| Author | Message | ||
     Jamhamm |
posted this out on sporttwin - didn't get a reply... so i'll give it a go here: hello all - new to posting, ive been lurking around for quite awhile well its about that time - time for me to buy a bike for the upcoming riding season i want something streety - loads of torque with a unique style but along with all that id like a healthy does of dependability so of course my eyes and heart are with bikes like the s1 x1 xb etc i love the look of the s1 and its simplicity - the motor can be tuned to hell and back - etc etc etc my question is what is it like to own one of these guys? will i be able to ride without worry? the last few bikes i owned [honda yamaha suzuki] were rather forgetful in that they started up each morning - rode hard all day... and were ready for action the very next day never having owned a buell im basically wondering what its like day to day - ride after ride and i keep seeing these massaged s1s on ebay for 5grand - all rebuilt and custom and nice and waiting for me to snap one up so again, its time - and i need you guys help - should i go for the s1 or is the xb series more reliable? hopefully with your help my next bike will be a nice buell instead of a zrx1200 or speed triple -sau | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I have a 2000 X1. Most of my problems cropped up in the first year/20000 miles. I wouldn't be scared off by somewhat high miles. So far, it's been pretty good to me. I'm at about 63,000 now. Most problems have been dumb little things like a leak or a sensor coming loose. The rear shock went bad at about 50K. The front wheel bearings went at about 55K. I suggest you ride each bike first before making a decision. I sat on a ZRX after the X1 and it felt like a truck. It is more powerful and is faster but it still felt like a truck to me. | ||
| Josh_ |
If you want a completely worry-free bike get an XB with a warranty. A 2003 XB9 with extended warranty can be had (if you look enough) for under $5k. If you are looking for character, an S1 with a massaged motor is nothing but character and will put hair on your chest just looking at it. | ||
| Buellbozo |
Welcome to the madness. I don't know how to do the hyperlink thing, but there's a good discussion on the quick board you might read. Scroll down to "New XB vs M1". Beg or borrow a ride on a Buell, any Buell. They are NOTHING like any other bike.You'll either love it or not. Hope you do.  | ||
| Buellistic |
Have a 97S3T with 86,432.5 miles as of the last ride ... "TOP END" has never been OFF !!! Been on the side of the road twice: Front motor mount broke(was not installed correctly as one of the bolts was over torqued)which was not installed by me ... Rear drive belt broke: did not follow my own "PREVENTIVE MAINTANCE" program an replace it at 50K(found out how long it would last which was not worth it) ... Has many "PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS" to make more RELAIBLE and LAST THE MAXIUM !!! In BUELLing LaFayette | ||
| Henrik |
What Josh said. The tubers all take a bit more "care" to keep them running well. Once you get to know the quirks and get those worked out - it you're good, but they need a bit more care. Henrik | ||
| Oldog |
Jam: Buells are not jap bikes, and should not be treated like UJMs how ever, If they are properly maintained they are as reliable as any bike out there, the newer Xb bikes are likely better in the longevity department, Longevity Well Lafayette has 82k, 1313's s2 has in excess of 100k, Tramp's s2-"r" has in excess of 100k these are just the ones I know of The older tube frame buells are said to be more like "hand built" with some quirks see the KV they were built in much smaller numbers and may become collectable due to the choppa craze. the 99-02 tubers s3,m2,x1 are the most refined the X1 has one interesting feature that the others don't have which aids in the belt change and rear rubber mount service. If you are mechanicaly inclined you can do most of the service work your self, these machines are layed out in a well thoughtout manner you also have this board as a resource it has saved me agrivation on more than one ocasion(sp). | ||
| Jimincalif |
The carb-era tubers have..."quirks", but they're unbelievably easy to wrench on. Things CAN go wrong however. My '97 S3 was bought used, low miles, the only mods being a cannister swap (Vance & Hines, good for only a moderate power boost) and a Forcewinder intake on the stock carb. I asked the guy whether or not the carb was re-jetted to match the forcewinder..."sure". Like hell. Found out 1,000 miles later when it burned a hole in the front piston on the freeway. Did some checking, turns out the Forcewinder intake flows air like CRAZY, it's a killer part IF you re-tune the carb to match! OK. The good news is, I only paid $4500 for the bike. The better news: $2,500 and my own week's worth of wrenching got me a buttload of engine upgrades: she's now a 1250 sporting Axtell ceramic-lined barrels, forged 10.5:1 race pistons with a dome pattern, 2004-spec