In 2008, the American constructor Buell celebrated its 25th anniversary. The atypical machines straight from the creative mind of designer Erik Buell continue to pave the way when it comes to diversity.
I have the 2006 sb9sx, absolutely love it!!!!!!! Going around the streets of Los Angeles Hollywood and the pacific coast highway and sometime on the mountains this peace of art it's absolutely pleasure, when I take my wife on a ride she always comments that she loves it.
i'll tell ya this, folks. i am 57 and have been riding for 45 years now, both on and off road. i own 2 buells..a 2007 city X and a 2004 firebolt, both XB9R models. these are some of the most fun motorcycles i've ever owned. easy to maintain, reliable, rugged, great MPG, dirt cheap parts, have tons of character and a bit of rarity as well. dumping the buell division was clearly one of the stupidest business decisions the drones at H-D ever made.....ever. guess H-D doesn't need new young customers
midatlanticcycle one of the stupidest most arrogant companies in the 🌎 And I say that after owning 7 HD On my 2nd Buell 2008 Ulysses touring thunderstorm Best bike I've ever owned My 1st Buell was 03 XB9R
ignore the bitter buell haters - it's just them projecting the fact that they are now regretting whatever their most recent of purchases. I currently own 4 different bikes and have grown up around them since the age of 9, having sold every single bike that i've owned within 2 years of purchasing, my Buell is the only one which I can't seem to bring myself to sell. Every Buell owner feels the same, although I have yet to find such a story with a Ducati, Honda, or GSXR owner.
It holds nice and steady at 80.. I did some traveling on mine and held it at around 80-85 for about an hour straight and there were no issues. I Love it
of all the bikes i've owned and ridden, i still own a 92 CBR600 because i'm just comfortable with it. I also own an 02 RC51, which I can say that i'll never want to sell it. i'm now a converted v-twin owner for life. I would own a buell but not to replace my RC, only to add to the garage.
I had one of these (until an old lady in a Mazda took me out), and even though I have never really been a "bike" person, it was great. Getting on after a rough day at work was awesome, few things can compare for a de-stress session!! Will certainly get another bike, if not a Buell then something even nicer. Was a great ride and it looked wicked!
I came off a Suzuki GSXR 750 to a Triumph Speed Triple, I like the power curve better, the look is ten times better, and the comfort is ten times better while still maintaining clip ons and sporty positioning. The Buell seems like a dirtbike in terms of maneuverability for me, I wish the Triple was a little lighter in that respect but I love it all the same. I also dig Suzie!
I just recently bought an 08XB12R. The only time you really notice vibration from the engine is at idle, once you start moving it is smooth not inline 4 smooth but it is barealy noticeable. 80mph puts you around 3700rpms in 6th gear, so it is a little loud but if you are cruising is isn't uncofortable, wind noise in the helmet is still louder than the exhaust, on top of the bike anyways.
Absolutely, that's the same engine (with minor tweeks I believe), found in sportsters. If you read the reviews from both professionals and owners, you'll see that it's not uncommon to see upwards of 50 mpg highway, and around 40 city. My cousin has squeezed over 55 mpg on his with the race kit.
If you like bikes, buy one and go ride. Respect the sport enough to respect other people's rides. I've owned and loved bikes from 3 continents - most recently an XB12s. I'm not racing anyone and don't give a damn who can go faster. I love this thing - it's a blast to ride, has tons of torque. I like the feel and sound of the big twin. You have to pay attention at high speed, but it's fine. Go out and ride; that's what is is all about. Damn, this thing is fun...did I mention that?
I've never riden one (only inline 4's) but I can tell this bike has nice linear power and a decent torque curve to pull you out of turns easily. I might buy one....we'll see!
This bike is slick looking in general, but it goes from cool to drop-dead beautiful when viewed in motion. Right there with the KTM Duke 690 when watched while moving.
Bught my 2008 in nov 2007.. love it ! limited though. had it tuned at JT&S at infineon. custom map micron exhaust and of course the K&N aitfilter.. have had only one issue that i took it to HD for as it was warranty. small oil leak at the 3 piece valve cover
i drive a 06 xb12s... and there is no better bike which makes so much fun!! to all the haters: you should buy you a bmw or something from japan and be like everyone else on the road...
@purklefluff thanks for this advice purklefluff. I started to ride a bike 2 years ago or so, i remember i was interested in this x9 then, but a friend told me it was way too physical and BRUTAL (torque) for me starting, so i started with a more gentle cb600. I tried a x9 more recently and had to admit my friend was right... but what a hell of a bike! Now that i've got bored with my cb600, i can start thinking on a x9 or ducati mostro.
wait a minute... this bike has NO necessary valve adjustments? I have a 2001 speed triple and talked to a guy who has a 2003 buell lightning and frankly very impressed with the more "dirtbike" feel of the Buell. I have valve adjustments every 12000 miles though.
thumbs up if like me, you think this is the most badass naked and affordable V2 bike. people who only look at horsepower haven't got a clue on what a fun bike really is and obviously has never ridden a V2. Nice review. good sound.
