Smoked by a GSX-R 750

[Rocky Bar]

Everyone has a choice. I love the feeling of my Buell for the ride and the rush. Over the years had many bikes, the Buell is by-far the most fun. My 2-cents.

 

[dave_xb12r]

Lets just face it guys. The japs outperform us, but not by far.

I agree with dragonslayer.

In straight lines at high speed yeah, but I can beat just about any jap bike off the line until 80mph. And in the twisties they have no chance.

 

[GatorBuell]

In straight lines at high speed yeah, but I can beat just about any jap bike off the line until 80mph. And in the twisties they have no chance.

I used to think that until a few weeks ago I went on a ride with a few friends. Me and a buddy pulled out on a two lane road at the same time in different lanes and got on the gas. He was on a 1098 Duc, when I hit the soft limiter in second he was already 50 yards ahead of me getting on the breaks for traffic. I love my bike for what it is and what it does for me but Im not naive to think my bike is something that its not.

 

[stopie20]

Well, first I cant believe this thread was revived I read through it yesterday and couldn believe the redicoulous arguements I was hearing so I decided it was better not to post, but since its been brought back to life... HERE WE GO.

As some of you know I have two bikes one being my XB12s and the other being the 2006 ZX-10R that my wife rides. anyone who knows bikes knows that theres not much on the planet (production type) that will out accelerate the ZX-10. that being said I rode the 10 for two seasons before selling the wifes 600RR and buying the buell, when people I knew would ask me if the 10 was fast I would respond plainly with "this bike scares the shit outta me" the shift light doesn't come on until around 90mph in first gear!

I bought the buell because I have a fatal attraction to its looks and had to have one. This bike is soo much fun, after a short adjustment period, it does every thing so well its hard to believe that more people dont have one.

Now. These two bikes are not in the same league (this is why cycle world does NOT test them in a comparo) or you wont see a Buell in sport bike shootout. They are not comparable and are built to serve two different types of riding.

The 10 emmulates a RACE bike and is cool to ride and great for someone who has a deathwish, but is more work than its worth to ride on the street.

The buell has great torque = less shifting, handles light and nimble at all speeds, clears RR tracks in a single bound, and the only time this bike challenges it rider is trying to leave a stop light slow and smooth.

Bottom line. BOTH bikes do what they were designed to do and you ( I dont care how fast you think you are ) will never use either one to its full potential on the street.

As far as whats faster? It only depends on the rider and the environment.

 

[Nuage420b]

[up] well said stopie. . .rep point

 

[jonhall205]

Never rode a buell. Knew nothing more than displacement and a cuple things here and there when I test rode. I remember telling the sales rep to idle it up, that it was about to die. I got on it. An 05 xb12r that I own today. I red lined it a lot not meaning to. Couldn't even hear the motor. Almost the whole ride. Coming off a cbr 600, I thought I was about to be peeled off the seat. Instead I was... kinda disapointed with the straight line speed. I didn't do my research on the power. It wasn't till after I got off and thought to myself what is this bikes' purpose.

I think the secret to the xb's success is uniqueness. Some people like to be different. Me being one. Its not some magical motorcycle that will send you through the twisties faster than other newer pocket rockets. That mainly depends on the rider, tires, and the bike but not solely. I've been down the dragon tail haulin some serious ass on my firebolt but I imagine I could do the same time on a newer r1. I know I will be shifting a lot more but I think I could do it.

I'm not really making a point I guess but I will say I love my buell. It is different and I am different. I sometimes miss the in-lines when I'm hot at a traffic light downtown, but then I hurry to get moving again. I get a kick out of folks asking me what bike I'm riding. People make things too complicated. Wheelbase, torque, rake, and weight is what makes the buell so damn fun to ride, especially through the twisties!

 

[racepro716]

Hey stopie...as for you not caring how fast anybody thinks they are...I've won 2 Canadian 125GP class championships, raced amateur for 3 years, pro for 5 years and think I'm a pretty good rider. My old 84 GPz 750 was still a lot better bike then I am as a rider, I'm not even gonna think I could push my 08 firebolt to it's limits. Track or street. Wayne

 

[stopie20]

Wayne, that was my point exactly. That all of the above machines cannot be used to their full potential on the street, by even the fastest rider.

