| Author | Message | ||
     Bob_thompson |
I do not want to start a battle of wits here but in pondering top speeds vs. everyday street riding lets consider something. In racing on a circuit with long straights or at Bonneville we all want the most top speed we can muster. The foreign bikes pretty much have that in spades; at least the litre bikes. But I found out many years ago when I built a 427 powered mid engine Corvair that acceleration and handling was far more fun on the street than just plain top speed. Lightness, handling and torque was where it was at. Nothing could touch that Corvair for just plain fun and isn't that mostly why we ride? After having many different bikes of various brands I got my Buell M2. It surely doesn't have the top speed of many bikes but handling with acceleration gives me a fun factor real high up on the ladder. Plus there aren't many places, even here out west, where you can SAFELY ride any bike to its limit of top speed. Just thoughts for pondering. Flame away if you must. Bob | ||
| Doughnut |
you nailed it.  | ||
| Socoken |
Flame nothin' Bob, you got it dead right as far as im concerned. i could give a rats as about top speed, my bike is FUN. ive ridden fast rockets, and they are only fun when you are all the way on the gas, and its a thrill, no doubt, but thats only 1 percent of the time, at most. my Buell is fun 100% of the time. i bought a bike to RIDE, not brag about. Ken | ||
| Doughnut |
I have posted else where that my S2 Buell may not be the fastest, or the quickest, but it is the most fun I have ever had on a bike. Buells are the best of both worlds, it is a sports bike and a cruiser. | ||
| Tripper |
Corvair? It's my long lost brother! 1966 Corsa 4x1 convertible. Times 3. Add a 65 Turbo Coupe. Now guess what kept me out of trouble through my high school years. | ||
| Aesquire |
Tripper, let me guess, valve float? ( 65 Monza, 64 Corsa, dang! a Corvair inside joke! ) I think raw speed gets me in trouble, acceleration, handling, that's what I love. | ||
| Bartimus |
WARNING! I slow down for straight roads... | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Nothing better than the feeling of leaning into a turn and opening it up. The S1 just wants to dig in and go. The hell with top speed!!!! | ||
| Madduck |
There is quite a rush running at bonneville at over 150 with the bike dancing around under you like its alive. Don't think I will ever go that fast on the street again. Buying a softail to go with the BMW GS. I be cruising from now on. Paul | ||
| 420at145mph |
170 on '02 R1 no dancing no wobbling rock freakin solid but ya the corners are fun on my xb just wish i had some around here | ||
| Socoken |
420, ive been out there, got some friends in GF, and i understand completely. i hate DRIVING out there, let alone riding. some people rag on you for smoking, but living out there, i understand. | ||
| Paulinoz |
"I slow down for straight roads..." I agree Straight roads are just transport sections to get you to the next set of corners. | ||
| Rocketman |
I'm really getting the hang of my 10 year old 916 and I can tell you for a fact that no Buell would keep up with it on a twisty road. The acceleration alone would have the Buell beat. If you equate that acceleration to top speed the 916 simply doesn't run out of breath getting there. It will pull and pull and pull until it can pull no more and that will always be a lot more than a Buell. What will beat the 916? R1, Blade, GSXR1000, any number of fine sportsbikes and they'll all be fun to ride, along that twisty road too. The Buell? There are still some of us out here that want Buell to build a proper fast sports bike - and win top notch races. Yes I still own with pride one of the greatest S1W's on the planet  Rocket | ||
| R1DynaSquid |
Agreed Rocket. Some think the idea behind litre bikes & of course the Ducs like yours is simply about all out top speed. But thats simply not the case. I dont know anyone who just pins the throttle & rides for hrs or hell even minutes for that matter at top speed. But the pure visceral thrill of running up thru the gears on a truly powerful bike is mind blowing. | ||
| Madgaz |
I seem to have the tendency to end posts and i hope that this one dosn't. I seen somewhere else on this forum, why have a bike with a 150mph riding position, then ride it in traffic? That statement stopped me in my tracks. Its the perfect small as you can get it reason why I ride a bike with charector in one short sentence. I used to do the mad fast as you can go everywhere riding when i was 6 foot tall and bullet proof at the age of 18. Some where in my 35 years of riding bikes I was pursuing quality riding rather than just speed. Then HD/Buell built it all into a package that suits my tastes perfectly. Good on ya Buell. You have done what I have been searching for in one bike. Instead of several or many. Practical, reliable and simply great fun smile factor. Oh yeah, it stops and goes round corners exceptionaly well too. MadGaz | ||
| M1combat |
Rocket and Dyna... Have either of you ridden an XB12R? I dont' mean to say they are "faster" or anything.... Just wondering. | ||
| 420at145mph |
"I used to do the mad fast as you can go everywhere riding when i was 6 foot tall and bullet proof at the age of 18." whataya shrinking? | ||
