| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
December 7, 2004 In the drop of a hat, the wink of any eye. Quicker that a synapse snaps, my world turned blue.  Through and odd alignment of planets, the type of chance that takes a man from bankruptcy to riches, and sheer luck, I've been taunted and challenged, albeit not openly, to back up my words and see if the handiwork of friends far away can live it to it's ballsy "City Crosser" name. Buell set out not to enter a niche, but to create one. Like a drunken fan running onto the field of a Packer's game I pounded my fists on my chest yelling...."yeah, but how would it handle a REAL city".  Not a word was spoken, there was never an argument just a gauntlet in blue tossed wish a note hanging from the bars saying "big words...the bikes good enough, are you?" We're going to find out. I've got a beautiful wife, but no man, once bitten by passion, can resist the urges of a temptress in see-thru-blue. I'm not stronger than you and no sooner was ink dry and pavement soaked than my butt was gone. This isn't the first time my hands been dealt to me as temps drop, days go short and skies get gray. I no the drill and the last time we did this the bike and I, over a period of months, became one. We talked the same language, I knew it and it knew me. This time will be better. As most of you know, I have never logged a single meter on any member of the XB platform; that's been no accident. Over the years, I've owned Buells I never intended to. I can stop anytime I want, I maintained.... really, I can. It's 20 years later. Gone are the luscious RS1200's, my S-2 gets called "old tube frame" by kids waiting for results of their SAT's and I've grown not one bit stronger. Conspiring they are, say I. Those Elves, the ones who've lost their ponytails, had kids and drive Mini's instead of rattle trap dodges. They know you; they know me; they are in our minds. I can resist this one... I know I can. This will be easy. Spend a winter dating this blue beauty. Sleep with her, play with her, tease her, tempt her and fling her places she'd rather not go. Strut her stuff, no one.... NO ONE has the guts to beg you to look inside the plastic but the demons that saw my thoughts and built this Buell. I can resist her; I know I can. For now, we're dating. Just dating. Having never ridden an XB, I've brought the milk crate out of retirement. Books on are the way. I'll do what I do in airplanes, I'll read the books, know every procedure and be able to do anything from a hot rolling restart to change the petcock with my eyes closed before we hit the road. The beauty wins the first round by default. From there on, we're becoming urchins of the city.  Frankly, it's been way too long since I've ridden a Buell. Time was I did at least 1,000 miles on a slow week in the off-season. Time and tide have robbed me of some of that time and life's other callings just screamed louder for a while. Well, they've gone and done it. They've reached out and grabbed us with this CityX and I had to see what it was about. Anyway...to those who are interested, we're going to step back in time to a time when most of you have never heard of Buell. We're going to apply some of the old standards and see just how well the latest and greatest from East Troy holds up. I can resist her; I know I can. Court 12-07-04 (Message edited by court on December 07, 2004) (Message edited by court on December 07, 2004) (Message edited by court on December 12, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton  |
the cyber-campfire is blazing tonight, kids, gather 'round one and all.  | ||
| Tripper  |
I'm here.  | ||
| Paulinoz  |
So the old gal with green in her eyes will languish in the Canfield basement. While you flirt with this new thing in see through cloths on the streets of Gotham. Don’t get to close to the Dumpster lest some old friends dinning out on the town try to steal this new beauty out from under you. | ||
| Captainkirk  |
STOP, YOU FOOL!!!! Are you so old and deaf you can't hear the Siren's song whispering gently in your ears? One ride, you're history! Lash yourself to the mast, Ulysses, or all is lost!  | ||
| Firebolt020283  |
court be sure to wear protection.  | ||
| Bomber  |
yer toast, Brer Court enjoy yerself! | ||
| Awprior  |
Court, Can't wait for the stories to come. Congrats. Alex | ||
| Pilot |
For now, we're dating. Just dating. Having never ridden an XB, I've brought the milk crate out of retirement. Books on are the way. I'll do what I do in airplanes, I'll read the books, know every procedure and be able to do anything from a hot rolling restart to change the petcock with my eyes closed before we hit the road. Court Mate, If you can find the petcock on this one,your holding onto the wrong thing. Seriously though ENJOY. | ||
| Madbandito  |
As the saying goes "Those of us who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music". Whatever questions may have been in the back of my mind as to whether or not I should become a member of the community of Buell owners have been answered. The words of Mr. Canfield and the visions of one Mr. E. Buell have created a path that only a select few who can understand will ever venture down..... | ||
