| Author | Message | ||
     Rah7777777 |
Hello all Just for fun, im interested in hearing the 1st time you noticed a buell and that moment, when you said to yourself, "I have to have one of those!" For me, I had sold my FZ6, and didnt plan on getting another bike (fiancee is not a fan of scooters) That was until it got warm out again. I had the bug, and i NEEDED another bike. I was down to a Honda 919. Almost certain on buying it, when a XB roared past me one day on my way home from work. I was thinking, "What in the HELL was that thing!" looked it up and fell in love! Did some Auto trader searching, and 2 weeks later a beautiful 03 XB9S sat in the garage. Never ever will i look at another jap bike the same. I see one now, and i just shake my head, and think " you poor fella, must suck having to follow the crowd your whole life" HAHA So whats your story? | ||
| Thulsadoom |
Last Summer, at the HD/Buell Dealer. | ||
| Sslowmo |
in the market for a bike. was looking up all the jap bikes. not sure how landed on buell site. but like the fact that it looked like no other. and made right here in the U.S.A. when i went to the dealer pulled the black xb12r out side to get a good look. wrote a check and away we went. glad i have her. slapped on a drummer and now she growls. not strait line fast, but can u keep up in the corners? | ||
| Bads1 |
I don't kiss and tell. | ||
| Tq_freak |
It was back when I was 6 or 7. (1989-90) My dad took me down to the H-D shop which was also the Schwinn dealer (great marketing idea on there part) and as I was picking out my first new bike I saw pics of the Rw750 and the rs1200 and thought "WOW those are cool looking". Shortly after that I lusted for a volcano grey / Nuke orange M2, I still do. But the 12S is what one me over when it was time to get a big kids bike. I know if I ever find an M2 with that paint scheme its going to be real hard for me not to buy it. | ||
| Dwunundabkr |
me downunder saw a X1 with all the curved pipes and the sound was awesome, i did my research and like the look of the XB i was helping a mate in a bike shop and took a Aprilia for a ride i also liked the look of the MT01 from Yamaha but too bloody big i came across the XB on our version of Ebay took it for a spin and i was hook had to have it BUT had it two days and the gearbox shit its self (previous owner run low or out of oil all cogs were blue from heat)after 11 months of rebuilding bike back on the road and loving every minute of it NOW FOR THE MODS LOL | ||
| Spike |
For me it was back in '96 or '97. I was in high school and riding an '82 Honda Sabre. I came across an ad for the S1 and loved it. The bike looked so naked and so angry. It wasn't until '01 that I bought my first Buell, a '99 M2 Cyclone. | ||
| Vicfirebolt |
when I first started riding sport bikes my first bike was a 250ninja that got ripped off so I bought a 600r. My dad a harley owner refused too let me park my bike in the driveway as a joke (I parked on the porch). I promised him the day harley created a quality sport bike I would buy one so here I am. I love my bike but have nothing against the foreign bikes either. I am a motorcycle enthusiast too each their own. I own the corners and a buell. | ||
| Luxor |
1990, Saw an RS1200 in person. That was the day I wanted a Buell. Owned a Honda VF500F Interceptor at the time. Vowed I would own a Buell someday, now have 2 XB's.  | ||
| Wantxbr |
Actually it was summer of 2003 I saw an S3 for the first time and the only thing that caught my eye was that ugly a$$ air filter cover. Then just later that day was when I saw the XB in a magazine and said it was much better looking but at that time not my taste in bikes. but three years later they grew on me and now I want one for my next bike. | ||
| Manimal |
Oh man, mine was two summers ago. I was almost dead set on getting a Cbr600rr. I talked to my folks and dad (Who is a die hard Harley Davidson Fanatic) and he totally freaked out saying i'm gonna die on that "Jap Crap". So dejected and frustrated i started looking at Harleys but the only ones i liked were starting at like $13,000. Then ran across a gorgeous 03 Firebolt XB9R. And I thought to myself that is perfect. The Harley power and the Sport Bike feel. It was love at first sight. So i went to the bank got a loan and a week later i was roaring down the streets on my Buell. I'm glad my folks got pissed because if they hadnt, i would have never found my bolt. And I wouldnt want to ride a Jap Sport Bike over my Buell. I really love my Bike.  | ||
| Court |
1987 (Message edited by court on October 02, 2007) | ||
| Punkid8888 |
The first Buell I saw (that I can remeber) was a Blast at some snowmobile dealership about 4 years back. I went over the thing and kept thinking its so covered in plastic and cheap looking. and I thought that was what they all looked like. So Early Summer of 06 I was heart set on a naked street bike. (as I fell in love with naked bike on my 2 previous bike 83 Vision 87 Fazer) So after many dealership visit to Honda, Yamaha, my friend said something about Buell. So I went on the web page was extremely taken by surprise how incredible the bikes looked and how well designed, I loved all the crazy engineering that was so out of the box. So when we got to the dealership they have an XB9SX on that crazy display that has the bike leaned over like its carving up some inner city roads with the backdrop behind it. Well that sold me right their. I still love that display. maybe I will get one for the garage and put my bike on it. hahaha | ||