heads cut to match the domed pistons, and to top it off a Mikuni HS42 carb and adapter for the Forcewinder I already had. Oh, and a $200 adapter to let the 2004 front head match the tube frame, swoopy billet adapter. This combo is netting me 45 - 48mpg consistently as a commuter, runs strong as hell, I'm into it for way less than a new XB anything. That Mikuni carb has killer throttle response and was perfectly tuned to the Forcewinder and internal mods...I really can't see how an injected XB motor could seriously beat it in any category, power OR mileage, although apparantly they do often do a hair over 50mpg. But I don't consider that slight mileage improvement worth the extra pain of something I can't really fix myself. Understand, I did all the motor mods myself WITHOUT pulling the motor completely clear of the frame, first time I'd ever taken a Harley motor down to where I could see the crank before. I dropped the front and rocked it downwards. To get the broken bits out of the bottom end, I flipped the whole bike over and blew the crankcase out with an air hose  . Rather than use a printed manual I set my laptop up on my bench and referred to the free downloadable service manual for the '97 S1 Buell provided and is now mirrored all over the place...the S1 manual is close enough to the S3 that the differences don't matter. Oh, and $100 got me an upgraded oil pump from my local Harley dealer (not even a Buell shop) along with some gaskets and such. I think it was '98 they upgraded the pump. These motors are stone-axe-simple to work on. The fuel injection system on the early tube frames was a bit funky. By the time the last great tubers shipped (the X1) they had it sorted out. But regardless, ALL tube-frame Buells can be easily retrofitted to carb, if you also swap ignition to a good single fire system at the same time. This swap won't cost all that much and will result in something much easier to maintain and tune yourself, in my opinion. That Mikuni carb has killer throttle response and was perfectly tuned to the Forcewinder and internal mods. The tube-frame Buells are a damned nuisance if the belt breaks. The motor must be pulled. The exception is the X1 which has a "doorway bolt-in" in the frame allowing quick belt swaps, a really cool feature. If my belt ever breaks I'll probably just buy a chain conversion kit . The S3 is by far the most comfortable Buell made (along with the S2 with similar ergos). The motors are grossly over-engineered strengthwise. The valves are hydraulic, self-adjusting which is a major "nice thing" in terms of maintenance issues. XB frames plain cannot take a carb! The frame runs too close to the place the carb would need to be, runs right across it in fact. This in my eye is a major selling point for tubers. What else...if you have the 5.5" rear rim on a tuber (generally meaning you've got Performance Machine billet aluminum rims) you can swap to a 180 rear tire versus 170. If you have a tube frame with the slightly lighter cast rims you're stuck with a 170 rear, which isn't bad mind you but you have fewer options and less ability to buy "off the shelf" on sale . What looked at first like a "bad experience" on my S3 was rapidly resolved as "not the bike's fault, it was the idiot prior owner" and turned into a hot-rodding opportunity with parts from NRHS who treated me VERY well on a complete package of bits pre-machined to each other and dropped right in with no clearance issues. | ||
| Jamhamm |
ok you guys kick major booty! obviously this forum is a lot more active than the one over there at sporttwin as you're all over it thanks for all the replies and the links to other similar discussions and jim - thats what im thinking about doing - riding this summer and in the fall upping the testosterone on the motor in an exponential manner i've been spending too much time at nrhs performance website i do believe you guys have affirmed my trust in the buell tubers - now the question is s1 or m2 or even x1 with carb mods? hmmmm.... thanks again and i hope to be part of the family soon -saujamhamm | ||
| Chasespeed |
I kick the snot outta my X1 constantly, lowsides, wheelies, stoppies, long rolling burn-outs..constant high rpm flogging.... and she still fires right up every morning, an takes me to work, I also ride it form Virginia Beach to Western MASS without thought or hesitation. not teh prettiest bike at teh moment(need to replace the primary cover THEN it will be good).. The only thing I watch, it pretoleum products, oil, gas, and tires... XBs are nice too...BUT, I love the attitude of my X1....its just....in your face kinda thing.. loud, brutish..not the fastest thing, but the flickablitiy, is incredible, and I wouldnt wanna ride anything in traffic...TORQUE ON DEMAND. Good luck... Chase | ||
| Bomber |
