How does a Harley xr1200 compare to lightning long?

[800screws]

I have a Harley xr1200 and I like it but how does it compare to a lightning? Anyone know? Sportier I figure...better rear seat for a passenger?

[go cytocis]

No comparison, really.

I owned an XB12Ss, & I rode an XR once. I also had friend who raced in the XR series.

Even with the upgrades Harley made to the standard Sporty, the XR still had an antiquated chassis & made 10 to 15 less HP than the Buell.

The fun of racing the XR, my friend claimed, was that the handling was so sloppy that keeping it on the track was a challenge, even at low speeds. It also required WOT pretty much the whole way around the track to keep speeds up.

The XB was no rocket either, but still considerably quicker accelerating than the XR. I’m thinking ~1/2 sec faster in the ¼ mile….

[ocgreenmachine]

The XR1200 is heavier, with a longer wheelbase, and i would surmise is a worse suspension. What gives the XB the edge is nimble handling with short wheelbase, a much more upgraded version of the EVO engine out of the factory, and the lower center of gravity with the Buell gas tank in frame and oil in swingarm.

[go cytocis]

lower center of gravity with the Buell gas tank in frame and oil in swingarm.

I'm going to guess, as with sport bikes in general, the XB actually has a HIGHER centre of gravity as compared to any cruiser-based bike. The XB's motor is mounted much higher & it's got about an inch more seat height.
Contrary to common misconception, a higher CoG gives a bike more flickable handling due to the extra leverage it gives the rider over the bike. A lower CoG makes a bike more stable, or resistant to changing directions, in a straight line. Of course other factors like gross weight, geometry & tires also affect the carving abilities of a bike too.

[GregoXB]

Weight is the biggest difference. ~560 lbs on the XR dry vs ~395lbs on the XB dry. In other words, an XR with one rider weighs as much as one XB with two passengers.

The XB also has a more advanced suspension, is more compact, and has a sharper rake.

If I had to make an analogy, the XB is like a ballerina. The XR is like that same ballerina who just ate a 32 ounce steak, wearing Timberlands, and carrying a back pack full of potatoes. Her pirouettes are not going to be quite on point.

[ocgreenmachine]

I'm going to guess, as with sport bikes in general, the XB actually has a HIGHER centre of gravity as compared to any cruiser-based bike. The XB's motor is mounted much higher & it's got about an inch more seat height.
Contrary to common misconception, a higher CoG gives a bike more flickable handling due to the extra leverage it gives the rider over the bike. A lower CoG makes a bike more stable, or resistant to changing directions, in a straight line. Of course other factors like gross weight, geometry & tires also affect the carving abilities of a bike too.

If you pull up down old videos of Buell on YouTube, they talk about the design purpose of the in-frame gas tank and swing arm oil tank. Fluid weight does make quite a difference in terms of changing directions on a bike. If you will, imagine those old inflatable clowns with the weight in their base. It makes it much easier to push them back and forth than if you were to put more weight on top... You want less weight up top, allowing you to change the lean back and forth on the bike without using as much energy. Also, something that is talked about is how the XBs suck down into the road in corners, making traction much more stable for sharp turns. As for comparisons with cruiser type bikes, it is true that a road glide has a lower center of gravity... But we are talking about the XR1200, however, which has 15" rear shocks that put the seat up higher than your standard cruiser and is designed with a more or less sportbike stance (lean clearance, rearsets, etc). Add on top of that the longer wheelbase and weight of the bike and you get a less nimble bike than the XB.

[dwkfym]

Even when you are street riding, you'll realize most old tech based non triangulated tubed bikes have a flop-noodle chassis when you go over bumps and the like.
when you are leaned over and driving the bike hard through a corner, a ****ty chassis will start to wobble and flex and do all sorts of weird stuff. This usually manifests into wheel hop and such, way way before a proper modern tech sportbike reaches its limit.

[theMelvster6]

XR1200 actually uses the same crank as the 08+ XB12, same cam grind, same top end. So engine wise they are essentially the same components. But the XR is still a sportster based chassis. So obviously it's not as nimble as the Buell.

[ocgreenmachine]

Even when you are street riding, you'll realize most old tech based non triangulated tubed bikes have a flop-noodle chassis when you go over bumps and the like.
when you are leaned over and driving the bike hard through a corner, a ****ty chassis will start to wobble and flex and do all sorts of weird stuff. This usually manifests into wheel hop and such, way way before a proper modern tech sportbike reaches its limit.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the best frames on the best bikes (motogp) are designed to have controlled flex and act as a "shock", if you will when the bike is leaned over... I think with steel tuber frames and such, there would be less reliable "flex" due to the rigid design of the bike and therefore, wheel-skip when leaned over and going over bumps? One of the Yamaha engineers talked about frame flex on motogp bikes in "Faster", a documentary about MotoGP.

Melvester is correct on the 08'+ xbs having same crank as the XR1200, it is a known upgrade to purchase the xb/xr crank as a replacement for sportster engines that don't come with them. In fact, I had to do the swap myself on my 04' Sportster.

And to add to my reply to go_cytocis, the more weight that is up top on a bike, the more weight you will need to throw up top (body weight) to pull the bike the opposite direction when changing directions. A lower center of gravity means that your body weight, when moved from one side of the bike to other when changing directions of the bike will have a greater impact on the bike. Reading rider reviews and watching old youtube videos where the XB is reviewed, a common comment is how easy it is to flick the bike from side to side into turns. Of course, they, as well as Buell, attribute the easy turning to the shorter wheelbase as well.

[800screws]

U know. I thought they shared engine parts. How is the rider position on the Lightning long compared to the xr? The xr needs a couple inches of foam to suits me well. If the xb is more cramped I'll probably hold onto the xr. Resale value is also better too