| New12r |
Lemme see, mid 90's reading one of my dads harley rags I saw a S1 doing a wheelie. I said to myself I will have one. Then I saw a Orange frame Grey plastic M2 and that really sealed the deal. When the 04 12R came out in Black and Amber I had one in my grubby paws. I have acquired a Uly to hold me over till the 1125R gets a couple years under its belt. | ||
| Leeaw |
April 1999. I saw an S3. Went to a Harley dealer and got the "new" back then 99 M2 the next month. Selling my 4-year-old XB this week. | ||
| Jlnance |
2004. It was a Red Blast in the back of the Riders Edge classroom. I own it now. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
quite a few years back at bikeweek in daytona was at the corbin seat store when i saw this bike with a checker flag scheme on it and i just started lusting over this thing. the guy who owned it came out and we started talking about it a little then he started that puppy up. that's all she wrote. in 01 i got to test ride one in sturgis and about a month later saw the orange/grey m2 and that's when it started. now it's like eating a lay's potato chip, you can't have just one hence the new name of nevrenuf.(used to go by oldman) | ||
| Swordsman |
Ha! The 1st Buell I ever saw was a handful of X1's at a Harley dealership while on vacation. I said to myself, "Good Lord, that's the ugliest bike ever built!" Funny, but now I actually like the old design. I decided I REALLY liked the XB's in mid-2005. I hadn't bothered looking at Buell since my 1st encounter, and was pleasantly surprised with the new look. To think, I almost wound up with a Suzuki GSF500! ~SM | ||
| Xl1200r |
I was a Sohpmore in high school in 1998-99. I had known I wanted a bike for some time, but as a hardcore hotrod and muscle car guy, it had to be American. I pretty much settled on a Harley until I came across for an ad in a magazine for a Buell X1. I've been following the brand ever since. It was in a car mag and I keep every one of them I've ever had, so I'm sure I still have it laying around somewhere. | ||
| Blackbelt |
Actually my first Buell experience was from a friend of mine. He mentioned a Harley sport bike, and how it rocked. He mentioned how he liked the way the motor was angled (obviously the air box was not the motor RSS model) After that I started looking into buells, and was hooked on the X1's when they came onto the scene in 1999. finally got the ok from the wife in 2002 for my first new bike BUELL ALL THE WAY BABY! | ||
| Barker |
Fall 1997 Piedmont dragway, Greensboro NC. 16 years old. At the time riding Kawa 2 smoke dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. Allways loved bikes. Never seen or heard of buell until: I saw a matte black/chrome S1 thunder down the strip. very loud, very mean looking bike, dude rode a wheelie down the strip and thru the pits. He got kicked out for riding the wheelie it the pits. He did a rolling burn-out down the drive way outta of the property. Friggin bad a$$. I about pissed my pants. Buell freak ever since. Buells I have owned. 98 M2 00 X1 03 P3 02 M2 03 XB9R for some reason I still want a matte black s1. A few years back I got that same feeling when in a tight corner I got passed (like I was backing up) buy a KTM 525 Sumo. (Message edited by barker on October 02, 2007) | ||
| Keyser94 |
When I was in school and my sister dated a kid that had a couple but my fav was his yellow 03 lightning. I had to help push it up a hill cause he blew a belt. I had to have one. now I do! 07 xb12s! love this bike! | ||
| Strato9r |
I was at a Harley dealer back in the early 90's, and they were busy throwing out some posters that never got hung on the walls. They were of some strange, beautiful Sportster powered creation with the air cleaner mounted crooked, and the suspension and muffler mounted under the engine. I had seen pictures of that full fairing XR1000 powered bike, but the machine on those posters being unceremoniously tossed slapped me upside the head with a triple dose of "form follows function". I was smitten, and the existence of such a machine meant that there could indeed be redemption for blowing the chance of buying a new XLCR. The first thing I did after my divorce was purchase a Firebolt. If I would have been less of a sucker for punishment, I'd probably have been riding a tuber before the turn of the century, as there was no glory in stretching that farce of a marriage out as long as it became. (although, I STILL want an ST3!!!!) | ||
| Freezerburn |
The first time I saw a Buell I found it looked bulbous, not overly sleek and really gave me little interest (mid-late nineties). Then one night while I was working the front door of a bar in Vancouver, this rider clad in black busted the gnarliest of wheelies on a surely modded S1 for more than a block past the bar. I was like "wow...with a Harley engine?!" The next one I saw was an '03 yellow XB9 at my gym and I thought that a stock bike couldn't possibly be that cool. I was in love. Now I'm the idiot in black on the back wheel. | ||
| Jaimec |
