total newb with a few questions

[shinobi]

Sooo hello to u ****ing awsome bike riders(buell)! I recently became very interested in this lifestyle that many of i are already living and loving. Started looking for a bike that fit my personality and stumbled across a hero blue xb and was in love!!! Started looking for one only to find out it was a liter bike!!!! So i was wondering if maybe i could buy a wrecked one and put a smaller engine in it or something idk ... just looking for some input

[anrkizm95]

the xb9 and xb12 are good starter bikes if thats what your worried about?great usable controllable power.
welcome to buellxb

[Blue xb12]

^^ What anrkizm said. And if you go with Hero Blue, you can't go wrong!!
Welcome.

[shinobi]

Yea thats exactly what i was worried about. I read soooo many threads about this and even on here some of the guys against getting a xb12 had very convincing arguments.

[shinobi]

And thanks hero blue owns:D

[vanson1200r]

Buells are not “Liter” bikes. 1000 cc’s = 1 liter. A 1203cc Buell would be 1.2 liters and the 984cc would be about .9 liters. Plus a foreign “liter” bike to a 1203 Buell is like apples to oranges. I strong Buell puts 100 hp at the crank and a strong liter (GSX-R1000, R-1, ZX10R, S1000RR, RSV4)bike all put down 60 plus hp more on a bad day. Also to compare a Buell 1203 V-twin and the new Ducati 1199 V-twin (yet to be released) has a 100 hp advantage over our bikes. Our motors sound tough with a proper pipe but they make very user friendly power for all skill levels. And no, I did not do any research on my numbers, I just pulled it all out of my exhaust hole. Hope this helps.

[shinobi]

Thanks vanson , this definitely is a game changer i never thought about the power deference for each bike being drastically different like that. Ive been on an r1 and didnt like the overly aggressive on off-ness of the throttle. So when i found out the xb12 was 1203 i was immediately drawn back.

[njdevils1990]

I started on an 03 xb9r. I would suggest getting one a couple years old as they aren't too expensive and it will allow you to decide if its a good bike for you or not, I loved my firebolt and have since moved to an 1125cr but would love to get a lightning in the future.

[buellbradski]

You would be fine on a nine and as your skill level improve you can mod them to have the same power as a 12 but with a better rpm range.

[Kid1620]

Getting a 9 to the same power as a 12 is rather expensive though. You could be looking at anywhere from 3500-5000 just for parts from what I've seen. Most 9's go for 3000-4000 you would be putting the cost of the bike into parts alone. IMHO if you take your time and be gentle on the power you'll be fine on a 12. From what I gather you're a new rider so expect to layer down a few times. Just hope that they are at low speed and wear gear.

[shinobi]

im def. gonna wear gear no questions asked.... the wife would make my life hell if i didnt lol thanks for the input. im actuallty going to look at a 09 scg tomorrow so we will see. is there a buying faq on here i may have over looked? this way i know what to look for on these beasts.

[christianmb]

Welcome shinobi! I started about 2 1/2 years ago on my 12 as a first bike. As the others above have said, plenty of usable power down low, which is advantage to the R1... After riding this bike, I rented a Ducati 898, and I found that I missed my Buell. Where the other "liter" bikes have lots of top end, ours have a LOT of grunt, which is nice for everyday city/highway driving. We can hang with most anything for about the first 1/8 mile or so, then they start walking away. A definite plus for these bikes is the amount of friendly support you will find here. Also, to tweak the ECM on ours, you do not need a power commander. You just need a computer, a cable (normally less than $50) and free software. The 12s and the 9s are geared differently, but you can definitely make these bikes uniquely yours (reference the MANY build threads, and stand out just because it is a Buell. Good luck, and hopefully you find one that is "you". Then, you will get bitten by the bug and your list of mods will gow faster than you can get them done :-)

[user_deleted]

for what it's worth i've had 3 buells in assorted sizes and styles. a lightning, a firebolt, a ulysses. still have the lightning and the ulysses. the lightning is a 984 and the uly is a 1203. personally i like the feel and power delivery of the 984 a bit better. i mean they're both wonderful bikes but to me the XB9 just feels slightly smoother, lots of torque, smooth power delivery, a very nice motor. the XB12 definitely has more torque but i think the 984 has tons of useable power and just feels a tad smoother if that makes sense. IMO

[user_deleted]

also considering the fact that a left over yamaha vino 125 scooter sells for $2700 here and you can actually get a decent 2003-2005 buell for a few hundred more if you are dilligent and comb the internet sites, a buell is a hell of alot of bike for the money.

