| Author | Message | ||
     Rick_A |
Seeing a Buell in motion, in the flesh, that is. What was the first impression? | ||
| Anonymous |
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| Sarodude |
I think I was on Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. I was walking (in LA!?!?!? Nobody walks in LA!) down the sidewalk and heard a sound. I looked over my shoulder to see an odd looking bike - kinda reminiscent of a Duc - rumbling down the street. A distinctly American rumble... Looked very sexy. I called up Loli and told her about a cool, funky bike and I could swear I cought the name Buell on the side - though I was convinced that's not really what it said. Next time I saw one just a few months later was in Palm Springs at some bike rally. Someone had taken what I now know was a S1WL and put an 883 motor in it. The only real exposure I had to bikes at the time was watching racing on TV. I had NO idea that my first bike would be a Buell. -Saro | ||
| Psychobueller |
My Buell saga begins in the summer of 1994. I had gotten my motorcycle license at age 19, during my freshman year at Rutgers University. It was the sole reason I had to spend an extra year in school! All I wanted to do was ride. And ride I did! I took the MSF course and got my step-Mom’s 1980 Honda CM400T dusted off. Ah, freedom at last. It was exhilarating! After a few months on the CM400, I had my Dad’s 1980 Honda CX500 Custom back in running order. The first time I fired it up I was amazed how great that little V-Twin sounded. Throaty, nasty, up to no good. I knew I was hooked on the sound and feel of the V-Twin. That summer, I took the CX on a road trip to New Hampshire to visit my high school buddies. My luggage consisted of two backpacks bungeed to the back of the bike. Taking a motorcycle on a trip like that was a great experience. The feeling of freedom and excitement was so different from the experience I had when traveling the same trip in a car, as I had done innumerable times before. While in New Hampshire, I dropped by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Manchester to check out their shop. I had only a passing interest in H-D and was very happy to remain an observer to the H-D culture. But what I saw parked outside changed that forever. I knew a little about what a Buell was from reading moto-mags religiously, but I didn’t really have an interest. I had a great local Honda shop, and figured any sporting motorcycle I would buy would be from there. The S2 Thunderbolt that I encountered outside H-D/Buell of Manchester would cause me to rethink that notion. I sat on the S2 and was amazed how comfy it was. I was used to sportbikes being torture racks and that fact alone had dissuaded me from considering them as a viable alternative for me. On the Buell, everything just felt right. It really was a striking bike to look at. The bodywork was flowing and the lines of the bike made it look as if it was leaping forward while standing still. When the sales dude asked if I wanted to demo ride it, I nearly passed out! DEMO RIDE???? A BRAND NEW BIKE???? You can’t do that, can you? When I came to, he got the bike started up for me. Now, I had thought that my CX500 had a throaty roar, but what came out of that Buell was the most hellacious rumble I had ever heard. Kind of like a Harley, but more tight and tuned. Suddenly, my CX was a pansy ass little bike that had just peed its pants. The vibrations at idle were kind of funny to feel as well as watch, and I thought it made the bike feel alive. He demonstrated to me how the vibes go away under power and how all the H-D spec switchgear worked, and I was off. I still replay that ride in my mind to this day. I had never experienced the T-word like that before: TORQUE!!! I quickly became a believer. The bike smoothed out really well and it was amusing to pull in the clutch and feel the vibes while I was rolling along. The engine sounded like a small-block Chevy with glass packs. And the handling! Let’s just say that I still haven’t wiped the smile off my face. I returned to the dealer after a thorough flogging and ogled the S2 for a while before leaving. I was 19 after all, and there was no way I could afford a $12,000 bike. But the seeds were planted. I proceeded to demo ride everything I could get my ass on. I have amassed quite a list of about 70 bikes that I have ridden since that summer. I never met a motorcycle I didn’t like. But that feeling of torque, that WWWHHHHHAAAAAAA snort when you crank it open from idle and it feels like your arms are getting ripped off your torso, was something I never forgot from my Buell test ride. My Dad got back into riding and we have accumulated quite a collection of bikes. We