| Reinhart  |
Amen....  | ||
| Dino  |
I've heard rumors of this affair of yours. Now we learn the truth. Your assertions of resistance ring hollow. Those luscious photos reveal your soul. Ride on...and post more pix, please! | ||
| Davegess |
Court, you are a goner. | ||
| Daves |
I, for one, cannot wait to hear the rest of this story. Please Court, do not make it one of the "remind me to tell you sometime" ones. Dave | ||
| Glitch  |
Court, I hope you know those Buells are, in a word, CRAP! I dare you to ride that POS across the country. I double dog dare you. That thing won't make it past the Mason-Dixon line. If you are foolish enough to TRY to ride that POS this far south... ...just give me a heads up, I'll ride with you as far as I can my friend! My little XB will be turning 30,000 soon, I just can't stop riding! Yer a gonner! | ||
| Court |
>>>I dare you to ride that POS across the country. I, as some of you recall, fell for that once when Steve Bigles (VFR - Long Island, NY) called the Buells "the sweepings off the factory floor". I suggested that he put up or shut up. To that end, I offered him the following challenge, we meet at East Troy on July 7th, each leave $10,000 with Carey and set off for a little fun by circling the United States of America. Not unlike some folks do on Badweb, he groaned. moaned, bemoaned and evaded. To each of his bemoanations, I simply said "be there or be sqaure". Lots of folks talk. It surprised only a few who know me when Beverly Hills movie producer (who's Father owned the bike that Rollie Free did the famed bathing suit stunt on) said "that crazy SOB from Kansas is going to do it". Late the afternoon of July 6th, I arrived at East Troy. Erik and I adjusted, set tire pressures and weighed the bike which was hopelessly laden with gear. The next morning arrive, Steve didn't. When I got to the Buell factory, I found a group of about 25 in the parking lot. Lawyers from Chicago on Gold Wings, BMW folks and some local Buell owners led by Keith Ulikci who as there to escort me on the first leg from East Troy to Kenosha. For the next 31 days, I did a radio call in program "On the Road with Buell" at 10:00 AM each morning (from some fairly interesting venues) and enjoyed the company of fine folks in 37 states. It's a long story and a fine memory and the adventures of Ferris Bueller and JB2 over the past month have revived the memories as if a fire stoked. Buells, however, are funny. I was rereading the Jerry/Jim epic today and although I enjoy the scenery and find myself leaning along with Jerry's words (don't just love to read his stuff?) my favorite part of the story was getting to know Ed Manning. Ed and I, through common KLR/Buell ownership have spoken before. I suspected he was special. Ferris's tale only confirmed what I knew. Buell without people would be as hopeless as a puppy without love. By the way, I hope you folks have as much fun reading the "Court and the CityX" tale I'll be working on this weekend, as I am writing it! Court | ||
| Tripper |
Remind me to read it... | ||
| Court |
December 11, 2004 I can resist.....I can resist..... It wasn't supposed to happen like this; I'm older now, wiser and ostensibly able to plot, plan and pull something off in an ordered, logical sequence. No mere motorcycle can subvert my plan. I knew, and it's not much of a secret, that I've hardly even ridden a motorcycle for a couple years. I've avoided, like an addict avoids a drug, XB's, having only thrown a leg over one since the day they were introduced. I've relied solely on reading, rumor and hyperbole. I'm no dummy having, as I enter my twilight years, the acquired wisdom of age. I knew what I'd do, I swore to do it, I'd get the books, read them, study how to set up the suspension and know the bike inside and out before toying with anything that had a 52" wheelbase and a rake angle that, until the Elves did it, was consider impossible in the hands of mortals. Well, the books have been delayed and since the moment the little Buell arrived it's been cold and rainy...today was no different, but I couldn't stand to just see the bike sitting there. I know...I'll just take a ride and grab a bite of lunch. First challenge, to find the riding boots, now where were they.  Once found, gear was donned and I was off to find lunch. Buells are funny bikes, you don't "get" a Buell, rather it gets you. I can resist, I told myself as I passed the first four places for lunch without even slowing down. It's wet, rainy, cold and miserable. I knew I'd make this short and get home. The next thing I know I've crossed one state line and am still looking for lunch when I ran upon a "Santa Train". I stopped, thinking I'd find nearby place for lunch, and instead found children more interested in the "see through" motorcycle than chatting up Santa.  