[shinobi]

So many great opinions , so the xb9 is smoother in power delivery or in the trans .... like i said ..NEWB lol

[netty2424]

Buy either one as long as your happy with it and feel like youre getting a good deal. Either way you go, take it slow and easy to start, and respect the bike or it will win!

You'll grow on/with the bike and learn its capabilities the more you ride it!

[shinobi]

Christian .. ill pm u when i do purchase one so u can give me the inside scoop on the ecm tweaks

[Blue xb12]

Yup, my 07xb9sx seems to run "smoother", more "refined" and cooler than my 09xb12scg,It has great torque for around town and twisties.The 12 just has more grunt and lower rpms on higher speed long rides.

[shinobi]

hmmm guess i gotta ride both

[burgurboy]

I would vote for an xb9 as a first bike.

I was always told never to go over a 650 (japanese twin) for a starter bike. the xb9 has similar performance to these (suzuki sv650, ninja 650r, etc).

the xb12 on the other hand, is more comparable to a japanese 600's power (under 70mph). And most guys wont recomend a japanese 600 as a starter bike.

The xb12 just seems like a bit "much" in the hands of a beginner. an accidental panic throttle @ +3500rpms in first gear and it's gonna loop over on you.

I'm sure theres people out there who start out on Busa's and end up fine but, in the end, the smaller the bike, the faster you learn.

You can always sell the 9 and upgrade to a 12 in a year. In my area these bikes havent droped in value over the last year.

either way, welcome to the forums! where are you located? you might find a couple of locals on the forum that would love to help you find a decent buell in your area.

[shinobi]

Im in virgina, Im trying to look at armymp's 08 or 09 tomorrow actually lol.

[shinobi]

this is def the best forum, ive never been anywhere with this much helpfulness online ever! lol thanks all

[Paniller]

It's a liter bike in size, but not performance. It's about equivalent to a 600 I4 bike. However, the power delivery is smoother and more predictable. Not to mention it has a low center of gravity and great handling, so it's much less prone to new rider drops. It feels lighter than it is, easier to recover if it starts tipping.

Perfect starter bike for people with self control, honestly.

[Paniller]

Ive been on an r1 and didnt like the overly aggressive on off-ness of the throttle. So when i found out the xb12 was 1203 i was immediately drawn back.
Yeah, these aren't like that. That's why people recommend v-twins for beginner bikes. The power delivery is nice and linear. 20% throttle is 20% acceleration, 30% is 30%, etc. Predictable. I4's are "nothing, nothing, nothing, too much."

Cars are even similar, I switched from a pushrod to a similarly powered DOHC import engine, and didn't like it. It just had no balls until the engine climbed to high rpms, then it kicked in suddenly. It just felt thrashy and unpredictable.

That kind of engine is fine when coupled with a fancy automatic trans that keeps you in the right gear with high rpms, but it'd be too much shifting for a manual trans. That's another benefit to our bike for beginners. Adequate power at any gear, less need to downshift every time you want to pass or accelerate.

I had a SV650 before this. The XB12 has a bit more power so you won't feel like you outgrew it as quickly. Added benefit going to the handling and light feel. The SV650 was more top heavy, I almost dropped it a few times (and did a few others). Not that I outgrew the SV either though, they can still ride circles around me with a good rider. Buells just became too cheap to pass.

[shinobi]

I4's are "nothing, nothing, nothing, too much." too funny, thats what i love about my dd the power and torque are very linear[up]