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Thread: Thinking about getting an XB12s...

  1. #1
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    Thinking about getting an XB12s...

    Hi,

    I live in the Bay area and am considering picking up an XB12s. The two options I'm looking at have 16k and 20k miles, and are priced right around the 5k mark.
    I've always wanted a Buell. I love the idea of an innovative chassis paired with an old-school, characterful motor. But before I go and pull the trigger, I had a few questions that I figured current/former owners would be best-placed to answer:

    1. The biggest one is obviously reliability. I currently own an '89 Kawasaki, and am used to wrenching on it myself. But parts and cheap and plentiful, it's an easy bike to work on, and most of the work is just preventative maintenance. How does the XB12s do in this area? Does it have any major red-flag issues that will break the bank if they go wrong? Does it have a tendency to chew through seals or leak? The 10-year period since bankruptcy has elapsed - is it still easy to find parts, or are they getting very expensive?

    2. For stuff that I can't sort out on my own, if anyone here is from the Bay Area, are you aware of any good mechanics willing to work on an XB12s?

    3. How much of a one-trick pony is this bike? I'm under no illusions here - this primarily seems to be a fun, fast bike, ideal for tearing up canyons while also having an upright position that makes dashing through the city easy. I'm not expecting a Gold Wing, but are longish distances (upto 3 hours in the saddle) at all doable? 5k buys a lot of very good all-round bikes, and it might be too much for me to drop on a bike that's somewhat limited in what I can do with it.

    Any other thoughts, concerns or praise for the bike? Grateful for any and all feedback.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Banned
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    It is not reliable.

  3. #3
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    new member....first posting....precisely 2 hours later he's dumped on by the BOARD TROLL.
    disgusting!
    do us all a favor TEABAG and GTFO this board.
    Last edited by user_deleted; 06-01-2018 at 11:37 AM.

  4. #4
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    DSA, I'm sorry for lunaticfringe behavior, don't take him seriously, you can stay on the board.

    And don't take my words for it, just go to the troubleshooting section of the forum and see all kinds of troubles you'd better be prepared for.

    This forum had nice FAQ section before could answer most of your questions and maybe turn you out of considering to buy a Buell, but it has been eliminated for some reason.
    Last edited by TPEHAK; 05-31-2018 at 11:09 PM.

  5. #5

  6. #6
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    Hi DSA,

    I live and ride in the Bay Area and have been enjoying my 2009 XB12R for a couple of years now (adding 10K miles to the bike) and have had only one issue so far and that was the quick connect oil lines vibrating and self destructing. Not an expensive issue to fix and parts were easy to find. In fact I have found that most parts are readily available. Oakland HD and San Francisco HD still service Buells (at least the XB line) and I have found an independent shop in Fremont that works on all Buells (plus the guy owns several different models). PM me if you want his contact info. I do most of the work on my bikes if I have time, but I haven't had much lately (all my motorcycle wrenching time has been going to a ground up rebuild of my sportster). What I have worked on has been pretty easy, but I haven't had to rotate the engine for anything yet.

    From what I have learned and been told by folks on this board and Bad Web, get one of the newer models, at least a 2008 if you can. Most of the issues have been worked out on those years.

    I commute on my XB or S3T just about every day it is not wet and the comfort range on the XB is limited by the stock seat. I would be good for a tank of gas before a needed stretch. There are aftermarket seats that provide more padding.

    Hope this helps and good luck in your search.

  7. #7
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    T bag yer an idiot. DSA I have 2 Buells. And both have been great. Only routine maintenance.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Silverrider's Avatar
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    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agreee ^^^^^^^^ with both statements !!!!!

  9. #9
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    You all notice how Tbrag warps reality? That cut on Lunatic is way out of line, IMO.

    Pretty decent luck with my Uly. New Starter and battery at 15,000. Actually of all the bikes I have tooled around on, the Uly yields the highest per day mileage of all of them. I can burn off 500 miles easily in a day. Have higher windscreen, that helps, but the bike just eats up the miles.

    Does anyone know what happened to the guy that was towing his boat behind his XB on the way to AK?

  10. #10
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    You can do 500 miles per day easily on a bunch of another motorcycles. You need something more significant to trade off for questionable reliability of Buell.

    DSA, All I'm saying is do your homework, read the forums, make your own decisions based on what you found, there is enough information already, don't ask members. Even if you ask BMW forum members about their motorcycles reliability you will hear from them same as you can hear here, they will say you that BMW motorcycles are reliable enough, even BMW are the most unreliable motorcycles.


    Last edited by TPEHAK; 06-01-2018 at 04:12 AM.

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