Well, lunch wasn't happening here and I saw a break in the clouds and figured..."heck, it's a motorcycle, GO THERE" and set out to. Before I know it I've accident refueled once, told myself I really should get lunch and found myself high atop a mountain. Lunch could wait; this was a neat place just to sit and take a closer look at the bike.    Okay....look, I'm on my second tank of fuel, I am not letting this bike take control of my mind, I am gonna get lunch....  Well, we've got a couple hours until I have to pick up the dry cleaning, maybe I'll just skip lunch and go ahead and ride a bit, no harm in getting in a few miles and tuning up the old skills. And ride I did. All the while telling myself, "why'd you have to even get on one of these?" This bike is the Kool-Aid of the Sport. One sip?...you can't do it. Please, let's stop, take a close look at the bike and rest for a minute.   As I rode, I started making my notes for the day. Anyone who has never ridden one of these has a horizon waiting to be expanded. The first thing you notice is that the bike is not so much "small" as "short". At a rotund 6'-0" and 220# Whopping Whoppers Weigh in, this bike fits me like a glove and is smooth as glass. Any hint of the "signature vibration" seems so innocuous as to have been left behind as a "where we came from" cultural history reminder, there's nothing there that impacts comfort or ride quality. Now I'm cruising down the Delaware River, doing my first set of twisties. I didn't find them, the Buell did like iron filings to a magnet the bike went. Seating position bothered me...how'd someone in East Troy know JUST where to put the pegs for me. The balls of my feel fell precisely where I wanted them. Controls are unchanged since 1999 and work well. Some of us are still lamenting the loss of our self-canceling turn signals (the first 5 Buells I had, had them) and I confess I dug the 4-way flashers on the S-2's. But things here are precise, well placed and now that a platoon of us has learned to turn the signals off after the turn, what the heck,...I'm all for progress. The mirrors surprised me and will provide a fitting hysterical perspective to the newcomers to Buell. Back as the 80's turned to the 90's, a small group of us riding Buells had learned an RS1200 trick known as the "shoulder dip". It was generally the physical activity that immediately precedes most my arrests on Buells, including the still talked about 1995 incident with Officer McClellan. As first glance (mirror evaluation term) I was ready to complain about the mirrors. The stalks looked a bit short, but I noticed they were mounted as far outboard as possible. I decided to try the "dip" and found that with the slightest movement, the coast behind me was clearly visible. Lane changing became safe and orderly sequence of mirror glance, signal, mirror glance, look over the shoulder and move... About the time all this is happening, I arrive back in New Jersey, to the land of wonderful rural bridges and set out to conquer Warren and Hunterdon counties.   All of a sudden something happened that I have never seen on a Buell....a light came on telling me I had just gone on reserve. Instinctively, I did the drill...hand to knee, slide up 3" and reach in...where the heck is the petcock? Guess what...in the time it took me to recall I SHOULD have read the book and I was, after all, just going to lunch, the frickin' dash board is firing numbers off to me in 10th telling me how long I have been on reserve!  By now..lunch was pretty much out of the picture, I’ve just taken on my 2nd load of fuel and the Buell was beginning to get it's hooks in me...all I wanted to do was ride. A little sleet, a cold rain shower...at this point I didn't care, all I wanted was SEAT TIME. If it rained, I'd point the Buell towards the sun.    By now, the sun was setting and I knew the dry cleaner would wait for me but there was no time to waste. I'd gone to lunch and was a fur piece from home...lots of miles, malls and NJ housewives in SUV's to work my way past to get home. Dare I say, and this is just a guess, that were a person inclined to operate their Buell in excess of posted speed limits the bike would do nothing but get smoother and remain perfectly planted. I guessed this based on an intuitive extrapolation as I rode along the empty section of perfectly paved asphalt super slab at 55 MPH. Closing notes for the day: I have no regret about missing lunch and I accept no blame. Look I spent a perfectly wonderful couple hundred miles on 3 states looking for a place...honestly, it's not like I didn't try and the dog DID eat my homework. Initial impression of the SB9SX after the first ride....Erik Buell never intended, in his wildest dreams, visions or imagination to build a motorcycle this good. Time, tide, technology and training have provided him with resources processes, and more importantly people that lofted the "what can be done" beyond even his wildest imagination of a couple years ago. I, even as a peripheral participant, spent most of today beaming with pride. I could feel what the people building this bike must have felt. There is