Buell Opinions?

[snatchel]

Hey guys, I sold my Harley Softail about a year ago and have been looking into getting a streefighter as my next motorcycle. I have always enjoyed the looks of Buell motorcycles, particularly the XB models. I came across an '10 XB12Ss a buddy of mine is thinking about selling and can get it for around 5 grand, with only 1500 miles on it. It's gorgeous to look at and apparently a hoot to carve corners and backroads on. I have never owned a Buell, or even ridden one. Any of yall have any insight into these?

[snatchel]

Im not sure on the specifics, but yeah, thats basically the case. Supposedly HD will still stand by warranties/carry parts/ect until 2015 or so. I'm just trying to figure out if I want to look into this further or go to an aprilla or ducati. I love American bikes though..

[gigag04]

I think the Asian bikes are the best value for that niche of bikes.

I wouldn't ride Buell if somebody paid me a big bag of money to do so.

[i8godzilla]

Buell--a subsidiary of Harley Davidson--ceased production at the end of October 2009. So, it is possible that it was a 2010 model year. Spare parts should be available for at least 10 years from that date. I have never ridden one but a friend of my son had one. From what I recall he never had any issues with the bike. Someone else must have liked it also as it was stolen and never recovered.

[Commander Cody]

Great MC. Ride well, lots of torque. Maneuverability is great. When factory parts go away, there will always be aftermarket parts. It doesn’t take big bags of money to get me to ride one.

[Munk]

I wouldn't need a big bag of money, either. I owned a Ducati 999 for several years and it was definitely a head turner... especially hearing that V-twin idle with a dry clutch. However, it was expensive to maintain and parts were... well, Italian and expensive.

The Japanese bikes are probably a bigger bang for your buck but they are dime a dozen and in my opinion just boring when compared to the Italians (MV Agusta, Aprillia, and Ducs) and even the Buell.

My suggestion is to take a serious look at the Buell... they are a blast to ride, they sound great, and there isn't one on every block.

edit: I have also owned a Yamaha 6R and an R1. I currently own a Honda VTX1800C and Yamaha's WR450F and TTR125L so I am certainly not hating on the Japanese bikes.

[PUCKER]

Everyone has their preference - I will admit that I have never ridden a Buell, it does *not* appeal to me, the styling looks good but I'm not a big fan of the powerplant. I used to ride a '97 Suzuki TL1000S (yes, the "poor man's Ducati" ). The motor was AMAZING - all out power with control/tractability! Nothing like a 90° twin! Controlled wheelies in the rain? You bet! Went through a few rear tires...


Got the cruiser bug for a few years and rode a Honda VTX 1800 Retro, that was a beat that was a blast! For a mega butt-ton of machine it moved! Mine looked like this (same pipe but had bags, Corbin seat and a windshield):


Been out of street bikes for a few years but every now and then I get the urge...and street fighters/naked bikes keep calling my name. I've come close to pulling the trigger on a Ducati Monster of some sorts...I tell ya, they have some newer stuff that I like too....pricey though.

For the money, you really cannot go wrong with a Jap bike, provided you like the style/offering.

[karder]

I for one am really disappointed that Harley Davidson did not stand behind the Buell brand. Yes, I understand the economics of the situation, but it was nice to have an American company producing sports bikes and adventure models.
Buells are crazy fun, and have an insane amount of torque, especially if you are good with a wrench and don't mind making a few mods. My days of popping wheelies and stoppies are well behind me, but I really liked the Ulysses and would like to have bought American if I had a viable option in the adventure tour segment.
It sounds like a good deal so I say go for it. Availability of parts is a concern, and yes, I agree that Japanese bikes offer the best value for the money, but a big part of riding is the individuality that it affords. While every kid and his brother is riding Japanese sports bikes, you will not pass a whole lot of Buell riders out there. Some may see that as a bad thing, but to me that is a selling point! Good luck.

[snatchel]

All made good points, and a few apparently see my enthusiasm for these bikes. I got rid of my softail because there was one on every corner between here and Walmart. Same for jap bikes. Buell just did a great job of creating a bike that looks like nothing out there, sounds great, and are AMERICAN. I'm not sure what kind of exhaust is on this one, but it sounds incredible.

Like some of you mentioned, I'm not worried about parts because I can always buy aftermarket. I also don't mind turning wrenches (owned 2 Harleys-no offense any of y'all )

Maybe I'll jump on it, just gonna need to bring the Mrs on board for this one. We will see how that goes.

[SATX-Scrub]

I used to ride with a guy from Corpus that has a Ulysses. He's put about 500k miles on it, and swears by it! I'd honestly ride one if I was taller. Sounds like a good deal, and a great deal of fun. Remember, its a harley engine, so no worries getting it serviced by the dealer if you need to.

That being said, enjoy the ride~!

[surferdaddy]

Never owned a Buell, but have grown up riding and racing bikes. Started japanese in my youth and switched over to ducati just before the 916 with an 888. Then of course had to have a 916. Had some issues with the rocker arms flaking their finish and suffered some top end damage. Ducati fixed and upgraded the components, man do I miss the 916. Anyhow, went to a 999 and finally a 'comfy' monster which I recently sold after fatherhood and no time to ride. I have ridden an older lightning and I must say it was good and bad. Short wheelbase, real quick into turns; a bit too quick it seemed a bit unstable to me. Lots of torque. Slow to rev down, lots of valve float I suppose, prob just spoiled by desmo. Buell seems to be making some pretty good looking bikes these days. I'd say test ride. Start with Buell, then maybe to Ducati, Triumph speed triple perhaps, should probably end off with MV.

[MrsFosforos]

I have a Blast and my husband has an Ulysses. I would like riding his more but the seat sits high and I have to stand on tiptoes or lean it a little to hold at a standstill. The performance is unbelievable, they are responsive, easy to handle, and FAST! I don't know a lot of technical details, but they are fun comfortable too. The riding posture is a bit more upright than some other sportbikes, but still aerodynamic.