| Author | Message | ||
     Stitch1 |
I am looking into getting a Buell but not tell next spring and not tell I take the MSF. But I am trying to learn as much as I can now to prepare. I am looking at the XB9SX and would like to keep it for a long time to come say at least 5 years. now for a little background... I am 22 will be 23 by the time I buy a bike. I am 6'3" 220lbs. As a kid I road a honda scooter A LOT! and in my teens I road dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. I now drive and off-road in a Jeep A LOT! I am not a stupid when it comes to driving. But I know that driving a bike of that power on a road is much different than driving anything else. So my question is do you all think I should start off with something else first. and if so what. Also do you think I would grow out of the 9 in that time? Thanks -Tim | ||
| Old_man |
The XB9SX is a nice motorcycle, I don't think it's too much for someone with your riding background. I've been riding bikes for 45 years and I haven't "outgrown" my XB9S, so it should be enough motorcycle to keep you happy. | ||
| Mb182 |
City X would be a good start - just remember, as with any new bike, take it slow till you get the feel of it and don't get stupid!! MB | ||
| Perry |
That is definitely not too much bike for someone your size - just start out slowly. I rode a '72 Honda XL70 as a kid, and the next bike I bought was my XB12scg. It fits me like a glove - just respect the bike and take it easy until you get used to it a bit. | ||
| Pupu |
i went from a ysr 50 to a cbr 600, that was when i got my first real bike. you can ride any bike slow. just be smart about it, do ride for a couple of days and think you can blast the canyons or go 135 down the freeway. just take you time and learn the bike, you wont be dissapointed at all. i think more people get in trouble "panic braking" than they do with the power. | ||
| Coastie |
I’d say the XB9 is about on par with today’s rice 600s. My last bike was a 93 FZR600, and I just test drove an XB9 last week. While the power delivery is totally different, I’d say my overall impression was that is was very similar to my old FZR600, and with the exception of the torque numbers they are pretty much the same. Same HP, same weight, same quick steering. If you are going to putt around town, the XB9 should be fine, if you want to do any long distance riding, I’d say demo a XB12, that is what I plan to do. Try the 12 and see if the slower rev and the vibrations bug me too much. | ||
| Stitch1 |
WOW! Thanks you all! I will be taking it really slow until I feel comfortable. I have a good friend that rides rice but is willing to help me learn from the ground up. I will look at the 12s a little more. But I really don't want to bit off more than I can chew but then again I don't spend all that money and wish I had gotten something different. Thanks for any and all input.-Tim | ||
| Thansesxb9rs |
Hey Tim a bunch of us KC guys have the 9, if you do choose it you will not be disappointed, it has plenty of power. Check out the KCLW for the local group of riders here in KC. Our usual hang out is Fuel in Overland Park Wednesday thru Friday. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Welcome to badweb. You should be able to handle the XB as a first bike. It is not an ideal first bike for everyone, but it will serve that purpose. Taking the MSF course is a GREAT idea. I highly recommend it to any rider that has never taken it, no matter how experienced. It will be a good starting point and will do a lot for your confidence on your bike. Remember to take it easy at first and ride at a pace you feel comfortable with. Do not allow anyone to make you feel pressured to ride faster than you want to. Slowly expand your limits. These bikes are capable of far more than almost any street rider can get out of them, so you won't outgrow the XB too soon. There is a TON of information on badweb, and a lot of collective experience. Use it! We don't mind!  | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
welcome to the fold.... | ||
| Pwnzor |
" Do not allow anyone to make you feel pressured to ride faster than you want to." Words to live by. That 984cc is plenty of power for anybody. I'd say the toughest part is restraining yourself! Can you turn a wrench? I recommend you purhase a service manual and do everything yourself. You'll save a lot of money and have the satisfaction of knowing your safety carries a personal guarantee... your own! | ||
| Scoobytwo |
I'm 6'3 aswell and I ride a 04 XB12S. If I were to purchase a new Buell it would be the XB12SS. A little bit longer bike will better suit your size. | ||
