| Author | Message | ||
     Ebear |
  Al of American Sport Bike...  Me..      Mr Lighton...    Rainforest Bob!..          (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) | ||
| Ebear |
    Some guy from Carlsbad....      Racer Chick ....      (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) | ||
| Ebear |
 Racer Chick K...    Racer Chick Kat...    Racer Chick Kathlene..  Still goin' round and round...      Look.! she stopped...!  Buddy Andrew Scammon..  Now she's Sparklin'!!  Al and Friend from JTS. (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
i recognize the eyes in several of those photos. :-) | ||
| Ebear |
Hey Bro......Hope your careful doin' all that stuff armless....theres still lotsa riding when your healed , My Friend! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thx Ebear, i'm being as "restrained" as Ferrisly possible. good thing i'm going thru this now - i.e. heading into winter (hint: do a Google search if you're unfamiliar with the term 'winter' and how it can adversely affect one's riding patterns... ;--) - and not heading into spring. cool pix! how'd ya like the 1125?? FB | ||
| Ebear |
Well...I've been torn in my decision on which one , Jerry. If it's a track bike I would need an "R" for the tracks with any kind of a straightaway....that motor and gearing lends itself to maintaining a good head of steam and staying smooth into the transitions. The "CR" puts me more into the "Point and Shoot" mode and I love hauling that thing down up to the "turn in" and setting her up for a squirt to the next...Neither one is upset with trailbreaking.....powering hard out of a turn or downshifting without blipping , though I did find out at Sears Point that low front tire pressure will create a "moment" right off the bat!...(you can ask American Sport Bike AL about that one!!!) If it was possible having both front fairings and being able to switch when desired would be fun , but to get the gearing you need to swap out swingarms. Running a chain would fix that but that's sacrilege on the street! Either way , they are the most comfortable and confidence inspiring bikes I have ever ridden in anger. We'll see what the New Year brings.....Maybe Santa will be inspired too! OH Yeah.....One HUGE KUDO to the Buell Motor Company....They go BIG when they are treating their fans and customers! Every one of those track days were run very well and Gary and Lois and Chuck and Eric S. and the guy who runs the track school and every one of their people treated us far better than they had to , and to this I complement them immensely!!Whom else in the entire MC community does what they do for us???????Alot of companies could learn a great deal by just showing up to one of these Inside Passes and paying attention! Oh yeah...and Sears Point ROCKS !!!!!    | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
very cool Ebear, thx for the report! :-) i have yet to ride an 1125; sure looking forward to it. i don't find it at all sexy-looking in person (haven't seen a white one yet in person, and admit that i might change my tune when i do), but i sure can see - and appreciate - the fit, finish and engineering - makes the tubers seem pretty prehistoric by comparison. i'm still enamored with my Road King (31,000+ happy miles in two years), but very much want to own another Buell some day. from a sentimental standpoint i can easily see another S2 in the garage, but what would really spin my crank is to see a state-of-the-art Thunderbolt wrapped around the 1125 engine and chassis. having ridden the two available 1125 variants, can you foresee this platform having the ability to be coerced into a truly world-class "gentleman's" sport-touring bike, as sexy as the S2 and as silky and seamless as the Honda VFR? FB | ||
| Ebear |
Well.........What would you think of a modern "Convertable 1125T" with multiple hidden power receptacles , built in GPS , heated grips ,heated seats and built in connections for jackets and vests with Dual Thermostats?Height and angle adjustable Windscreen...(with Eric's very fine Personal Environment Bubble!)Easy to understand and adjust Suspension controlled from the Rider position? Actual useful and heated mirrors , adjustable footrests and Footpegs? , built in but hidden intercom/MP3 player with GPS voice-over?, Very intense HID lighting and cruise control?..250+ mile range and a World-wide priority servicing program?...With 150 +Horsepower?? Would THAT rock your world???? (Message edited by ebear on November 20, 2008) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
got pix??? :-) | ||
| Ebear |
Wellll... A few things I left out...... An "ActiveVariable" Valve system that would adjust , on the fly , the valve lift,valve timing and ignition timing in concert with an automatically varying Compression Ratio device to accomplish seamless changes in performance and/or mileage.Controlled by the ever present multi-position switch on the handlebar.Nice to just throw a switch in the rain and the bike would know your two-up and don't like wheelspin!.A later function will be the "Fuzzylogic" capability to "learn" how you ride and to pre-adjust your ignition system to assist you in your riding pleasure. Easily adjustable Triple trees would allow Rake and wheelbase changes for stability versus sportiness. Simple tire pressure monitors will warn you of changing tire pressure , both visually and via built in intercom previously mentioned. Bike wont start unless you have a chip key in posession.....Oh yeah....did I mention it'll be "Convertable????? (like maybe the 1125Tc)  | ||