X1 vs M2 (assuming carb on the X1) It all boils down to 2 things -- looks -- me, I like the M2, others think the X1 is the nicest looking bike ever -- personal preference, so, basically, a draw belt -- same belt, same milage, same chances of failure (near non-existant to any day now, depending on the rider) -- statistics tell us that belts will very likely outlast the isolators, and can be changed at the same time, which brings us to the difference -- X1 has that nifty removable plate on the side, greatly easing belt and iso R&R -- eith way, you're gonna love it! | ||
| Josh_ |
S1/X1 have the better suspension. S1 would be less work if you're set on switching the X1 to a carb. S1s were made 96-98; X1s 99-02. You can probably still find X1s with (extended) warranties. Try to find one with a race kit already installed. When you go to upgrade the motor, check out updates since your bike was made if any (primary tensioner, shift detent, exhaust hanger etc) and update accordingly. Ride.  | ||
| Denfromphilly |
I have a 99 X1 and it will be buried with me. It has been perfectly reliable but I still work on it all the time, Buells can become a serious obsession. I was considering how to drag mine from the shed through 2 feet of snow so I could ride to work today. The X1 is a great bike, mine has killer throttle response, brakes and really nice handling, it's not like any other bike I have ever ridden. Like a 250 dirt bike with a top fuel big block chevy motor. I have ridden several other Buells, the new XB9 seemed to have the best throttle response on a stock model but it's a tight fit if you are tall. It handles great and all Buell's have very satisfying brakes. The Firebolt has the best handling of the new line up, very flickable and responsive, it feels like a natural extension of the rider. You can pick the line in a turn unconsciously and then change the line with the same ease. The Firebolt also fits my 6' 3" frame just fine, better than all the other newer models in spite of the rear mount pegs and low bars. I have never ridden a Buell that lacked for power, some just have more civilized power delivery than others. My X1 will lift the tire real easy with throttle roll on in the turns, my brother has the exact same model & upgrades except his has a stock cam. My brothers is a joy to ride, I actually enjoy it more than mine although mine does have more raw surging power. His is smoother and more ridable, mine still scares me, takes more skill and self control and makes me cautious. I have ridden a 2000 Cyclone too and it had a lot less power than mine but still had plenty of power. The handling was nice and predictable, silky and easy like all Buells. I recommend you beg, borrow and mooch every ride you can on a Buell and let your gut decide. Just be aware that these motors run in the peak torque band at cruising speed. It's a really cool design but when you juice up the motor to increase torque you can negativley affect the rideability. (Message edited by denfromphilly on February 15, 2006) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Looks like he asked a bunch of junkies how they felt about heroin | ||
| Jamhamm |
yea... or a bird about flying but i figured i'd get both stories - good and bad so far you guys have been great ... well no on has invited me over to ride their tuber yet but hey, i'm willing to take it slow! i've actually ridden both the xb12s and r - and i more than loved the s version but my current budget is about $5k which puts me right in line with a tuber -sau | ||
| Toomanytoys |
I have seen more than a handful of XB's go for around 5k on Ebay. Nice looking bikes too, some even had warranty left on them. Overall, I would say the reliability of the XB would be more inviting, especially lately as I have been having some frustrating days with the X-1. I can't argue with the raw power feeling of a tuber though. It is very easy to access the engine, and most repairs may be done in your personal garage (or under a carport in my case). Even after all the frustration, I am still happy to have my bike, and that is a testament to the joy that the X-1 has brought me.  | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
As for reliability, their was no huge jump from the Tubers to the XB- the improvements were the result of a lot of running changes, many of which can be retrofitted to the older models. The last tubers were probably even a bit more reliable than the first XBs with their teeting problems. The Tuber isn't obsolete either- MCN just tested the new Lightning long, the closest match Buell now makes to the Cyclone, and it weighed 470 pounds, almost identical to the Cyclone's weight. Perhaps the XB's cast aluninum frame's real advantage is lower cost rather than lower weight...? | ||
| Blake |
If you neglect all the other benefits afforded by the fuel-in-frame design, yeah, that might be the case. The XB engines are much improved and more reliable than their predecessors. | ||
| Blake |
What Josh said. I totally dig my '97 Cyclone. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
They all are great, what features do you want? Now that my M2 has the look of and S1 I wouldn't mind having a X1 too... | ||
| Bomber |
Jam -- come on to Chicago and you can ride my much tweaked MaDuece -- after the rain washes the salt outa the apexes, that is ;-} | ||
