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Bartimus
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 06:41 pm: | 
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Being an avid "motorcycle enthusiast" all my life, I had heard of Buells, and seen a few pictures of them. I was curious about them.
But riding home from Sturgis back in "95 I blew out my transmission on my '85 wide glide between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Got it hauled into Albuquerque to Chicks HD.
I was wandering around the showroom while they did a quick estimate for me, I still had another 400 miles to go to get home, when I noticed this Buelltiful carribean candy blue Buell sitting out front. It was gorgeous! I fell in love with it. Chick himself came out to tell me the bad news about the trans, 4-5 days to get the parts, and repairs done. He noticed me drooling at the Blue Buell, and asked if I wanted to test drive it. Duh! of course! I just went around a few blocks, not knowing my way around town, but it was enough to set the hook, LOL. When I got back he asked what I thought of it, I mentioned it was pretty nice looking, and handled well.
He offered to let me demo it until mine was fixed. Ha! Fool!
I rode the bike home, and rode it to work, and rode it up the mountain, and down by the river...
Needless to say, when they called me up to tell me my bike was ready and to bring the bike back, I showed up with an empty truck and a handfull of cash.
That first S2 cost me over $10,000 and I've never regretted it one bit. I've loved that bike all these years, and 155,000 miles later, it still gives me chills just looking at it!
Of course, now I have 4 and a half Buells, one is an XB, and I still don't understand how anyone can part with such mechanical beauty.
"Different in every Sense"
They weren't shitting when they came out with that!
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Etennuly
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 07:21 pm: |
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I was at the end of about a ten year sabbatical from bikes due to a back injury and a couple of new children. One day my Youngest and I were at a local grocery store when we heard an awesome big block something coming through the parking lot. We looked around and nothing, no '70 Chevelle, no '68 Nova, no '71 Camaro. We kept looking around and the only thing we saw moving was a dirt bike as he coasted into a parking spot.
I told my son we have to check that out. It was a blue and silver '03 Lightning. I hadn't even heard of a Buell at the time, so I had no clue what it was, but man was it mud covered and dirty! Its owner didn't come back so we left knowing someone was now building some really trick dual sport bikes.
A year later I was in the market for a new bike. I had decided on a new XL650 and a street tire setup. I took my helmet boots and a check to the Honda dealer and they were closed on a Monday. So, two doors down is a HD Buell store. I toted my stuff there and looked at the Buells. I was totally fascinated by the technology I was looking at so I literally sat down on the floor and studied a Firebolt.
The sales guy that was there at that time was into Buells and seeing that I was liking what I was in front of me, he asked if I would like to ride one. I said hell yeah, so he took my information and checked my financing. I rode a used '03 9s, in three miles permagrin hit me so hard that I couldn't even ride any further.
When I came back the sales guy asked me if I was ready to take one home, I said hell yes! That was in October of '04 when I got my City-X. Been hooked on Buells since then. |
Lazyj
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 07:48 pm: |
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03XB9R FIRST BIKE EVER
04 GSXR600 SECOND BIKE
07 XB12R 3RD BIKE
nothing left to say...... |
Brupska
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 09:49 pm: |
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I first saw one on Two Wheel Tuesday with Dave Dispain. They had a pc on the Buell X1 lightning. I was hooked then but didn't buy one until 2003. I first bought a P3 then a used 03 xb9s. Now I have the 04 12R. |
Midnightrider
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 11:27 pm: |
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Went into a Mom and Pop lawn mower/chain saw sales and repair place in 2002 for a set of lawn tractor blades and came out with a 99 X1 with 2800 miles on it. Had never owned a motorcycle and hadn't ridden one since a friend's Honda 90 in 1970. Left "my" bike there, stopped at a local insurance agent for coverage, then headed to the DMV for a permit.
Had to go back the next day for the blades..........
(Message edited by midnightrider on October 02, 2007) |
Raymondt
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 12:00 am: |
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So I went to visit a friend who had purchased a FLH I had about a five hour ride on my V-Max to get there. Once there we went up to Grand Junction to get a remap done on the FLH. Eating lunch at the dealership they had a beautyfull completely carbon fiber body work X1. I went and looked and was test riding within a few minutes. Wow what a nice bike I thought. The hook was set. I said it would be perfect if it was less kitish and had a few more HP. Then the XB12 showed up. I sold the Max and headed for the dealer. It is the most fun I have had on a street bike yet. And I agree different in every sense. I have had many different bikes few have the soul and fun of the Buell. This may be lost in the Rotax Bike but if they make a Lightning version I will give it a try. |
Mtg
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 01:18 am: |
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I discounted Buells until I saw a write up about the first XB's in a motorcycle mag and thought "it's about time Buell got serious".
