To Buell or not to Buell, that is the question....

[TheAmericanNightmare]

Hello everyone. I've been lurking on here for awhile trying to gather as much information as possible. This is a great community, rich with great info. I'm new to the forum, but not new to motorcycles. Basically I'm writing this to hear first hand from all you Buell Lightning owners out there. Here's there short version of my story:

I LOVE naked/standard/streetfighter style bikes and I'm looking to purchase a new one...most likely by the end of next week. This will be my second bike. My first bike was a 2002 Suzuki SV650 that really was allot of fun and headache free. I've now basically boiled down my choices to two bike: A 2003 Kawasaki Z1000, and a 2003 Buell Lightning XB9SL. I know these are two very different machines. The one thing that kinda steers me away from the 03 Lightning is reliability issues. How are these bike as far as reliability is concerned? Are there allot of stupid little things too look out for when buying a Buell? Is there anything in particular I should look out for when I look at the 03 Lightning in person?

I'd love to hear from you guys regarding your experience owning your bike, especially as far as reliability is concerned. I really love the look, and size of the Buell Lightning......the Z1000 felt somewhat big and bulky. Any and all input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! If all goes well, hopefully I'll be joining the family soon!

 

[Dragonslayer]

I've got a '06 XB12R and it's been very reliable. I wouldn't trade my Buell for any other bike. Every bike is slightly different. Some have problems but most don't, no matter what the brand is. Some will swear that the jap bikes are trouble free, yet I had a Suzuki that turned out to be a nightmare.

Damn I love my Buell.

 

[GatorBuell]

I would steer away from the 03's, but if the price is right. A few things I have seen over the last few years is the wheel bearings, make sure the plastic in the rim is orange not black, the first generation belt was not very good and I believe the tensioner had some problems. I believe the oil pump gear was a problem as well. The best thing to do is find out the recalls from that year and make sure all the recalls were performed by the dealer. That was the first year for the xb and Buell fixed those issues in the following year models. If those issues have been addressed you should be good to go.

 

[TheAmericanNightmare]

Thanks for the replies guys! That's very good to know GarorBuell. I'll be looking into those issues for sure....much appreciated. Maybe I should search for an 04 and up Lightning and scratch that 03.....hummmm....

 

[Fock347]

i have an 04 xb12 bought it used with 8k last year its got around 45k on it now, no big problems i just abuse the **** out of it(been geettin into stunt ridin for about 6-7 months)and little things break clutch cables especially,wouldnt recomend aftermarket clutch perches. o and i highly recomend using a oem battery been havin headaches with non oem batteries,but other than that its been good to me.

 

[racepro716]

This is my first season on my 08 firebolt after 25 or so years on a GPz 750. I love it!! As I've said on here before, it's NOT a goldwing but after lowering the pegs and adding a throttle lock I can easily do gas stop to gas stop all day long. Might want to look at it this way..everybody has a metric bike, you will have to look REAL hard to find another Buell. And get used to answering questions about it. Good luck, Wayne

 

[Stevenc150]

Are there allot of stupid little things too look out for when buying a Buell? Is there anything in particular I should look out for when I look at the 03 Lightning in person?

Here's a thread (XB Year Model Differences) with most of the year model differences listed. It's entirely up to you, but '06+ started making various upgrades - some of which may help you make your decision. Good hunting either way.

 

[TheAmericanNightmare]

Ahhhh, thanks for the link Stevenc150! The more I learn, the more I feel like I wanna go after an even later model year! The only thing that sucks is that it's hard to find an 06 and up in my price range that doesn't have high miles...

 

[only1reds]

I have an 05 for sale, click here

 

[TheAmericanNightmare]

Nice, but I'm all the way on the other side of the country. I'm located in New York....30 minutes north of Manhattan. I'm hunting though!

 

[hula Buell]

Hope Im not too late.I have been riding all kinds of different bikes through the years and recently got a Firebolt north of the Golden Gate Bridge and rode it off the showroom floor to Mexico with no problems except the ride ended too early and not enough time.Now it lives in Hawaii and going too slow.Still tons of fun...Get one

 

[shawnxb12ss]

I bought an '06 xb12ss 3 weeks ago and love it. I used to ride a dyna low rider so this was a big change. I'm not a tall guy so I was not too sure how I would like it. I was looking at Triumphs and Duccatti's, but I just fell in love with the Buell. I love the torque and the power is easy to manage. I am not crazy about the high winding engines. It's nice to just power through the curves without having to down shift like you with a jap engine. I am surprised how comfortable and fun the bike is. I put 1000 miles on it in 3 weeks and can't get enough of it. I love it and for the $, you can't go wrong.

 

[TheAmericanNightmare]

Thanks guys! I'm still in the hunt for one! So if anybody has an 05 and up Lightning for sale in the NY area please let me know! Thanks!

 

[iluvmath]

I started on an sv650, test rode a buelll, and bought one a week later. I'm not looking back, it's a beautiful bike and a blast to ride. I don't have any issues (so far) with build quality. The lightning have been around and the bike is honed in perfect...as always, try to get the latest model you can afford. The only other advice i have is to get an XB12 over the XB9. The price difference is negligble, and the 12 is so fun!