I wrecked my Kawasaki ninja 636, I hit a deer. 2months later I was looking on line for bikes. I had been thinking about Buells for a while. There was a used Firebolt at the dealer for a reasonable price, so I went to look at it. The salesman said I have a left over lightning xb9sx out here. I loved it the first time I saw it. And, after I road it I was hooked. It fits me and is a great road bike.
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**Why Did You Buy Buell? (Please Post Why)** Results will be Tallied for Buell info.
- Thread starter buelljek
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bobaganoosh
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2010
- Messages
- 808
they're different
Honestly just love being different and unique...it allows me to ride with my sportbike friends on friday nights and still allows me to cruise with the harleys on sunday.....they have a gearing ratio similar to my dirtbike and a similar upright riding style, they have plenty of torque which is great when i ride city as it really isn't necessary to be able to do over 100mph...I love turning heads and this bike allows me to do that everyday of the week 
I like to make my own decisions; I try not to listen to the conventional wisdom - sometimes to my disadvantage over the years. My two motorcycle mentors are very anti-Buell and while I respect their knowledge and riding skills very much, I always thought there was something special about Buells. I like that they look different, I respect the way Erik ignores mainstream engineering ideas and strikes out on his own. And while I'm not a "buy American" die-hard, I do look for opportunities to buy US products when I can.
I finally decided to take a test ride back in Aug 09 and fell in love with the bike (Uly at the time). The whole thing put a smile on my face. I'm not a fan of fairings and complexity, and the XB design seemed perfect to me. From the rumbling, shaking idle to how the bike smoothed out immediately and pulled like a freight train as the throttle rolled on. I try to get to the track from time to time but most of my riding is twisty back roads - and a sharp handling bike with decent suspension and a truck-full of torque is perfect.
Add to that, I'm a bit of an anarchist politically and the whole idea of riding something different, with a different look and a different sound, aggressive and non-apologetic in its design - especially now as an orphan - makes the entire experience even better. And... I'm constantly amazed at my brother and sister Buellers and their dedication to the brand, their knowledge of the bikes, and the craftsmanship shown in some of the customizing - it's pretty cool when riders of other brands only have to open up an accessory catalog and buy anything they want.
Bottom line - there's a lot of attitude in the bike and in the riders, and that makes me smile - especially since it seems like the rest of the country acts like a bunch of infants waiting for someone to tell them how to act, what to watch, and who to be.
I finally decided to take a test ride back in Aug 09 and fell in love with the bike (Uly at the time). The whole thing put a smile on my face. I'm not a fan of fairings and complexity, and the XB design seemed perfect to me. From the rumbling, shaking idle to how the bike smoothed out immediately and pulled like a freight train as the throttle rolled on. I try to get to the track from time to time but most of my riding is twisty back roads - and a sharp handling bike with decent suspension and a truck-full of torque is perfect.
Add to that, I'm a bit of an anarchist politically and the whole idea of riding something different, with a different look and a different sound, aggressive and non-apologetic in its design - especially now as an orphan - makes the entire experience even better. And... I'm constantly amazed at my brother and sister Buellers and their dedication to the brand, their knowledge of the bikes, and the craftsmanship shown in some of the customizing - it's pretty cool when riders of other brands only have to open up an accessory catalog and buy anything they want.
Bottom line - there's a lot of attitude in the bike and in the riders, and that makes me smile - especially since it seems like the rest of the country acts like a bunch of infants waiting for someone to tell them how to act, what to watch, and who to be.
Dustyterry
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2011
- Messages
- 37
I just got a buell, an 07 xb12stt. It was what I wanted for my first bike but I couldn't afford one, so I went with a new Triumph (thruxton) instead. For the 2 years and 24000 miles I had it I didn't think twice about the switch I'd made. During that time I built my own custom motorcycle, a 1966 T120r. Pretty street tracker. During that building process I went through lots of hassles, trying to find parts for a motorcycle that's over 40 years old being chief among them. I was also finishing art school at the time, and watching the economy of this country be dismantled. The guys I was around whilst building my bike were all harley dudes. They paid sometimes 5 times as much for parts (old parts) just so they could say it was made by an American 40 or 50 years ago.
