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Tsispyder
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 12:58 pm: | 
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theresa large amount that do
KTM, Husky, MZ, Zuki, etc quite a few actually |
Scitz
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 02:21 pm: |
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I guess I just don't see as much advertising for those vendors, thanks. |
Akbuell
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 04:44 pm: |
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Keep the Buell; start looking for something used in a 450-650 dualsport. Smaller entry fee, ability to add/modify, and you can take either one, depending on your mood or needs. Good luck on your search! |
Buellgrrrl
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 11:59 pm: |
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With all you guys gettin' the hots for a midweight dual sport, Buell better be developing at least a dual sportized Blast! |
Phillyblast
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 07:50 am: |
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As much as I like the Uly, I was really disappointed they didn't come out with a 600cc Blast-motored DS. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 08:34 am: |
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That was the machine I've been calling for for 2 years, now. I imagine they first wanted to see just how well a DS would do, and then I'd imagine, based upon the many iterations of BMW's f650, they'll produce one. |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 09:32 am: |
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I would think that giant lump of a motor would be too big and heavy for a true dual sport like the DR650, DRZ400 and other similar machines.
As for the DR650 I have had it up to 170-180kph on pavement which is in the range of 105-110mph with no issues. Now I have also had it near 160kph or 100mph off road on a hard packed fire road with no issues either.
I love my DR650 and actually its missing its top end due to a worn rocker arm and camshaft on the exhaust lobe. The dim twit that owned it before me ran it short on oil once - so I was told. It was running great just had a tick that was getting louder. |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 11:57 am: |
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Yep i took the 05 dr650 to 120 no problems, held its own in the tight twisties with a GSXR 600 and an r6. Im still interested man!! |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 12:32 pm: |
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Yeah,
Amazingly enough is the 1991 DR650 was very good on twisties too, but with almost knobby tires I could feel a little slide. |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 12:40 pm: |
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i have brand new bridgeston battlax tires a 150 on teh rear, and i can take any turn a buell can heh, i think |
Chasespeed
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 01:51 pm: |
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Buell better be developing at least a dual sportized Blast!
Hmmmmm anyone wanna donate a Blast..I bet I could make this happen with some spare parts.... sounds liek a sweet deal....
Chase} |
Spike
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 02:51 pm: |
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Grant,
Thanks for the offer, but at this point I'm still thinking the 650 is bigger than what I'm looking for. However, if I was to get a 650 the DR-SE would be my choice. I'll let you know if I change my mind.
Just out of curiosity- Any chance you'd be interested in trading for a 12R? |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 10:56 pm: |
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damn right
I want a buell, and htat is my dream bike!!!
Id be right down with trading. I just gotta figure out how thatd work with the bank, and i can get it to you!!
But the 650 really isnt a HUGE bike, the DRZ 400 is just as fast, only diff is its water cooled vs the 650s air cooled and it has just a LIL more grunt. It has street tires and off road tires. If your interested let me know, i can get you pics etc. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 12:06 am: |
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I don't know, Newf- I always dug the 441 Victor offroad, along with the b25, both heavier engines... |
Spike
| | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 03:06 pm: |
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Grant, you have mail. |
1313
| | Posted on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 12:18 am: |
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Spike!
Get rid of the Buell?!?! What gives? Feel free to call me if you don't want to post it.
1313 |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 01:39 am: |
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you have a reply |
Spike
| | Posted on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 11:42 pm: |
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1313,
I think it's a combination of a couple different elements that have been building for a while coming to a head.