Then, about 4 years later, I sold the CBR to get an XB9R.
It takes some maturity to own a Buell, which I didn't have back when I bought my CBR. It's not the fastest bike 0-60, but arguably the most useful sportbike.
So it looks like Erik has it figured out: leave the uneducated, low budget buyers to IL4 bikes, then when they are educated and make real money, then make them customers.  |
Typeone
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 10:41 am: |
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vacationing in Burlington, VT around 2003... HOG something-or-other Rally going on in town, Buell had a showing outside our hotel (the big one facing the lake) with a few XBs lined up. never heard of Buell, coulda cared less about Harleys, but what was THIS bike!?
i couldnt stop staring at that little XB. still cant.. . |
Jandj_davis
| | Posted on Thursday, October 04, 2007 - 05:05 pm: |
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The first Buell I ever saw was an X1 with the blue frame and wheels. I think it was in 2002, because the shop didn't have any XB's. I loved that X1, and after sitting on it and hearing/seeing another customer ride off on a test ride, I knew I had to have one. Then, the next time I went, they had XB's. I had been a pretty avid motorcycle fan, but for some reason Buell had fallen below my radar. With the intro of the XB's, Buell became a real motorcycle manufacturer to me, not just a frame maker. I first rode an XB9S in 2004, at a demo day. I smiled throughout the whole test ride, and since that day have lusted for one in my garage. My dream finally came true just this past July, when I bought a 2003 Firebolt. I love it to death, and learn new things about it every day, things like:
I doesn't like low pressures in the tires
It LOVES body input when you are turning
It has a HUGE flat spot from 3-4K rpms (I have the race kit)
It wants me to flog it! |
Sath
| | Posted on Friday, October 05, 2007 - 07:53 am: |
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Was visiting my son when he was in flight school in Alabama. He was telling ma about the Buells. I was like "whats a Buell?" Now I'm kinda old, had a BSA lighting as my first bike, various Triumphs, and then went to dirt. As I aged, I again went back to street with a AMC glide, then a Honda 750. Had a lady wreck me and gave up bikes until my son took me to that Harley dealer in Dothan Al. I kinda wondered how Harley would let some other company sell a crouch rocket on their floor. Went to look and fell in love. Bought an 03 lighting, and then found a used 07. Sold the 03 bought the 07. Been happy ever since he introduced me to Mr. Buell. (he still hasen't got one yet) mabey being in Iraq is the problem?
Love my Buell. Sath |
Teeps
| | Posted on Friday, October 05, 2007 - 09:05 am: |
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I noticed them back in the late 90's. I would have bought one then except the styling... I liked almost everything, except the asymmetry of the engine and air intake. That big whale sticking out on the right side, with nothing to balance it out visually on the left; just couldn't get past that.
It was not until the Ulysses, did a Buell speak to me again. This time I answered with my wallet. |
Coal400
| | Posted on Friday, October 05, 2007 - 09:09 am: |
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I want to say it was the late 1980's (88 or 89 - I was still a kid) but it must have been 1990 - the model was the RS12 - I'm sure of that.
My best friend at that time had been exposed to HD's by 2 of his uncles. We'd always check out the cycle rags at the local grocery store (EZ Riders got us in some trouble  ). One day there was a cool bike in one of the rags that had a shock on the belly and a sportster 1200 power plant. That was always called "my bike" although we had never seen one in person for quite a few years after that.
What was interesting was that my buddy showed the Buell article to his uncle and his uncle actually knew of Erik Buell already. His uncle was an engineer for Ford and his ride of choice was the FXR - which he told us Erik Buell helped design/engineer. We had later seen Harleydavidson and the Marlboro man which had an FXR as the featured cycle. So I know today that the time-line is closer to 1991(looked it up on the HD an Marlboro man on the internet)
Years later my friend was off to MMI and I was doing computers. He'd call me from school and talk about how he was going to put a Buell breadbox on his Dyna Wide. He had learned about the performance increase from having a high pressure zone where the box was located...
...anyway I look forward to showing up at my buddy's shop with the 1125R. I'm sure there will be a lot for us to talk about. Buell has come a long way since "my bike" |
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