great satisfaction in doing something this well. The bike is not flawless, we'll talk about a few of the quirks I found in later chapters. Although, let me know that the things in my logbook are matters of personal preference from a person who was perfectly comfortable in the days we only reset Buell odometers when we had the fairings off. The thing that jumped out at me most was build Q-U-A-L--I-T-Y. If this bike is not mechanically perfect, I submit it's about as close as anything on two wheels. In a coming chapter, we'll talk about the subtle clues that hint to the revolution that took place at Buell. For now....the XB9SX is parked, I have regained my composure and command of myself and I am going to eat dinner...no motorcycle can keep me from it. I can resist. Court Canfield 12-11-04 (Message edited by court on December 11, 2004) (Message edited by court on December 12, 2004) | ||
| Awprior |
Court, Great pics. Looks like the XB9SX is going to get lots of miles on it. You up for a Northern PA ride over the holidays? | ||
| Court |
>>>Looks like the XB9SX is going to get lots of miles on it. One thing is evident at the outset. This would be the easiest Buell I have ever ridden to do a 1,000 mile day on. The "constraint", and there are ways to deal with it, is fuel capacity. I logged just a whisker under 200 miles yesterday, leaving NYC at 1:00PM and getting back at 5:00PM. I bought fuel twice. I'll being doing the "numbers" today as I write a ride summary for my logs. But, about the miles thing, I am already looking at maps, as winter approaches, with some pretty sick road trip ideas. Bottom line, and again, we'll talk about some details in coming day, is this may be the best Buell ever. Court | ||
| Downundabueller  |
Well I feel kinda weird saying this to you Court. As you are not new to Buells or the board. As an Xb'er I must however say- 'Welcome to our world Court Welcome' 'We know you are gonna stay awhile'  | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
wow court look like you had fun. thanks for sharing. | ||
| Reepicheep  |
Quick, somebody tell Court you can't tour on the XB platform. If somebody doesn't let him know soon, he may end up covering half the country before somebody tells him. Court, throw some bar end mirrors on that thing, and the stock mirror mounting threaded bosses will be perfect for a GPS mount. | ||
| Tripper |
Bar ends? and lose the hand protectors? blasphemy. Court, you proved that you truly are a Brave American. . . . . I wouldn't have TOUCHED those boots! | ||
| Court |
Laugh away boys and girls, but if I learned one thing, on my maiden voyage, it is that I LOVE the handguards. Remember the rain, sleet and wind? I came home with something akin to dry gloves. I used no heat yesterday and was pushing the limits. Handguards, like'em or not, are effective. Hope I don't get to test the headlight grill.... By the way, in anticipation of a "stunt to be named", I'd like ya'll's input on bike mounted GPS stuff. | ||
| Daves |
I think we should take up a collection to get you some new boots Court! Jeez, how old are those things? What size do you wear? The new Buell riding boots would go really great with your new bike. Dave | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
shortly after i bought my S2 in '96 i knew i was in trouble. i'd ridden bikes with a passion (i'd passionately ridden bikes?) ever since purchasing my first machine in 1972 (eschewing a car, even in the rainy Northwest, even in October, as, it seemed, i simply MUST ride), but no motorcycle before had conspired so forcefully as the Buell in terms of “inventing” reasons to go ride, and soon, hopelessly unable to resist, every day off became a “day on the Buell" day off, an "it doesn't matter WHERE i ride day off, it just matters that i AM" day off. a "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." my Buell connection, Kim Ridley, witnessed this torrid transformation from nearly normal (hey, it’s all relative) to generally gargonzo, and, bemused but concerned, suggested i call a friend of his who was “in the business” and seek professional help. his friend was Court Canfield. i knew of Court by then, as my affliction (it was not quite "addiction" yet) had brought me in contact with Thunder Press magazine, and some wackoid by the name of Court Canfield had a monthly Buell-focused column in same. reading his stuff it was apparent the guy's got it bad for Buells. maybe even a little more than me. i left Latus Motors that day with the phone number to Mr. Canfields’s home in Topeka, Kansas, feeling like i'd just been given the secret password to Fort Knox. some time went by before i called. i knew i wanted "in" but i knew i wanted to do it "right." one does not just walk in to Fort Knox and simply march out with an armload of shiny bricks, right? i finally screwed up the courage to call one night, nervous and a little askeered. by now i knew that Court was not your everyday Buelligan, and i was a little anxious calling this legend at his home. what would i say? what would HE say? would