need a real opinion

[sf4251]

ok so i have loved the firebolt ever since i started riding dirt bikes. i've been riding my friend's KZ400 for the past 2yrs and a couple big cruisers for some charity rides. i'm seriously thinking about getting the XB12 from my local dealer. not a bad deal. BUT i was reading some reviews and was reading things like bumps are bad and affect the steering and it's like driving a brick on the highway where you need a lot of force for changing lanes. i have yet to test ride one ( i will after it stops being 40 and snowing) but i guess i need an opinion of rideablity from the bikes i have rode. which are KZ400, road king 1300,sporter 883, lowered cb750, and an R1 (which i eneded up hating). if things go the way i hope i'll be getting one in the spring if no unforseen bills pop up. i'm not doubting any one but please be as honest as possible, i was at another forum where people were telling me how it felt to a cruiser when they said themselves they have never ridden a cruiser. thanks in advance.

 

[mcdonald1983]

I purchased my first sport bike about 2 months ago it’s a 2007 Firebolt XB9. I have ridden cruisers for years and wanted to try something different and wow I’m I glad I did. I have never had a problem diving on the freeway with it. The handling is amazing! The bike is definitely built for the twisties but I haven't found any complaints when riding any other places. It’s a very fun bike to ride. The bike takes bumps different then a cruiser but that’s to be expected. It’s not going to hit a bump or a crack in the road and throw you off but you will feel the road surface moe so then normal.

 

[mcdonald1983]

Something you might want to check out

http://files.meetup.com/1171175/Top 50 Cornering Bikes.pdf

 

[LeFox]

it's different...

once you are used to the way of taking corners, it's one of the best handling bikes out there.

if you're using it as a daily bike, you might have some problems with the position on the handlebars, but if you're used to the r1, you'll know what it's like.
it will be more fun than the r1 because of the low end torque.

 

[ramjr55]

Great link what mag was this and when was it published?

 

[dave_xb12r]

BUT i was reading some reviews and was reading things like bumps are bad and affect the steering and it's like driving a brick on the highway where you need a lot of force for changing lanes

Counter-steering my friend. If you want to move into the right lane, nudge the right bar FORWARDS and you'll be in the right lane. I'd like to see these reviews because I've never heard of such issues on any buell.

 

[onequick5o]

999cc in-line four »159bhp »181mph

[confused]

 

[Builtdesign]

999cc in-line four »159bhp »181mph

Typo

 

[Builtdesign]

BUT i was reading some reviews and was reading things like bumps are bad and affect the steering and it's like driving a brick on the highway where you need a lot of force for changing lanes.

Obviously an uneducated statement. Buells are all about 1)mass centralization and lower center of gravity which equals better handling. You don't even have to ride one to understand that. 2) unsprung weight which keeps tires gripping to the ground. I want to say that a Buells wheel assembly is ~5lbs lighter than an average sportbike..?
Wiki explains it better than I can:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_mass

 

[sf4251]

yeah this was going to be my daily driver. plan to pretty much only drive my car when it rains. so i might look at getting nice bars and grips. and dave yeah i thought of the same thing. people just said like it resists steering input. i didn't mean that it was unridable or anything like that was just wondering if i was getting into too much. it will be my first owned bike.

 

[sf4251]

thanks builtdesign yeah i knew that it was about centralization, which i understand, which is why it wasn't making sense, so i figured stop reading reviews and ask people who drive these everyday vs. once for a review. thanks for the input guys

 

[taylor]

sf4251
the XB12R is my daily driver when its not raining also. i find it a very fun ride and i have never had any problems with it. great bike, and although its not as fast as a r1, in my opinion its more fun and it has more usable power.

 

[sf4251]

super fast isn't my particular thing. that's why i didn't care for the bike it felt to me like a hang on for life bike, and to me felt a kinda unpredictable handling. i'm not dissing jap bikes just that model for me. but yeah i don't race and don't find the need to go 100+ on the highway to school everyday so not being as fast is fine with me.

 

[Bolt]

I've had my 12R firebolt for 4 yrs now &I absolutely love it.
The handling is sweet& there's more than enough power for mere mortals.
I've ridden a few jap-sport bikes&they do what they do well, Ive ridden a few cruisers too, but I've always prefered the sporty end of the spectrum.
I haven't been on R1-yet-but I imagine a little more of a comfy ride on the Buell-not loads but noticeable.I ride mine as often as possible& the comfort only gets bad when I have to gas up anyway.so I think you can hang with it as a daily ride..
But really asking us about buells-your only gonna hear praises about these machines for many reasons&there all true.
Buells rock!

 

[vanson1200r]

The reports are written by dildos who did not set up the suspension peroperly. Set it up right for your weight and it's very controlled if not plush by sportbike standards.

 

[Bolt]

What he said..

 

[triple7]

Im 44 years old, have owned harley sportsters and a road king, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha crusiers. They were good bikes to ride long distances with my wife and watch the scenery go slowly by. I owned a gixer 750 that was only fun if I was going over 150 in a straight line. Very uncomfortable, scary and a ticket magnet. I now own a Buell 1125r and it is by far the most fun bike I have owned. It has real life real guy usable power. I put a touring windscreen with lower pegs on it. I'm looking for the touring seat now but even the original seat has twice the comfort of my gixer. It is so easy to steer and weave around in town and on the hiway. I feel always in control. My point to your question is this. I have owned and rode alot of bikes in my life. Liked some, hated others but loved only 2. In my opinion. The Harley Road King was the best two up long trip cruiser I ever owned. And the Buell 1125R is the best all around ride just for the fun of it daily driver I've ever owned. Hope that helps.

 

[Alfatango1]

I have had a XB9R since new in 2003 and I thinks it's a pretty good bike all around. It's not my daily transportation but I do rides in the 100 to 200 range and it works fine. The longest ride I did was about 350 and it was not too fun. I do have a Vista Cruise now so it wouldn't be that bad if I would do something like it again. Handling is all about proper setup on these bikes, you may have to tweak the settings until you get it right or else it may not behave like other bikes you have ridden. As far as power, it's fine for most everything but don't expect to keep up with any inline fours of 600cc or bigger

 

[Baal]

Well, you didn't say which XB you were considering. That'd help a lot.

 

[xtremelow]

First sentence says Firebolt so I assume he is talking about a Firebolt

I over read posts all the time dont worry.