new to buell xb12r

[willbilly173]

Hey guys im BILLY and new to this site.Im getting ready to buy a xb12r any suggestons?Ive been riding bikes 37yrs im no spring chichen forsure but i do have some experince.To give you some back ground i started at the age of 8 on a honda z50 then at 10 cr80r elsenore,at 18 i got my bike lis. rode several different brands though those years.At 26 I started road racing in wera superbike and formula 1 classes.I Raced four 3.5 yrs it was some of the most exciting times i have ever had.Im 45yrs old now and ride harleys but i still think about the race track daily.Im in a motorcycle club and its stricky harleys which brings me to a buell xb12r.I have a sportster 1200,few other harleys also,anyway xb12r is a sportster motor which i know but thats it i know nothing about buells.Is their any flaws with this model xb12r?what should i look for when i go look at one?I see alot of 04 models for sale and affordale too.Any suggestions would be a great help.......thanks Billy

[34nineteen]

Hi BILLY! I'm Aaron and I have a Sportster (Roadster) and a XB12SS aka Lightning Long.

Bear in mind that the XB engine is based on the Sportster. A lot of parts are close, but not quite the same.

My advice would be to get as new of a bike as you can afford. The last couple years were when the bike was at its pinnacle.
On top of that, it's just common sense stuff... condition/maintenance/upkeep. A couple years had bad cranks, but a search should get you info on that. That said, 10+ years later, you'd think all those "bad crank" ones would have reared their ugly heads, by now.

Lastly, keep this website handy.
https://sphdonline.com

Lance is a great guy and is helping us continue enjoying our bikes as long as possible.

And welcome!

[ajmite]

hi billy,i own a 2006 xb 12r,its done 60 0dd thousand kms and still going strong.these bikes handle and stop way better than a standard 1200 sportster,; recentlyi rode a2010 1200 sportster no comparison to the buell,the handling and the rev range on the buell way superior.they do have a few sensors that can give u trouble but overall a great torquee motorcycle

[notanothergsxr]

billy! I was also riding a sportster before i bought my 2009 xb12r. love both.

one thing to look out for that may be more of a common issue with the buells is the front break rotor. I test rode a couple that oscillated pretty bad under breaking at higher speeds. i guess they can warp pretty easy, or people who dont know what they are doing put them on. not a huge issue, just something i noticed when i was searching for mine.

the one i bought actually had that problem when i test road it, and i was beginning to think that is was just the way it was designed, but the place i bought it from replaced it when i pointed it out, and its been golden ever since.

just something I could think of off the top of my head. welcome and I hope you enjoy your future bike!

[notanothergsxr]

and for the love of everything holy in this world, do not over torque the oil drain plug in the swing arm. just snug that sucker up by feel... god dang:P