Questions about Buell

[premierwheelman]

I am looking at buying a buell firebolt, triumph speed triple or a ducati monster. I am leaning towards the firebolt but i have a few questions.

Is there a noticible difference between the 9 and the 12?

Has anyone taken their firebolt on any road trips...How did it perform?

is the 130 mph limit enough?

Is it fast/quick enough for comfortable freeway riding/commuting?

What do all of these race kits acutually do for you as far as acceleration?

is the heighth and wheelbase enough for a 6'2" rider?

has anyone ridden two up? how did it perform?

I am 19 and this is a big expenditure for me so buying the right bike is important to me any info/advise would help?

thanks

 

[premierwheelman]

A few more questions.
How many miles do you guys have on the air/oil cooled engines and what kind of problems have you had along the way?

Im most likely going to buy used (unless i get a killer deal) what is a good year and what kind of things should i look for on these bikes used?

 

[midlifecrisis]

Buy the 12Ss or 12X for a little more comfort at your height. I have a 12R (5'10") A model with the exhaust valve would be important and the 9's didn't get it. I've had no trouble with any heat issues on ~150 mile runs although on the Firebolt a stop to walk around helps with fatigue. I've not had mine much over 120MPH but remember, these are not top end screamers, for that just buy a jap 4 cyl. These bikes are made to twist, grunt out of your apex and bolt off the line. Ive had mine since the end of march and have clocked over 2200 miles of pure two wheeled pleasure. the Duc will surely cost you more in maintenance. As far as power on the freeway, fugedaboutit, you will have no problem passing three semi's in a top gear 120 MPH sprint, no downshift needed. Remember with a 21 degree rake and 52" wheelbase, triple digit running ain't the greatest idea, I like to run about 80 on the freeway. I only view the freeway as a means to reach beautiful twisty roads which is what a Buell was made for. You can get REALLY good deals on leftovers, especially now that the 1125R is coming. Enjoy.

 

[dcobb]

Hey premierwheelman, I wouldn't recommend the Buell XB9R. I rented one from an area dealer just yesterday and put nearly 300 miles on it. I'm still feeling the effects the morning after. Do I have anything good to say? Of course.

- Great looking bike
- Great sounding bike (when the cooling fan ain't running)
- Good handling and quite zippy, although t you'll get dusted by most Japanese bikes

And now for the bad –

- Engine heat is uncomfortable at cruising speeds and unbearable in stop-n-go traffic. The noisy fan did nothing but dissipate the heat directly to the back of my thighs.

- Lots of vibration in the handlebars, especially on the throttle side. My right hand went nearly numb after 100 miles.

- Muffler is centered, under the bike and spits out its exhaust on your left ankle. What were they thinking? Making it 2" longer would have solved the problem.

- Transmission is crude. It responds with a heavy "clunk" with each shift.

- The tank holds less than 4 gallons.

- Turn radius is bad. Sure, you'll be leaning to power through curves out on the open road, but trying to do a U-Turn in a tight, downtown setting is quite difficult.

- Did I already mention engine heat and burnt thighs?

A little about me. I'm 39. I rode from 12 to 31, and then took an 9-year break. I owned several Yamaha dirt bikes growing up. In high school, I rode a Yamaha SR500. And then from '87-'97, I had a 1982 BMW R65 (favorite of all) that I put nearly 50,000 miles on. I've ridden (not owned) a Suzuki Katana, Ducati Monster, Harley Davidson FXRT, FLH, Heritage Softail, Super Glide, 883 Sportster, 1200 Sportster, and a BMW R1200.

I place the Buell XB9R at the very bottom alongside the Harley Davidson 883 Sportster. Yes, I'm comparing a multitude of bikes that are in totally different classes but I'm just merely sharing my experiences with you. Heck, don't bother with my opinions or anyone elses! Go to your local Harley-Buell dealer and rent one! I rented mine for $99 a day. I left the dealer in Gastonia, NC (I live in Charlotte) yesterday at 9:30am and the bike isn't due back until 12 noon today! Great deal! I paid an extra $18 for insurance. They even provide you with a helmet for free! My old Shoei has been long gone so I needed one. My only regret is I spended $99+$18 on a good looking but highly flawed Firebolt!

Please rent one and share your experience with us back on this forum. You could very well have a totally different take on it. In the meantime, if you're really taken by the uniqueness and character of the Buell XB9 Firebolt, consider Triumph's sportbike offerings. Otherwise, all that's really left are Japanese bikes as Ducatis and BMWs are a bit pricey.

 

[tbramich]

Is there a noticible difference between the 9 and the 12? big power difference major acceleration difference across the board

Has anyone taken their firebolt on any road trips...How did it perform? performed well for me on the road. i put 350 miles on bike in 2 days got about 130 mile per tank before fuel light came on running it at 80-90 mph nonstop

is the 130 mph limit enough? sure is why are you going that fast anyways??

Is it fast/quick enough for comfortable freeway riding/commuting? absolutely i use my bike for mostly commuting. out side the work week its a commute to the twisties.

What do all of these race kits acutually do for you as far as acceleration? dont know never got to ride on one, my feelings are dont mess with reliability

is the heigth and wheelbase enough for a 6'2" rider? 2 of my friends 6'1" and 6'5" had no issues with comfort

has anyone ridden two up? how did it perform?
i ride 2 up all the time my wife weighs 105 cant tell she is on the bike. my friends girl weighs 150ish i really noticed her because the bike sagged down a bit - handled ok still

i think a 9 would be a waste of money. i have a friend who does track days on one and rides it on the street, he said he made a mistake and would not own another 9 but would a 12. he is trying to sell it now to bump up. resale on the 9 is much harder than the 12.

in a 2 lane road it will do a you turn with no issues and feet on the pegs, not sure why dcobb feels its not a good bike on tight roads. kind of deffeats the whole