| Buellgler |
My experience: Been riding dirt bikes for years. Never owned a street bike, but had always wanted one. Got my endorsement a year ago and set about riding every bike under 10k. Didn't buy one of them. My riding buddies both got bikes (sv650, z1000) which of course pushed me to revamp my bike hunting efforts. I still wasn't satisfied with what I'd ridden....Never even thought about Buells given their lack of dealership representation in my area; that is until I got a call from my buddy (who's the sales mgr. @ Power Yamaha here in Oregon), he told me he had a sweet, cherry 1999 X1 with a few mods (V&H, race ecm, corbin saddle) and low miles (1281!) and that I should come take a look. I asked when they were closed so I could go out and take a peak through the window w/o making an impulse purchase (bad habit of mine). I didn't even do any internet research before I went to look at it. Through the window, at night, dark inside & out I saw my nuclear blue x1 and knew right then & there that it was the one! Came out the next day, bought it, fired it up, fell in love with the exhaust note, bought a helmet and gloves and laughed all the way down the highway to my house. Once I had the bike I started my research (a little late) and read many a terrible review on sites other than this. I got nervous to say the least! Then I found this site, started digging through the archives, posted a few questions, and before long determined that there were three basic problems that could render the bike a money pit: Primary tensioner, exhaust bracket, oil pump drive gear. Everything else could be chalked up to poor maintenance, poor wrenching, or something else that was not the bikes fault IMO. Since I bought the bike last April I've pre-emptively fixed the major question marks, spent some money on cosmetic things, toyed with selling her, and ultimately kept what I deem to be the best bike on the road. Buells are few & far between in my world, my riding buddies can't buy an exhaust that sounds half as cool as mine, riding it is like rolling in built '67 Camaro. I've clocked some good miles on my friends' bikes, continued to test-ride UJM's & Euro bikes (for the sake of comparison) and found that I absolutely made the best possible decision given my standards. Power? Plenty of it for me. Handling? The specialty of this breed, twisties are what we hunt and my Buell does such a good job that it's like it actually knows I'm going to make a mistake before I do. I've actually been pulled over by motorcycle cop who took my bike for a short spin (crazy, screws with your head!). All-in-all, I am extremely satisfied with my course of action. Make sure whatever you get is good to go from day one, don't short change the maintenance, get a good set of tires and a good map and have a nice life...!  | ||
| Garrett1998s1 |
Can I tell if my primary tensioner has been changed by looking at it? Anybody have a pic of the difference? | ||
| Bomber |
Garret -- many pics in the knowledge vault -- difference is very clear, once ya know what to look for | ||
| Denfromphilly |
You can see the difference in the primary tensioner thickness in the KV. Normally you need to remove the transmission side cover but I found that if you open the inspection cover and use a dental mirror you can see the difference. I also could see the crack in mine too. I bought my X1 on looks too, it just looked so cool in the bike shop, blue with the white stripe. It just looked baaadddd. So I bought it without a ride as it was winter and icy. Three weeks later I got to go for a spin. The guy started it up and reved it to 5,000 rpm a couple times and it sounded so loud and radical it scared me, I though "uh ohh, that's too much, I think I made a mistake, I hope I can get my money back". I very carefully took it for a ride and rode it about 100 yards and I thought "boy this is different", three miles later I was sold, my thinking had changed to "this bike ROCKS" and I still can't get the smile off my face. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
I just love my 98 S1. Rode it once to Wisconsin and back to Newfoundland.  | ||
| Smoke |
check out the yellow s2 on ebay. 8-900 miles. ride it home from san antonio. i'm out of money or it wouldn't be available. you won't regret it. tim | ||
| Bluelightning |
A guy I work with is selling his 98 S1w for around $4k. It is basically stock with a twin tail seat. so if you are looking to take a trip to the DC area, give me a yell and I can hook you guys up. | ||
| Jamhamm |
here i am ... all ready to join the buell family and wouldn't you know it!? family emergencies just took half of my savings - so instead of $4k in the bank i now have just over $2k... but no worries - im saving at a rate of about $1000 every two weeks so i'll be with you guys and gals soon enough -sau p.s. and i really wanted that local x1 - man that thing was clean!!! | ||
| Jamhamm |
hey bluelight i shot you a pm about the s1w got any details for me? thanks in advance... -sau |
