A quick blast on a ride on mower (Buell XB12R)

[TonyB]

Is there any way of stopping a member from seeing a thread? Tell me there is! Cause Rashika is never gonna believe me when I give her shit anymore...

The day was warm. Rashika , Dangerous, 30UTD, SuzyQ and I were enjoying a beer in the shade at the Wheat Sheaf late in the afternoon on a glorious day. There was a bit of a bike swap thang happening. I looked into Rashika's sparkling blue eyes and said "Better give me the keys- you did promise". Her eyes ceased to sparkle and had a kind of alarmed look. Reluctantly she handed over the (kinda gay) blue key for the XB12R. I put my jacket on, and left the key on the table- to her credit Rashika didn't change her mind. She did look kinda worried tho. To calm her nerves, I said encouraging things like "Don't worry- I've only fallen off once in the last 3 months". Duly informed that the new rear tyre was still unscrubbed I gingerly headed off.

The first thing I noticed while performing a 100 point turn to get the bike out of the park was the appallingly bad turning circle. And the fact that my hands hit the mirrors. "Form over function" thought I. Thumbing the starter (once R figured out the key for me) I noticed the next thing- at idle it's part kango-hammer. Tad vibey! Nice sound track though. I wobbled out of the car park, and quietly headed off towards Gebbies Pass.

The ergonomics aren't what I was expecting at all. Its more dirt bike than sports bike (or somewhere in between). It's actually a whole lot more comfy than my old beast, and I guess if you can make a bike that is reputed to be the best handling road bike and still be comfy, why not?

Now, I should mention that a few moons ago I had a go on an old Evo Softail. The thing pulled fairly hard for about 1000 revs and then ran out of puff. I remember thinking at the time that it would be great if they could get the thing to make torque thoughout the rev range. Buell has done it. It pulls from idle to redline, making waves of torque and a great sound track while its doing it. It pushes your butt into the body work and keeps it there.

The brakes were nowhere near as touchy as I was expecting- they required a fair old squeeze- but I'm used to that. The gear box wasn't too bad, though one thing that took some getting used to was the sheer momentum of the engine- there's enough 'flywheel' there to make it leap forward when snicking in the next gear, even with no gas. Once I sorted my sloppy changing technique it was fine.

The thing only does 3000 revs at 100k. And it still pulls OK from there- not HARD, but OK. It was pretty kewl just burbling along.... with the sound track... did I mention it sounds good? I loved listening to the primative old beast when blipping the throttle for a down change, sounded great on the over run too...

As for the handling, I can't really comment. I rode it like a TOTAL nanna, as I knew it had a new rear tyre and Rashika wouldn't love me anymore if I broke her baby. I was just getting used to it and relaxing when I had to give it back.

So. Did I like it?






yes

[DMNTD:Me]

Ok yes I am jealous Heard that sound track on another thread last week and I have got to admit...gorgeous

[Toast]

Dude that was a pointless bloody review of a bike 'reputed to be the best handling road bike' around...when you didn't even test the bloody handling! With good reason, but still...got me all hyped up for bloody nothing.

Give us an update when you take it for a real fang would ya? Cheers

[Macktheknife]

Man I commend you on your restraint! I rode one at the AMPS open day and gave it snot, I found that after about 20 min of this though I could not feel my hands anymore from the vibration! I dont know who says it is the best handling or comfortable bike around but I really hated it. TONS of grunt that never stops and great sound to be sure, but I couldnt face riding one all day. The Kanga Hammer effect was just too much for my poor old bod to handle. I also noticed that they dont do slow very well and have the turning circle of a small commuter plane.
But other than that they rock!

[TonyB]

Give us an update when you take it for a real fang would ya? Cheers

I know I know. And I probably wasted my only chance for a ride

I can say it steers quickly. It's firmly suspended but not OTT like the Tuono I sampled a while back. Sorry dude, that all I've got...