| Sparky |
Uh, make mine with a selectable Sport/Cruise-Mode CVT, luggage rack and 80 watt stereo and I'll be  . LOL | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Ebear, all the whizbangery you mention sounds just peachy, but don't forget to bear in mind you're talking to a guy who has publicly admitted his passion for a Harley-Davidson Road King, a machine that bears some striking similarities to devices used to plow fields and harvest crops not too many moons ago. i.o.w. , the RK gets my vote not because it has gull-wing doors, a flux capacitor and can travel thru time (well, actually, it can travel thru time), but rather because it does what it does so well, and looks so fetching in the process. not that it necessarily matters in the Buellish scheme of things, but, as stated above, i want to see a modern, world-class, state of the art S2 Thunderbolt. to my admittedly simplistic mind, this requires a bike that is drop-dead-sexy to look at, like the original S2, a machine that even peeps who don't dig motors would be all agog over in the presence of. it would also require the precision-crafted goodness of Honda's venerable VFR: good fit and finish, good manners, good performance, good attitude, and good reliability. granted, the VFR has some whizbangery of its own on display; the single-sided swingarm comes to mind. not truly necessary on this bike for any real-world advantages on the street, but Honda did it right, and it works well. so my desire for Buell, as it has been from the beginning, is simply the same: do it right, and do it well. my S2 Thunderbolt was a classic motorcycle in many regards, but sure took a lot of, uh, perseverance to keep it on the road. show me a Thunderbolt S1125-T, please, with all the virtues of the original T'bolt but none of the vices, with all of the virtues of the VFR, but Made in By God America by American Elves. make it friendly, make it fast, make it gorgeous, make it comfortable, make it bulletproof. make it right, and make it well. make mine in Ice White Pearl, please. FB ps: hi Sparky :-) | ||
| Reepicheep |
I hate the variable valve timing on my Toyota Sienna. Its got this nasty tap on really cold mornings at the transition RPM, and I'm sure whatever extra I paid for it new wasn't justified over the long haul in terms of complexity and marginal performance gains. And just to show that I am not a total luddite, I found myself amazed that I *love* the turbo on my Saab 9-3. I was always afraid of them as unreliable and annoying in terms of powerband, but after living with one for a while I am a total believer in smaller motors with turbos. Keep your variable valve timing, and give me an 800cc water cooled twin with a turbo. Its a shame the XB9 didn't make it out the door with a turbo... Wonder what didn't work? | ||
| Ebear |
Hey Jerry.....I'm sure some time in our rides I mentioned that White Mo'cycles look "unfinished" to me....something kinda not complete....but I will admit that of all the white bikes being built that 1125r in white is quite attractive..... And Sparky....SHAME ON YOU!!!...An Automatic??????????????? Reep....I am also curious why Turbo type of charge compression isn't regularily utilized on Mo'cycles...though the plumbing and heat issues probably aren't easy to expel......(sorry!) | ||
| Pizzaboy |
Wonder what didn't work? the price you would have paid, and the going against mechanical simplicity that the sporty motor is accomplishing quite well. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Its a shame the XB9 didn't make it out the door with a turbo... Wonder what didn't work? hi Reep :-) well, lessee...detrimental impact on price point, possible detrimental impact on reliability, lack of perceived need, and packaging issues would be my first four guesses. Buell can't/doesn't command the price premium of Harley's line-up - Buell has to compete more directly against Japanese sportbikes from a cost standpoint, i believe - and as such how do you incorporate a turbo and still keep the prices "reasonable?" also, speaking of Japanese bikes: they have been able to stay "state of the art" power-wise without the use of turbos, which, from a marketplace standpoint, would seem to make the "need" for a turbo in competing brands a harder sell? as far as reliability, my admittedly simplistic mechanical opinion is that the boost from a turbo would make the 'keeping on the road process' even more difficult. lack of perceived need? see power-related comments above. regarding packaging issues, the fuel-frame'ers are quite tight in the engine bay to begin with, and without full bodywork to hide the turbo and attendant plumbing, where would you put it all? if i owned an XB, long before i'd pine for some sort of mechanical boost (my first choice would be a supercharger, btw), i'd more simply want a strong, reliable, torque-rich (NOT rpm-rich) powerplant that'd run on regular gas for 100,000 miles (or more) between significant engine work. i sold my VFR with 65,000 miles on it, and it was as tight and velvety at this stage of the game as it was when it was a pup. my hope is that the 1125 variants can meet (or exceed!) the VFR in EVERY regard. the VFR made Cycle World's "Ten Best" list every year for over a decade. your humble scribe wishes the same success and good fortune to Erik & the Elves and Their offerings. :-) speaking of the VFR...you seem to off-handedly dismiss its VTEC variable valve timing system on account of your "indifference" to the system in your Toyota. my VFR was pre-VTEC, so i can't comment with authority on its virtues or vices, but i suspect that it Just Simply Works. that said, i know someone who's logged many a mile on a VFR with VTEC, and i'll see if i can get them to chime in on the subject. :-) FB (Message edited by jerry_haughton on November 24, 2008) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Hey Jerry.....I'm sure some time in our rides I mentioned that White Mo'cycles look "unfinished" to me.... Ebear, white mo'cycles help me look "pure of heart." goodness knows i need all the help i can get. | ||