moved to the touring side of the dial for a while. We bought a 1977 BMW R100/7 with hard bags. Why? Because when I started it up it had that big twin-cylinder thump and torque….never could forget it. We had a 1984 Gold Wing, a 1979 Suzuki GS850 with a complete matching Vetter set-up, and now have a 1997 Gold Wing. I went through a cruiser craze and bought a 1996 Honda ACE 1100 that had been fully accessorized by its previous owner. I got into the chaps and leather vest thing. In the waning winter of March 2001 I stopped by my Buell dealer, H-D/Buell of Edison, NJ. I had been kicking around the idea of getting a more sporting ride. I had watched Buells evolve and wanted to see what they had to offer. I remember sitting on the Cyclone M2 and recalling how it felt like the S2, comfy and sporty at the same time. I was urged to come back for a demo ride with my Dad and we did just that. We went out on a stock M2 and an S3 with the race kit. Within a half-mile of the dealer we both knew that we found what we were looking for. The Buells were simply a hoot to ride. Everything I remembered about the S2 and more! We bought a 2000 Cyclone M2 in Molten Orange. Over the weekend we realized that whoever was riding the Buell was having more fun. The next week we bought a 2000 Cyclone M2 in Blue Streak. NEVER have I enjoyed a motorcycle more than I do my M2. There are faster bikes and sharper handling bikes, but my M2 is just more plain fun to ride. The rumble from the engine, the handling, the brakes, the vibes even, all combine in an experience that cannot be found anywhere else. That is why I ride. It is fun. It is insanely fun. The Buell is a bike that enhances everything I like about motorcycling. It makes the smile go all the way around my head whenever I open my garage and see my M2 waiting for me. | ||
| Dynarider |
I dont recall which model it was, but I know the yr was 94 & I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. The first one I rode was a 96 lightning. I loved the power & the sound, but absolutely hated the heat coming off of that rear header pipe & the joke of a seat. | ||
| Rick_A |
I had seen a Blue S3 from time to time in my area...but everytime it was on the freeway in opposing traffic so I never really got a good look. Then in '96 in Oceanside, CA I heard a rumble one late night as I walked the streets alone...I looked expecting yet another sporty but it was a beautiful black S1 Lightning. My eyes were glued to it as it went around the square. It was devoid of all the ugly covers and the rear fender...had a license plate relocator and an aftermarket pipe (I believe a Borla)...It was the strangest bike I'd ever seen up close...it looks nothing like it sounds...yet it had me mesmerized. I remember the rear tire looking disproportionately massive beneath that skinny tail. Well, no other bike has captured me quite that way, and that's why I had to get me one. Kinda odd in that it's almost as enjoyable to watch one moving as it is to ride. | ||
| Chainsaw |
First time I ever saw a Buell was a commercial during an XFL game. I was intrigued by an American made sport bike, and of course, the guy in the commercial drawing out a smiliey face on the asphalt with the rear tire of an X1 Lightning. The ad got me looking at bikes again. I never had owned one myself, but my mother, father, grandmother and grandfather had all owned bikes. (my diminutive grandmother rode a 1945 Harley Liberator across country before there was an interstate highway system!). Anyway, May 2001 I bought a new Sportster, took the MSF course, and have put 17,100 miles on it to date (that's 14 states, Canada, and Mexico). I rode the Sporty to Laughlin in April 2001, specifically to demo ride the VROD. While waiting for the VROD, I demoed the Firebolt on a lark. I've been a closet Buell fan, and I had heard a lot of buzz about the bike. Needless to say, riding the Firebolt made me want one. I couldn't believe the acceleration and handling. WOW! The back-to-back demo ride made the VROD look like a slow, ill-handling, $17,000 pile of highly polished crap. Within a month I had money down on a Firebolt, and took delivery on June 28th. 1018 miles so far, and the thing is just frigging MONSTER! I love it. | ||
| Court |
How may times have I heard this..... Let me tell you something Sir Chainsaw. You are hooked and it only get's worse. Count these halcyon days while you own but one Buell and your spending on go-fast parts has yet to break the $5k barrier....these days shall pass quickly. Welcome to a GREAT place. Court | ||
| Court |
One of the BEST motorcycles ever made. . . and I can prove it  | ||
| Pilot |