After school I moved to Portland (worst place on earth if you're looking for work, which I am) and sold my New Triumph. A few months after that I sold my 66. I didn't have a buell found but I knew that's what I wanted and it was all I was going to even consider. I'm a little bit older than typical fresh from college so insurance wasn't really a consideration. I had also just resurrected an "obsolete" 40 years dead motorcycle so I was not too worried about the parts finding, or building, process for owning one of these bikes. Plus one of my good friends is a 13 year Harley tech so that helps too. I got a Buell because I wanted something that I could ride to Wyoming or Colorado and back in a long weekend and know that I (probably) wasn't going to be walking for any of that trip. I got a Buell because it's the exact bike I wanted to get when I finally let myself get a motorcycle for the first time at age 26. I got it because I could pay straight cash for it. I got it because an American, busting his ass nights and weekends at first, then day in and day out for over twenty years designed and refined it. Plus the man raced them and put his name on them and stood behind them. I'm sorry for the guys who bought one right before Harley killed the brand and now owe more then twice what their machine is worth. I'm also sorry for the workers who put their hearts into building these bikes that had the rug yanked out from under them by the factory. I bought this bike because it's a freedom machine. It's not outlaw biker, live to ride ride to brunch HOG billet barge bullshit. It's purpose driven and it reminds me of my first bike as a kid. It's been raining here for 2 weeks, too much rain to ride safely, but I've gone out. I've also walked into my garage in the middle of the night just to look at it in the half light and breath in the smells that seep out of it. I bought a Buell because it's the one I was supposed to get in the first place.
After school I moved to Portland (worst place on earth if you're looking for work, which I am) and sold my New Triumph. A few months after that I sold my 66. I didn't have a buell found but I knew that's what I wanted and it was all I was going to even consider. I'm a little bit older than typical fresh from college so insurance wasn't really a consideration. I had also just resurrected an "obsolete" 40 years dead motorcycle so I was not too worried about the parts finding, or building, process for owning one of these bikes. Plus one of my good friends is a 13 year Harley tech so that helps too. I got a Buell because I wanted something that I could ride to Wyoming or Colorado and back in a long weekend and know that I (probably) wasn't going to be walking for any of that trip. I got a Buell because it's the exact bike I wanted to get when I finally let myself get a motorcycle for the first time at age 26. I got it because I could pay straight cash for it. I got it because an American, busting his ass nights and weekends at first, then day in and day out for over twenty years designed and refined it. Plus the man raced them and put his name on them and stood behind them. I'm sorry for the guys who bought one right before Harley killed the brand and now owe more then twice what their machine is worth. I'm also sorry for the workers who put their hearts into building these bikes that had the rug yanked out from under them by the factory. I bought this bike because it's a freedom machine. It's not outlaw biker, live to ride ride to brunch HOG billet barge bullshit. It's purpose driven and it reminds me of my first bike as a kid. It's been raining here for 2 weeks, too much rain to ride safely, but I've gone out. I've also walked into my garage in the middle of the night just to look at it in the half light and breath in the smells that seep out of it. I bought a Buell because it's the one I was supposed to get in the first place.
First let me say I love my xb9r. For me I was looking at Ducati and Buell, the bike I wanted needed a soul. After lots of looking and research I finally settled on a Buell for sale locally. The Ducati's just seemed to expensive to maintain and with the nearest service location roughly 4hrs away I gave up on it. Someday I will have myself a desmo though and I will still have a Buell as a daily rider.
squidbuellie
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
- Messages
- 2,048
well lets see, i've always owned a harley. and beleived in be american,buy american. but when it came to sport riding i had to go against my beliefs and buy japanese.don't get me wrong i tried the tuber buell and man they where crap.(don't send me hate mail)even the early 2000s rode like a 16 year old 85 honda 500 v-four interceptor and had about the same power.in 2003 when my harley dealer got there first firebolt in i went down and looked at it but was not happy with the under powered 883 motor in it. the sales guy told me that they were going to come out with a 1200 version the following year 04 i test road one and was not impressed especially with the $13,000 price tag when 1 year earlier i bought a 2002 gxr750 for $6200 out the door.so lets fast forward to 2009 and 3 street bikes later. a close friend of mine bought a firebolt and i borrowed it for about 2 weeks and did alot of twisty riding and fell in love with it about a month later a wild turkey gobbled up my gixer and the next day i bought a xb12scg. now all my sportbike friends make fun of me, they say i look like bowser from mario kart but oh well it's like school all over again.
firefighter1c57
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2008
- Messages
- 872
I started riding when I was about 5 years old. A little Honda trail 50. My dad always rode, and he always rode Japanese. He had a few Gold Wings, and a Kawasaki 900. Dad hated both Harley and sport bikes.
I graduated from the 50 to a Yamaha 70 2 smoke, then, at 14, I got my first street legal bike; a 71 Honda CL100S. I loved it, and I loved riding both dirt and street. From that I graduated to a Honda IIRC, XL250. Either way, it was a older Honda 250 enduro, what kids now days call a dual sport.
I joined the Army, got married, and went a few years without a motorcycle. Wife wouldn't let me have one. After my divorce, I got a 86 Suzuki GS450LG. I still have it and am currently building a hard tail bobber out of it. But, what I'd really decided I wanted was a sport bike. I'd never had one, always liked the look, and wanted one. At 25 or whatever I was, I couldn't really justify the money and I sure couldn't blame it on a midlife crisis.
