brad24

Anybody own or ridden one?

What do you think?

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'68 XT Fairmont, '94 XG XR6, '95 triumph speed tripple

mcnews

They are quite different. The vast majority are powered by Harley Sportster engines, the latest 1125 models are powered by a much more powerul and more sporting 1125cc engine built by Rotax, the first liquid-cooled engine to power a street-legal Buell motorcycle. I find that stability under extreme braking is somewhat of an issue with the CR model 1125 bikes. All Buell's handle very well in tight terrain.

I attended the Australian launch and taped this presentation by Erik Buell given to us inside the wind tunnel at Monash. The video ends with someone that may frequent this forum showing how it can lift it's skirt....

41mb - High Res - http://www.mcnews.com.au/podcasts/2...tro_640x480.wmv

21mb - Low Res - http://www.mcnews.com.au/podcasts/2...WMV_320x240.wmv

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Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

mcnews

Something I wrote on a Sportster engined Buell, the XB12S Super TT. After a fairly extreme day of riding in major heat the bike failed 5km from home due to some electrical issue.

It’s different, but it works
By, Trevor Hedge

My first experience with Erik Buell’s products came with the arrival of the XB9R Firebolt some years ago. I must say that I didn’t find much to like with that very different piece of American iron other than it looked horn and had some remarkable engineering traits. A woeful gearbox amplified by an excessive torque reaction from the belt drive system, combined with a lacklustre power delivery, left me far from impressed.

After recently sampling Buell’s latest edition XB12S Super TT I am very glad to say that Buell has come a long way in those few short years.

Interesting engineering traits such as 16.7 litres of fuel being held in the frame, engine oil residing in the swingarm and the perimeter mounted front brake disc remain. Thankfully, some of the more awful design features that I once loathed have now been ironed out and a much more polished product is the result.

In the engine room a 1203cc 45-degree v-twin actually revs quite enthusiastically. So much so that I often found myself brushing the soft touch rev-limiter between corners. That limiter cuts in a little over 7500rpm. A claimed maximum power figure of 78Kw (103hp) arrives at 6800rpm and the linear torque delivery reaches its maximum bulge at 6000rpm. The Buell vibrates quite markedly at idle but out on the road the machine is extremely smooth and very tractable. If you want to play boy racer it will more than willingly rev up near the limiter all day, or if you prefer to lug it out of the turns from 2000rpm it will play that game also. The drive available from lower down in the rev range is always ample for grunting out of low speed corners and to be honest the only reason to really rev the machine hard is just for kicks.

And the tight stuff is what the Super TT is all about. The inverted 43mm Showa forks are outstanding and more than capable of any remotely sane road pace. The front end instills fantastic rider confidence and simply flattens any mid corner irregularities.

Buell claims a dry weight of 179kg for the Super TT and from the rider’s perch it certainly feels as though a lot of that weight is distributed towards the front of the machine. The front stays loaded but never gives the feeling of being overloaded to the point of threatening to fold. The overall front end feel is really quite different to any other motorcycle but for spirited road riding this is certainly in a good way. Very aggressive rake and trail figures of 21 degrees and 83mm obviously form part of the formula but I am sure there is more to it than that.

The rear shock absorber is also fully adjustable and performs well. It is not quite as superb as the front end but gives no real cause for complaint.

The single disc ZTL front braking system works beautifully and is more than just an engineering oddity. It allows for much less unsprung weight at the front of the machine and perhaps is one of those factors that make the front end perform so brilliantly.

During my time with the machine the only real annoyance was the noisy cooling fan under the seat that seemed to be going flat out all the time. The Super TT also offers no pillion accommodation however the similar XB12S does cater for a passenger and a slightly shorter seat height for the rider.

The Buell XB12S Super TT retails for $17495 plus on road costs and is backed by a 24 month unlimited kilometre warranty.

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

mcnews

Something I wrote after the launch of the 1125

I challenge you to a Buell!
By, Trevor Hedge

The Magnetti-Marelli dash greets you with ‘Buell – Wisconsin USA’ before you fire the 1125R into life to remind you of its proudly American heritage. The branding continues with small Buell logos found all over the machine from the pegs to the engine cases and fork legs. The traditional Buell theme continues to the unique ZTL front brake, fuel in the frame concept and belt drive system. Even the overall styling of the machine is unmistakably Buell.

So what’s different about this new kid on the block compared to previous Buell’s?

The answer is just about everything else. This Buell’s heart does not pulse to the slow and heavy beats of a Harley, instead it races with the heart of a spritely athlete.

Buell designed the 72-degree powerplant and set Austrian based firm Rotax the task of delivering a powerplant that can really do justice to Erik Buell’s unique approach to chassis design. The result is quite brilliant. While the engine is built in Europe there are still strong ties to the American heartland as Rotax is North American owned.

