Why not a Buell??

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by crash n bern

I test rode both the S1 and the M1 Buell's at a race track. ....I found the Cyclone ....liked it that much I bought one ....
...getting bar risers has been as well due to the angled bar clamp. I bought some 'Buell friendly' Rok risers but the only fit later Buells.

I think you mean the M2 Cyclone.

Originally Posted by Tom S

After my 1st long ride on the S1 I had a lot of pain between my shoulders. I raised the bars 1”, fixed that.
Easy to do on my ‘96 with longer bots & some home built spacers. Newer S1s have a different top tree, still easy to raise the bars with a ~$22 top bar clamp for a Uly, or maybe any XB, just flip it over & add longer bolts & maybe some short tubular spacers under the lower clamp that was the former top clamp. Did the Uly like that.

This would also work on my ‘98 S1. This is the ULY.





Made the spacers out of some stainless tube I had so it fit into the recess for the allen head bolts, didn’t have to mill, file or grind the bar clamp flat like these guys mention. They are talking about doing this on Buell Cyclones.

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buel...tml?1246156748

Or, you could go with these, whatever is most economical for you there in Oz. ASB is tops!
http://www.americansportbike.com/sho...how/16201.html

These would have issues with cable lengths.
http://www.americansportbike.com/sho...how/16212.html


Bar clamps on my ‘96 S1 are different than the ‘98 S1, or any of the XB models & probably any M2 Cyclone.
Spacers made from from some stout oddball stainless pieces I had. Super easy.



If this is what you bought you got ripped I sure don’t see how these would work on any Buell I, or you, own.
http://www.meancycles.com/store/part...?partID=214520

[scottzilla]

I owned an '05 XB9SX and loved it. Sold it just prior to Buell being shut down so I got lucky with getting top $$ for it.
I was loking for a zippy, upright seating position bike and bought it on sight. The thing just looked cool.
Everything fit perfectly; the fit and finish was beautiful, as was the engineering that went in to the design. Everything fit just right and was well thought out (no ugly brackets, etc).
It was fun to ride if a bit slow but handling, perfect suspension compliance and the understanding to mold your riding to the bike rather than trying to bend it to fit your "Style" made it very enjoyable.

I would buy another XB in a heartbeat for the right price.

As for relialibility, i've had more problems in less miles with two aprilias so go figure.

[goodcat8]

Originally Posted by BigEasy

The Uly pegs should be pretty easy to come by, check with Al at American Sportbike I'm willing to bet he's got them in stock and ready to ship....

Emailed Al from A.S. He said ..........

"I don’t stock either, but changing to the Uly footpeg mounts is a much bigger change than you think. It impacts the brake line and master cylinder, the passenger pegs/mounts, shifter linkage, shifter mount, etc. You need to find a Uly and stare at it for a few minutes to see if it’s something that you really want to do. It’d be a few hundred bucks to get all the necessary parts.

Al"

So that's a bummer........

[BigEasy]

Originally Posted by goodcat8

Emailed Al from A.S. He said ..........

"I don’t stock either, but changing to the Uly footpeg mounts is a much bigger change than you think. It impacts the brake line and master cylinder, the passenger pegs/mounts, shifter linkage, shifter mount, etc. You need to find a Uly and stare at it for a few minutes to see if it’s something that you really want to do. It’d be a few hundred bucks to get all the necessary parts.

Al"

So that's a bummer........

Damn! That's a bag of downers. Good thing is he would know the down side, and he's cool enough to shoot ya straight. Maybe an Air Hawk pad would ease your pain?

[goodcat8]

Originally Posted by BigEasy

Damn! That's a bag of downers. Good thing is he would know the down side, and he's cool enough to shoot ya straight. Maybe an Air Hawk pad would ease your pain?

If I sit any higher on it.......

[crash n bern]

Originally Posted by Tom S

[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#cdcdcd]I think you mean the M2 Cyclone.
If this is what you bought you got ripped I sure don’t see how these would work on any Buell I, or you, own.
http://www.meancycles.com/store/part...?partID=214520

Yes I meant M2, brain fade. Yes those are the risers I bought. I believe they will fit late model Buells, but not early. They never specified what years. Yeah I got ripped because I had to pay another $45 for postage to AUS as well. I emailed Rox about it, but they never replied to my email.

I had forgotten about the upside down clamp trick, I've used it before. The angled clamps on the Buell threw me. I have thought of getting the bottom clamp milled off and drilled out to take after market risers.

[KHVol]

Fun to ride, A motor with torque like you have never felt before, handle very predictably, parts break often and those that you wouldn't expect to break, parts wil be made for the next few years, they don't say how long it will take them to make the parts though, parts will be a major issue. Don't count on getting much money for it when you try to sell it.

[Randy]

Yeah, sounds fun!

And I don't mind a certain degree of owner involvement. I guess I'm sort of an old schooler in that regard. In fact, some of the newer, gee-whiz, sanitized bikes are just downright boring to me in many ways. I mean if this were to be my only bike I'd feel much differently, but as long as I have others to choose to ride when and if one lays down, then I'm ok. Besides, I sorta enjoy tinkering with my bikes. Just part of the hobby for us old dudes, ya know? But, seriously, if it becomes too much of a PITA then it'll be a lesson learned, but at least I will have had the chance of sampling something that I've always been curious about... sorta like that big breasted, long legged, dark skinned.... ah, never mind...



