I LOVE these buells, especially the 06-09 XB9s, sc and XB12X S and T 's. And in particular the XB12X Ulysses, America's BEST to-date all-around can-do motorcycle, equally at home on the interstate, patched asphalt hiways, byways, country lanes, canyons, baclwood fields and trails, hillclimbs, flat-tracks, campsites ~ an all-purpose American-iconic adventure-sport-cruiser swiss-army-knife of 2-wheel Get-R-Done air-cooled pushrod V-twin lowdown-grunt with pizazz, sass and style. HD sure screwed the pooch when they bought-out buell, sucked em dry and then let them wither-on-the-vine-and-die. The head beancounter didn't even ride bikes ~ the 07-08 financial 'crisis' gave HD an excuse to cut their own 'competition'. Since then, they've been marketing lifestyle gimcracks and imitating themselves, only half-heartedly supporting innovation while dragging their feet on novel product design and expanding new-model market appeal. BTW: Here's what some one-off custom builders are doing to further refine the basic buell machines into the 21st century and beyond: Buell Customs ruclips.net/video/4CrfRSKtgnQ/видео.html I think Erik Buell would be delighted. Even as EBR and Erik are still doing what they love doing best, patiently crafting masterpieces and putting the classic American can-do spin on 2 wheels and a motor. It's not about stupid nanosecond figures of accelerations and other irrelevant performance stuff. Oh what the hell do we care about figures when this bike is the best Yin and Yang experience since that stone age moment when a bloke bolted an engine between two wheels for the very first time. This bike has everything what a man with oil in his veins needs. Nothing compares to that. For the type of riding most of us do they are the ultimate bike. Sound, style, look, personality. Buell's have soul and anyone who has owned one knows they touch you deep. I miss mine dearly and will honestly probably get another. Oh sure, they are not the most powerful bikes out there. But do you really need to go 150? IF you want a bike that speaks to you, do yourself a favor: get a buell. ~ ; )
Nice review and I'm sorry to not have found it sooner. I have a 2000 Cyclone and agree it's an excellent street bike. Back in the day at "bike night", I just didn't get them but noticed the trick bits they had. I've since see them as a truly unique American take on the classic British bikes like the Norton Commando or Triumph Bonneville. On my Cyclone, I replaced the cast front motor mount with billet, added the extra motor link, stenzel mount, and a new shifter. The PO took care of the gaskets, and overflow plus added a V&H, jet kit, and forcewinder. I paid $3k for the bike and for under $4K OTD I couldn't be happier. We know Erik liked to race and started to focus harder (and harder) on pure performance with limited sales success. IMO, Buell may have overlooked the fact that he unintentionally was building some classic street and touring bikes with these tubers and may have been more successful if that avenue was pursued. Harley was unwise to drop Buell and by looking at the upcoming bikes Harley Davidson announced recently I can only think that they had these kind of sporting bikes on the dealership floors over 20 years ago.
Good review - honest about the quirks and all. I love those quirks on my 1997 S1 Lightning (some vids on my channel as well). I read only 5000 were made - I'll keep mine forever, and totally agree about the ease of maintenance, longevity, and easy access to parts. Love the thigh fryer comment - so true!
the reason why you had to do your heads that way was that the specs were about seating the gaskets right. its like a crush gasket... its the same way you do it on a V8 car or something like that... the original sportster top end and crank was based off a Chevy V8 cut into 1/4 If my info is correct.. same compression and everything.. its 1/4 of a V8! haha
Good god is that a blind lie. The only thing they share is the bore angle and common rod pin.. No chevy is a hemispherical chamber, gear drive cam, 90 deg push rods, knife and fork roller con rods, 315 degree firing order etc
Nope Buell is different 883 r 1200. Trans ride deffintly bike was built in the spot bike game put it in the curves .Dragon tail NC 8,14,2019 excited about the tail ever since off R1, RR ,gold wing, Buell is a beast.
Great review.. youre keeping Buell alive my brother.. I got my own review on the XB. Maybe you have seen it? Its the Buell XB9SX review with like 89,000 views on it on the Jenny Ashford channel. (my girlfriend) hahha
It is a Harley Davidson have 2 1200 x1 is a fast Harley, we live in the same state I have a blast that I really put enough money in just trans cams values piston lite thumper x1 1200 want catch R1 is not but Harley x1 145mph in 12s.handle really good. Racing my R1 street Buell. Not EBR
1940 technology? Yeah for harleys 1940 tech.. Theres a reason Erick choose a v twin (specifically harley) Its 90 deg pushrod, gear driven camshafts, roller lifter, roller crank, hemispherical combustion chambers, 315 deg firing order.. All of which, when built right, is a recipe for serious HP/TQ (100-140HP/90-120TQ and ALL of that torque is there from 2500-6000). Tolerances are not at all sloppy... This guy seems more in-love/tune with Eric then the actual motor hes talking shit about. If you know what your talking about, talk shit, but this zipperhead dont know enough..
![YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Missing Everything [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dTYeMZGzOzw/mqdefault.jpg)
I LOVE these buells, especially the 06-09 XB9s, sc and XB12X S and T 's. And in particular the XB12X Ulysses, America's BEST to-date all-around can-do motorcycle, equally at home on the interstate, patched asphalt hiways, byways, country lanes, canyons, baclwood fields and trails, hillclimbs, flat-tracks, campsites ~ an all-purpose American-iconic adventure-sport-cruiser swiss-army-knife of 2-wheel Get-R-Done air-cooled pushrod V-twin lowdown-grunt with pizazz, sass and style.
HD sure screwed the pooch when they bought-out buell, sucked em dry and then let them wither-on-the-vine-and-die. The head beancounter didn't even ride bikes ~ the 07-08 financial 'crisis' gave HD an excuse to cut their own 'competition'. Since then, they've been marketing lifestyle gimcracks and imitating themselves, only half-heartedly supporting innovation while dragging their feet on novel product design and expanding new-model market appeal.
BTW: Here's what some one-off custom builders are doing to further refine the basic buell machines into the 21st century and beyond: Buell Customs
ruclips.net/video/4CrfRSKtgnQ/видео.html
I think Erik Buell would be delighted. Even as EBR and Erik are still doing what they love doing best, patiently crafting masterpieces and putting the classic American can-do spin on 2 wheels and a motor.
It's not about stupid nanosecond figures of accelerations and other irrelevant performance stuff. Oh what the hell do we care about figures when this bike is the best Yin and Yang experience since that stone age moment when a bloke bolted an engine between two wheels for the very first time. This bike has everything what a man with oil in his veins needs. Nothing compares to that.
For the type of riding most of us do they are the ultimate bike. Sound, style, look, personality. Buell's have soul and anyone who has owned one knows they touch you deep. I miss mine dearly and will honestly probably get another. Oh sure, they are not the most powerful bikes out there. But do you really need to go 150? IF you want a bike that speaks to you, do yourself a favor: get a buell.
~ ; )
EB🔥
Nice review and I'm sorry to not have found it sooner. I have a 2000 Cyclone and agree it's an excellent street bike. Back in the day at "bike night", I just didn't get them but noticed the trick bits they had. I've since see them as a truly unique American take on the classic British bikes like the Norton Commando or Triumph Bonneville. On my Cyclone, I replaced the cast front motor mount with billet, added the extra motor link, stenzel mount, and a new shifter. The PO took care of the gaskets, and overflow plus added a V&H, jet kit, and forcewinder. I paid $3k for the bike and for under $4K OTD I couldn't be happier. We know Erik liked to race and started to focus harder (and harder) on pure performance with limited sales success. IMO, Buell may have overlooked the fact that he unintentionally was building some classic street and touring bikes with these tubers and may have been more successful if that avenue was pursued. Harley was unwise to drop Buell and by looking at the upcoming bikes Harley Davidson announced recently I can only think that they had these kind of sporting bikes on the dealership floors over 20 years ago.
I love my 97 S1
Them head bolts where torque to yield
Pretty common stuff around that time
Good review - honest about the quirks and all. I love those quirks on my 1997 S1 Lightning (some vids on my channel as well). I read only 5000 were made - I'll keep mine forever, and totally agree about the ease of maintenance, longevity, and easy access to parts. Love the thigh fryer comment - so true!
Tell me please.....your Buell engine is not a standard Sportster engine? Heads...or is it? Best from NZ
the reason why you had to do your heads that way was that the specs were about seating the gaskets right. its like a crush gasket... its the same way you do it on a V8 car or something like that... the original sportster top end and crank was based off a Chevy V8 cut into 1/4 If my info is correct.. same compression and everything.. its 1/4 of a V8! haha
Good god is that a blind lie. The only thing they share is the bore angle and common rod pin.. No chevy is a hemispherical chamber, gear drive cam, 90 deg push rods, knife and fork roller con rods, 315 degree firing order etc
Nope Buell is different 883 r 1200. Trans ride deffintly bike was built in the spot bike game put it in the curves .Dragon tail NC 8,14,2019 excited about the tail ever since off R1, RR ,gold wing, Buell is a beast.
American Muscle Bike 👊👊
Great review.. youre keeping Buell alive my brother.. I got my own review on the XB. Maybe you have seen it? Its the Buell XB9SX review with like 89,000 views on it on the Jenny Ashford channel. (my girlfriend) hahha
Badass!
It is a Harley Davidson have 2 1200 x1 is a fast Harley, we live in the same state I have a blast that I really put enough money in just trans cams values piston lite thumper x1 1200 want catch R1 is not but Harley x1 145mph in 12s.handle really good. Racing my R1 street Buell. Not EBR
well someone changed the tank if thats an s1w
1940 technology? Yeah for harleys 1940 tech.. Theres a reason Erick choose a v twin (specifically harley)
Its 90 deg pushrod, gear driven camshafts, roller lifter, roller crank, hemispherical combustion chambers, 315 deg firing order.. All of which, when built right, is a recipe for serious HP/TQ (100-140HP/90-120TQ and ALL of that torque is there from 2500-6000). Tolerances are not at all sloppy... This guy seems more in-love/tune with Eric then the actual motor hes talking shit about. If you know what your talking about, talk shit, but this zipperhead dont know enough..
moparerrnocar he didn’t want this motor he was forced to use it
Horrible musac ends at 1.20 yw