he even TALK to me? he doesn't know me from Adam Sandler, so WHY would he talk to me? well, not only DID he talk to me, we talked for an hour, fast and furiously, as two old friends might who hadn't yakked in a while. he was generous with his time, gracious and cordial, and inordinately infused with a passion for all things Buell, be it machine or people. Mr. Canfield made it very clear that night that i was among friends...and that my world was likely never to be the same. when i hung up the phone i was considerately closer to being hooked. during our conversation i confided that i’d just signed up for the upcoming inaugural Blue Groove in California, and asked if i might have the privilege of intercepting him somewhere on the road between Topeka and Santa Cruz and riding in with him. alas, he explained, his schedule at the time dictated that he FLY in to event, and i was most bummed. tell you what, he said, here's the number of one of my Buell bud's in Portland - why doncha hook up with him, get to Santa Cruz a day early, and i'll hook you up with Erik Buell himself. whatta ya say, maybe we can even get a little up-close-and–aggressive riding in with Erik before the actual event begins, eh? well, one would be a fool of the first magnitude to decline an offer like that, and me ‘n my new (and still) friend Jeremy Ricker rearranged our agenda and were at the appointed Cali meeting place at the appointed bat time, chattering like little kids on Christmas eve. i've told this story elsewhere in these pages before, and it's a good one, but the long version would prolly border on thread-jacking at this point so i’ll not go all the way there. the SHORT version is the day before Blue Groove me 'n Jeremy are having breakfast with Court Canfield and Thunder Press/Battle 2win publisher Reg Kittrelle at Denny's in Scotts Valley, California. an hour later we're picking up Hot Bike magazine editor Howard Kelly (Court’s mutant brother, I was later to learn) at his hotel room, and an hour later we're standing on the tarmac at the San Jose airport watching Erik Buell's plane land. wait, it gets even better! after introductions all around (wanna know what i said to Erik when i was introduced to him for the first time? I HAVE NO FRIKKIN' IDEA! it's a safe bet my mumblings were barely recognizable as intelligible human speech. i just hoped he didn't notice my knees knocking together as i tried to contain my awestruckiousness.) as for Erik? he was so cool he was freezin'. wait, it gets even better!! an hour LATER there's a small runaway freight train of Buells thundering down a narrow, winding, tree-lined canyon lane in the winsome, undulating hills above Scotts Valley, a paved yet precipitous path barely wide enough for a motorcycle much less a car, Reg up front breaking trail and setting a dizzying pace, Court right on his arse, Erik right on HIS, me tucked tight in Erik’s vapor trail, and Jeremy, just the five Buells, on a road tailor-made for such mayhem, ripping at a clip heretofore unknown and unimagined in all my years of riding. those were magical moments, my friends, some of many from a magical weekend, and when it was all said and done my metamorphosis from mild-mannered to motomaniac was complete. Ferris manifested, unfolded, unfurled, unfettered and free. all thanks, by and by and largely large, to one Court Canfield. he and i have had several opportunities to ride over the years, although it’s certainly been too long. our lives have changed dramatically since that phone call some eight and a half years ago, but one thing that HASN'T changed, it would appear, is the passion. the BUELL passion. Court, you're to blame for much of what i've become, you know. your enthusiasm, from the first moment we met, left me wanting for more, and the memories and mementoes from what now seems a lifetime of unabashed Buellishness are due in large part to YOUR infectious cheerleadering for the machines from East Troy and the Man & Merry Elves who create them. yes, i still have the fire, even tho my main squeeze these days was built “somewhere else”, so much so that BADWEB is still my home, so much so that i've never so much as meandered my mouse across the pages of the "other" bike. not once. so much so that i look forward to the day that you and i can chase each other along a twisty mountain road yet again, careful but carefree, two with the road, one with the wind, BOTH on a Buell. thanks in advance for allowing me to invade your thread (it's all your fault, after all), and thanks for keeping the world's collective Buell furnace cranked up all these years. i know you've been with us all along, but i hope you understand when i say it's great to have you back. Ferris Bueller | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
ps: I think we should take up a collection to get you some new boots Court! i'm in for the first $50. | ||
| Firemanjim  |
But will we have to pay for the hazmat team to dispose of the old ones??? | ||
| S2pengy |
Court could sell them on ebay as having a ghost and the stink to prove it..... |