 

[meetch]

wow...2 Canadian 125gp championships, that's pretty awesome RacePro!! any photos of you in action? I loved watching the 125s at Shannonville...

 

[Ronson]

I take my XB12 Lightning long to the track at Barbgallow raceway every month (Perth, Western Australia) its stock apart from being an 09 with a set of tuned headers, open airbox mod and a Drummer muffler....I've got the Pilot Power 2CT's fitted.

The circuit is reasonably short with some fast corners, i beat all of the Jap stuff in the corners, and some Ducati's, the Jap 600's can beat me on the straights, and the thou's just fly past...bottom line is most of them don't pull out of the corners as hard as me, can't go as fast in the corners, as for the straight line stuff? well 1250 barrels, stage 3 race head and cams from NRHS will come soon and these will help, progressive springs will be fitted to the front at the 10,000 mile service. Maybe I might hold them off for a bit....but at the end of the day everyone comes to look at my bike at the track days, everyone says it looks amazing, it sounds great, it has almost 90 pounds feet of torque at the back wheel, and it gives me a huge grin, I don't care if I get beat in the straights, I can compete and win in the corners, all of those Jap guys and most of the Ducatis would love my Buell....it makes me smile, and it looks beautiful, its unique, its rare and it is fast in the right hands, but it is at the ned of the day the evolution of a 1957, 2 valve, pushrod V twin motor, and like everything it has its limitations, but on balance I would not have any other bike, all I need to do is work on my corner speed, the other bikes all need a serious facelift and will alwasy look the same....

 

[triple7]

I owned a gixxer 750. It would do 60 mph in first gear! Which means to the law abiding citizen, all the gears past 2nd are worthless!!! Last time I checked it was against the law to go over 75mph on the freeway. So why do they make bikes that go over 200mph? Where the heck are we gonna drive them? That bike was a body bag or revoked licence waiting to happen. My 1125R is more fun than that gixxer ever thought of being. Its fun at real man speeds in everyday life. I'm not an Indy racer, I dont have an Indy track, I dont need an Indy car. But its cool to have a 69 camero. Get the picture!

 

[Lohani]

all this corner speed vs straight line speed got me wondering how good buell would have done if finish lines were after a series of several turns instead of in the middle of long straight aways

 

[brightbuell]

Good point!

 

[Ronson]

I beleive there are some seriously tuned Buells out there.....my mate came to the track with me last time on his 09 R6.......he openly stated he could not get anywhere near me coming out of the corners....he could not catch me in the corners and he knows how to ride....one of the Directors of the firm (Trackdayz) has an 08 Buell which he takes to the other local circuit (Collie) which is a real short twisty circuit, and he tells me he smashes everything on the Buell Lightning....so I recon if circuits were all twists and turns you would be hard pressed to beat an aircooled sorted Buell in the right hands......and lets be honest, all the jap stuff looks the same, sounds the same, go's the same......no soul....like I said there is always a crowd around the Buell....

 

[kyle_dewald]

Ronson, nicely put. This may be an old thread, but the Firebolt was ranked #1 in handling. Google it. Second, the jap bikes are everywhere, its like toyotas, they are every where, but are Ferrari's? No. if you want a bike to kick some jap ass, get the 1125R, simple as that, then tell me a v-twin can't kick a japs ass. someone doesn't a thing about their bike....

 

[TooFst]

Sorry but I've NEVER repeat NEVER been beat off the line. My roomate has an r1 fully moded and it's not even close. Now once I hit around 30-40mph he's gone. Other roomate has a Swift chopper with a 127 s&s. He's usually pretty close but still haven't been beat stoplight 2 stoplight by anything?!?!?! I'm sure there r things out there that Can do it but I haven't came across any yet

 

[Paniller]

all this corner speed vs straight line speed got me wondering how good buell would have done if finish lines were after a series of several turns instead of in the middle of long straight aways

all this corner speed vs straight line speed got me wondering how good buell would have done if finish lines were after a series of several turns instead of in the middle of long straight aways

It shouldn't make a difference after a few laps. Think about it, the finish is the lap average, not just the straightaway. If the finish line is after the straightaway, then the faster bike in the twisty section entered the straightaway with a head start. It all evens out.