The biggest and most obvious one to me is that riding the XB hasn't really "scratched the itch" for quite some time now. That's not to say there's anything I dislike about the bike, that's just to say that in the last few months my riding has been less than satisfying. I'm finding less and less time to ride. I've only put on about 3k miles since February, and most of that has been commuting. Worse yet, I don't even like my current commute. My old commute was mostly interstate, but at least it had an exit ramp at each end, and that one gnarly right turn right before you get to Ray Price. The current commute doesn't contain a single entertaining corner. I've tried taking the long way home and wandering some of the roads around Fuquay, but none are very twisty. The best corners I've found are merely a tease and need to be taken at 15mph over the speed limit before they even get your attention. All too often I take the long way home to explore new roads and arrive home frustrated for not being able to find a good place to enjoy the bike. It's still nice just to go wandering around, but on a bike like this what I really want to do is go out and thrash it, which brings me to my next point--I've had too many run-ins with the law recently. Not all of them have been on the bike, but even those in the cage are scary. I don't feel like my riding/driving has been any worse recently than it has been in the past few years. If anything I've calmed down my riding/driving quite a bit and yet somehow I'm getting more attention from the LEOs now than I have been before. It's really caused me to focus more on how I drive/ride. Personally, I don't think that there's any problem with the way I ride/drive, but the law doesn't agree with me. When the front wheel leaves the ground you're no longer merely a motorcyclist, you're a criminal. Maybe I'm getting old or maybe I've stood in front of a judge too many times, but I'm just tired of being at odds with the law.
Another big issue is the insurance. Motorcycle insurance in NC has gone through the roof. So far I have paid ~$3300 in insurance premiums on the Firebolt since I bought it new in '03. I've never filed an insurance claim on anything ever. How can I justify throwing away that much money? Worse yet, that number is as low as I can get it. Some companies wanted that much to insure the bike for a single year. I had nearly given up on searching for "affordable" insurance on the Buell when I stumbled on coverage for just over $1k/yr. I was able to justify high insurance premiums when I was a single guy paying $350/month for rent, but now that I'm married and have a mortgage I'm realizing that motorcycle insurance is not something I can afford.
Last but not least is my financial situation. I've been slowly and steadily accruing debt over the past few years. I kept thinking I could reel it in by just controlling my spending, but things keep coming up. Rising interest rates, vet bills, pay cuts, etc. have made my budget unbearable. At this point it's time to get serious about cutting the fat out of the budget. At first selling the Buell was the last thing on my mind, but going through the insurance renewal forced me to think about it. I don't want to give it up, but recently the bike has been a source of stress rather than a source of pleasure. When you add in the insurance the Buell carries the highest monthly payment of anything I own aside from the house. It's also worth more than I owe on it. My loose plan was to sell the XB use the leftover cash to buy a cheap dualie and only insure it with liability coverage. That way I'd cut out the monthly bike payment and still have something to putt around on. A cheap dualie won't be as much fun as the XB, but they don't put speed traps in the woods.
I think it all sucks, but that's where I am right now. I haven't put an ad up yet, but at this point my XB is officially for sale. |
Rubberdown
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 07:58 am: |
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Spike, just remember it's not like it was when we were growing up with dirt bikes. Good luck finding convienent and satisfying places to ride off road these days (unless you live in the boonies). I carry liability, theft, fire only on my Firebolt and it's cheap. Full coverage was through the roof! Talk to your bank see if you can get a personal line to pay off the Buell. Interest will be higher but you can drop full coverage and will come out ahead. I do understand about getting sick of worrying about the law. That's why I sold my 12. Look at me now; back on an XB. Other rides were just not doing it for me. I continue to research off road opportunities around here as I'm wanting a KLX300 and an 125 for my boy, but I'm not gonna buy unless rding is somewhat convenient. Good luck with your decision. It's time for me to get on the 'Bolt and head to the mountains. Mike. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 08:29 am: |
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too much analyzing...too little riding....
a bike's a bike. You can get tagged on an old beezer as quickly as you can on a 'busa...
it's all how you approach the road....don't try to pin anything on the theoretical "will" of the machine |
Spike
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 10:38 am: |
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quote:You can get tagged on an old beezer as quickly as you can on a 'busa...
I agree, but the 'busa and the old beezer inspire two different types of riding. When restricted to the speed limit it's much easier to enjoy the old beezer.
I think that's the main part of the problem. I ride within the law most of the time, only making exception to wick it up when no one is around. The satisfaction of the Buell came in those few moments when I was able to wick it up. The Firebolt begs to be ridden hard. If I'm unable to ride hard then the whole point of the XB is missed. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 10:40 am: |
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absolutely agreed.... |
Jerseyguy
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 12:02 pm: |
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If I'm unable to ride hard then the whole point of the XB is missed.
