Possible New Buell rider

[pixelronin]

Hello,

I am a soon to be new rider. And I have put the cart before the horse. I have been looking at bikes recently and I really like the look and feel of the Buell Lighting.

I am a total noob. And I am looking at the XB12scg. I would have bought one from a local HD dealer this past weekend, but they got a bit werid with the asking price. I had a friend test ride it for me, as he is a season rider. And he was suprised at how linear the power was, and said it would be possible for a first bike...if I really took my time with it. I know 1200cc is a bit to start out with, but I don't care for either the crotch rocket or the crusier style bikes. I have looked at the triumph street triple and the suzuki sfv650. But I like the Buell the most.

I'm 5'7" and standing over the bike I had most of the ball of my feet on the ground....not flat footed (XB12scg).

Am I totally insane to start out with this bike? And if I take my time to learn the bike and take the necessary training steps....is the the correct bike for me (size &power)?

Apologies for my total noobness, but I thank anyone for their input.

Cheers!

Pixel

 

[Buell77]

First of all good choice on choosing a Buell i was the same way in choosing a motorcycle. I have a 2008 xb9sx and it is my first bike and i can say that it was very nice for a begginer bike and i think that i will always be happy with the amount of power. i wish i could tell you the difference between the 9 and the 12 but ive never ridden a 12. but if the price is right then go for it

 

[anrkizm95]

welcome to buellxb.the scg is a great starter bike

 

[StarWolve]

I think with the right mentor, you'll have no problems with riding a Buell for your first bike. You certainly won't "outgrow it" like a smaller displacement cruiser. And the biggest piece of advice I can give: Take a riding course. Then take an advanced riding course. You can spend all kinds of money upgrading your bike, but the best upgrade is making the rider better. These bikes aren't meant to be ridden in a straight line and pushed through a corner like some 800lb cruiser. You need to learn how to ride "well" to really appreciate what these bikes can do.

I would ask though - how is your mechanical aptitude? It's not that a Buell requires much more effort to maintain than most bikes, but they do require a bit a maintenance. Personally, I don't find them any harder to work on than most of my other bikes, and once you've rotated the engine a time or two, they're actually quite easy to maintain. There's always a "tinker" factor with these bikes - constantly doing things to make them a little more personalized or perform better. You don't seem to find that too much with most inline 4's - which is part of the reason I like Buells.

 

[thrstrmech]

welcome to the forum and Buells...if you can, get enrolled into a motorcycle safety course, practice, practice, practice the skills you'll learn from it, patients, patients, patients...don't rush/push the learning curve, get riding gear that fits you, quality goods that will go the distance. have fun, ride safely and within your limits...let me know if you have any Q's, used to be a MSF and CMSP instructor.

 

[2004xb12s]

as long as you can train yourself to grab that clutch if you get into trouble you will have no issues.

 

[pixelronin]

I appreciate all the advice and will be defintely take it slow and do all the necessary classes to get going, and then do the advance classes too. I will more than likely start out (after classes and licenses is in hand) slow and just cruise around my neighborhood to get use to the stop and go stuff first....and then on the weekends early morning for the highway stuff.

Starwolf: I own a land rover discovery II...so I've learned to maintain my own vehicle to a certain extent. I truly enjoy working on my truck and do whatever I can to avoid going to the dealer as they are quite expensive. There are a few smaller land rover shops which keep it cheaper, but not by much. Hopefully I can find a buell in decent running order, so I can focus on learning the bike...and then move on to the tinker factor.

Cheers!

pixelronin

 

[Semperfi]

The biggest thing is once you know how to operate the bike and you start realizing what happens when you twist the throttle real good, you are able to control yourself. Do the safety course and putt around the neighborhood for a good while, and get some cones and practice stuff in parking lots on a regular basis. I practice on my sportster all the time and learning how to take stuff at slow speeds drastically increases your high speed abilities around curves etc.

 

[cb750]

Normally I encourage people to start out on less than a 600, but the way technology is even a 600 has 100+ hp. So, an XB12 I think will be fine, it's *just* 103 hp. You didn't say how old you are, but you sound like you have some sense and aren't a squid, so I think the Buell will be fine.

