xb9 good comuter?

[nu2buell]

I'm thinking of getting a 04 xb9 it will b used mainly to vomited 90 miles a day highway . Good choice or not really? Thanks.

 

[nu2buell]

Damn auto spelling , not vomit commute

 

[2004xb12s]

They aren't really great in traffic because they get really hot....they are cheap and easy to maintain but if i was going to get a commuter i would just go buy a newer ninja 650r or a gs500. you can pick them up super cheap and then you wont feel bad leaving it out in bad weather or driving in the rain.

 

[turboraven]

If your commute is mainly highway then it's an excellent choice. I commuted on my first xb12s for a year and it can't be beat! Gas mileage of a 500cc streetbike but big power and torque not to mention superb styling.

 

[ATFIII]

^+1

 

[Alfatango1]

650R Ninja is a good choice, Suzuki DRZ400SM will get killer mileage and be real nimble in any stop and go traffic.

 

[2004xb12s]

I learned how to ride on the road on a 2007 ninja 650r. They are cheap get great gas mileage and are surprisingly pretty quick. They are very easy to ride.

 

[turboraven]

^Blasphemy!!

 

[Alfatango1]

^Blasphemy!!

Hey if he's got to do 90 miles a day, wouldn't you want to save money by driving a 400 or 650? I would, I drive liter bikes everyday for work and even though they are cheaper by far than my cars, the 600's I have on the show room floor are just as fun but go a lot further for the gas money.

 

[turboraven]

No. There's a coolness factor that I will no stoop below. To me it wouldn't be solely based on MPG alone. It would be a combination of mph and what I would be happy riding on a day to day basis. I'd never ride/buy a bike I'd be embarrased to tell me buds that I ride or feel embarrased sitting on at a stopligth with whoever checking me out. A bit of compromise is always the best option.

 

[McMurphy]

I have an '08 12R as my daily driver. 30 mile round trip commute, with some stop and go and I usually average around 35-40mpg.

Best part is on those days when you're sore and tired you can sit upright instead of having to be tucked in. Or you can slide your ass to the back of the seat and put it through its paces to wake up.

That being said, somedays I really wish I had the car.

 

[Alfatango1]

There's nothing wrong with a dual sport DRZ400 or Ninja 650R, they are plenty cool. I have Yamaha
R6's and CBR600RR's that are plenty cool and I wouldn't be embarrassed at a light or around my friends. I guess I don't have self esteem issues.

 

[gunut75]

I have a 12R with dirt bike bars on it. A KICK ASS daily commuter. I have over 20k miles in 3 seasons, even with a month off here and there cuz I could not afford new tires at the time. 2 of those seasons were done with stock handlebars. I just picked up an 85 Suzuki sp600 to put less miles on the Buell. Should make a nice motard when it's all said and done. But; after so many miles, and doing all my own service and repairs, I find it hard to NOT climb on the Buell. It's a reDONKEYlous amount of fun!

 

[nu2buell]

Thanks for all the feed back , I'm gonna stick with a buell. Its 99% highway and I'm not stuck on mpg as much as enjoying my ride.

 

[SonderMann]

Thanks for all the feed back , I'm gonna stick with a buell. Its 99% highway and I'm not stuck on mpg as much as enjoying my ride.

Now that's my man[up][up][up]

 

[ct1200]

Get some high mileage tires, Michelin Pilot Roads, Pirelli Angels, Metzeler Marathons, the stock tires suck for highway mileage.

 

[nikfleisch]

I went through this exact issue, imports seem to be better on gas, but buell is American made, and torque monster, glad I made the buell switch

 

[turboraven]

I would put the buell mph up against ANY import 900 or 1200cc engine. You will find the buell is incredibly fuel efficient when comparing similar sized engines/bikes.

 

[henri66]

Sorry,

But for highways.

I would get ANYTHING else but my XB.

 

[bikepilot]

Definitely do not get a DRZ for a 90-mile freeway commute - they suck on the street and are not very comfortable when sitting.

I'd think a Buell XB would be just dandy. I'd suggest the Ulysses since its more comfy than the rest and more stable than many. The 12 motor seems to get about 50mpg on the freeway which isn't half bad and its very relaxed at freeway speeds - just lopeing along.