Gargantuan 61mm throttle bodies, a 12 litre airbox and two big 103mm slugs is always going present quite a challenge to smooth low speed running but overall the 1125R fuels remarkably well. There is some slight surging and hunting at steady throttle openings between 3000 and 4000rpm but that’s about the only criticism that can be leveled at the motor. Whack that throttle open however and there is no hesitation in the response and in first gear the Buell lofts it’s front wheel with ease and even in second gear it doesn’t take much to make the 1125R sit up and beg. It charges fluidly to its 10,500rpm redline and is strong enough to register 250km/h on the digital speedo with ease.

Swapping cogs on the 1125R is an absolute joy. There are no intermediate linkages to mess with shift quality and this direct action shifter combines with a very well designed gearbox to produce a new benchmark for shift quality. It’s that good. There is very little in the press blurb and marketing propaganda that even mentions the gearbox which is amazing as with a box this good they should be shouting it from the rooftops. Buell designed the gearbox and shifting mechanism so Rotax can’t take all the credit, and they shouldn’t, Rotax have never before managed to produce a box half as good as the unit that graces the 1125R. The six ratios suit the powerplant perfectly and the sweet gearbox certainly adds significant value to the riding experience.

A vacuum assisted hydraulic slipper clutch makes the 1125R feel like a two-stroke under brakes! In fact so much slip is provided by the system that I found it quite disconcerting during my first hours aboard the machine. Eventually I tuned my riding to suit and by late on the first day had actually began to like the amount of instant slip provided in terrain so tight that it makes the Balingup-Nannup Road seem open and flowing. Here I grew to like the great amount of slip afforded by system as it ensured the suspension was never upset by rapid acceleration and deceleration changes.

The lack of engine braking does however mean that careful attention needs to be paid to braking technique. Thankfully the unique ZTL (Zero Torsional Load) brakes fitted to the 1125R provide smooth and progressive stopping power that makes braking easy. A massive 375mm disc is mounted to the perimeter of the rim rather than to the central hub which Buell claim allows for a much lighter braking package and the use of one disc rather than two. An equally large eight-piston caliper bites as hard as you command and never once did the brakes give me cause for concern. I won’t claim to understand all the engineering principles behind it but I will say that the system has proved itself in competition aboard the XBRR prototype racers so I have no reason to doubt that even under extreme racetrack use would it pose any problems. Buell do offer a race specific brake pad for trackday junkies should a rider manage to overtax the standard pads.


While Buell certainly like to be different in most things on the suspension side of the equation the 1125R follows the traditional package for success. Showa provide the 47mm fully-adjustable inverted forks and shock. The Buell technicians had set the machine up for my weight and it proved awesome even on the most challenging of roads. A smooth ride even over rough roads suggests the 1125R is not too stiffly sprung and it gets away with being set up a little soft thanks to excellent damping control. Buell’s have always turned nicely and handled well thanks to carrying their weight down low and aggressive rake and trail figures making for an agile machine but with a lot less mass to carry than ever before the 1125R steps their game up to a new level. Amazingly enough the 1125R manages to combine light and precise steering with an aggressive chassis but still never gets unruly when the going gets tough. No steering damper is fitted and my experience with the machine suggested there is little need for one. The only headshake I got from the machine came when banked over through a fast left hander riddled with bumps that would have made any machine twitch. The heat of racetrack competition would probably make a damper a necessity but it would have to be a very quick punter to require one.

The release of the 1125R marks the 25th year in the history of Buell. Founder Erik Buell left Harley-Davidson to commence his dream of making an American Sportsbike in 1983 and formally incorporated the Buell Motorcycle Company in 1987. Harley eventually bought into the Buell company with a 49% stake purchased in 1993 which they then upped to a 98 stake in 1998. Harley later took over the company lock, stock and barrel.

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

brad24

These are the ones that Im keen on



100 HP@6600rpm & 176KG
1360mm wheelbase & 24 degrees of rake

Its gotta be a blast to ride without having to do 250km to have fun

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'68 XT Fairmont, '94 XG XR6, '95 triumph speed tripple

mcnews

Well it won't do 250km/h unless you drop it out of a plane :-)

They are a good fun bike, can get hot for the rider in traffic with radiant heat from the bike making your legs hot and your bum a little too. From memory a fan under the seat helps draw air through the back cylinder and it is damn noisy in traffic.

Really, the best roads for this bike are tight and twisty, the tighter the better is where it really shines.

Of course the engine is quite lazy, having a crank that weighs as much as a Mack Truck, it doesn't really feel all that sporting but has its own unique character which really is a love or hate thing I guess.

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

mcnews

Well mate, I would reconsider your decision. Harley announced overnight they will be discontinuing the Buell product line..... I imagine they will stock enough spares for many years to come but still, re-sale on a discontinued brand is either going to be excellent due to the ongoing rarity, or diabolical, somehow I think the latter will be the case.

