To Buell or not to Buell

[probablecause]

I have the opportunity to get hold of a 2004 Buell Firebolt XB12S with about 30k miles on it for a great price.

I used to have an 83 GS1100 that was bored out to 1310 and I loved it. Ran it with a Vance and Hines sidewinder pipe and I used to take out the baffle. I love that sound. But I have always been curious about the Buell.

Will I like the obnoxious v-twin sound (it has a pipe and aftermarket oil cooler on it) or will I want my old bike back?

 

[dave_xb12r]

30k is pretty high mileage. Plus, why does it have an after market oil cooler of all things? I sure hope is less that $4k.

P.S. Calling it an "Obnoxious v-twin sound" on here is risky business. We LOVE our bikes, and we're very serious about them. Oh.. and why don't you ride it first, I guarantee after you wont talk trash.

 

[probablecause]

Nobody is talking trash.[down][down][down] Why would I come on here and ask about purchasing one if I was not truly interested[confused]. Many Buell owners have ridden both the Jap bikes and Buells. Just looking for some input. I don't have the financial luxury of owning more than one bike so this one popped up for $3,100.

 

[dave_xb12r]

Sorry, but I love how it sounds. Thats why I bought a buell. But like I said, you need to ride it. you'll either love it or hate it.

$3100? thats not bad. As long as it had it's regular scheduled maintenance done, it should be ok

 

[climberfreak]

the buells are more comfortable ride not as much stress on the wrist for longs rides . . . its not a fast straight line bike so dont expect it to be. . tops out at 140ish . . . low geared which helps a great deal in the twisties if you like them . . . short wheel base so easy fun stunt bike if your into that sort of thing . . . its easy to work on and they will last a while if taken care of

but thats pretty much the jist of it

they are one of a kind and not made for everyone so choose wisely

 

[XBear9S]

I'm w/Dave.

I bought my bike mainly b/c I LOVE the sound of a v-twin better than any inline-4. It's like Lamborghini vrs Ferrari. I'll take the roar of that V-10 over that tinny whiney Ferrari any day. It was a tricky proposition to find a v-twin engine that sounded like this one in a bike that gave the performance I get from this one.

Concessions will be made if trading a metric for a Buell. The differences are more notable than just trading out metrics. My CB919 is a completely different animal, and my KZ750E is a whole other breed. They sit in the garage most of the time, all because the Buell suits me best.

But its not for everyone.

Most notable, is the power issue. Buells are fast and nibble and a whole lot of fun, but you'll never see the numbers you get from an inline-4.

Also notable are the service issues that come with Buell ownership. If you haven't checked out the threads, there's a lot of HD Service Shop haters here who can chime in their 2 cents. It's a bitch being different.

So, ifin' you fancy yourself a red-headed step-child with an "I don't give a f*ck" attitude, who's into back-roads and lookin' cooler than Joe Blow Harley, or Crazy Bred Redneck-a-busa, you might be a Bueller.

Unconventional is where I'm at...

Robtk! a.k.a. "Special K"

"You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful idea in the world, but it requires people...to make the dream wheelie!"

--Walt Helldisney