Buells are ridiculously sensitive to suspension setup, mostly because of the short wheelbase. My guess is that the bike was not setup properly for the rider's weight. When I first got my XB9SX it would also become unstable at 100mph, but after setting up the suspension as per the manual it is perfect at any speed.
When they say, it doesn't handle well at high speeds, how high do them mean? Are they talking racing speeds, or high way speeds? I couldn't imagine ever needed to go faster then 140 km/hr on a bike.
Odd, I just beat out an R6 and GXSR 750 today off the line. Top speed I won't argue with you there, but off the line Buell's have more torque. Plus these bikes are preferred when tricking out along stone. These bikes have their place, and they're not along side a bunch of rice rockets.
at a Ducati Monster, (Heavy more expensive), Triumph triple speed, (more expensive). I decided on a Buell XB12s. I got mine for $2,000 off sticker, it was an 2004 in 2005 with 1 mile on it ($9,200 out the door with helmet and bike cover) Ive driven it over 10,000 miles with absolutely no problems. It is fun, comfertable and gets 55 miles to a gallon, if you take it a little easy. If I wanted the fastest crotch rocket, ZX10, at the time I would have bought that bike. I didn't want it.
i am just starting to ride a bike and i want to have this as my first bike ... what do yu all think .. can yu give me some opinions about whether i should get it or i shouldn’t...
That is a funny story really, I bought my bike on a friday afternoon and that saturday I was riding hyw 1 with this little hawaiian cutie. The rest is history.
Yeah all the sensors are a mix of Ford Mustang and Chevy Truck, the fuel pump is sn94 Mustang V6.. the pistons are Chevy small block V-8, I think the connecting rods were too..Crank Is Buell though.. so are the pushrods. If you want Rods and Pistons, you look in the Nascar type stuff for chevy 350, any profile you want is being made by some shop somewhere. they got anything you want.
I know what youre sayin but the XB chassis was real good with either engine in it. Ive ridden both the rotax and the Thunderstorm. "Performance" is a vague term. On the track I would take the Rotax, for the street I prefer the air-cooled motor.it has a lot of hidden advantages. All sensors are Ford Mustang and cost $20. Engine life is real long (don't listen to the hype) gas mileage is real good and rebuilds are quick and easy (cheap too) pistons and rods from NASCAR Chevy V8's
beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think kawasakis and hondas have no character and all look very similar. Its just an opinion. The Buell lightning is one of the best handling bikes out there. Try riding one. I have a Buell XB12s lightning with the 1203 cc engine. I love it. If I were to criticise my own bike it is its Harley gearbox which is very clunky but you get used to it.
Coming from a CBR 600 F2 stunt bike, and a daily driver GSXR 750, the XB12R sounds better, handles better, and gets better fuel economy, not to mention the styling has grown on me! People come up and ask me about it all the time, cars driving along side me are constantly craining their necks to check it out. Fun bike, you should go test drive one and see for yourself....
well I am like 5' 6" so its a perfect fit on me.. if you search for a video on here called "Buell XB9SX interlagos" youll see a guy in Brazil on a open track day putting that thing into some amazing lean angles and he blows by full on super sports the whole way and never gets passed once and the SX is pure STREET with only a 135 mph top speed.. amazing weapon in the right hands though.
@MrTyronePimp Agreed. I am glad I got my XB9SX while I could. That dumb non-compete clause is stopping Eric from doing anything outside of the racing industry for 2 years. I can't wait to see what the new Buell company will come up with to replace the XB series.
I had a firebolt 2005 for one year. I had fun with it even it was my first bike. But had to sell it and I was getting very upset and disappointed every time I walk in the local HD dealer and can't find even the smallest parts liek fuse carrier and battery. They keep remiding you again and again that the company stopped supporting Buells. I have to say it's heavy and rugged. Feels safer to drive than japanese bikes.
its to heavy according to buells senior designer... (the v-rod engine). but the new engine in the buell 1125 is quite good (146hp, more than 10000 rpm and still the nice sound)
Everybody is different. I like to have that burst at low rpms and I love the sound of a V2. On the other hand high speed is not really one of my priorities. The fastet I've ever riden on the Ninja was 230 Km/h (I'm sure the bike could have gone faster) But what I like most bout the XBs are the looks. I also like the Ducati 1198 and I would buy both if I had the money to have a racing bike and a streetfighter but unfortunately I don't. Ducati's streetfighter is nice too but too expensive.