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

Gammaboy

I was about to post that about buell, guess you beat me to it
http://www.buell.com/en_us/q-and-a/index.asp

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"No, it will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear"
- Too much power is never enough....Mark Donohue on the Can Am Porsche 917.

flappist

Well that explains why the "Buell ride day" this sunday has been cancelled......

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brad24

Looks like I'll have to keep my Speed Tripple then

IMG]http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss115/brad12408/DisplayImage.jpg[/IMG]

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'68 XT Fairmont, '94 XG XR6, '95 triumph speed tripple

DANW

I own two of them and have never had any big dramas with them.Some people don't like them and some do,it's a personal choice.
I'm very happy with my two,a 00 M2 and an 08 XB12XT,the XT does 120 km most days of the week commuting and the M2 is a weekend machine these days.
If you do your own servicing they are very easy to work on and very low maintenance.
Ride one and see what you think.

mcnews

I hear that new 1125 R and CRs are being sold rideaway for $9,990. Not sure about the other models but I imagine they are similarly discounted.

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

mr smith

Hey Trev who has these.
I was quoted 13K ride away on a 1125 CR
For 9900 I could be tempted

mcnews

Fellas on the mcnews.com.au forum was quoting them, not sure from where but I am sure they would be kosher.

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

mcnews

I asked the question on my forum and got this response.

--

"Peter Stevens at Ringwood(?), were one of the dealers, they rang one of the blokes who was contemplating an 1125R and confirmed the price, so he's bought one, 2010 model, too.

H-D are (reportedly) subsidising the sale of each new Buell, with a $5,000 kickback to the dealer. Once word got out, there was a rush to secure a new bike, with the inevitable result...the dealers jacked the prices back up, to try and retain some extra profit."

__________________
Trev
(FPV FG F6 Ute) (Territory Ghia AWD)
(Valiant VG Pacer, 340 stroker, Brembos, Konis)
(1959 Dodge Pick Up)
(Suzuki V-Strom 650) (KTM 990 SMT) (KTM 450 XC)
(Honda CRF450X) (Kymco MXU500) (Kymco UXV500)

mr smith

Thought that might have been the case with the slight price increase, they will sell more this month than for the whole of 09. I ended up speaking with the dealer principal as the guys on the floor didn't really know where things were with them. No problems with that though I would do the same.
My heart is saying get one , but the head is saying stay right away.

flappist

A harley dealer out to scam customers......your kidding aren't you....

Harley Davidsons are to motorcycles what Stilettos are to shoes.

Noisy, uncomfortable, impractical, expensive, high maintenance and often aquired as a fashion accessory by those who believe that they will cause others to look at them as they parade about trying to be pretty.

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speedzter

Now read what you have written, and think of all the Jap riding squids, with their bling, screaming pipes, pretty colours etc' .
Sort of fits them too, doesn't it

flappist

Not really, the squids on sports bikes take a practical thing and bling it up. It still performs as it was intended, hyperfast silly machines.

They would be closer to athletic track shoes than stilettos, still bought by many "blingists" but actually have a function other than looking pretty.

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speedzter

In regards to function, lets say you had to ride from Melbourne to Perth (I've done it before), would you choose a 600 super sports, or an Electra Glide ?

When I was 20, I'd probably be silly enough to have said the 600, but not these days !

flappist

Or would rather ride that trip on a Goldwing or a Sportster?

Or to be fair, Sportster VS 600; Glide vs GSXR 1400 or FJ etc.

None of the above thank you. And I would not take a Harley anywhere that does not have permanent street lighting unless I had a Satphone and a mate with a ute.

How often do you ride across the country as opposed to the usual weekend blat or daily commute riding.

I used to have a giant touring bike (BMW) but it was also impractical for anything other than very long distance low speed touring.

I have, however, been on a group ride (2400km) when on of the riders was on an Ultraglide. We all waited for him at every fuel stop. I was on a single cylinder 650 Aprillia and the other bikes were sports tourers. The Harley was always the first to complain the road was too rough or we are going to fast.

So what do you ride at the moment? Harley maybe?

Someone must like them, they are the biggest selling road bike in Australia. (But then Toyota is the biggest selling car)

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GK

Classic! LOL!

Very true. Since when does popular mean best?

GK

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1999 Futura Wagon - Sparkling Burgundy
2001 SR Sedan - Congo Green
Both on LPG

A Full Life John 10:10

speedzter

I was just trying to make a point, obviously lost on you, even Harley's do have a function, even If their not your thing. The guys I ride with that own Harleys certainly aren't slow.

Regarding the guy on the Ultra being last and whinging, we all know guys like that. I have a mate that rides a 'Busa, he is fast in a straight line sure, but on that Great Ocean Rd for example', I was faster even on my 650 single.

I've previouly owned 2 Harleys, and a Buell, amongst a lot of other stuff, but currently have a KTM 950 Adventure that I've done about 50k kms all over Aus'

.......KTM 950's fast run

flappist

Nobody would ever buy a KTM Adventure....

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