| Author | Message | ||
     Brucen |
Hi I took a test ride on a 900 Lightning the other day and was really impressed. Now I am seriously thinking about getting one. The dealer had a couple of 03 900 Lightnings in stock. Most of the things I have been reading about the bike are positive, but I had a couple of questions. Were there little changes to the model from 03 till now. I am thinking about the small running changes that are made during a manufacturing run, things like brackets that are redesigned to be stronger, or internal engine components that improve reliability. The sort of changes that never get listed in the advertising. I guess what I want to know is should I get an 03 or wait till the 05s come out, since there don't seem to be any 04 900s available. Bruce. | ||
| Fullpower |
if the price is right grab the 03 model. should be moving down in price now. they a re great little bikes. | ||
| Bomber |
biggest change 03 to 04 was the move to a different drive belt and belt guards -- 04 belst are supposed to be more resistant to mishandling I'd grab the 03, and use the money saved for gas | ||
| Mr_cuell |
If I were buying right now I would wait and see what 05 brings. If the dealer has a couple there should still be one in a week or two. See if 05 has something you just have to have, if not get the 03. It would be a major drag to buy the 03 and then find out 05 has something that really grabs you. | ||
| 984_cc |
I wanted an '04, but couldn't find one. So I bought an'03. Now I'm glad I went with the '03, because I got better belt protection and saved alot of cash. By the way, they are 1000s, not 900s. -984cc  | ||
| Brucen |
Can the 04 belt & guards be retrofitted to the 03 models? The 05s are supposed to be announced soon, but when will they be available? | ||
| Kcfirebolt |
longer mirrors | ||
| 984_cc |
I think they could, but then again, some people don't like the guards. the longer mirror stalks weren't a big deal to me. Anyways you could just order a set of mirrors for $40.00. My '03 mirrors work fine for me. The passenger pegs sit about 1" lower, but I didn't care about that either, because it's really a single seater motorcycle. I removed my passenger pegs. the clutch actuation is supposed to be better on '04s. But I don't think most people would notice. But, since the '05s are so near, maybe you should wait to see like others have said. Just in case. In my area, '05s are supposed to be here in August. Good luck and have fun. You will have fun, no matter what year you choose. I love mine. | ||
| 984_cc |
A Buell tech I talked to said the '04 belt system isn't really any better than the '03, at least they wouldn't claim it was, which I understand. I called them before I bought mine because I was wondering if you could retrofit the '04 belt system to an '03. It would be pricey, but possible. The change was made because of the different pitch of the Goodyear belt compared to the Gates belt. Their contract (H-D and Buell) ran out with Gates and Goodyear supposedly put in a better contract bid from what I was told by my dealer. My belt hasn't given me any troubles. And I do like the guards on the '03s better than the minimal guards on the '04s. Even if it is more difficult to remove the rear wheel. But, if the '05s have something really special about 'em, I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a trade-in. | ||
| Spike |
Bruce, There are a few changes, but mostly minor stuff. The biggest change was the new belt/pulley setup, which is claimed to be stronger. There have been quite a few cases of '03 belts breaking, but only time will tell if the new belts are any better. For what it's worth, switching an '03 to the newer belt would cost a couple hundred dollars in parts alone. The other noticable change was the lower passenger pegs. If you carry a passenger they'll definitely appreciate it, the extra 1" of leg room really makes a big difference. Also, the '04 bikes were given a two year unlimited mileage warranty. The other stuff is relatively minor. Early '03s had a recall on the wheel bearings and the side stand. All the '03s should have been upgraded by now, but we have seen a few cases where uninformed technicians have over stressed the belt while changing the wheel bearings, which could cause the belt to fail prematurely. The 2005 models will be shown at the dealer show this week, I expect the information will be available to the public by this weekend. If I were you, I'd wait a week and see if any of the new stuff strikes your fancy. If you don't like any of the new stuff you can always pick up an '03. Also, as long as you're considering an '03 you might want to try looking through the classifieds for a nice used one. I've seen a few used ones with accessories for under $7k. | ||
| Dasxb9s |
I thought I read that changing to the 04 belt was closer to 3 times that figure in parts, new front & rear pulleys, belt guard, and I think idler pulley too! ...which included the price of the new belt... But... it is all do-able. I'd wait to see what 05 brings!!! | ||
| Xb9er |
Yes, it is over $600 for that upgrade. Mike. |