proves a lot.. proves that the XB was a capable bike in the right hands.. problem was that when they first came out, not many of the Buells ended up "in the right hands" (they sold in Harley Dealerships for Christ's sake!) All the best racers bought Japanese bikes. Now that they are gone(for now)word got out and you find a lot of veteran riders on them. I got 25 years in, most of it on Japanese I-4s. Im Buell all the way now, only problem is that you gotta turn your own wrench. cant trust Harley
@MrTyronePimp Harley Davidson had a new guy come in and didnt like any of the racing line stuff of Buell and thought it was a waste of money for Harley, so he cut Buell altogether. Also, Buell outlets were only in Harley dealers, so you have to walk past all the leather jackets and fat gaudy chrome bags and sissy bars just to get to the Buell counter. Who wants to buy sports bikes from Harley dealers? not me! It was a bad marketing strategy that was never addressed properly by Harley Davidson.
well, its against the image lol. Harley guys are a picky bunch. The only thing harley on a buell is the Vtwin design (and the $ for R&D lol). but even that is german engineered. but its just the "lifestyle" if you want to call it that anymore. for most its a fashion statement to buy a Night Rod. But Buell is about advancing technology and for people who like the thrill. Harleys are fun don't get me wrong, but lets face it, The guy who buys a sportser and the guy who buys an 1125R are different.
"torque is Americans excuse for poor performing motors" ... or for people who like to have performance without having to rev up to 9k rpms. I used to have a zx6-r, loved the bike, but these days I prefer to ride differently. Specially the xb9 is a blast to ride in the city. By the time you hit your 9k you're already over the speed limit. With the Buell you have max torque right from the beginning, perfect for short acceleration bursts between lights.
Just imagine a fighter jet turning off the engines after coming to a stop =) It's cool though, just pisses off your neighbors when you come home at 3 am! lol
it cant take much more hp that anyway..the 12 makes 103hp at the crank and that's about all you want. I got both the 12 and the 9 and I think the 9 is actually easier to ride faster.. the12 has more off the bottom though. Guys forget that these things only have a 52in wheelbase.. they are smaller than a Ninja 250 and a SV650 looks HUGE sitting next to it. XBs are super super small..
1) No bike (except enduros) handles better than a Buell 2) The Buell has a brutal acceleration just not the high speed of a 4 race bike (it's a naked bike). But from 0-60 it will out accelerate almost everything! 3) The brakes on the Buell are top notch 4) Ugly? It's subjective 5) Over priced? $9000 for a 1000cc V2 is overpriced? You should get your facts straight before commenting on things your obviously are totally ignorant about.
i will agree they are not the best looking bike but i will say they ride so nice you just look where you want it to go and as if knowing it just goes there
@suwee75 simple answer: no! longer answer: a 1000cc bike (which is basically what this is) is far, FAR too much for a beginner, no matter how mature or quick to learn you may think you are. 1) the bike will be heavy. makes tricky situations potentially fatal to an inexperienced rider. 2) the acceleration and power of the bike. this will out accelerate almost every car EVER MADE. that's not something you want to be wrestling with as a new rider. get a 250 and you'll thank me in 20 years.
Was watching this just for an idea of how long video roadtests should run to get the right amount of info across, and then got less than two minutes in to discover that the 'transmission is a fly-by-wire system" (sorry, what?), that it is a "bi-cylinder" (is that like a twin?) and that it generates "80hp at 750rpm" (that's what you call low-down power) and lost the will to continue. Shame, it was all going so well, let down by detail: cracking bike, though, only lacking the 1200's grunt..
Don't be an idiot, all Buells are designed by Eric Buell, a former AMA racer. Sometimes it's better to hold your tongue and be THOUGHT an idiot, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. BTW, I ride a 97 M-2 Cyclone with about 130 rwhp, and will wheelie in ANY gear. See ya in the wind, if you can catch me.
Wow, either some of you guys never owned a motorcycle or are extreme idiots. 1st, to me, I love anything on 2 wheels, second, when your buying a bike, be real about your decision. my first bike was an old nighthawk 650, loved it but it constantly broke down, second bike was a cbr f3, loved it. but (1) I wanted a naked bike (new standard if you will) with (2) handle bars, lower foot pegs. (3) wanted something different, not a belly button bike. (4) American made if I could. So after looking...
@sandis52 For your knowing I live in the country side. Why are you so revolted, saying all those awful things? Really now, I think for you and for those which say frequently the word "gay", that you were mistreated by a a same genre person when you were little. Do you have sequels of that encounter? Or you just wanted to say the word "guy" and did not spell it well?