| Reepicheep |
You could ask the guy on the VTEC VFR 800 that I was following at mid ohio. We would start down the back straight within feet of each other, pinned WFO, and we ended the straight at about the same distance. So if a refined water cooled 800cc OHC VTEC VFour can at best just match a refined 989cc pushrod air cooled twin, then there is certainly no magic in VTec. For the Toyota, it is a 3 liter V6 VVTI motor that makes 210 HP. Fuel economy is decent for a minivan, but nothing magic. My Saab with the turbocharged inline four makes something like 185 HP, and does great in terms of fuel economy and does not loose power in the mountains. Gotta run now, but this is a fun discussion! Sorry it's off topic | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
as memory serves, my '98 VFR was rated at 100 hp at the rear tire, and - also as memory serves - the 1000-cc XB's are making 100 hp at the crank? that's a significant difference in HP for a machine that spots your XB over 200 cc in displacement. i've ridden both machines, and i say with confidence that you would not have been able to hang with me at Mid-Ohio, you on your XB, me on my VFR. :-) near Badwater (Death Valley, CA) one time i had my VFR to 154 mph indicated. this was with an RKA tankbag and fully-stuffed RKA saddlebags on board dirtying up the airflow. this was also with something like 50k on the odo. this was also in the heat of the day (alas, it's almost always the heat of the day in DV). this seemed pretty remarkable at the time, and still does from a considerable distance. your Mid-Ohio encounter would seem to indicate performance parity amongst the two motorcycles. we can't know how much the riders factored into the equation, but considering the VFR gives up a whopping displacement advantage to your XB, i'd say that being equal to your machine in this skirmish is actually pretty remarkable. ps: yes, fun, hope Ebear doesn't mind! :-) | ||
| Jb2 |
Hey Ferris, Long story short... when I walked into the Honda dealer and saw the new VFR I bought it then and there. I fell in love with the sharp and angular lines and undertail exhaust. It had lines that flowed and looked aggressive at the same time. I have to admit that I didn't know much else about them. I didn't even make the connection that this was the next generation of bike that you were riding then. I started back-reading some literature you had sent and found I had just purchased a completely redesigned motor. At first the V-TEC seemed quirky. I'm pretty soft when it comes to sport riding but, even at that, I was tickling the the system when I would roll on the throttle coming out of the corners. Once I figgered out just where it liked to come on and adjusted my throttle control it became a blast. If you're from the generation of four barrels then the only thing I can say is it feels just like kicking in all four. Only difference on the Viffer it's four valves instead of four barrels. As for longevity I put about 25k miles in 2-1/2 years and had nary a problem. It had one recall for an underpowered alternator and it was fixed promptly and professionally by the dealer. In fact they called me before I received the notice from Honda. JB2 | ||
| Reepicheep |
You could beat me at mid ohio on your road king, so that doesn't count Heat dissipation was probably what killed the XB turbo. That, and like you say, reliability. Though with the new cranks and oiling systems, perhaps the answer would be different if the question was asked again. I think the modern Garrett turbos are finally reliable just because they now have cooled (both oil and antifreze I think) bearings. And in fact, among the Saab lists, a blown turbo is often the first symptom that your motor is sludging badly. Probably easier to repackage a leaner meaner 1125 motor into an XB then put a turbo on it though. Probably cheaper as well. Except maybe a blast, that might be fun. Maybe if I blow my rear cylinder on the XB I'll turn it into a supercharged single For the performance difference, I would think that both overhead cam, water cooling, and 4x200cc pistons should have a *huge* performance capability advantage over a 2x500cc pistons that are pushrod and air cooled. Much more then a 20% displacement advantage would give. But maybe it is, if the VFR800 is 100 at the wheel. My XB9 is about 78 at the wheel (measured). I have a hard time picturing you on a VFR Jim! I'm just so used to you hustling along that the big white pearl... I guess it's just a testimony to convergent evolution, and a recognition that all motors these days are remarkable. | ||
| Calidrew |