| Madgaz |
Nah, just takes a lot longer to repair the body now lol MadGaz | ||
| R1DynaSquid |
M1..yes I have. Other than being smaller & having the "odd" as compared to my X1 handling it wasnt all that impressive to me. Much much better than the 9, but ran out of revs way to early. For those who like the XB's...great. Personally I prefer the raw naked look of the tube frames. Make it a sweet S1 with a 100" motor & all is well. | ||
| Spike |
Cut from motorcycle.com: This time, we set out upon the Firebolt and the lovely new Ducati Supersport, with an `02 Yamaha R1 as chase vehicle because it was there. Lo and behold, upon reaching our favorite set of curves once again (which we all know by now like the dorsal surfaces of our own John Thomases), not only did the little Buell draw away from the Ducati, it actually gapped the Yamaha as well--a 139-horsepower chariot of the gods that weighs not much more! What the?! We swapped bikes several times, field-sobriety-tested each other repeatedly, and the same scenario kept repeating itself while Mini kept up a steady rant about the Buell STILL being an ill-handling piglet, and how could this be? If a 139hp R1 can't keep up with an XB9R on a twisty road, just how fast is Rocket's 10 year old 916 that no Buell can keep up with due to the 916's acceleration alone? Mike L. | ||
| Bob_thompson |
I'd like to chime in once more here about safety. On the track, mostly road race is what we have in common with our sport bikes there are many safety items available. Pretty clean track surfaces, runoffs, safety personnel, corner workers for visual advice, etc. Out here in the west even though there are many wide open curvy roads and straights there is marbles close to the shoulder, potholes that come out of nowhere, oil, dust, wetness, absolutely no runoffs, and that idiot that pops out of nowhere going 40 in a 70 zone or the farmer that pulls out from the shoulder with his hay wagon and stops. I still ride as agressive as I feel is safe, for the pure thrill we all know, but that in itself limits my speed in all conditions. I ride like an F16 pilot with an awareness that tires me fully afterwards but also ride for the NEXT ride. Lets all make sure we get to that next ride in one piece. LIVE to ride and ride to LIVE. | ||
| Clydeglide |
just how fast is Rocket's 10 year old 916 that no Buell can keep up with due to the 916's acceleration alone? Evidently it's faster than a Buell on the roads HE rides. It's all about using the right tool for the job. I don't see anyone knocking anyone else's ride....just writing about their own experience. As far as high speed runs, I mentioned somewhere else here that I only do extreme high speed runs on a bridge. Two miles of unobstructed view, no side streets, no oncoming traffic, just be sure there are no cars to overtake ahead of you.  edited by clydeglide on June 22, 2004 | ||
| Turnagain |
this bridge?
| ||
| Clydeglide |
LOL, no, that's Pammy's bridge. I prefer the Gandy, eastbound. | ||
| Clydeglide |
And you have to stop showing up here unannounced. I only live 3 miles from Cycle-Rama. | ||
| Turnagain |
Pammy's bridge  awoke from a nightmare recently with what I think was that bridge -- should avoid ice cream before bed. I'll let you know when I hit town. Thinking November when things cool off just a bit. tx | ||
| Johncr250 |
I have an xb12 and even 600cc sportbikes like the R6 can out accelerate it, like the XB is going backwards. The new literbikes from Japan are amazing. The ZX10 does over 100mph in 1st gear and powerwheelie at over 140mph. You have to ride one to believe it. | ||
| Xb9er |
The Buell? There are still some of us out here that want Buell to build a proper fast sports bike - and win top notch races. Well said Rocketman!! The XB is nearly there, just needs a "proper," modern V-Twin. Why can't HD/Buell build it like Honda with the RC-51, KTM (LC-8), Ducati, or the new BMW, or many others?? If it could rev a little higher and maybe get to 175 mph (actual speed) in stock form, a whole lot of Buellers would be happy. No need to be a repliracer to compete with, say, a stock R1. Just something on par with other V-Twin sportbikes and competitive with liter bikes (with modifications?). So I ask: Why can't a Buell be a bike that a Squid could learn to love and still let enthusiasts "own the corners"????? Love my XB9R, though. Mike. | ||
| Spike |
Just adding fuel to the fire- Back when I had my '99 Cyclone a buddy and I were riding to lunch. He was on a CBR600F2, I was on my M2. While sitting at a stoplight he suggested that we "see what they'll do." Neither one of us launched hard, we just rolled on the throttle while easing the clutch out. Quite honestly, I expected to get away from the CBR off the line only to have him pass me once he got the bike wound up. Much to my surprise, my Cyclone ate that CBR alive. I ran into the rev limiter in 3rd gear and the CBR hadn't even started to catch up. It's also nice to note that there was no weight advantage on my side, I weigh about 200lbs, my buddy can't weigh more than 140lbs. | ||
| R1DynaSquid |
Get some new buddies who can ride.  |
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