Some things to consider

[Shea]

If you are looking at a new Buell, here are a few things to consider. I have about 700 miles on the bike now and this is what I found. Hope it's useful for anyone who is considering one.

Be careful with reviews. This is a bike that many do not ride properly in reviews because they try to rev it out too hard instead of letting the torque take over for acceleration. You can easily bring the front end up at 3000RPMs. Also, the power drops at about 6500RPMs, but hitting the rev limiter puts you at about 6800-7000RPMs and that causes a BIG drop in power. So, proper shifting is key to running this bike well. Lastly, many of the reviews are already biased to the other popular bikes. They commonly compare them to Aprillia, Ducati, Triumph etc and the test riders, alot of the time, go in already with a poor attitude of the Buell.

Mods-These bikes do, in fact, consist of a self adjusting ECM. It adjusts for altitudes and does so by changing how lean the bike runs. Certain very small mods will also cause the bike's ECM to make adjustments to accomedate the mod, but beware. I installed a muffler that was designed to run with the stock ECM. It runs much better now than when I first installed the muffler, because I had to give it a couple hundred miles to adjust, but it has not totally adjusted. I sacrificed some horsepower for the mod. It sounds great and it still has alot of umph, but I will be taking it back to the dealer and having it dyno tuned to get the horsepower back. Be prepared to get a race ECM, muffler and you might as well get the air filter too. The full race kit including all these cost about $600 and then you have to have your TPS reset at the dealer.

Second, if you test ride one, be aware that the suspensions are not adjusted correctly from factory. They are designed for the softest ride possible for a 140lbs rider. For aggressive riding, adjustments will need to be made. Fortuantely, they are easy to do and the owner's manuel tells you how to do it and even gives adjustments for your weight. Once that's done, the bike (as long as the tires are inflated to their apprpiate pressure) handles wonderfully. With stock adjustments, the bike is a bear to handle.

That said, I cannot even describe the fun and coolness factor of these bikes. It's a blast to ride and everywhere you go, especially with a muffler, people are rubber necking to see what kind of bike you are riding. The sound is nothing like you have ever heard from a performance V-Twin.

I have heard of some complaints with the factory XB12 tires, the Dunlops. I hear everyone puting on the tires that the XB9 comes stock with, the Pirelli Diablos. Not sure how much more traction you get, but I hear it's just a much better feeling and the tire wear is a little slower.

Lastly, the stock plugs are junk. They are basic NGKs and replacing them with Pro Series plugs really smooths out the rev. The Pro Series have less than half the ohms that the NGKs produce at full spark.

[Clint]

Awesome report, Shea. Now, where are the rest of our Buell riders?

[tlwisner]

Thanks for the write up Shea. The Ulysses XB12X I was looking at today has really piqued my interest and your post fills in a lot of good info.

[Shea]

Crap, I forgot to post something else. I have yet to talk to a new Buell owner that has found their tires to be at the correct psi. For some reason, the factory is delivering these bikes with between 24 and 26 psi and then the H-D dealers don't bother with them at all. I dunno what kind of inspection they put them through at the dealer, but it's piss poor. The tires are supposed to be about 36 front and back. BIG difference and it will handle like crap until you fix the problem.

[BagofBones]

Thanks for the info, i am alittle hesitent to check out the Buell forums but i am considering a Buell to be my next bike.
One of my main questions about the bike are the differeing engines on the Lightning and the Firebolt. How do they compare powerwise to a Zuki motor? Is the 9 like a 600 and the 12 like a 1000?

Thanks

[Shea]

Originally Posted by BagofBones

Thanks for the info, i am alittle hesitent to check out the Buell forums but i am considering a Buell to be my next bike.
One of my main questions about the bike are the differeing engines on the Lightning and the Firebolt. How do they compare powerwise to a Zuki motor? Is the 9 like a 600 and the 12 like a 1000?

Thanks

IMO, these engines are a whole other breed. You can't really compare them to inline fours. The V-twins have more torque and a broader powerband. So, the power is there almost anywhere in the RPM range. I can lift the front tire anywhere between 2800 RPMs all the way through 6000 RPMs. Redline on the 12 is 7000 and the 9 is closer to 8000.

