[Matt P]

Whats the difference between a Harley & a Hoover?




The position of the dirt bag!

[scottynoface]

Whats the difference between a Harley & a Hoover?

They both suck, but one sucks harder

[Matt P]

They both suck, but one sucks harder

Good one Scotty!

[91talon]

I rode the 1125r. It was the first Buell I ever rode.

Yes, they are a little different than your more traditional sportbike, but I kind of liked it. It was really easy to set it up for the corners, and the lowend power made corner exits much better than my Kat.

The one thing I didn't like was the vibrations. Might as well forget about looking into your mirrors, as all you will see is blurry objects behind you. Other than that, I have been wanting one since I rode it. I know of a few people around here that have Firebolts and Thunderbolts, and they love them.

It all comes down to personal taste.

[GytRDunKat]

You might want to check out maintenance intervals for the Valves. Black_Peter and I were looking at them at the bike show a few years ago, and it looks like you have to drop the motor to get to that front valve cover. It's literally a few mm from the frame.

[cpark_12]

i've always said buell's are bikes for people who specifically want a buell. i mean, you don't just walk by one and say, "hmm...i think i'd like to have one!" now, i think it'd be cool to have a bike that lopes like a v-twin but handles curves like a sportbike. this here is an awesome sounding bike!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdeS2QgLZ2U&feature=related"]YouTube - Buell & Remus without DB-Killers![/ame]

[cybrnathan]

I want one of these

http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/street/XB12Ss/gallery.asp

[JokerZwild]

. this here is an awesome sounding bike!

YouTube - Buell & Remus without DB-Killers!

If you say so...... Sounds like a barfing water buffalo to me. And my old Kat starts easier. Altho outta allllllll the bikes I've ever towed I do have to say a buell was never one of them. Each to there own I guess.

[Sounder600]

I want one of these

http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/str...Ss/gallery.asp

Who is this bike company catering to when they have 5 pictures of people riding, and 3 of them feature stoppies or wheelies?...

"Come one come all to the Squid-fest, anyone with a fist full of dollars and an organ donor card is welcome!"

[SneakyKat]

Well i blew a lightning 1200 out two weekends ago at the track, so straight line performance overall is not going to be as good as the kat. I heard that with the 5 speed and v twin it is a really buzzy bike on the highway, kinda hard to see outta the mirrors with all the vibration as well.
Just my two cents

I think that the bottom end torque and short wheel base would make for a prety fun ride tho

[STULER]

Ok ok. Everyone on this website knows I cannot stand Buells. Seeing as I live about 1/2 mile away from the Buell factory. They suck. The turning radius sucks. They sound like they are going to fall apart at any minute. And why anyone would ever want to own one is beyond me. If you want a V-Twin in a sportbike, get a TL1000R or a Superhawk or a SV.... Buells are a waste of money.

[mambopalace]

Buell

I've owned 4 of 'em over the years. They can be fun and they can be a pain in the ***.

[cannondale]

Few years ago we were able to "demo" a uly for a few days in Casper Wyoming. Once I got over the hideous looks of the thing it was a blast. Down side was engine vibes and fan blowing on my leg. Its my understanding that the fan issue has been resolved. The fan is pretty loud. Some dont like that, but, I thought it was pretty cool. Ended up putting almost 200 miles on it and after that, it is without a doubt on my short list. Its not a sport bike by any stretch, but for us it was just a fun ride.....

[HemiKat]

You might want to check out maintenance intervals for the Valves. Black_Peter and I were looking at them at the bike show a few years ago, and it looks like you have to drop the motor to get to that front valve cover. It's literally a few mm from the frame.

They have self adjusting hydraulic valves... never need adjusting. Another reason I want one.

[thetable]

Man, I'm late to the party on this one, but here goes, from the owner of an 08 XB12XT Ulysses.

I heard the engine reliability isn't the best. I have had the Kat over 5 years now, went from 23,000 miles to now almost 65,000 miles with no issues.

Engine reliability is very good on the XBs at least. Not that familiar with the tubers, and the 1125 hasn't really been out long enough to see too many miles. My Uly, (currently in the shop for a couple oil leaks, main one is on the primary cover) has had no real engine problems in the 23k she is currently at, but she has eaten 1 belt, 2 sets of rear wheel bearings, primary cover gasket, and the wire for the rear cylinder head temp sensor, has been rubbed partway through.

It would be nice if Harley would support them a little better.

Actually I would love for Harley to not support them, and just leave the company to Erik to run.

All the reliability issues I ever heard of with the Buells were centered around the HD engine, now that they are using the Rotax engines, I haven't heard any complaints.

The Rotax engine is only in the 1125's, and that engine is still pretty damn new. The current XB motors, are only roughly based around Harley's Evolution motor. When it comes down to it, they really only share a few fasteners; the rest is all Buell.

only buell rider i know has a 1200 bolt, and replaces belts every year,shreds them! costs him 300 bucks every time too.

I blame the rider. Evidently not the smartest guy, to pay 3 bills for a $175 belt that can be replaced in 30 minutes with the bike on the sidestand. (Assuming this is an XB, again not that familiar with the tubers.)

My concerns:
1) Only 5 gears, Im used to 6
2) Redlines at 7500 and makes 85% of its power at 2500 rpms.
3) Motor puts out a lot of heat

You get used to it in short order.

Well i blew a lightning 1200 out two weekends ago at the track, so straight line performance overall is not going to be as good as the kat.

The Buells are made to handle, not to go straight. The bikes are so short and so light, that keeping the front end down while trying to launch is impossible.

I heard that with the 5 speed and v twin it is a really buzzy bike on the highway, kinda hard to see outta the mirrors with all the vibration as well.

At 65, in 5th gear, I'm sitting at 3000RPMs Above 3 grand everything smooths out. To describe a big twin as buzzy perhaps means we have a completely different idea of what buzzy means. Lumpy bellow 3grand is how I would describe it.

I've owned 4 of 'em over the years. They can be fun and they can be a pain in the ***.

Well put. I like to look at them as more a relationship than anything. You have good times, you have bad, and they are really more dramatic than any of the other appliances on the market.

Few years ago we were able to "demo" a uly for a few days in Casper Wyoming. Once I got over the hideous looks of the thing it was a blast. Down side was engine vibes and fan blowing on my leg. Its my understanding that the fan issue has been resolved. The fan is pretty loud. Some dont like that, but, I thought it was pretty cool. Ended up putting almost 200 miles on it and after that, it is without a doubt on my short list. Its not a sport bike by any stretch, but for us it was just a fun ride.....

While it may not have sport bike top end, it does have sportbike handling. On roads I'm comfortable with, I have passed my share of sport bikes. The Uly, like any Buell is super sensitive to suspension setup, my guess is they gave it to you exactly where the last rider left it. Also, if it was a few years ago, it was probably an '06 with the factory (for '06) Dunlop D616, which are OK new, but go to crap pretty quickly on asphalt. They have since gone to the Pirelli Scorpion Sync, a much better tire by all accounts.