Tonight if the delivery driver does his thing I am going to throw my leg over and demo an Xb9R.I am taking tomorrow morning off work to do an extended test ride and report back later.Thanks to Eddie. | ||
| Spiderman |
I was sneeking a look at my dads Easy Rider the year 1990 ish in this Hard core Biker rag was the coolest bike i have ever seen. A RS Westwind. A sport bike in Easy Rider what the? My god from then on i kept a dirty secret from my ever loven Harley dad, the guy who has a shirt with a gernade on it that says "Japanes Motorcycle Repair Kit" So i learned more and read about this young enginer in Wisconsin with a handfull of employees. It wasn't till years later when the H-D dealers here in Michigan carried a Buell. I was 16 years old and Walked into the local H-D dealer on my way to Hootes (another story to share over a beer), there on two pedastals were a Orange and Nuke Blue S1 and a Blue/White S2. I was in total aww. I wanted one more than ever. I started to tell my dad about these new bike with H-D power plants. He replied "F#@$in crotch rocketd". But the hell if that would wain my love for the little motor company that could. It wasn't till i was 18 when i walked back into that same dealer with $1000 dollars in my pocket a job at Hooters and a desire to get a Buell. I saw here sitting there waiting for me. A Deon Blue S2 with white frame and Wheels. I sat on her for 15 min before a sales person woke me out of my Buell bonding. We talked for a few min, and i said " Me like buy now." salivating the whole time. He said lets sit down an do some paper work. We did i put the grand down to hold her, we parted ways and i left for my bros house. I tell you there is no better feeling than seeing that big yellow sold tag with your name on it go on the bike. I drive to my bro's house and recived a call a few hours later telling me i was turned down and my check was in the mail. I was heart broken. It wasn't till i was twenty i tried again. I went to the same dealer with $2000 in my pocket. I saw a very alluring M2. 99 snap red and cheap. I tried again only put $500 down to hold the bike, they threw the big yellow tag on her. OHHHH that feeling again. Went to work. Don't recive a call, go back the next day, "Sorry i didn't call but you were turned down." DAMN, left the dealer head hung low. Went every where trying to get a loan. The bank , my mom, but no luck. They sold the M2 and i felt like the whole world was agaist me. Went to work, at that time i worked in an assembly plant. Me and my friend were talking about the basket case i had inherited from my dad. We were talking about paint scemes i wanted to paint her orange. He said cool, then my phone rings. It was the sales lady i was working with. "He Tony." bellowed from the other end. "I was going through my records and was wondering if you would like to try for a new Buell we got a few new ones in and we have a special with $750 in Buell stuff." I said why not what do you have. She told me about S3s,S3Ts and X1s i said how bout an M2. "We have a Orange 2000 M2." I yelled "YES YES THAT ONE" it was a sign i new that i would ride this bike. Two hours later i get the call that she was mine. What a glorious feeling. I rode my bike home one month later cause of a recall shock. When i got the bike the wait all but melted away. I still have the yellow sold tag  | ||
| Shot_Gun |
Alas I was a Suzuki freak. I never would put performance and Harley in the same sentence. In 99' I was talking with one of my friends at work. He wished he had a cycle to ride with the rest of the guys at work. He asked me to come up to White's Harley davidson buell in Lebanon PA to look at Buells. My next comment was: "What the F@#k is a Buell?" Is it faster than a GSXR? Oh well I was bored anyway so I went. We get there and the sales man asked me If I was interested in a buell. NOOOOO! I'm just here for moral support. I had just payed off my suzuki two months earlier and I wasn't really looking for a new bike. Just the same the sales man and my friend went up stairs to look at the new bikes at the time, there was a Blue S2 with lower fairing and hard lockable bags. As I staired at it, it kind of grew on me to the point i thought I might have to sit on it. So with no one around to laugh at me I sat on it. Damn this thing feel and fits like a leather driving glove. I quickly got off when the sales man came back down. He said you need to come back for a test drive on saturday. I had three days to think about it. Saturday came and we went for a test drive. I climed on a 97' S3. It felt very intimidating like I was on a bull. We left on the test ride and I stayed back to get a run on the sales man and punched it and WOW hello tourque! When we got back I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. By friday of the following week I had sold my suzuki and bought the S2 and no regrets at all since. Just thinking about it all again gives me wood  RO SG | ||