Then, my Guard unit was mobilized, and off to Iraq I went. With the tax free income, and lack of bills from being deployed, money started to mount up. I started looking at Sport bikes online. I knew I wanted something different and looked at Ducatis, Triumphs, BMWs. Anything other than the common looking Jap crotch rockets. Then, I found a picture of a Buell XB12R online somewhere. I immediately feel in love. It looked beautiful just setting still.
They say military service is 99% boredom combined with 1% shear terror... That's about right I believe. During the that boredom part I researched Buells.
Any such research leads you to reading alot about Erik. The man has put his whole life into these bikes. From privater racer to bike builder. So many failures and always such drive to continue. From AMA changing the rules on him several times. Trying to find funding at every chance. To his race ending wrecks. Always a privateer trying his damnedest to make it. To starting his own company. It was quite the story of triumph and failure. His engineering of the under slung exhaust, the fuel in the frame, the ZTL Brake rotor. It was all one man trying to build a better race bike pretty much on his own. I was drawn to the fact that in Wisconsin some blue collar guy like myself was welding the frame up by hand. No matter what Erik endured, he just kept building bikes. He'd have made a good solider.
I came home from Iraq and bought my 04 XB12R. Bought it used online. Flew up to Ohio, paid cash for it and rode it back to Oklahoma. I loved it. It was exactly what I'd wanted. The PO had blacked out the wheels and windshield. It had the Race kit on it and a storz steering dampener. I put 12,000 miles on it the first year I had it. Then, it was stolen in late 08. I couldn't afford another one, and 6 months later I ended up buying a ZX600R.
I hated the Kawasaki and really never rode it. I still have it and I still don't ride it. Christmas of 09 I bought my girlfriend a Ninja 500 to upgrade from her Ninja 250. I rode it some, wrenched on it some and rode it more. I liked the twin torque of it, and the Buell like exhaust note it has, and I'm a big guy. I really really wanted another Buell. I was worried about about the Harley closing of Buell and was so unsure of buying another one. I went to Harley a few times and looked at them. Sat on the 1125's, asked them about ordering a Firebolt and just couldn't commit. I didn't like the 1125. It didn't look right to me and I didn't like the added maintenance of it.
Then, I got a little bit of a back pay check that the Army owed me. I decided that I needed another Firebolt no matter what. Searched online and found a wrecked on in Texas. Drove to Austin, again paid cash and hauled it home. Rebuilding my baby now, and like some, I go out in the garage in the middle of the night just to look at it. I come home from work and open the garage door just to see how she is doing. I head out into the garage first thing in the morning, smoke a cigarette and just stare at the Firebolt(I don't smoke in the house). Dreaming of what she'll look like when she is done.
I graduated from the 50 to a Yamaha 70 2 smoke, then, at 14, I got my first street legal bike; a 71 Honda CL100S. I loved it, and I loved riding both dirt and street. From that I graduated to a Honda IIRC, XL250. Either way, it was a older Honda 250 enduro, what kids now days call a dual sport.
I joined the Army, got married, and went a few years without a motorcycle. Wife wouldn't let me have one. After my divorce, I got a 86 Suzuki GS450LG. I still have it and am currently building a hard tail bobber out of it. But, what I'd really decided I wanted was a sport bike. I'd never had one, always liked the look, and wanted one. At 25 or whatever I was, I couldn't really justify the money and I sure couldn't blame it on a midlife crisis.
Then, my Guard unit was mobilized, and off to Iraq I went. With the tax free income, and lack of bills from being deployed, money started to mount up. I started looking at Sport bikes online. I knew I wanted something different and looked at Ducatis, Triumphs, BMWs. Anything other than the common looking Jap crotch rockets. Then, I found a picture of a Buell XB12R online somewhere. I immediately feel in love. It looked beautiful just setting still.
They say military service is 99% boredom combined with 1% shear terror... That's about right I believe. During the that boredom part I researched Buells.
Any such research leads you to reading alot about Erik. The man has put his whole life into these bikes. From privater racer to bike builder. So many failures and always such drive to continue. From AMA changing the rules on him several times. Trying to find funding at every chance. To his race ending wrecks. Always a privateer trying his damnedest to make it. To starting his own company. It was quite the story of triumph and failure. His engineering of the under slung exhaust, the fuel in the frame, the ZTL Brake rotor. It was all one man trying to build a better race bike pretty much on his own. I was drawn to the fact that in Wisconsin some blue collar guy like myself was welding the frame up by hand. No matter what Erik endured, he just kept building bikes. He'd have made a good solider.
