Just a little something to say about reliability.

[Macbuell]

First of all, I love this forum. It is the only forum I find worthwhile for my Buell fix. With that said, I think this forum might be scary for someone who is thinking about buying a Buell, just like most. I worry that people reading this forum only see mechanical issues with the Buell brand. This forum is meant for all the people who have not really had any issues with their Buell. Can I get a couple shout outs? Just read bottom paragraph if you don't want to be bored.



I love my Buell. She is a 2004 XB12s that I bought from her first owner with only 703 miles early in 2009. That asshole did not treat her right. Don't get me wrong, I will not complain about her not being used and abused, but I will never understand why she wasn't. Then I remembered the previous owner also owned a custom HD. It all made sense at that moment, he was gay. Anyways, with a still bright red finish, I rolled her off the truck. Very timid, I did a walk around. My previous experience had only been with a 250cc little girl under supervision of a MSF instructor. Stop judging me, she was a 2006 which is at least 18 in motorcycle years.

I held my breath as i flipped the kill switch to "on". "HOLY ****" I thought as I ran away thinking about previous STD experiences. Never had I been so wrong in my life. It was just her warming up to me. Just the kind of foreplay I like. About 2 seconds later she was warming up before my very eyes. So sexy I thought. No idea how to handle this new woman, I swung one leg over, just like usual. She was just as unexperienced with real men as I was with a woman. I knew this from her moaning (Hawk perfected her technique here and I am very much ok with it).

We have now been happily riding for nearly 7000 miles with 0 maintenance other than a couple oil changes, a tire changes, and a primary chain tighten. This bike is made very solid. People considering buying a Buell please understand this forum is not a random sample of people. There are plenty of people who ride their Buell every day, have no problems, and don't visit forums to tell about it. This was just MY story about MY 0 problem Buell. I love her low maintenance lifestyle.

[XB9-Vtwin]

if it werent for this site i would still be stuck on a bike that overheats every 10 miles.. reading countless posts of folks bitching about their problems and eventual fixes saved me tons from the stealership, gave me tons of knowledge about my bike and helped me understand my bikes personality better.. and further more gave me a wicked repect for the actual simplicity of these bikes.. they are not just another rice burner or pasta rocket and far from a hairy davidson. i take alot of pride in knowing that if something does break, i can do it myself. im HAPPY to say that i bought a buell that unfortunatly did have problems ( alot of them! from the PO as is most always the case, HUMAN error) but with some patience, some beer, and alot of THIS FORUM, i have a beast of a bike like no other. and am so impressed by them i am looking into adding to the family with an XT and who knows! the Girl Friend has been wanting something, maybe a blast (or this sweet tuber ive been watching!)

^ This is EXACTLY why I'm buying a Buell! They simply can't be realistically compared to any other motorcycle in terms that can be distilled into words and neatly written about.
The failure of EBR is truly an American tragedy that deserves a bailout like GM got. Buell owners need to organize and buy Buell like HD workers did. I can't wait to buy my Buell!!!!

[Outlaw]

EBC the brake company?

[XB9-Vtwin]

I am SOOOO glad my life, which seems to be centered on the internet, amounts to so little capitalizing on simple typos gives me a .000001/2 of a percent of an outlet for my stupendously massive intellect.

[njloco]

You do realize that you dug up a 5 year old post to express, what ? It's like digging up old world news and then expressing your opinion. If everyone did this, there would not be time for new info or for helping people.

[XB9-Vtwin]

For instance in the movie EASY RIDER - Would it have even been realistic for a well-used HD chopper to have made it w/out breakdown in 1969 from California to New Orleans? From what I've read I doubt it. Or is the fact the Buell "beginner bike" the BLAST is 500cc's because the HD motor is weak or the fact is operates at such a comparatively low rpm it requires THAT much displacement whereas a jap entry level bike is usually 230cc's?

This why I'm here to ask those who know because I damn sure don't.

[34nineteen]

For instance in the movie EASY RIDER - Would it have even been realistic for a well-used HD chopper to have made it w/out breakdown in 1969 from California to New Orleans? From what I've read I doubt it. Or is the fact the Buell "beginner bike" the BLAST is 500cc's because the HD motor is weak or the fact is operates at such a comparatively low rpm it requires THAT much displacement whereas a jap entry level bike is usually 230cc's?

This why I'm here to ask those who know because I damn sure don't.

In the end, even Erik Buell was putting brand new Blasts in the crusher... with a smirk and twinkle in his eye while pressing them into paperweights.

Even he realized they were better as an endtable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkQ5iYavry8

[XB9-Vtwin]

Loco
I do realize that but I"m really at a crossroads. I REALLY would love to own a Buell XB9SX but am truly terrified of going out to start my pride and joy bike to get to school and it not starting or be left on the side of the road in 30 or 100 degree temperature. In addition the bike is in northern Michigan and I'm in New Orleans. The bike starts, looks and sounds great but I keep reading of so many broken down "I can fix anything" cases. I also realize Buell did not fail becuz of POS bikes but operating costs got too high to sustain. I'm just looking for some honest answers thats all. This thread is understandably of personal interest to me.

[njloco]

My 1970 650 Bonneville never broke down on me and I rode that bike all over, I'll admit one thing though, one had to be able to tear down those carbs in pitch black darkness. I would not have hesitated to ride it any place, which I did ! I think the Buells are more dependable than the bikes of yesteryear but at the same time, one must know their bike ! I knew some guys that rode Harleys, one was a real good wrench, what puzzled me was that they also owned Hondas for their everyday rider, me I only owned that bonny.

If your that concerned, I would buy a Japanese bike and then get a Buell down the road.

[Cooter]

If you want to totally ignore a bike and just beat on it relentlessly without proper care, buy a Buell XB.

The combination of ancient/proven/refined engine architecture, and modern but simple (and jailbroken) electronics, with almost no maintenance requirements, make it the perfect ride to circumnavigate the globe.

You'll never have a clutch line leak or the valves adjusted, your sprockets will never wear out and neither will your chain, they're not 13:1 so they'll eat any crappy gas, and the radiator won't get damaged in a crash. Your ABS module won't send you in limp home, and neither will your traction control. Need a part? You'll find the same ancillary stuff on 25 years of other brands of bikes and even scooters.

You, or someone else can fix anything with a small amount of knowledge and basic tools. If your 2019 BMW GS breaks down in ...-istan, you'll need a tow, the dealer, and a fat checkbook.

IMO if your Buell ain't runnin' right, it's YOUR fault.