Is an 1190 SX upgrade from 2008 XB9SX a good choice?

[CRSole]

I only got my 2008 Buell XB9SX CityX a couple of months ago and I love the bike (I've been eyeing up these XB bikes for about 2 years). In my research I find that the EBR bikes would be a logical upgrade from the XB. However with more reading I find that EBR bikes are very rare as they weren't produced as long so I am considering trading my XB for one. Is this wise? The EBR 1190SX I am considering looks to have been dropped once but not while moving and it has about 9K miles. I have to drive a few hundred miles to test drive and it will have to wait a few days for some snow to melt. My XB just rolled 10K miles and is fairly clean but has carbon fiber over the fuel frame pieces so I have no way to know if it was dropped or crashed before me but it doesn't appear so. I've ridden it about 500 miles since I purchased and I just love the bike with its cool streetfighter looks, v-twin torque and racecar sounds but it does pop quite a bit on decel with the jardine exhaust and I do sometimes wish it had just a bit more power and get-up-and go on acceleration (Not that I want to go 100mph but I do wish the XB was quicker on acceleration). My payments for the EBR will about double and my insurance will go up quite a bit into a monthly payment rather than a once per year payment. I'm just having a difficult time deciding if this is a good decision to trade or not. My thoughts are to get the EBR now and get another XB later since they are more plentiful. I mostly just ride about 7 or 8 miles to and from work and do fun under 50 mile rides as much as possible. I can do my own oil changes, pipes, intakes and basic tuning but I wouldn't call myself a very good mechanic. What do you guys think about this trade? What should I look for? Are there big maintenance things I need to be aware of for an EBR? (because my XB is cake). Probably dumb to ask this stuff in an EBR area so maybe I'll post in an XB area as well but I'm hoping to make a more informed decision. Thanks!

 

[Silverrider]

Hands down EBR !!! , Go test ride it and it will be a No Brainer !!!! Show us a pic and the price! I have had a few XB9s and a few XB12s and many other super bikes and I love my EBR. Just my thoughts.

mad max_011 by Jack Joseph, on Flickr

 

[Cooter]

I also have both and they are completely different bikes. The question is much more about you the rider, and not the bike. You are doubling your horsepower. It is comparing a fast hatchback to a Bugatti Veyron. No kidding. You want 100mph? Thats second gear. And under 5 seconds:
https://www.erikbuellracing.com/1190blacklightning

As far as parts and service. It's easy and the same question has been asked by everyone looking at one. EBR is still a company and will support you, they just don't make bikes anymore. Every maintenance part is available aftermarket and not an EBR proprietary part (except maybe the front chain sprocket and thats changing). Lots of parts around and at the dealers too. Valve adjust at 6K miles needs an engine rotate so do it yourself or find a good V-twin shop, theres nothing crazy going on in there that a competent mechanic can't do.

If you enjoy laughing, crying, and pooping yourself at the same time, get the 1190. It will do that for you:eagerness:

 

[CRSole]

Thanks! Wow, nice bike Silverrider! They will only give me $2500 for my XB and they want under $8K for the EBR. I am a 3-event barefoot waterskier so yeah, I do like speed and the adrenaline rush of power and speed. I find that I mostly like the acceleration; I'm not really fond of going 100MPH. I was just really fascinated with Eric Buell's story, engineering and the XB9SX. Research shows that it really looks like finding an EBR is going to be more and more difficult, maybe impossible soon--am I way off on that? The timing is just bad because I just bought the XB. It'd be better to wait a year...but my thoughts are it'll be too late. XB's seem more plentiful.

 

[CRSole]

View attachment 9574





Here's some pictures of it. Price seems low but I'm guessing the drop is why. There is $100 plastic part, left side plastic fairing, that needs replacement I guess (can see on some of the photos). No idea on whether all maintenance has been completed. Dealers never seem to know that stuff on used bikes despite being asked the questions.

 

[CRSole]

Silverrider, what exhaust is that on your black bike? Is it expensive? (dumb question) I like how it's underneath like on the XB rather than up the side. Really love the blacked out looks--is there really a better color for a bike?

 

[CRSole]

Ah I also see the EBR is chain drive. That means a bit more maintenance but I have to do that on my dual sport bikes already. I suspect with all that power though that the chain needs to be checked and possibly changed every so often?

 

[CRSole]

Good stuff! Thank you. Does under $8k seem low for a 2015 ebr 1190sx with 9k miles? I think kbb books them at like $10,555.

 

[wickedchop]

^^^^^^ 8 grand w 9000 miles seems way high to me. Weren't they selling EBR's new for that price a little while ago????

 

[CRSole]

^^^^^^ 8 grand w 9000 miles seems way high to me. Weren't they selling EBR's new for that price a little while ago????

Not according to book value of $10,555, of course there's nothing about adjustment for mileage:

https://www.kbb.com/motorcycles/ebr/1190sx/2015/?pricetype=retail

 

[wickedchop]

^^^^^^^ told ya!

 

[CRSole]

Um there were upgrades in 2015. One year newer will cost more regardless. Book value is $10,555. Sure a rare deal off craigslist comes along but i haven't seen any that low.

 

[wickedchop]

Upgrades????? Didn't you say your not fond of going 100mph???? The damn bike makes 185hp!!!! Sh!t, I got $500 cash for anybody on here that can out ride that machines capability on the track. I know my old ass couldn't out ride that beast no matter what yr!