| Stitch1 |
I can and will turn a wrench. I own a jeep I have to wrench there is no way I am going to trust a stealership. But I would like to know where I could get a manual and also where all do you shop for gear and parts? any websites? Thanks. -Tim | ||
| Escham |
I had about 4 yrs of four wheeler experience, about 3 years of Jet ski experience and about 2 hours total time on a family members GSXR-750. I recently purchased a 2006 XB12s as my first bike. If you can be patient and learn to ride it without going WOT, you will do fine. The 12s is a great bike. You don't have to twist its arm to get it to go where you want it to go. Very smooth learning curve. My biggest recommendation is to research your local (50-100 miles) dealerships. These are the guys that will be looking after you and your bike in the future. Look for people with Buells in your area and start up a conversation about their bike and where they get service from. In my opinion, the 12s is a no-brainer. You'll be glad you did. Now spend the next 6 months researching your dealerships? Add vitals: 32, 5'10, 215 Escham (Message edited by Escham on July 19, 2006) | ||
| Diablobrian |
You can get a service manual and a parts manual from one of our fine sponsors. I'd start looking for the fun stuff by checking out our sponsors! American Sport Bike, Hillbilly-Motors, Trojan ( http://www.trojan-horse.co.uk/ )and others can be found here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/17143/17143.html?1153269367 | ||
| Angelwild327 |
Stitch, You're gonna LOVE that City Cross...the 9 is excellent for your height too...you'll really enjoy the riding position, at least I think you will. It's very comfy and it's all up to you how conservative or aggresively you ride. It's a fabulous bike for city traffic, because you'll definitely be able to see over most cars and smaller trucks... Take the bike, when you first get it, to a large safe area, like a parking lot or somewhere closed off to traffic and ride it around, get a good feel for the bike..it's a very easy riding bike...when you have some time on it, you'll be amazed at how far you can lean it into a corner and feel like you expended no effort at all.. Hope you enjoy your bike..you are making an awesome purchase..and your friends will definitely have bike envy! | ||
| Barker |
WELCOME! CityX is a good choice. My 2 cents, XB9 smoother power, less vibrations, easier to ride XB12 more of a rush, punchy power (wheelies) Parts, our sponsors they are the best. Buy a factory service manual, It's just good reading. Babweb is a great resource for your questions and concerns and meet some of the best bikers around. I roll on a XB9R Im 300lbs w/gear, and Its still more power than I need. Buells are not the fastest bike(top speed) for the money, but I could care less about going 180+. Yeah the 600's eat my lunch on the straights, but I pass the squids on liter superbikes in the turns, like they are backing up. I cant describe how it feels passing a GXSR 1000 in the turns or losing a Ducati 999R down a twisty road. Even better I used to pass Hayabusas with my blast on the dragon! Do as many demo days as you can. Try them all! | ||
| Timxb9s |
Hey stitch, I've had my '03 XB9s for a few months now and I love it. It's the perfect compliment to my '05 Yamaha FJR. When I got the 9 home and my girlfriend sat on it, she immedietly said," I want to learn how to ride, this thing looks like so much fun!" Well, needless to say, I took her down to a big parking lot and she took to it like a fish to water. Within 30 minutes she was scooting around doing circles and figure 8's. She's signed up for an MSF course this weekend and as soon as she gets her license she will be out with me for some street experience. It's a nice light and controllable motorcycle. Just treat it with respect and it will be a great bike. Good luck and be safe. Tim | ||
| Tunes |
Tim - Welcome to the wonderful world of street riding and welcome to BWB! Taking the MSF course is a great start. Being a former instructor and the fact my wife took the course has me convinced that it should be mandatory for all vehicle operators. Yes, all - cars, trucks, buses, m/c, etc, everyone. The difference in my wife's riding before the course and after was dramatic. No. I didn't teach her. Major disaster trying... that's how I became an instructor and why/how she came to take the course. I was out-of-state at the time she took the course. Great accidental move on my part. I wasn't around to make her nervous. Anyway... I started out on dirt bikes and moved over to street bikes. The biggest difference