I came home from Iraq and bought my 04 XB12R. Bought it used online. Flew up to Ohio, paid cash for it and rode it back to Oklahoma. I loved it. It was exactly what I'd wanted. The PO had blacked out the wheels and windshield. It had the Race kit on it and a storz steering dampener. I put 12,000 miles on it the first year I had it. Then, it was stolen in late 08. I couldn't afford another one, and 6 months later I ended up buying a ZX600R.
I hated the Kawasaki and really never rode it. I still have it and I still don't ride it. Christmas of 09 I bought my girlfriend a Ninja 500 to upgrade from her Ninja 250. I rode it some, wrenched on it some and rode it more. I liked the twin torque of it, and the Buell like exhaust note it has, and I'm a big guy. I really really wanted another Buell. I was worried about about the Harley closing of Buell and was so unsure of buying another one. I went to Harley a few times and looked at them. Sat on the 1125's, asked them about ordering a Firebolt and just couldn't commit. I didn't like the 1125. It didn't look right to me and I didn't like the added maintenance of it.
Then, I got a little bit of a back pay check that the Army owed me. I decided that I needed another Firebolt no matter what. Searched online and found a wrecked on in Texas. Drove to Austin, again paid cash and hauled it home. Rebuilding my baby now, and like some, I go out in the garage in the middle of the night just to look at it. I come home from work and open the garage door just to see how she is doing. I head out into the garage first thing in the morning, smoke a cigarette and just stare at the Firebolt(I don't smoke in the house). Dreaming of what she'll look like when she is done.
I bought my 03 XB9S shortly after coming home from Afghanistan in early 2010. I looked around online for the last 4 or so months before coming home, trying to find a truly unique and exciting bike. All my buddies were getting gixxers and hondas, and my drive to be different led me to the Firebolt. Sexy look, awesome sound that reminded me of my race quad from when I was younger, and American made.
Unfortunately I also came home with a lower back that occasionally ached, just from wear and tear, and figured it'd be best to get something less leaned over. I eventually found the XBS above, and bought it the next day. Hauled it home and put about 6000 miles on it the first summer. It was awesome cruising with my buddies. They had thousands in mods and the Buell would still get more looks and questions bone stock.
Now that my back is much better, I considered buying a Firebolt, until I saw the Clubman thread. I've since purchased and installed them and am working on getting it painted (Yellow isn't really my color) white, to give it a stripped down, unfinished, raw look. I'm definitely looking forward to turning some heads this summer.
Unfortunately I also came home with a lower back that occasionally ached, just from wear and tear, and figured it'd be best to get something less leaned over. I eventually found the XBS above, and bought it the next day. Hauled it home and put about 6000 miles on it the first summer. It was awesome cruising with my buddies. They had thousands in mods and the Buell would still get more looks and questions bone stock.
Now that my back is much better, I considered buying a Firebolt, until I saw the Clubman thread. I've since purchased and installed them and am working on getting it painted (Yellow isn't really my color) white, to give it a stripped down, unfinished, raw look. I'm definitely looking forward to turning some heads this summer.
I have always wanted a bike that didnt follow the crowd. When I was younger (late 80's) I had a idea of what I wanted when I was old enough to own a streetbike......It had to be loud, look sleek, have a dont fuck with me attitude, and most of all confuse the hell out of people that had no clue. My intentions as a teen where to build this bike from the ground up from other bike parts. I wanted it to sound like a Harley mainly because they always sounded good to me.....so it would have some form of HD motor and well I figured I would figure the rest out as I went. I lost intrest in my dream bike at about the same time I got my 1st car ( 70 chevy P/U) and never really put anymore thought into it. Flash foward 14 years.......My buddy calls me and starts asking me questions about this bike he beleives is a "Kit Bike". He tells me that it sounded like a bad ass Harley but was a sport bike.....at this time I had no clue about Buell Motorcycles. I did some home work and couldnt beleive what I had found........My dream bike.....someone had produced my dream bike. I called my buddy and asked him if he had given anymore thought about the bike he had looked at .....just to find out he purchased it. I abandoned my search for a bike once again due to financial reasons and went back to my every day life. 3 years go by and I get this call from a bank checking refrences for a loan my freind was trying to obtain......me being nosey I call him. He is looking at the new 1125R and wanted to know if I wanted to give the Xb12r a new home. He knew I loved the bike and wanted me to have 1st dibs at it. Now I own my dream bike..... She is sexy, sleek, loud, deff has that dont fuck with me attitude, and best of all the ability to make ordinary people say "What the fuck was that"as I ride by.
americanthunder
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2010
- Messages
- 179
my entire family on bolth sides ride harleys and if i had bought a jap bike they would have disowned me so i bought the best plus the buells look and ride better thean any bike ive ever hopped on
