WhiskeyFox
Active member
New member here, just got my first Buell, a 2006 XB12SS! Good deal, too. ~22,000 miles, fresh rubber, new-ish battery, and some aftermarket goodies pre-installed, just needed a washing and a brake job, $3000!
Took it up the local mountain to get to know it. I've been on 500ccs (2 Suzuki GS500s, a Honda CB500F) for about 5 years now, before that I had an old 80s Suzuki 650, this is my first "big" bike and I can't say I really feel the power is necessary. But I love the look, the feel, and the sound of this big ol' Buell so far!
Did I mention it needed a brake job? Oh man, these were BAD! But I gotta say, the brake job in it of itself was one of the easiest I've ever done, car or bike. Calipers just swing off the rotors, retaining pin comes out, swap pads, done!
I also didn't hesitate to take off the rear pegs and that hideous New Mexico sticker on the frame. The bike is straight up clean!
Only bad thing about this guy now is it looks like the previous owner dropped it in the garage or something. The left side frame puck is a little scuffed and the handlebars have a very minimal bend to them. I had a bear of a time trying to find bars that matched the stock ones, I ordered some that were as close to my measurements as I could find but they are a little shorter and a little straighter. I might like them better, or they might suck. Is there somewhere I can go for OEM parts like this?
The next issue is that of luggage. I can't use my current magnetic tank bag, the previous owner threw in a Cortech tank bag but it's completely worn out, and I got a set of the Buell saddle-bags with it but I'm not a saddlebag kind of guy.
Is Cortech still the way to go for a tank bag? Doesn't seem to be a ton of options out there for this guy. I'm a Kriega fan but I don't particularly like their tank-bag solution...
Only real plans I have left for my Lightning is a Corbin seat, a tail tidy, and an upgrade for the headlights. I'm going to do the dual-headlight mod (one of the two options, wire swap or solder switch, any preference to which is better?), and I want some brighter bulbs.
Speaking of which, is there a way to adjust the headlights left/right? I can see where I can mess with the up/down, but the high-beam shoots a little left and I want to direct it more center.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on. Just excited to have a big 'Murican motorcycle!
Took it up the local mountain to get to know it. I've been on 500ccs (2 Suzuki GS500s, a Honda CB500F) for about 5 years now, before that I had an old 80s Suzuki 650, this is my first "big" bike and I can't say I really feel the power is necessary. But I love the look, the feel, and the sound of this big ol' Buell so far!
Did I mention it needed a brake job? Oh man, these were BAD! But I gotta say, the brake job in it of itself was one of the easiest I've ever done, car or bike. Calipers just swing off the rotors, retaining pin comes out, swap pads, done!
I also didn't hesitate to take off the rear pegs and that hideous New Mexico sticker on the frame. The bike is straight up clean!
Only bad thing about this guy now is it looks like the previous owner dropped it in the garage or something. The left side frame puck is a little scuffed and the handlebars have a very minimal bend to them. I had a bear of a time trying to find bars that matched the stock ones, I ordered some that were as close to my measurements as I could find but they are a little shorter and a little straighter. I might like them better, or they might suck. Is there somewhere I can go for OEM parts like this?
The next issue is that of luggage. I can't use my current magnetic tank bag, the previous owner threw in a Cortech tank bag but it's completely worn out, and I got a set of the Buell saddle-bags with it but I'm not a saddlebag kind of guy.
Is Cortech still the way to go for a tank bag? Doesn't seem to be a ton of options out there for this guy. I'm a Kriega fan but I don't particularly like their tank-bag solution...
Only real plans I have left for my Lightning is a Corbin seat, a tail tidy, and an upgrade for the headlights. I'm going to do the dual-headlight mod (one of the two options, wire swap or solder switch, any preference to which is better?), and I want some brighter bulbs.
Speaking of which, is there a way to adjust the headlights left/right? I can see where I can mess with the up/down, but the high-beam shoots a little left and I want to direct it more center.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on. Just excited to have a big 'Murican motorcycle!
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