is not the riding/handling...you've got that down, it appears. The biggest difference is the traffic/road conditions. That's why you're taking the course. The XB9SX is a great bike for your size. You'll learn throttle control while taking the course... and when & where you can open it up. Going around corners is what it's all about. Anyone can get on a bike and with a brief amount of instructions, ride the bike straight and fast. Big deal. Common sense and how it applies to safety will play a major role in your riding style. The XB9SX is still considered a 1000cc engined bike (984 - close enough!). That's not a small motor... so I don't believe you will outgrow this bike. Besides, there are so many things you need to learn about your riding and your bike that one day in the future it will hit you that you've owned your bike for 5 years. Happened to me but I gaked at 7, i.e. "Gak, I've owned this bike for 7 years! WTF!!"  I've been riding since I was 12 and I get a thrill every single time I swing a leg over, fire that mutha up, and ride. Welcome to the Buell motorcycling community! You're going to have a lot of fun! | ||
| Jlnance |
Stitch - The MSF class is a great idea. It's one of the best things you'll ever do. You've got some riding experience, I suspect you'll do fine on a CityX. I'll still give you my standard spiel about beginner bikes, and you can decide if it's applicable to you. When you start riding you're going to make mistakes. Smaller bikes are more forgiving of mistakes. They are cheaper too. When you hop off and forget to put the kickstand down, it's less painful to watch your used beginner bike slide down the driveway than your brand new $9000 CityX. The difference in pain is even greater if it happens to fall on your leg. :-) There are lots of great beginner bikes. The one Buell makes is called a Blast. If you take the MSF class from a Harley dealer, you'll be taking it on Blasts. You can pick one up on ebay for about $2000. You can ride it for a while and then sell it for what you paid for it. Or you could be like me and fall in love with it and keep it even after you get a bigger bike. | ||
| Maddiemsu |
You'll be fine with a 9 as your first bike. My first bike was and is a X1. Like everyone said take it slow. That's the key. I think your way too big of a dude for a Blast also. | ||
| Stitch1 |
Thanks you all. I am glad there are such great places to gather info from. I may not talk a lot on the forums until I get my bike but trust me I will be reading. Thank you all for your post and for making me feel welcome on such a great forum. -Tim.... This is going to be a long winter for me. | ||
| Snowhownd |
Not that I think you'd need more power, but a Ss (as mentioned above) would be much more comfortable for a guy your size. Even at 6', I felt like a 9SX was way too tight for my likings. I'd just hate for you to buy the smaller CC (and physically smaller) bike since it was your first and find it is too small after getting comfortable with riding. What I did was buy a $1,750 '96 Suzuki GS500 (decent looking bike) to ride for 6 months and get comfortable riding, and then sold it for $1,700 (those things will sell all day long) and bought my '06 Ss. I don't regret doing it that way at all. Granted I had ZERO riding experience though (no dirtbikes or anything), but I couldn't imagine learning on a XB12 (never rode a 9). To me anyway they way more twitchy, powerful, and WAY less forgiving than the GS500 I had. Plus if you have some experience you can go to the dealer and demo all the different bikes before you make the huge decision of buying a brand new bike you plan to keep for 5 years. Just my opinion!!! Good luck! | ||
| Swordsman |
Hey Stitch, I've only been riding for about a year... got started on a Yamaha 225 dual sport, then got a 12Ss after about 6 months. It's really not a big deal to make the jump, so long as you respect the bike for what it is: a beast that'll eat you alive first time you're not paying attention! I've said it before, and I'll say it again- pretend it's a mad bull in the beginning, and you'll ease into it just fine. I highly recommend the Ss for the simple fact that it has THE comfiest seat available... I swear, the whole thing must be made outta' gel or foam rubber. I never get tired of sitting on it. =) And for the love of God, don't try any stunts! Oh, BTW, I'm 6' and 180-ish. Please don't get a Blast... when you're out on the road, it'll look like you're back on a scooter, and they bounce like a pogo stick on crack thanks to that single cylinder. ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on July 21, 2006) |
