Today I rode a Buell.......
Today I rode a Buell.......
....and I liked it. Maybe the 'storm will be up for sale after all!
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RedStormV
- Posts: 1372
- Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:41 pm
- Location: West Yorks (Bronte Country) - Home of the Negro Lesbian Cornet Players
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Don't tell me....... XB12s Lightning!!!!!!
GRrrrrrrrrrrr
Grrrrrrrrrrr
Now you're really makin me fed up - I want one
Was it like turning to 'The Dark Side' ?
Are they as good as they say they are in the twisties? Should be with a wheelbase that short!
I will keep my Storm for as long as I can keep her on the road (sentimental value), but would love a Buell as a second or third bike.
Tell all, come one , make us even more green
I especially like the blue and gold (bronze?) colour scheme
Graeme
Well it wasn't a new one. It had a few miles on the clock, tho it had been fettled with the race kit etc. I wouldn't say it was better than my storm, but different. Yeah it was V good in the twisty bits. The one thing I did notice was the vibes sent up from the engine. Altho an HD engine in essance it was willing and pulled well, loads of low down stomp, lots of torque which made hauling it out of the corners easy and fun.
Its the sort of bike you can make progress on without really thinking about it. Comparing it to a storm is not really fair. Unlike the storm its slightly raw around the edges. Where I could ride a VTR all day in comfort I couldn't do that on the XBR. I'd say the XBR is more of a sunday scratcher than an everyday bike. Its not a bike that you could only have in the garage. You'd need something for everyday use as it were.
The chassis and handling was probably the best bit of it. You don't so much as ride it around the twisty bits, you think it round. It does change direction very quickly. Its an easy bike to ride quickly round the twisty bits, fun with a capital F in that dept. The suspension never seemed to get to its limits and handled anything that came along with aplomb. The front end never skipped or hoped once. Even pushing it hard it never felt vague or wolly. Planted is the word that probably best describes it.
The rear did seem to go light on a few occasions but thats probably me be a bit over zealous with the brakes. Talking of which you could use deep into the corner without fear of things letting go. But on the whole the rear is up to the same standards as the front end. Planted and sorted.
The brakes were not short of awesome either. Very powerful lots of feedback and did their job without fuss or fear. I even managed the odd unintentional stoppie when I first hung onto the anchors. You get used to them very quickly. In fact I got used to the whole bike very quickly.
I can't comment on the standard engine as this one wasn't. It was the Buell race kitted version. Usual things like exhaust can with twin outlets. one either side of the rear wheel. Its sounded like rolling thunder, deff an iffy one for getting thru an MoT. Induction kit etc was also fitted along with some other bits inside the engine you can see. Loads of torque which equates to easy launches off the lights. The vibes have tried to have been tamed with the engine mountings. They do a job, but you do still feel them. I think this is what would make it tiring to ride on a longer journey. That and striaght line stability due to the short short wheelbase. Any input into the bars seems to be amplified by the time they get to the wheels. So its not a motorway mile muncher by anymeans.
As HD engines go it was willing to rev and pull in all gears. It didn't seem sluggish at all which was a surprise to me. I've always looked at HD's as a sluggy lazy plodder of a lump. I think they must have reworked a lot to get the Buell lump to run as it does. The gearbox wasn't upto Honda standards. It was a bit notchy and you had to be firm with it. Not as slick as a jap box. I don't know if this is the norm as this was a used bike.
All in all a fun bike that is good for a mornings twisty A road riding. I'd have my reservations using it as a distance machine. Its probably good round town with a more upright riding position and a torquey lump which would make the gearbox redundant.
Would I buy one, well I did take this for a ride with a view to buying one. I don't think its the only bike I could own if I'm honest. Others may get on with it day to day, but I don't think I could. If I could have a SP engine in the Buell chassis I think I'd be getting somewhere near my perfect bike. But until Honda buy out Buell I don't think its gonna happen.
Its the sort of bike you can make progress on without really thinking about it. Comparing it to a storm is not really fair. Unlike the storm its slightly raw around the edges. Where I could ride a VTR all day in comfort I couldn't do that on the XBR. I'd say the XBR is more of a sunday scratcher than an everyday bike. Its not a bike that you could only have in the garage. You'd need something for everyday use as it were.
The chassis and handling was probably the best bit of it. You don't so much as ride it around the twisty bits, you think it round. It does change direction very quickly. Its an easy bike to ride quickly round the twisty bits, fun with a capital F in that dept. The suspension never seemed to get to its limits and handled anything that came along with aplomb. The front end never skipped or hoped once. Even pushing it hard it never felt vague or wolly. Planted is the word that probably best describes it.
The rear did seem to go light on a few occasions but thats probably me be a bit over zealous with the brakes. Talking of which you could use deep into the corner without fear of things letting go. But on the whole the rear is up to the same standards as the front end. Planted and sorted.
The brakes were not short of awesome either. Very powerful lots of feedback and did their job without fuss or fear. I even managed the odd unintentional stoppie when I first hung onto the anchors. You get used to them very quickly. In fact I got used to the whole bike very quickly.
I can't comment on the standard engine as this one wasn't. It was the Buell race kitted version. Usual things like exhaust can with twin outlets. one either side of the rear wheel. Its sounded like rolling thunder, deff an iffy one for getting thru an MoT. Induction kit etc was also fitted along with some other bits inside the engine you can see. Loads of torque which equates to easy launches off the lights. The vibes have tried to have been tamed with the engine mountings. They do a job, but you do still feel them. I think this is what would make it tiring to ride on a longer journey. That and striaght line stability due to the short short wheelbase. Any input into the bars seems to be amplified by the time they get to the wheels. So its not a motorway mile muncher by anymeans.
As HD engines go it was willing to rev and pull in all gears. It didn't seem sluggish at all which was a surprise to me. I've always looked at HD's as a sluggy lazy plodder of a lump. I think they must have reworked a lot to get the Buell lump to run as it does. The gearbox wasn't upto Honda standards. It was a bit notchy and you had to be firm with it. Not as slick as a jap box. I don't know if this is the norm as this was a used bike.
All in all a fun bike that is good for a mornings twisty A road riding. I'd have my reservations using it as a distance machine. Its probably good round town with a more upright riding position and a torquey lump which would make the gearbox redundant.
Would I buy one, well I did take this for a ride with a view to buying one. I don't think its the only bike I could own if I'm honest. Others may get on with it day to day, but I don't think I could. If I could have a SP engine in the Buell chassis I think I'd be getting somewhere near my perfect bike. But until Honda buy out Buell I don't think its gonna happen.
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LotusSevenMan
- Posts: 1915
- Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:32 pm
- Location: Liss, Hampshire. UK
And here is the Rotax engined Buellmik_str wrote:To be honest I wouldn't much care for a Harley-engined Buell, not a big fan of pre-historic engine tech. Now, the new Rotax-powered 1125R on the other hand........
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