If you were to actually compare it to an inline 4 race replica, a 1200 would be closer to the horse power of a 600, but the torque of a 1000 or 1200.

As for the bolt and Lightning, they use the same engines, either the 9 or the 12. They have the same horsepower and torque too. Its just a choice between street fighter or sport bike seating position.

You just have to test ride one to know what it's like. It's like Eric Buell says, you can't ride a spec sheet. It's very true, these bikes are just a whole different machine.

[tlwisner]

I would think Eric Buell makes a great point, a zillion horsepower at 15,000 rpms isn't as helpful on the street as is a zillion foot pounds of torque at 2500 - 6000 rpms.

[HAMMERPETE]

Originally Posted by tlwisner

I would think Eric Buell makes a great point, a zillion horsepower at 15,000 rpms isn't as helpful on the street as is a zillion foot pounds of torque at 2500 - 6000 rpms.

No kidding...Torque gets you there while Hp keeps you there.

Seriously considering a Buell down the road for some serious canyon carving.
I like the torque of my Vic and could only imagine what the engine would be like in a sport bike chassis.

[Shea]

Originally Posted by HAMMERPETE

No kidding...Torque gets you there while Hp keeps you there.

Seriously considering a Buell down the road for some serious canyon carving.
I like the torque of my Vic and could only imagine what the engine would be like in a sport bike chassis.

Take your bike's torque and simply add 30-40 more hp and that's what a Buell 1200 feels like. It's such a well rounded engine.

It takes some getting used to though. The bike rides very different than any other bike and it took me about a month of riding and some fine tuning of the suspension before it handled like it was claimed to.

[HAMMERPETE]

Originally Posted by Shea

Take your bike's torque and simply add 30-40 more hp and that's what a Buell 1200 feels like. It's such a well rounded engine.

It takes some getting used to though. The bike rides very different than any other bike and it took me about a month of riding and some fine tuning of the suspension before it handled like it was claimed to.

Victory claims 92 ponies and 110 lb-ft of torque... 657lb dry
Buell 1200 103 hp 84 ft-lb torque........395 lbs dry if I could shed

Mine has the stage I kit. Supposively it has 6hp more and 23.lbfts of TQ.
If I could shed some weight...phew.

[Shea]

Didn't realize those bikes had so much power. Ok, in that case, add 10hp and subtract atleast 150lbs.

[HAMMERPETE]

Originally Posted by Shea

Didn't realize those bikes had so much power. Ok, in that case, add 10hp and subtract atleast 150lbs.

Very strong in the torque department. Just think they make a 122 CI jug punch kit.

[ninjabandit]

Thanks for the Info on the tires. My stock tires are just about gonnneee...I've got about 3,000.oo miles of nice conoring, tiny chicken strips, This is all true on the low rev torque thing. I pulled my first second gear wheelie, and was so surprized, I just wound her out and dropped into 2nd, an she rose up like a smooth cobra snake, lofted and then settled right back down. Mind you it was not on purpose. The 51.5 inch wheel base takes a bit of adjustment but when you get it... you get IT!! Twisties and high speed sweepers the like!
Any way Im new to the forum and glad to see another Buell out there.
Liz

Originally Posted by Shea

If you are looking at a new Buell, here are a few things to consider. I have about 700 miles on the bike now and this is what I found. Hope it's useful for anyone who is considering one.

Be careful with reviews. This is a bike that many do not ride properly in reviews because they try to rev it out too hard instead of letting the torque take over for acceleration. You can easily bring the front end up at 3000RPMs. Also, the power drops at about 6500RPMs, but hitting the rev limiter puts you at about 6800-7000RPMs and that causes a BIG drop in power. So, proper shifting is key to running this bike well. Lastly, many of the reviews are already biased to the other popular bikes. They commonly compare them to Aprillia, Ducati, Triumph etc and the test riders, alot of the time, go in already with a poor attitude of the Buell.

