i bought my Blast when i was just shy of 18. i am now almost 21 and just bought my 2003 XB9. i joined the US Army, but was medically discharged (damn kidney stones). it seems like the Buell riders are generally slightly older men who have grown out of the ricky bobby "i just wanna go fast" phase in life. a Buell is a whole new animal in the motorcycle world. a poor man's ducati if you may.
all my buddies call me an idiot for buying this bike. they all ride or want GSXRs or CBRs and the ONLY important thing to them is going fast. well, you can go plenty fast on an XB9 or 12 and you usually dont really go 160mph everywhere so in reality, the Buell is a better option for the douche street racer scene. i always bring up the argument of "when's the last time you saw one of these?" pointing at my bike next to theirs. their reply? "NEVER, but it doesnt matter because it sounds like a 'gay' harley and isnt as fast as my cousin's-uncle's-aunt's-nephew's-dad's-girlfriend's-brother's 'GIXXER"
i give up...