I remember seeing my first Buell at the Javits Show in the early 80's. It was fully enclosed in fibreglass in Harley black and orange. A few months later I read a road test about it in Cycle World. I think they referred to it as an American Bimota in that it used an existing engine in an exotic frame. Over the years I paid attention to every article I could find. Some time in the 90's I got my first chance to ride one at the Rider Magazine Rally in the Poconos. I took my girlfriend on the back of an S2 Thunderbolt with saddlebags and was impressed... up to the point where we couldn't get the saddle bag lid open so I could retrieve my camera. The Buell engineers had to dismantle the bag so I could get my camera back. In 1998 my friend bought a left over M2 Cyclone from Hempstead Harley. I took it for a ride and although I thought it was a lot of fun, the seat was MISERABLY uncomfortable, but no where near as bad as that rear header pipe that seemed to be designed to give the rider a second degree burn. Finally, in 2000 (after Buell addressed my two concerns with the 1999 model release) I sold my R100RT and bought a 2000 M2 Cyclone. The ergonomics were PERFECT for an all-around motorcycle that could be flogged on the track and backroads, cruised down the boulevard, AND as a daily commuter. Unfortunately, that was also the single most unreliable motorcycle I've EVER owned. I looked with interest at the XB models when they first came out, but the Firebolts had an uncomfortable seating position, and the Lightning had a seat reminiscent of my friend's '97 Cyclone. Both models also had unacceptably low ranges in their tiny 3.7 gallon fuel supply. Fortunately, in late 2005, Buell addressed those concerns with the Lightning Long. A comfortable saddle, reasonable touring range and GREATLY improved reliability. Time to bid the Cyclone "Good bye." I've got almost 19,000 miles on my XB12Ss now. I'd have more, but I actually put more miles per year on my K1200LT (which now has 113,000 miles on it). LOVE the bike. I'm "looking" at the 1125R, but I'm definitely going to sit out the first year. Let's see what they do to it for 2009... | ||
| Arcticktm |
Always new of Buell, but always wrote them off as unreliable, and too much work to own. Did a demo ride in '03 at Sturgis, and was convinced that it was the worst transmission I had ever shifted (I am not a H-D guy, so never rode one before). Always liked BMW GS, but was appalled at the pricing/value. Then MCN wrote an article on the Uly. I figured if they liked it, it was worth a shot. Monitored every other mag for a few months and they all liked it, and said Buell had changed. Waited for a good deal on a used '06, and still happy 8,000 miles later. Cost me about half of what a new GS would, and could eat a GS in the corners. Now if I could only get rid of the heat and the noisy fan! Riding buddies are convinced that the motor is only there to power the fan... | ||
| Slaughter |
My story was a bit different. I'd always been a knee-jerk ANTI Harley guy... but in the 1980's I still liked the idea of building an XR750 motored cafe racer. About 8 years ago, I was talking to a friend about it and he asked "ever hear of a Buell?" - and I had heard of it but never looked into it. The problem for me was that it was sold in Harley dealerships but after talking to Ernie at Glendale Buell, I realized that buying from an enthusiast might not be so bad ... so holding my nose, I walked in among the buttless chaps, tassels and chrome and found a guy who really was INTO the bikes. Spent a couple hours of his time on the phone and showroom and bought the S3 in 2001. Couple years later, bought the XB. A year later was racing with them... it's STILL fun! | ||
| Blublak |
First Buell sighting.. Years ago (80 something?) I wandered into a H-D dealer looking at the current line (I think the Soft tails were out).. Over in the corner was this strange sportster powered blue thing with a folding tail pillion and just looked kind of odd and aggressive. I was told it was some sort of custom experiment and not to waste my time with it. But I kind of liked it and thought it would be cool to ride. Long story short - I couldn't get the loan. My credit was too young and they said that H-D doesn't finance with a co-signer. Oh well.. ended up buying another Japanese product. Every now and then, I'd see or hear something about one of these strange 'Boolie bikes' or whatever. Then in '02 I was at the Honda Hoot and they had these new Buell XB's available for test ride.. I rode it.. Ended up doing several test rides.. and decided it was too much fun to let slip through my fingers again... Now after a few years and tons of rider abuse heaped on it.. it's still the most fun in my garage.. and I'm looking at getting it a sibling.. something water cooled.. yes? | ||
| Strato9r |
Hey, Steve, I'll bet there's more than the two of us around here that have dreamed about putting together an XR powered street demon, eh? | ||
| Akironic |
My intentions were bad at first... I've always rode cruisers and wanted to build a chopper. Read about the power these buells have and how cheap it was for that type of hp. Finally I found a killer deal on a 96 S1. Took her home and was planning to murder it this winter. I've been riding her for about 3 months now and have came to sense. Theres no way in hell I'm rippin this bike apart. The power and looks is one thing but the handling these bikes have is what I love about them.  |