[Toast]

I know I know. And I probably wasted my only chance for a ride

I can say it steers quickly. It's firmly suspended but not OTT like the Tuono I sampled a while back. Sorry dude, that all I've got...

haha...fair enough dude...just givin' you 'ish...I'd be pretty precautious on someone else's bike with a yet to be scrubbed rear too. I'll jus' wait 'til AMPS' next open day to hopefully form my own opinion.

edit: you got to ride the Tuono too...bastard...bet that was sweet...

[2much]

Hi

I tested the Xb9SX on Tuesday and found the the motor very much
to my liking however found the seat a little too high and the bars a bit
low. The mirrors did vibrate but I did not find the engine vibration uncomfortabe myself. I would have to agree with a magazine test that
said the rear brake had very little stopping power. I would be keen to
test the long wheel base model to see if it has a better seat/handlebar
positioning.

Try one of the 12's,

I tested both the XB9SX and the XB12R at the recent ANZA open day. To be honest I found the XB9SX totally gutless, and I would expect the smaller engine to be rev happy but it was anything but, felt like the flywheel was to heavy. You open the throttle then count 1,2,3 before anything happens, then when the revs are up you close the throttle and the revs stay up. Plastic look doesn't do much for me personally either.

The XB12R was different, love the engine, can't get enough of it. Agree there's some vibration but it didn't really bother me, mirrors are pretty much useless when cruising tho. Found the position good tho seems perched quite high, wouldn't take long to get used to. Slow speed fueling isn't great but it's just an excuse to give it a blip and listen to the pop and crackle from the exhaust. Main problem I found was the seats damn hard, don't think I could do all day in the saddle without a numb arse. Unfortunately couldn't find many corners round palmy but straights were still fun.

Also done a few K's on mate's XB12S riding position takes a while to get used to but soooooo much fun. Couldn't own one cause I'd lose my license.

[White trash]

I've spent time on both bikes and love 'em both. The XB9R with a race kit fitted is my favourite. It's happyer when the engines spinning a bit harder. The problem with both machines is they run out of revs too quick and if you're not on the sprocket you'll hit the limiter too easily. I gave a guy on a Ray Clee preped K2 Thousand an absolute hiding up the Rimutukas on the 9, this was after he'd test ridden it and said it was a nervous heap of shit.

The thing that surprise me about Buells, is 95% of people that ride one, love it, but they don't buy one.

[TonyB]

TONS of grunt that never stops and great sound to be sure, but I couldnt face riding one all day. The Kanga Hammer effect was just too much for my poor old bod to handle. I also noticed that they dont do slow very well and have the turning circle of a small commuter plane.
But other than that they rock!

Rashika's one has a race kit. Not sure if that involves engine work or not, but once rolling the vibes are fine. Just like other V2 sprots bikes I have sampled. In fact I'd almost call it smooth. Its only a Kanga Hammer at idle.

The Tuono was different again. More power, a hopelessly firm front end which maybe could be sorted?, to me it felt all wrong in the few corners I got to ride around, but then it has a real straight up and down seating posi. It basicaly had no wind protection at all. And it just wanted to wheelie- D told me the Buell wanted to wheelie but it was a pussy cat compared to the Tuono

[White trash]

Another thing, wheelies on Buells take more skil than you'd expect. The lift the front REAL easy, you go for the gear change but the flywheel effect is SO massive, that when you grab the next gear, the bike lunges forwrd, trying desperatly to flip you off the back.

Fuckin hilarious to watch some squid swap cogs for the first time on the back wheel on one.

[2much]

Forgot to mention, mates XB12S has the race kit and its well worth it, in fact i wouldn't have one without it. I know it involves pipe, filter and a couple of other things, WT will know.... Oh and BTW WT, it's Alan's Buell I'm talking about, you sold it to him down wgtn.

Also a tip wrt the vibes, use spectrum oil (15w40 I think, can find out if anyone needs to know), much better than the HD stuff and cuts the vibes down alot. Makes a huge difference.