Spike this is exactly what I meant when I said that when I was riding the dirt, I wished I was on a KTM (instead of my DRZ 400S). Exercise caution here, as you may be setting yourself up for the same disappointment on the other end of the riding spectrum.
The only good answer is to own one of each and have the time to use them. |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 03:10 pm: |
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by the way i pay 54 dollars a month on my dr650 for full ocverage lol |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 08:28 pm: |
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and on a side not, i did a 3 hour ride today ont eh interstate, and it performed flawlessly!!I was very surprised |
M2nc
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 11:16 am: |
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Spike,
I pay $200 a year on the M2 but $850 for full coverage on the XB12X. Full coverage on the XB is expensive. I have to agree with Mike, an option is to pay off the bike and drop down the coverage.
I try to keep my speed within 10mph of the posted speed unless I know where I am. I do not want a ticked for speeding in a straight line. I can see me getting pulled over for taking a curve to fast, but straightaways are just transportation to the next curve.
An advantage of living east of Raleigh is that we are the forgotten part of the state. The "Fly Over" area to get to the beach per say. Here city police and state troopers are the only law enforcement that do traffic stops. On a regular day there are only two state troopers per county on duty. So as long as you are not on a State Highway or a heavily traveled road, and out of city limits, you will not pass a speed trap. Even so I try no to exceed the speed by too much, just in case. That is why I settled on the Buells over other bikes with more straight line speed bikes. I did not want a bike that I had to go into triple digits to enjoy.
Now, the Uly. It is a bike that can go off road or stay on road. The bike is so comfortable that I can really just enjoy the ride. I have found that riding the bike at reasonable speed and still enjoy it. This really make it more the bike for me every day.
Mike is also right about riding off road. It is not easy even in the boonies to find somewhere to ride off road. Last Friday I ventured off road on a path to a boat ramp. The road started paved, then went dirt, then turned into a path with water filled ruts and everything. Just as I started to have fun, I ran into the men with the orange hats and guns. I decided to vacate the area, feeling that tangling with the professions with guns would be a better bet.
Spike, do what is best for you. Over time I have fought tight budgets and you have to give stuff up. Then over time things get better and you get new stuff back. Whatever you do just make sure you do what is best for you and your family. |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 01:39 pm: |
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i looked at the Xb12X yesterday, and that thing is ••••••• huge excuse my languauge. How heavy is it? Nevertheless, i wouldnt want to take that thing off road due to the fact i prolly couldnt pick it up if i dropped it, and the fact its a 12.000+ dollar bike |
Bill00
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 05:50 pm: |
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Did someone say dual sport Blast?
 |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 06:38 pm: |
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that is the best use for hte worst bike ever made!!! |
Crusty
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 07:36 pm: |
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Why do you call the Blast the worst bike ever made? My wife bought a 2001 Blast in November, 2000 and put 10,000 trouble free miles on it. We sold it and she got a Sportster and got hit from behind while sitting at a red light. After she recovered from her injuries, we bought her another Blast and she rode that for 5,000 miles. The Blasts were trouble free fun bikes that gave great gas mileage and put a huge smile on her face when she rode them. My older daughter is "inheriting" the Blast as soon as she takes the Beginner Riders Course.
Before you call any bike "the worst bike ever made", I suggest you ride a Suzuki RE-5 Rotary. |
Chasespeed
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 09:53 pm: |
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Bill00, that is right along what I had in mind...
I am sure you could(read shoucd), post a buildup of that, as I am sure there will be a few(to say the least), people interested.....
Chase |
Tramp
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 10:00 pm: |
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damn, bill!
damn!!!! |
Tsispyder
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 10:54 pm: |
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what swingarm did you use? |
Bill00
| | Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 09:55 pm: |
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I'll take plenty of pics.
I'm using the stock swingarm. It'll have to be stretched about two inches. I'm planning on machining adjustment blocks from bar stock and welding them to the ends of the swingarm.
The steering stem is too short, I'll have to either make a new one or stretch the original one.
The front of the frame will have to be notched to make clearance for the forks.
As you can see, it's going to take some work. |
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