http://www.myinsidepass.com/g/11_17_08_infineon_ra ceway Fonzie's pics are up. The link is not on Buell's website yet, but if you go to the My Inside Pass website homepage there is a link for Infineon pictures. Or the above link should take you there. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go complete the annual replacing of the exhaust studs on my 35K mile Tuber M2. Wrenchin', ridin', it's all good.  I'm lyin', I wanna ride! I do think the Buells are getting a little more reliable with each new design. We were the ninth and tenth Inside Pass out of ten and I did not hear of any catastrophic failures. The only mechanical issue I personally encountered was mushy front brake on an XB12Ss and a difficult to modulate throttle on an 1125CR. While those were a nuisance at the track, neither one would keep me from limping home on the street. FWIW, on the tight turns of Infineon I preferred the Lighting Long over the 1125CR. But hey, I ain't complainin' about either one. Anytime I get to ride a corporate bike at the track, I am very grateful. Buell, the company, is fantastic, number one, primo in my book for trusting me to ride their motorcycles on the track. Also a HUGE shout-out to Curly, one of the Inside Pass instructors/marshalls who showed me a better, MUCH faster line around Infineon and reminded me to hang off more. Also thanks and kudos to Al and Eric for letting me share the ride, teaching me so much about NorCal topography, and indulging my penchant for Mom and Pop restaurants. And finally to Buzz and Krazy G; U guyz R sik!  | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
You could beat me at mid ohio on your road king... no, i couldn't, and that's not the point. :-) re: performance, i think the significant displacement disadvantage yet significant power advantage between the VFR and your XB is pretty remarkable, i.e. 200+ cc's less, 20+ hp more? that kinda isn't the point, either, but it would indicate to me that something other than outright engine performance was at play if you were able to keep the VFR rider honest on the straights at Mid Ohio. and lest anyone think i'm saying the VFR is "better," i'm not. i use it as an example from time to time as a benchmark of comparison, since it's a machine i'm very familiar with, and a machine that has garnered virtually every accolade imaginable during its tenure. as such, i think it's a worthy target in terms of overall goodness for anyone who builds sportbikes. Ebear, sorry for stepping on your thread, bud. next time we meet the all-you-can-drink dark beer is on me. :-) FB ps to JB2: thx for your input. i'll never forget the music our two Interceptors made leaving the Colorado Nat'l Monument that time... :-) | ||
| Jb2 |
Reep, If I had all the mountain riding I ever wanted out my back door I'd still own a sport bike but the reality is I'm 50 years old and I NEVER take a short trip. My last two sport mounts(S2 and VFR) literally killed my wrists after 800, 900 and thousand mile days. I jumped from the VFR to an ST1300 and really didn't like it either. I grimaced at thought of returning to a cruiser but fell into wedded bliss after my first trip on the Vic. Ferris, That was the ultimate serenade to celebrate our first Federal Speeding ticket. 'Twas a day to remember for sure. I'm with you on an S1125T Thunderbolt. The only problem I'm from the old school and I like to see the motor. Modern motors(1125 included) are ugly at best. Prolly the only visual thing I didn't like about the VFR is you couldn't see the motor. Having said that, it was an fugly bastard and just as well it was covered. JB2 (Message edited by jb2 on November 24, 2008) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
...Having said that, it was an fugly bastard and just as well it was covered. precisely why i wear a full-coverage helmet... :-) | ||
| Ebear |
Hii...Hii....HILARIOUS..!!   Hey....I'll be just around the corner friday....gonna give away my sister....YaHoo!!!! What boy gets to give away his sister.....!!! http://www.aprilbarrows.com/ (Oh well , some guy just stepped up and said he wants her....ohh well...better a really COOL brother in law then one of you motorcycle fiends!!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hungate http://music.msn.com/music/artist-credits/david-hu ngate/?ipp=10 | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
hey, who you callin' a fiend?!?!??? congrats to all concerned! ya gonna come do the Parkway while you're so close? :-) | ||
| Firemanjim |
Don't be surprised if you see turbos and superchrgers in motorcycling's future, already have them in personal watercraft and cars have proven the reliability of turbocharging. And you can drop displacement and still have amazing power--just look at the speeds we got from our turboed 750 Gixxer this year, just behind the busas and 1000cc turboed bikes or as fast/faster than some of them. So smaller engines-more fuel effecient with better power. All of the set-up on the 750 fits inside the stock bodywork and under the stock fuel tank. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
FMJ, from what i've read, superchargers sap a little fuel mileage in the process of providing boost, whereas the boost from a turbo is "free" in this regard. altho gas prices has dropped dramatically in the past few months (hooray!), perhaps the fact that turbos don't step on fuel mileage will help them become more common on bikes in the coming years than a supercharger? i've not ridden a bike with either system. these days, are the turbos so sophisticated that there's zero lag? FB |
