| Author | Message | ||
     Koz5150 |
So with people always posting here that they want more performance and something that can compete with 600's and 1000's which is more important? To have an air-cooled V-twin or the numbers (at the same price) of a liter bike? What if Buell built a bike with Liter bike numbers and an inline 4 engine and changed nothing else? (please refrain from the "it would weight to much" and "it's not possible" comments, this is a HYPOTHETICAL question) | ||
| Blake |
I absolutely HATE turbine-like ultra-high revving engines. I want power now, not up at five figures rpm. I hate the sound, I hate the power delivery, I hate the buzzy feel. I hate radiators on a motorcycle. I like simplicity. I like displacement over complexity and high revs. I hate valve adjstments. I like American heritage and a big bad ••• bellering air-cooled V-Twin. If I wanted an R1, I'd buy an R1. | ||
| Seth |
I heard somewhere that around 80% of the American population lives within 20 miles of the two coasts. For all of us that fall within that group, you know that the streets are congested and potholed, plagued with blind driveways and frequent traffic lights. Who in their right mind would want a liter bike or any other such bike capable of going a zillion miles an hour in a strait line? What makes perfect sense to me is just Buell has to offer. As to the engine type vs. performance question, performance…as it pertains to the motorcycle as a whole. Drivability, maneuverability, funability. | ||
| Smoke |
i'm a v-twin guy with a few buells in the garage, but i'd like to spend the same amount of time at 150 as i spend now at 120. it isn't much time or very often, but i still get there occasionally. i'd like for my next bike to be a fast, good handling sport-tour and a buell. we'll see. ride safe, tim | ||
| Crusty |
I heard somewhere that around 80% of the American population lives within 20 miles of the two coasts. I think you mean within 2,000 miles of the two coasts. Whoever said that never did any traveling in this country. Engine type is most important to me. The only other bike I'd seriously consider owning is a Moto Guzzi; it also has an air cooled pushrod V-twin that's easy to maintain and service. | ||
| Phatkidwit1eye |
I had a long post typed out but when I was done with it looked like a giant post flaming Buell. I don't feel that will do any good so I will keep it short. Give me a water cooled twin (rotax style) that puts decent hp to the ground and you will have a life long customer. I don't want an in-line four. I just want a bike that will perform and be competitive in all aspects of riding. I'm tired of saying "well it might be slow but it handels' well" I want to be able to say someday "It's fast as hell and handels' even better" Sometimes I think Buell is kinda like a 50 year old stripper with a boob job. No matter how well she shakes them they are still attached to a 50 year old stripper. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Sometimes I think Buell is kinda like a 50 year old stripper with a boob job. I have such bad pictures in my head right now.... | ||
| Stou |
I bought a Buell because it's a nice looking v-twin that has a good handling and like they said it's "Different". Buell should stay with a v-twin. But it's a fact that I need more power. I really like my bike but I will like it more if it has more power. I don't want a 150 hp motorcycle, it's too much and can't really be used on the street. But I think something around 100 hp can be very interesting. If Ducati can do it, why not Buell  | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
No reason why we can't have a 100 hp air cooled vee twin. I had a 500cc DOHC Norton single that had 50 hp, and that was over FORTY years ago! | ||
| Rek |
AS long as my bike goes "GRUMBLE THUMPA-THUMPA-THUMPA" every time I start it up I don't care what kind of motor it has. I'll never take my Buell as fast as it can go, so why should I care if a liter bike can go faster yet? Rob | ||
| Koz5150 |
How do you guys feel about a water-cooled V-twin? like the RC51 or a tr1000. | ||
| Stou |
I can live with a water-cooled V-twin but the problem is the look of the radiator.... I hate the look of a big rad at the front. Maybe Erik can find a nice solution for that! | ||
| Tramp |
Engine type is far and away more important to me- in the interest of saving bandwidth, just read Blake and Seth's posts above, and add the fact that my S2 engine is incredibly reliable. Oh, and, incidentally, it IS '20 miles' of the two coasts (think LA, NYC, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, etc...), but I think it was 'more than half of all americans', but it could be 80%...just look at census numbers from Los Angeles alone...scary. | ||
| Buells Rule! (Dyna in disguise) |
If Ducati can do it, why not Buell? Zactly. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
I agree with the previous post!!! There is no reason why the engines can't receive a better boob job!!!! To perk them up a little. | ||
| Paulson |
I too dislike high-revving 'buzzy' motors. I LOVE the thumpa-thumpa of my bike. I have a hard time imagining a Buell with an inline 4 and a soul. But that is because I have yet to meet an inline 4 that seemed to have one. Maybe a V4? | ||
| Ryker77 |
I want a simple bike. V-twin, air cooled, maintance that I can do, carb, etc etc. The engine and trans should be good enough to handle the abuse. I've never dragged race, never done a wheelie, and never been faster than 110mph. But I sure do like getting to the speed limit quickly to feel the power. Hell, I'd like to see a 1900's style bike. You know where they slap a motor on a bicycle! Know days bicycles have disc brakes and 4" of suspension travel and weigh less than 20lbs. Just put a small, lightweight, low powered, v-twin on it. Well over 100mpg! and fun as hell. All that would need to be designed is some good tires and a lightweight v-twin. | ||
| Bomber |
performance -- of course, the way I define that is more on the torque side of things, with ease of maintenance and light weight being important to me as well -- Cycle World had a piece a few years ago stating that, in general, older riders were less likely to wring the necks of IL4 engines, preferring their power to be produced at lower revs -- they went on to say that this MAY be an artifact of what they learned to ride on (Trumpets, Beezas, HDs and Injuns and the like), so this world view may change over time me, I'm not hung up on national origin, cyclinder count, valve ditto, not latest tech (which is simply not available on the street, or in a mototcycle anyways, see F1 cars for tech) -- gimme a big block and I'm happy | ||
| Rick_a |
I like aircooling. I like pushrods. I dig twins. I think the evo Sportster motor and its derivatives are the coolest motors ever in history.