 

[Silverrider]

Upgrades????? Didn't you say your not fond of going 100mph???? The damn bike makes 185hp!!!! Sh!t, I got $500 cash for anybody on here that can out ride that machines capability on the track.

174.29 with a tune & pipe :applause:

 

[wickedchop]

Silver, if crsole can rip off a 1:19 lap at NJMP Thunderbolt course on the EBR 1190 with the chicane and not the dog leg I'll be waiting at pit out for him with $500 cash since he is so worried about upgrades!

 

[CRSole]

Ease up there gentleman or I'm likely to work on a challenge like that and hurt myself trying! Just kidding. I just started riding 2 years ago and the xb is my first sport bike. I just want faster acceleration, not necessarily high speeds. I ride on city streets downtown, maybe 3 miles of interstate and a couple miles of city streets. No place for 100 mph. A commute. That's it mostly, but I want more acceleration and I assume stock exhaust doesn't let me hear the vtwin like my harley. Plus i dont like that pipe up on one side.

It's really too soon to do this upgrade but I just know I'll want an ebr in a year and they are getting scarce. I've looked. This one's through a dealer so i can trade. I'm losing $1k in trade but what option will i have if i cannot get an ebr in a year? Get a ducati or rice rocket? Not my style; just dont like that path.

 

[Cooter]

You will be able to find an EBR in a year, no rush. Probably even a 0 mile brand new one. I had my brand new 2014 delivered to my door for under $8k. There were only very minor changes between 2014 and 2017, easily changed if you wish.

The 'exhaust on the side' isn't. It's a resonator, and can be removed. The muffler is still underneath like an XB or 1125. Search "EBR Tips mod". It sounds like you need to do a bunch of googling anyway, all your questions are pretty common.

If you've only been riding for 2 years, I would highly recommend a MSF course if you haven't already and also highly recommend a track day session. You will be addicted and it will teach you more about your bike in an afternoon than years of riding on the street.

If you just want a bit more acceleration without the investment:
A XB 12 with XB 9 primary gearing is a fun ride.
You could convert your XB 9 to chain final drive ($200-$300) and gear it lower.
Or look into the 1125's. Approximately the same money as a nice XB, FAST with 146hp, slightly better commuter than a 1190(IMO), and the CR's are just seeeexy. See that guy in my avatar? I've seen him naked

 

[Cooter]

And wickedchop is so right. The 1190 (like most new hyper sport bikes) is so far beyond what normal humans can actually ride it doesn't even matter.

 

[CRSole]

Thanks Cooter. I've read a bunch but I'm sure there's always more to learn. I ask questions to get people talking and learn more.

I'd had two shoulder surgeries and couldn't barefoot waterski aggressively the way I had so I needed a new adrenaline outlet soo... I bought an iron 883 in 2016, learned to ride on my own near my house, took msf course and got my license. Rode that mostly stock for a year. I ride every day i can in temps between 20F and 100F as long as there's no rain, ice or snow. End of 2016 I got convinced by a coworker to buy a dual sport bike, klx250, and started riding gravel roads and an off road ohv park in addition to the city rides and work commuting on the iron883. Bought 2 more dual sport bikes to ride w gf and my son. Gf got license and rides too. Son is taking msf soon. Did stage 1 myself on the iron last year and tuned it--louder and quicker! Not quick enough though and big bore kit costs a lot (esp w heads & cams) but i really thought about it. Also it has no lean angle wo scraping pipe. Was looking for an fxr....still looking. So last May I bought a low rider s because I wanted a quicker bike and something better for 2up riding with my girlfriend. Great bike but heavy. Did a lot of short 2up rides and a few solo rides to work. Bike is awesome but it gets too hot to be stuck in traffic and again, cannot lean too far.

Finally got the Buell xb this year because I was fascinated with Eric Buell and the unique design ideas he has and these bikes are made to lean (gf was not fond of my getting a sport bike at all or I'd have gotten one sooner). I love the naked streetfighter looks on a sport bike and the performance aspects but i don't like the inline 4 jap bikes and ducatis are expensive. Besides I like American bikes. The xb is a super fun bike but doesn't feel much quicker than my iron 883. I've heard the xb12 is more torquey but not really much quicker than the xb9 due to gearing. So i started reading about ebr bikes. The 1190 sx seems to be a logical upgrade. However they are rare with probably only a few thousand in existence. I believe they will become hard to find and sought after soon. I am sentimental about these machines so if I miss the opportunity to enjoy one I'm sure I will be disappointed. Waiting concerns me.

I'm not really interested in track riding, yet lol, and the nearest one is probably
really far away anyway. I just like to accelerate fast and wanna learn to lean and "dance with the bike" as buell puts it. I would also like to ride the curvy Wisconsin roads though sometime with something that can haul ass and lean. Iowa is so flat and straight, it's quite boring imo, except around the rivers but I do enjoy the city riding.

 

[BuellyBagger]

Upgrades????? Didn't you say your not fond of going 100mph???? The damn bike makes 185hp!!!! Sh!t, I got $500 cash for anybody on here that can out ride that machines capability on the track. I know my old ass couldn't out ride that beast no matter what yr!

I'll bite! LOL silver can i borrow your bike?