I'll just have to find out about the parts, but I'd guess it will vary on which part, since I would think that most engine parts will be readily available longer than I'm around to need them. Other more Buell specific things? I guess time will tell, but people still manage to keep a lot of old obsolete bikes on the road somehow, so wish all us Buell fans luck!

Unlike some things and some people, I don't ever buy a motorcycle with resale in mind. Of all the things in my life, motorcycling is all about passion... enjoyment, and fun. Investment never enters into the equation for me. Besides, it isn't a huge investment one way or the other.

[crash n bern]

Originally Posted by Randy

Yeah, sounds fun!



I'll just have to find out about the parts, but I'd guess it will vary on which part, since I would think that most engine parts will be readily available longer than I'm around to need them. Other more Buell specific things? I guess time will tell, but people still manage to keep a lot of old obsolete bikes on the road somehow, so wish all us Buell fans luck!

Unlike some things and some people, I don't ever buy a motorcycle with resale in mind. Of all the things in my life, motorcycling is all about passion... enjoyment, and fun. Investment never enters into the equation for me. Besides, it isn't a huge investment one way or the other.

A lot of Buell's get cut up for choppers because they're cheap to buy so there will be all those parts available. And your right a lot people keep obsolete bikes running. I'm in Australia and I keep a '78 Cadillac on the road as a daily driver, although I have been noticing Rock Auto's parts list is slowly diminishing but Ebay will always provide. But for a bike it's mostly wear and tear parts that you will need unless you crash it. Most of us still have the 'Hunter' instinct in us and hunting for rare parts becomes a journey on it's own and is half the fun of owning obsolete vehicles. I have mates who ride Knuckleheads and make the pilgrimage to Davenport Iowa from Aus' every year just to scrounge the swapmeet for that rare part. I went with them one year, we road tripped it back to L.A. stopping in at every old school Harley shop and driving all over the country side meeting interesting characters who become friends and following leads and digging around piles of junk everywhere to find rare bits and pieces. The memorable moments of finding a container filled with old frames for $100 each, and looking at our rental car and scratching our heads at how we're going to fit ten frames in it are priceless.

[sfarson]

Originally Posted by Birdmove

I am a fan of the older M2 Cyclone Buell. But they are all fun bikes. I was working at an HD/Buell dealer when Buell died and was PISSED because I always thought I'd end up getting one...

Ahh, a great bike. It was an '02 M2 Cyclone sinking the Buell hook into me chaw. Around '02, things were quite well sorted with the tubed Buells, but understandably it was time for Buell to make a change. Zero issues with this sweet thing...


Sold then missed. Revisited then re-smitten...

[crash n bern]

I love the colour scheme on the orange framed model. Back in '91 I was touring the U.S. with a mate and he said he wanted to check Eric Buell's workshop out. We drove out to some small town and knocked on the door of a small shed in a back lane. Eric's brother was there and let us in and showed us around a workshop that had maybe 3 or 4 bikes being built. Very cool, I took lots of photo's with my new camera that I had forgotten to put film in.

[996DL]

Originally Posted by crash n bern

Very cool, I took lots of photo's with my new camera that I had forgotten to put film in.

And you're still punishing yourself after all these years.

Learn to let go of that painful and frankly unforgivable misstep...

996DL

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by KHVol

.... parts break often ...

?? That sure hasn’t been my experience with my ‘96 S1. In fact just the opposite. What parts are you talking about & did they actually 'break’, or was it another issue?

[KHVol]

Originally Posted by Tom S

?? That sure hasn’t been my experience with my ‘96 S1. In fact just the opposite. What parts are you talking about & did they actually 'break’, or was it another issue?

Go to badweatherbiker , the newer Buells are probably very different from your model. My Uly was great fun, rode it like a big SM, comfortable. When I started distrusting it's reliability, I sold it. Problems are wheel bearings ( mine went out at 3,600 miles ) which are easily found, drive belts, broken shift levers and linkage are not easily found, voltage regulator and charging problems, mine had some strange wiring routing that caused shorts, exhaust rusts and front exhaust clamps break but easily fixable, There is something strange about the FI in that it doesn't want to pull below 3,000 RPM (YMMV), idle RPM would swing 1,200 RPM.

I really enjoyed every ride I ever took on mine. Just sold it when I stopped trusting it and started having trouble getting parts.

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by KHVol

Go to badweatherbiker , the newer Buells are probably very different from your model. My Uly was great fun, rode it like a big SM, comfortable. When I started distrusting it's reliability, I sold it. Problems are wheel bearings ( mine went out at 3,600 miles ) which are easily found, drive belts, broken shift levers and linkage are not easily found, voltage regulator and charging problems, mine had some strange wiring routing that caused shorts, exhaust rusts and front exhaust clamps break but easily fixable, There is something strange about the FI in that it doesn't want to pull below 3,000 RPM (YMMV), idle RPM would swing 1,200 RPM.

I really enjoyed every ride I ever took on mine. Just sold it when I stopped trusting it and started having trouble getting parts.

I am on my third Buell now, and I have never been real worried about the reliability of any of them. Also, I replaced the brake and shift levers on my newtome 07 Buell last week. I ordered the parts and they were at my home in Canada in 7 days. I agree, check the Buell sites, lot of happy Buell owners there. Sorry you had bad luck with yours, the newer Buells are considered to be more reliable than the older ones,