, we were cruising along at a pace that was above the speed limit, and that 1125r, was leavin me in the dust ( which is what i expected, but i wasnt excatly going slow either!) the power of the xb i was on was plenty for me!, i had a lot of fun on it, and now just have to either save up a little bit more for the one at the shop, or go find a used one someplace. either way, i def. had a great time on the buell, and def. want one even more now :)
bikes dont leak oil, they mark their territory | | Back to Top | | |
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GeoffG
Harley Ninja!
Date Joined Jun 2003
Total Posts : 9196
| Posted 11/2/2009 8:22 PM (GMT -8) | | Ha ha! Yeah, these are fun bikes (I really don't understand why H-D is shutting 'em down  ).
And yeah, the regular XBs have plenty of power for most riders. If (when) you get one, ride it for a while before doing anything about the seat--it may feel a bit "stiff" now, but that's not necessarily a bad thing--most custom seats for long distance riding are rock hard (but well shaped). I know there are some nice aftermarket seats for the Lightning, though. Also, Buell's ZTL brakes aren't actually very "touchy" at all, compared to some others...yeah, they might feel that way compared to some older bikes, but I find that although they have pretty good initial bite, they aren't grabby, and they have pretty good progressive power as you squeeze the lever. The thing to be careful of on an XB is stoppies--the rear wheel can come off the ground very easily under hard braking (and I know of at least one guy who's gone right over the handlebars on a 'Bolt, coming to a hard stop...).
About the 1125R--I haven't ridden one, but I've looked at 'em pretty close, and I don't feel any desire to replace my Firebolt with one. | | Back to Top | | |
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iman501
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2008
Total Posts : 227
| Posted 11/3/2009 9:52 AM (GMT -8) | | | alright Geoff, like i said, most of what i noticed last night was probably just me not being used to any of it, none of it really bugged me (except the seat, but when i get one, i'll prolly keep the seat for a while, and if i decide i want a different one, i'd prolly just wait till the next xmas and ask for one.) and yea if you look at it like you are, the breaks on the lightning, are probably comparable to most newer sport bikes, yet all the bikes ive ever ridden have all been fairly old (my 89 honda transalp, my friend kyles 1984 or so nighthawk, an older virago, an 04 shadow, and now the lightning, and the lightnings the newest bike of any of them, and probably has brakes designed for quick stops compared to the rest.
and as far as the 1125 goes, it was a fast bike compared to the lightning, which is to be expected, but i personally just dont like the look of it. I think it just looks to big and "bubbly" same goes for the busa's and 14's and such, i think they just look to big and bulky for my taste. the 1125cr isnt as bad, but its still not a bike i'd wana look at all the time
when i first arrived at the dealer, the guy was first guna have me ride a xb12, but then i asked if i could just ride the 9 that was on the showroom floor, and he said yea sure, so he wheeled it out for me, and had me sign the waivers and everything, and i was off!
bikes dont leak oil, they mark their territory | | Back to Top | | |
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GeoffG
Harley Ninja!
Date Joined Jun 2003
Total Posts : 9196
| Posted 11/3/2009 3:02 PM (GMT -8) | | iman501 said...
...the breaks on the lightning, are probably comparable to most newer sport bikes, yet all the bikes ive ever ridden have all been fairly old (my 89 honda transalp, my friend kyles 1984 or so nighthawk, an older virago, an 04 shadow, and now the lightning...
Yeah, that's it--compared to bikes from the 80s, any sportbike from this millennium is gonna feel like it has amazing brakes! I find the Buell brakes nice...some guys find them a bit "wooden," but that's compared to some of the incredibly sensitive one-finger brakes found on some of the most recent sportbikes. The thing about Buell's weird ZTL brakes is that they don't necessarily stop the bike any better than any other brake--the reasoning behind the design is to reduce unsprung weight and thus improve handling, especially in bumpy conditions. The OEM front wheel of a Buell with ZTL braking is pounds--not ounces, but pounds--lighter than the OEM front wheel of pretty much any other motorcycle, even the most current sportbikes. This is possible because the front wheel spokes don't carry any torque (ZTL stands for "zero torque load"), and therefore the hub and spokes can be make much lighter. | | Back to Top | | |
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louemc
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15451
| Posted 11/3/2009 3:14 PM (GMT -8) | |
iman501 said...
alright Geoff, like i said, most of what i noticed last night was probably just me not being used to any of it, none of it really bugged me (except the seat, but when i get one, i'll prolly keep the seat for a while, and if i decide i want a different one, i'd prolly just wait till the next xmas and ask for one.) and yea if you look at it like you are, the breaks on the lightning, are probably comparable to most newer sport bikes, yet all the bikes ive ever ridden have all been fairly old (my 89 honda transalp, my friend kyles 1984 or so nighthawk, an older virago, an 04 shadow, and now the lightning, and the lightnings the newest bike of any of them, and probably has brakes designed for quick stops compared to the rest.
The Buell Brakes are no problem what-so-ever. Besides, you can "modify" how any of the Sport bikes brakes feel (pads are a main way).
All the bikes you mentioned (not sure about the TransAlp though) are bikes with sorry brakes, and those would be a prohibitive cost (bikes weren't worth it) to change.
Focus the forces, Be The Force | | Back to Top | | |
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iman501
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2008
Total Posts : 227
| Posted 11/4/2009 9:49 AM (GMT -8) | |
Smitty said...
(Geoff has clocked a lot of darn good miles up in these mtn terrain that we both live in. His was the first Buell I actually looked at it did not seem large or bubble to me.) the bike Geoff has (the firebolt) i think looks great!!!!, along with the lightning, and other xb's, its that newer 1125r that i think looks bubbly and big, but thats just my taste, i know a lot of people like it
and as far as the brakes on the buell go, the breaks stopped me wonderfully, compared to any of the other bikes i've ridden anyways, the transalp ( http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-reviews/2006-05-01/under-the-radar-honda-transalp.aspx) i have now is a great all around bike, it does what its made to do, and is fun to ride, but you can tell that it is an 1989 bike, the breaks are deffinately crap compared to the buell i rode, they dont stop a whole lot better than most cars do, heck it has a single disc brake in the front, and drum in the back still.
I'm pretty sure that i'd just leave the brakes stock on the buell once i get one, i dont need anything more than what they are, i dont do track days, or anything exciting like that, i just ride to get places in a more fun way than my car, and as a hobby, and play on the twisties! 
bikes dont leak oil, they mark their territory | | Back to Top | | |
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