Buell owner here. Welcome to the odd-ball club! I'm going thru mine now, at a very glacial pace. Get ready for plenty of questions to be asked as you keep posting about it. I've learned that it's a good idea to keep a few links on hand, as the same or similar questions tend to pop up.
Yah I assume the problems that occur are usually things people have dealt with in the past, but this bike only needs a new connector and its ready to ride in a few months. Just have to get around to it I suppose.
A cool, oddball machine. Never really given enough attention on the R&D end. Shame they never refined it properly. Nonetheless they are fun and bags of character.
Absolutely cool and odd. Rnd from any boutique manufacturer is never going to be there. Really is a shame they didn’t sell more but at the same time I think that makes it even more cool.
Personally, I think the XB series was pretty well done. I had heard that Harley meddled with the development of the 1125s that gave them some negative traits and that Eric fixed them with the EBR line. In the end, a lot of sport bike riders are somewhat fickle and will buy the hot thing. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does make creating a new company difficult if it is expensive and needs some development. I think of the BMW 1000RR. BMW made fairly sedate motorcycles until they released that and turned the segment on its head and people flocked to it.
Many of the improvements to the sportster engine came from Buell development at the time. Buell wanted a better shifting transmission and it went into the new Sportster models. Buells were not ridden the same way that Sportsters were. They were ridden much harder and produced more power stock. If something was going to break, it would on the Buell. That said, my 2003 has been extremely reliable. I didn’t update the belt and pulleys because the 2003’s belt and pulleys were one year only. Crazy complicated and the carbon fiber guards were not made for it.
For me, I already have an orphan. Until Buell demonstrates that they can make a real go of it, I wouldn’t go anywhere near them. I am also very partial to the XB series with the air cooled Vtwin. I have faster bikes, but there is something about being able to rev the bike out in a few gears before reaching the speed limit.
I love Harley's, I love superbikes so this seems like a great compromise. However how did they fuck up the reliability of a harley? I have a harley with 25'000km (18k miles?). And it always worked fine so idk what is wrong with that thing
Harley’s are kinda known for having issues (to an extent). Like it I said it sat for a while which probably caused most the problems. They were a small manufacturer so it’s bound to have issues.
@@navscycles Yeah but honestly the evo engines might be some of the most reliable engines ever made for motorcycles. They probably changed too many things for the worse
@@Benjamin-gw7gd never had a motor problem. Only things around the motor which is what is known to go bad on Harleys as well. Motor has always been solid.
@@navscycles I have had several Harley's and never an issue except for one custom bike. I mean they don't change the engine itself just the crap around it. I love to see buell making american motorcycles that are not choppers/cruisers
My 2003 XB9 has always been trouble free. If they have more problems than other Harleys, it may be because the 1200 engine makes 103 horsepower, where the sportster makes 59. My XB9 Lightning was dyno’d at 89 horsepower at the rear wheel. Considering that the traditional motors have hydraulic lifters, my local HD dealer seems to be working on Harleys all the time. I can understand that with my Kawasaki that needs a valve check every 20k. Not sure what that says about reliability.
Lots of wrong information here. It’s not a Harley motor, the bore/stroke is similar to a sportster, it’s a pushrod engine and cooled by air. Everything else is Buell developed and manufactured. They did sale well, Harley management brought it down because of recession and branding of the cult surrounding Harley Davidson. The financial crisis of 2008 made a significant impact of the decision to abandon the Buell brand.
The Buell motor has been changed. But it’s what I believe to be a redone version of a Harley, I suppose I see what you’re saying. As far as sales, ultimately they stopped selling so yes they didn’t sell well at the end. They literally closed them out.
Buell owner here. Welcome to the odd-ball club! I'm going thru mine now, at a very glacial pace. Get ready for plenty of questions to be asked as you keep posting about it. I've learned that it's a good idea to keep a few links on hand, as the same or similar questions tend to pop up.
