| Author | Message | ||
     Doughnut |
My S2 love story, I went into the local Buell dealer to get the first free t-shirt offer and asked if they had any "old" buells. I was told that they only had XBs. The guy looked over his shoulder and asked someone else about some old Buell they just got in. He replied that it was upstairs and had not yet been checked out. Went up to look at it and it was one of the most gorgous machines I have ever seen. 96 red on white S2 with 2045 real miles on it, stock! Love at first sight. A steal at $4500. Had my baby for a year and gave her 10,000 more miles. Lost her because of a woman  . I WILL get another Buell and it will be a tuber. It was my first bike, will be the last. How did you fall in love? (Message edited by Doughnut on November 10, 2007) | ||
| Ratbuell |
My first was a 99 M2. Got a great tax return that year, always wanted a Harley because of that sound but being younger I wanted something sporty. The saleslady actually *talked* to me when I came in, she handed me a brochure and I took it home. The next day I was back, saying I wanted a Cyclone (price point). I was in love with a 98 S1W that was on the floor, but my budget wouldn't allow it at that time. She asked what color I wanted, and without hesitation I said "molten orange". "Got one in the back" she says. I rode it home. Orange, black frame and wheels, tach kit. Actually...that's mostly true. They set it outside the door for my "new owner polaroid", and after they had gone back inside I started to ride off. Got to the third flagpole (about ten feet from where I'd started), a car came whipping through the parking lot, I grabbed the front brake and *whap!*, the forks folded and down she went. One package of touchup paint later and I rode it home. Never dropped it again and owned it for nearly 30k miles. Fast forward six years and an additional 35k miles on my FLHP (which I bought a couple years after the M2 for...uh...insurance reasons) ...and I finally bought the bike of my dreams. Lust. Whatever. Found an 1100 mile S1W and that got me "re-hooked" on Buells. A year after that (spring of '07) I bought my S2 and I couldn't be happier - its the best of all worlds. Comfort of the FLH, seating position similar to the M2 (relaxed enough for my lanky frame but still sporting), performance not quite on a par with the brutish S1W...but still tons of fun, and fun for a loong time because it doesn't beat the crap out of me. I still ride the S1W for fun when I feel the Hooligan in me dying to get out...but I have to make myself dig the FLH out of the garage once every couple months, just to circulate the oil. LOL. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
My S2 story started with me wanting to get a Harley (wait, wait put down the rotten cabbage). Being a poor college student I started looking for a used sportster. One day while talking to a harley guy about my predicament, he mentioned that I could get a Buell and chop it. I had never heard of Buell. He explained to me that they used "hopped-up" sportster engines and some really nice parts (wheels, forks, brakes, ect.) and that all I need was a hardtail frame and some tins. Plus, they were exactly what I was looking for... cheap. So I started looking for a Buell to chop. I found an S2 not too far away for a real low price, so my dad and I hooked to a trailer and headed to Birmingham. I asked my dad to come with me since he had a lot of experience with harleys and could advise me. We found the bike sitting at a BMW dealership where it had been languishing. The bike was not running properly but my dad quickly recognized that it had a leaking intake gasket. He talked them down off the already nice asking price and we took her home. After a little tinkering we had her running right. My dad took her out first to "check the tuning". He did this by wheeling the bike into the distance. When he came back he ramped the bike off off the bank by the driveway, getting both tires into the air and coming to a stop about 2ft in front of me and my dumbstruck friend. I was a bit more cautious with her but I immediately loved the bike. Especially when I road through town and I got all the double takes who couldn't believe the sound coming from my "crotch rocket." I managed to go about 2hrs before I picked the front wheel up. This was a mistake because ever since I've been addicted. My dad and I enjoyed the Buell together for the next few years while I was in college. I left the bike with him while I was at school because I wasn't about to park her outside the dorms or my college apartment. He had never liked anything but big harleys but he quickly warmed up to the S2 and eventually confessed that one of the most comfortable bikes he had ridden. He fell ill a couple of years ago but whenever he had a good day he would take out the Buell for a ride. In fact one of the last conversations I had with him started with him grinning from ear to ear and telling me that had he had ridden the Buell all day the day before. He passed away just three days later. I've since brought the bike to stay with me full time but I still think of it as ours and I carry his tattered old riding bandanna in my jacket whenever I ride. | ||
| Buellerthanyou |
So, several years ago there I am, perusing Ebay, checking out the available Buells, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a '95 Blue Sapphire Pearl S2 with only 8000 miles on the clock and all the touring accoutrements that were made available in '96 added as well.  Bidding was only up to $4000 and a conversation with my wife ensued that went something like this: "Hey honey, can I bid on this Buell? It's only up to $4000, so I probably won't win it." "Sure, Jay, go ahead." she says (she's very understanding of my illness...).  Needless to say, $4050 later, I gotta drive from Austin, Texas, up to Hot Springs, Arkansas to pick up my "new" motorcycle. I don't have a truck, so I leave my trusty X1 with my most excellent friend, Mike "The Rock" LaRocque  (this is his X1, by the way. he did all the paint and mods) and borrow his big ole 4-door longbed for a couple of days. My wife has to go out of town on business, so I also have to take our two l'il chihuahuas, Lola and Lucy, along for the ride.  Long, boring drive up to the land of Clinton and the whole way I've got two small dogs plastered right up against me in the cab of a truck the interior of which is as large as any luxury car! Spent the night in the truck behind a gas station and then went to meet the seller. Smellin' pretty good by then, what with no shower and two dogs glued to me for 24 hours.  Awesome roads around Hot Springs, too. Shame I had to truck the bike back! Bike isn't perfect, but looks purty dang good. Anyway, quick test ride, load 'em up, move 'em out. Named it "Nazgul" and been lovin' it ever since.  Can't wait to do a li'l upgrading ala Bartimus and Court, too. Be fun to school a few of the local squid-kids on Lime Creek Road with it!  Thanks for listening (reading), HellBuelly J "On the road to Mandalay, Where the screamin' Firebolts play, An' the S2s come up like thunder outer China 'crost the bay." --Rudyard "Maddog" Kipling |