[dangerous]

1) I've only fallen off once in the last 3 months".

2) The first thing I noticed while performing a 100 point turn to get the bike out of the park was the appallingly bad turning circle. And the fact that my hands hit the mirrors.

3) kango-hammer. Tad vibey! Nice sound track though.

1) aint that the truth
2) turning circle is shit, but the reason for the hands hitting the mirror is that the bike has after market clipons... adjustabe, so its set further forwd and lower for more room.
3) great terminology, but off idle its very smoth

a) I found that after about 20 min of this though I could not feel my hands anymore from the vibration!

b) I dont know who says it is the best handling or comfortable bike around but I really hated it.

c) I also noticed that they dont do slow very well and have the turning circle of a small commuter plane.
But other than that they rock!

a) something is wrong with that bike then... the XB12 is one of the smoothest bikes I have ever ridden, at idel they do jump up n down due to the rubber mounts
b) may be not the best but apart from a lack of fairing it is a bloody comfortable bike, wouldent want to spend a week on one tho, and compaired to a Lead Wing spose it isent anyway.
c) doing slow is just a nack... you can do slow once used to the bike, yip no turning circle there

I tested both the XB9SX and the XB12R

The 9 and 12 use the same engine..... but the 12 has been stroked to get the extra cc this ulters the power delivery in a big way.

Rashika's one has a race kit. Not sure if that involves engine work or not

race kit = airfilter, can & CDI/comp

Another thing, wheelies on Buells take more skil than you'd expect. The lift the front REAL easy, you go for the gear change but the flywheel effect is SO massive, that when you grab the next gear, the bike lunges forwrd, trying desperatly to flip you off the back.

Fuckin hilarious to watch some squid swap cogs for the first time on the back wheel on one.

Damn right there runty, I find the bike stands on end bloody fast in 1st I have hit the revlimiter serveral times..... but the other day out at Ruapuna, I had to keep tellig Rasika that I needed to check the tyre pressures out so Id take it for a circuit... any way I perficted clutching it up in 2nd... WOW straight up on end and it stays there..... but Trashie.... this squid wasent keen to click 3rd so I just held it there till I ran out a black stuff.

The Buell Firebolt is a wicked bike, ya cant help but smile after a fang through some twisties, handles differant to anything I have ridden, on the track it felt like it was drifting... but very managable.

[Rashika]

Man I commend you on your restraint! I rode one at the AMPS open day and gave it snot, I found that after about 20 min of this though I could not feel my hands anymore from the vibration! I dont know who says it is the best handling or comfortable bike around but I really hated it. TONS of grunt that never stops and great sound to be sure, but I couldnt face riding one all day. The Kanga Hammer effect was just too much for my poor old bod to handle. I also noticed that they dont do slow very well and have the turning circle of a small commuter plane.
But other than that they rock!

yep the turning circle on mine is pretty poor but that is prob due to the clipons hitting the fairing more than anything....guess it will just take some practice for me to perfect slow manouvering.
The one I took out at amps in march this year had a mirror that was hopeless to use, really bad vibrations and i did find it hard to corner at first, but improved after 5 hours on it ...but it is not even remotely the same as my bike which has no vibes at all once you roll, must be setup differently...
I thought I may not find it that comfy either at first, but nope after 4 hours ride down to otematata, rain, wind and shit for the first 1.5 hours, then sun, I was ready to do it again....totally surprised me! Again maybe just the setup of the handlebars etc for me, but i actually found it pretty comfy, and i'm used to a cruiser with a very comfy seat.
I do notice that it doesn't like sitting at 50kms round town, does like a little spirt now and then, and can take a while to warm up, but it is a great excuse to roar up the road at times

Glad that finally TonyB got a chance to ride it ...and very quietly admits to liking it ....maybe he'll get another chance if he is VERY good....altho maybe not if he keeps calling it a lawnmower