Yah I assume the problems that occur are usually things people have dealt with in the past, but this bike only needs a new connector and its ready to ride in a few months. Just have to get around to it I suppose.
Such a cool and unique bike
great bike i rode one after fixing it for a buddy... wheelie machine
That red windshield goes pretty hard
A cool, oddball machine. Never really given enough attention on the R&D end. Shame they never refined it properly. Nonetheless they are fun and bags of character.
Absolutely cool and odd. Rnd from any boutique manufacturer is never going to be there. Really is a shame they didn’t sell more but at the same time I think that makes it even more cool.
Personally, I think the XB series was pretty well done. I had heard that Harley meddled with the development of the 1125s that gave them some negative traits and that Eric fixed them with the EBR line. In the end, a lot of sport bike riders are somewhat fickle and will buy the hot thing. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does make creating a new company difficult if it is expensive and needs some development. I think of the BMW 1000RR. BMW made fairly sedate motorcycles until they released that and turned the segment on its head and people flocked to it.
Many of the improvements to the sportster engine came from Buell development at the time. Buell wanted a better shifting transmission and it went into the new Sportster models. Buells were not ridden the same way that Sportsters were. They were ridden much harder and produced more power stock. If something was going to break, it would on the Buell. That said, my 2003 has been extremely reliable. I didn’t update the belt and pulleys because the 2003’s belt and pulleys were one year only. Crazy complicated and the carbon fiber guards were not made for it.
Spark plugs do foul if the bikes are started and not ridden.
Would you consider getting a new Buell? It looks pretty cool.
I think they are cool too. Maybe in a few years I do not know if they are available to buy, and if they are I assume they would cost too much for me.
For me, I already have an orphan. Until Buell demonstrates that they can make a real go of it, I wouldn’t go anywhere near them. I am also very partial to the XB series with the air cooled Vtwin. I have faster bikes, but there is something about being able to rev the bike out in a few gears before reaching the speed limit.
I love Harley's, I love superbikes so this seems like a great compromise. However how did they fuck up the reliability of a harley? I have a harley with 25'000km (18k miles?). And it always worked fine so idk what is wrong with that thing
Harley’s are kinda known for having issues (to an extent). Like it I said it sat for a while which probably caused most the problems. They were a small manufacturer so it’s bound to have issues.
@@navscycles Yeah but honestly the evo engines might be some of the most reliable engines ever made for motorcycles. They probably changed too many things for the worse
@@Benjamin-gw7gd never had a motor problem. Only things around the motor which is what is known to go bad on Harleys as well. Motor has always been solid.
@@navscycles I have had several Harley's and never an issue except for one custom bike. I mean they don't change the engine itself just the crap around it. I love to see buell making american motorcycles that are not choppers/cruisers
My 2003 XB9 has always been trouble free. If they have more problems than other Harleys, it may be because the 1200 engine makes 103 horsepower, where the sportster makes 59. My XB9 Lightning was dyno’d at 89 horsepower at the rear wheel. Considering that the traditional motors have hydraulic lifters, my local HD dealer seems to be working on Harleys all the time. I can understand that with my Kawasaki that needs a valve check every 20k. Not sure what that says about reliability.
Lots of wrong information here.
It’s not a Harley motor, the bore/stroke is similar to a sportster, it’s a pushrod engine and cooled by air.
Everything else is Buell developed and manufactured.
They did sale well, Harley management brought it down because of recession and branding of the cult surrounding Harley Davidson.
The financial crisis of 2008 made a significant impact of the decision to abandon the Buell brand.
The Buell motor has been changed. But it’s what I believe to be a redone version of a Harley, I suppose I see what you’re saying. As far as sales, ultimately they stopped selling so yes they didn’t sell well at the end. They literally closed them out.
ua-cam.com/video/Q3BcMKN-2Nk/v-deo.htmlsi=WYMzWqxDdbOHbYxg