| Rick_A |
I like these stories. Very touching, all. I found my beloved S1 on the internet. I spent two sleepless weeks waiting for it to arrive. ...and that's also how my woman found me. Gotta love the net. | ||
| Libnosis |
I think the first time I ever saw a Buell was at the Cherokee rally. I thought, "that is one ugly sumbitch". But..I kept looking at them. I later built my sportster motor with all Buell internals. Then I saw how friggin fast it was! I had other H-D buddies that owned them and they loved them. I rode a friend of mine's S1W one night and I completely loved it. He turned me on to this site as a matter of fact (Thanks Richard!). It wasn't a month later I had my own S1. Then I eventually bought the first one I had ever ridden (the S1W). I luv dis kuntree! lib | ||
| Davegess |
First time I saw a Buell? I was buying a used car from this guy in Milwaukee. It was a 1967 Datsun 1600 roadster in case you interested. The owner was not around but a friend of his was there. I asked to use a flashlight to look under the car and he popped open the gargae door and there was the back end of a bike with the largest friggin' tire I had ever seen on a motorcycle. I thought it was a drag bike just 'cause I couldn't imagine anyother kind of bike in Milwaukee with that big a tire. Rather annoyed at my ignorance he explained to me that it was a Formula One road racer. I ended up buying the car but I also started bugging the owner about the bike and started doing advertising and PR work for him. Changed my life. The biek was the first RW750 and the owner was Erik. | ||
| Slackerbuell |
It was '92 I was in college in Florida. I couple of college buddies and I co-owned a few bikes. It was around bike week and a friend of my buddies was in town. We met at a local dive for breakfast. This guy shows up on a Buell. A brand new RSS1200. I was in love. I don't remember the dude's name, but in my eyes he was a god. We chatted for a while. Then he let me ride his bike. I seldom ride other people's ride. Bad vibes about it. Anyway we traded bikes. I offered him a more than slightly beat Katana 750. I couldn't believe that bike. I was totally hooked. I had Buell on the brain. But alas soon after college I gave up riding. Then one day I see that Buell has an entry level bike the Blast. Best of all they have a buy back program on it. Pesto, I now own a X1 and it's everything I thought it would be and more. | ||
| Phillyblast |
Okay, Dave Gess has a better story than mine. The first I heard of a Buell was in 1990 or so, when I was at Rutgers (Must be a Jersey thing, Psychobueller). I was riding a beat Honda 400 that I think cost me 300 bucks, and trading bikes with a friend that had a Yamaha FZ750 every chance I got. I was hooked on the feel of a sport bike, but didn't like the ergos for any kind of long trip. The thing was a torture rack. I think I saw the same ad Spidey did in my brother's Easy Rider. I only read it for the articles :-) I was in love, ad the story of the company intrigued me. I went through a couple more bikes, including a Honda Shadow that got me hooked on twins, but never forgot seeing that Buell. Stopped riding when I moved and got married, then a couple of years ago got the itch again, moved back to Philly and bought a Blast to get my feet back under me. Fell in love with an S2 sitting on the dealer's floor on consignment a couple of months ago, and now I'm going to Bonneville. Talk about getting hooked. | ||
| Ezblast |
I love my wife dearly(her driving is scary though), and I hate mass transit(so many horror stories-inc. personal ones),therefor alternate transportation became a must. So I was checking out KTM's and BMW's and kept overhearing shop talk about a new buell single that handled great but did'nt have much power. First words out of my mouth"... is Buell a German Firm?"After being laughed at I was filled in w/ Buell being a "branch" of HD. Never heard of em, and I have loads of HD fans(owners) in my family. "Time to start surfing." I told myself. After a month of research (finding the BADWEB a big help) It was time to see the bike itself. Nothing has never been as pleasing to my eye as the looks of the Black Blast I first saw(I have artist friends who say the lines and curvitures on the bike are beautiful). I hustled myself through MC class and down to a dealership and bought a 2001 black Blast. Now over a year later I still like my bike as much as the first day and am having a fun time(most the time)modifying and working on my bike(Ican never leave well enough alone);0). I love the dependability and reliability of the bike. 99% of the work I do on it is because I want to, not have to(If I mess up - theres always the HD service dept-god help us). Though life without my bike would still be possible - it would'nt be fun! Blasting on the dark side! EZ | ||