 

[crawfo]

These bikes are fast and fun. But I feel they are EXTREMELY practical. The power band is fun without being too much for a new rider. As your skill grows with the bike you will be able to push these bikes farther than you would think. Just don't try and use full throttle before your are ready, because you will realize very quickly how easy it is to pull the front wheel. I feel my xb9sx is good for me because it keeps me from going 175 mph and up like you can do on I4's.

 

[burgurboy]

I'm sure I'll be going against the grain here but.... the xb12 is not the ideal beginner bike. It can be twitchy and rough in low gears and has gobs of low end torque. This can be a recipe for disaster, as most beginners drop their bikes at low speed (right where the Buell can be a hand full)

Many experienced riders recommend the sv650 as the "largest" bike a beginner should start on. An xb12 will smoke an SV in every aspect. Brakes (too much brake can frig you up just as quickly as too much throttle) , speed, suspension, etc. As a side note, the xb12 will pull the front tire off the ground easler than any 600's I've ridden.

If you ABSOLUTELY must start on a real Buell, (not the blast) at least start with the xb9. It's much closer power-wise to the sv650.

Xb9 and load it up with frame sliders. Everyone drops their bike. Everyone.

 

[theoctopus]

I'm sure I'll be going against the grain here but.... the xb12 is not the ideal beginner bike.

Thank god at least one person on this forum has some common sense.

A heavy 1200cc bike with a very strong low end is absolutely NOT for a beginner rider. The ride height is pointless, as is the linear powerband. It is just not an acceptable starter. Have people done it? Sure. Have people significantly damaged their bike, themselves, or both in the process? Absolutely.

Start with something small, learn the mechanics of riding a motorcycle, drop it a few times, learn a few hard lessons, and then move up to something that is a longer-term ride.

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous enough, as it is. Why would you want to risk things further just to jump straight to a bike you have a half-chub for? You have many years (hopefully) ahead of you to look cool and ride all the wild and crazy motorcycles out there. For the sake of your safety and future, be reasonable and start small.

 

[Semperfi]

^ Very well put octopus. [up]

 

[burgurboy]

If you haven't already, read the stickies on this forum:

http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/new-riders/


Its some really good info, honestly.

Anywhere you see "600" or "supersport", replace it with XB12.

 

[pixelronin]

Just an update to my story. I did get a buell xb12scg and being that I don't have a license I had a friend drive it home. I just finished my MSF course and got the rest of my gear. I finally went for a practice ride in my parking garage, using the beginners skills I got during the course. I now know it will take me a bit longer before I am on the road with my new bike. Practice, Practice, Practice. No need to rush.

Here is a photo of her.

 

[GregoXB]

Nice, you will enjoy it.

I see it came with a Jardine, just make sure you are running the right ECM.

Is the Jardine packed with good stuff? If not repack it now with the ASB stuff, it'll bring your bike back to life.

Full synthetic oil only, 91 or 93 octane fuel.

 

[pixelronin]

GregoXB,


How would I know if the bike is running the correct ECM? I had my friend ride my bike home and he said it was running good. I plan to take it in just to have a "safety check" done. Will have them take a look, and also at the Jardine and see if its sorted.

Cheers!

pixelronin

 

[GregoXB]

How would I know if the bike is running the correct ECM?

Take your seat cover off. In the back, tucked away, there is a little black cartridge. It should say "For Race Use Only." That would imply that it is an EBR ECM for a Jardine set up. If it says that I would bet its the right ECM.

I always tell people with a Jardine just to pack it with ASB 9080-Packing - Packing for Jardine RT-1 Mufflers.
It'll keep it sounding and running good for many many miles.

 

[GregoXB]

The previous owner put a right sided air scoop on the bike. That is a good sign. He cared enough to feed the bike more cool air.

 

[GregoXB]

Of course if there is nothing written on the ECM that doesn't mean anything either. The guy may have used some other form of tuning. In which case you wouldn't really know unless you dyno'd it yourself, or had a very good butt dyno. I'm just telling you a quick way to check. If I saw that written on the ECM I would be fairly confident I had the right set up.

Where do you live BTW? And where did you buy the bike?