Mods-These bikes do, in fact, consist of a self adjusting ECM. It adjusts for altitudes and does so by changing how lean the bike runs. Certain very small mods will also cause the bike's ECM to make adjustments to accomedate the mod, but beware. I installed a muffler that was designed to run with the stock ECM. It runs much better now than when I first installed the muffler, because I had to give it a couple hundred miles to adjust, but it has not totally adjusted. I sacrificed some horsepower for the mod. It sounds great and it still has alot of umph, but I will be taking it back to the dealer and having it dyno tuned to get the horsepower back. Be prepared to get a race ECM, muffler and you might as well get the air filter too. The full race kit including all these cost about $600 and then you have to have your TPS reset at the dealer.

Second, if you test ride one, be aware that the suspensions are not adjusted correctly from factory. They are designed for the softest ride possible for a 140lbs rider. For aggressive riding, adjustments will need to be made. Fortuantely, they are easy to do and the owner's manuel tells you how to do it and even gives adjustments for your weight. Once that's done, the bike (as long as the tires are inflated to their apprpiate pressure) handles wonderfully. With stock adjustments, the bike is a bear to handle.

That said, I cannot even describe the fun and coolness factor of these bikes. It's a blast to ride and everywhere you go, especially with a muffler, people are rubber necking to see what kind of bike you are riding. The sound is nothing like you have ever heard from a performance V-Twin.

I have heard of some complaints with the factory XB12 tires, the Dunlops. I hear everyone puting on the tires that the XB9 comes stock with, the Pirelli Diablos. Not sure how much more traction you get, but I hear it's just a much better feeling and the tire wear is a little slower.

Lastly, the stock plugs are junk. They are basic NGKs and replacing them with Pro Series plugs really smooths out the rev. The Pro Series have less than half the ohms that the NGKs produce at full spark.

[Shea]

Glad to see people still getting info from this thread.

I am in the process of trying to get my bike running up to par. Apparently I am being told I should be able to stand my XB12 straight up from wacking the throttle and again while shifting into second gear at full throttle. Mine won't stand straight up in those circumstance, so I think I may have something wrong with my bike. I am not all about wheelies, but if my bike is not running like it should, I want it to be fixed.

[Clint]

You sure it's not your technique, Shea? I know from experience that tension in the arms and a tendency to lean forward (without realizing it) is a wheelie killer. Sit back in the seat, relax your arms, and crack it. I can't imagine that bike not coming up unless you're at high altitude or something. Heck, that Speed Triple I rode was effortless. I didn't even get to full throttle and it was coming up.

[Shea]

I am having performance issues regaurdless. I hit the throttle wide open in any gear at low RPMS and the engine bogs for a bit, then picks up.

I am taking it in to have the TPS reset, leaks checked, plugs checked and the timing checked. If all that fails, I am quite sure it's the custom muffler causing my problem and am going to try and get it tuned.

[texrider]

If there is a loss of bottom or midrange, why not go back to the stock exhaust?

[Shea]

I have it figured out. The bike is going really rich at lower RPMs. I opened up the air box a bit and it helped, so I will be getting a K and N filter for it too. This should atleast clear up a little bit of the hesitation. It feels better already though.

[JmalB]

I finally took the time to go check out the Buells at my local dealer. I wanted to get a feel for a CityX. The first thing I noticed were the handguards. I could see myself bashing my fingers into those quite often (I'm a dork like that). When a shark finally circled my way, I got a chance to sit on it. Too tall! I was up on my toes (only 5'7"), and that makes me extremely uncomfortable. But once all the way it felt good to sit on.

I asked about a cg, but the only one they had was still in the crate. I did get to throw a leg over a used 12s that had me on the balls of my feet. Better than the City but still higher than I wanted. Before leaving I aslo sat on a 12ss, back up on the toes.

What I'm wondering is if you have been on a cg? Considering that the 12 is really more motor than I wanted, and I don't want a bike that has me up on my toes, should I even bother inquiring about a demo ride. Finances are also a heavy factor. I can't afford much more than what I'm paying now.

[Shea]

They offer a "Low" seat, I think, for the XB9s and possibly now available for the 12s.

The 9 is still a great engine. You get a little more of a stretch of RPMs, predictability and still has plenty of torque. Honestly, the 9 is only 10-15hp less than the 12.