| Newfie_Buell |
Well some great stories there. My last ride before the 98 S1 was a 92 Kawasaki KLR 650 which I sold about 1 yr previous to the S1. The KLR was so much fun but I wanted a true street bike. After looking & surfing around for about 2 mths, winters here in Newfoundland can be long, I was narrowed down to the Kawasaki ZRX-1100 and the Suzuki Bandit 1200. I went looking for a Bandit at the local dealer (also the Harley dealer) and was then interested in the 1200 Sportster S. After some more searching on the net I found Buell but the problem was the nearest dealer was 1500km away. I got their web site, called the Sales Manager and one week later I had a new 1998 S1 purchased (still never had even seen one in the flesh). I flew to the dealership in the next province and drove it home the next day. The trip home included 1500 road kilometers and a 6 hour boat ride to get back onto the island. I absolutely love this machine and would not trade it for anything. | ||
| Two_Buells |
First Buell I saw? A 1987 RR1000 (Aaron Wilson’s bike) at Hal’s HD in New Kingston, Pa. sometime around 1993, I think? The same year Joe White had a Westwind on display at the Harley Open house, in York. Then Harley announced that they are buying 49% of Buell and saw a picture of an S2 in an employee newsletter. A friend and myself took a ½ day off work to go to White’s to test ride an S2 but we got rained out on the way there. I really wanted an S2 but than a co-worker told me about a new radical bike coming in 1996. (The S1 Lightning) I saw a Reactor yellow S1 at the Baltimore motorcycle show. I went to my local dealer and ordered a Black S1 and took delivery 4/96. That was the first Buell I ever rode. | ||
| Racerx |
Well it was 1995 i was in my youth. She was beutiful and we were in love. We jumped in the back of my 57 chevy.... WAIT HOLD ON OOOOOO first time with a Buell  | ||
| Socal |
"Seeing a Buell in motion, in the flesh, that is. What was the first impression?" My girlfriend and I were driving home from Monterey Bay, California. The 101 Southbound heading towards L.A., we were just passing under some of the overpasses around the Monterey area . . . it was a bright, sunny day and the windows were down and the music was up! A motorcycle flies by, must have been engine braking in 3rd to merge into an open spot a few car lengths ahead of us. The sound of the bike under the overpass, the gleam of the polished wheels coupled with the bare bones structure made my mind up that very moment as to what I was going to ride! (It must have been a stripped down S1 or M2) The bike was nothing but motor, frame, and simple cladding around the seat - just what the Dr. ordered! It was as if this bike was made for me! To this day I still reckon it's one of the best purchases I have ever made.  | ||
| Bomber |
after seeing a few ads in the biker rags, I rode into the Highland House (Markus Dairy-type place for flatlanders outside of Chicago) and saw what I now think were a couple of factory reps with a new model . . .(S2? help me out here Court) . . . like the scoots alot, but just couldn't afford them, and sorta forgot about the company . . .. went to the "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the Chicago Art Museum, and stayed for a panel discussion that afternoon . . . a bunch of windy, self-appointed experts held forth on stuff no one else cared about, and then, as I was walking out, Erik Buell was introduced . . .stay for what was a vedry informative talk on design in general, and his bikes specifically . . .. having worked for/around engineers all my life, I was mightly impressed . . .. . and, he never refered to the fruit of his labors as a "product" . . .. only a motorcycle . . .. . started saving for my M2 that night | ||
| Madduck |
My first Buell experience was on the not particularly attractive "yellow" s2 in sept. of 1994. Great bike shitty color. Dealer called in Feb. and the red/white combination arrived. Had him put my name on it and first rode it on its 500 mile break-in day and it never got above 45 degrees. Moline, IL to Madison, La Crosse Wi and back to Moline. Loved the ride, handling etc. but damn is it cold. That bike is still with me, but heavily modified and heading for bonneville in Sept. Court is right about spending money on go fast parts. Most of us spend as much on hp as harley guys spend on chrome. Buells are a relative bargain comparing to Harleys |