You can have all that, it'll just cost you some time and $$$. | ||
| Ceejay |
ryker-they got em, electric powered though and will do about 60. since I am not one of those 80%/50% I have a lot of wide open space to fly around at 120, that being said I still think that v-twins sound better, look better, and harley's seem to be less maintenance, and they'll blow the doors off any inline 4 stop light to stop light if built right. Unless you race on a regular basis what more do you need, and how often does a person get to ride 150+ especially if there is that many more people around. | ||
| Fdl3 |
Remember Jim Feuling? He is the one who came out with the W3 motorcycle with a 3-cylinder single-pin crank engine with the cylinder banks 45-degrees from each other. Think the traditional 45-degree V-Twin engine with an extra cylinder. This is possible because of the single-pin crank, which makes the engine much like the old WWII rotary airplane engines (and we all know how many cyclinders some of those engines had!). Anyway, it developed good performance numbers...  Also, all this talk about performance and radiator placement...again brings to mind the HD Nova project. What could have been...or can be? | ||
| S1eric |
"If Ducati can do it, Why not Buell." They can do it. But so far have chosen not to. Maybe this year we will get more power. Isn`t their race bike running 1340cc and dual throttle bodies. C`mon Buell lets see it in the showrooms ! S1Eric | ||
| Danny |
For the Record: The highest hp air-cooled Ducati makes ~78hp at the rear wheel. And riding with my service manager, Flyin' Don, has taught me a lot about motorcycle power and handling. He loves taking his Honda CB-1 (400cc's, 52 hp) and embarassing guys up in the hills. The only road he gets beaten on is a wide open stretch still in the valley, not yet to the foothills where you can take all but one corner at a minimum of 90... depending on the size of your testes. Back on topic... V-Twins rule liquid, air, 2-valve, 4-valve, pushrod, OHC, I don't care. I am reserving judgement on the Ulysses until I ride one (10 days?), but currently, I think I'm going to like it. Will I buy one? I dunno, let me ride one. Danny 95 S2 02 V-Strom | ||
| Jersey_thunder |
MORE HP?...i don't think there is one person that rides any type of bike that wouldn't like that. JT | ||
| Jersey_thunder |
Sometimes I think Buell is kinda like a 50 year old stripper with a boob job. No matter how well she shakes them they are still attached to a 50 year old stripper THAT IS DEEP MAN...  | ||
| Rick_a |
I know a few Hayabusa owners who are quite satisfied. | ||
| Crusty |
I heard somewhere that around 80% of the American population lives within 20 miles of the two coasts. Chicago. New Orleans. Dallas/Ft.Worth. St.Louis. Indianapolis. Kansas City. Denver. Hell, I live in Massachusetts, and my house is 50 miles from the coast. Maybe a majority of people in this country live near the coast, but they're not within 20 miles. What's wrong with 50 year old strippers? | ||
| Benm2 |
Well, maybe not "liter bike" (inline 4) numbers, but RC51 numbers would be nice. Those should be possible with a pushrod motor that still has all the characteritics everyone seems to admire. At Pocono last weekend, another trackday enthusiast asked me to start my M2 just so he could listen to the motor. I started it up, revved it a few times, and shut it down. He was grinning ear to ear, and said "f***ing awesome!". No I4's. | ||
| Bob_thompson |
Guess I'm "old school" No I AM old school. I loved my 430 Lincoln powered 57 Chevy, my 426 Dodge, my 86 cu.in. Sporster cafe racer (see my profile),my 427 Vette and my 427 powered mid engine Corvair (yes Corvair). Some people in the Chicago area will remember it and its exactly why I love my 2002 M2. Period. Bob | ||
| X1tx |
What's more important than 'big HP numbers' is how the power is made. You can get 100 HP out of a 250 (2 stroke GP bikes do so) but almost no torque. I'd rather have the grunt throughout the rev range (easily possible with the big cubes on a Buell) but with a little 'hit' on top. The one thing you don't get with a Buell (X1 anyway) is that feeling of a top end hit. But I'd rather have the grunt and give up a little top end hit. Would like a 6th gear for open road cruising however............. |
