Buell Demo Rides

[beaquel]

The local Buell Dealership (Gateway Harley Davidson and Buell) had a demo ride event today. I did a test ride on a Buell XB12X Ulysses back in 2007 when I was shopping for my current bike. As a result, I have been interested in the Buell brand for quite some time. They do pretty cool things engineering wise and I love the color schemes they have. I also like the strong v-twin sound they make. It's a cool blend of sporty bike performance and v-twin hot rod sound. Plus, it has the whole Made in America thing going for it. Anyway, back to my story. I rode a new 1125CR and an XB12XT. The XB12XT was just too primitive for a bike being made in 2009. The thing vibrated like crazy at idle. The shifting action was quite crude as well. It had a strong engine though and very upright ergonomics with TONS of practical luggage space and generous passenger accommodations. It had the original ZTL brakes, which I found to be adequate. The 1125CR was a much more refined and modern bike. The engine was great, the shifting action was smooth. The dash had tons of useful information and readouts. Plus, the ZTL2 brakes were like anchors. Touch the handle with a finger nad you would instantly slow down. They took some getting used to. All in all, it was a great bike, but the stock bars were too far forward. If I want a naked bike, I want a more upright riding position. It also didn't have any of the practical advantages of luggage or passenger room like the XB12XT did. All in all, they were interesting bikes, but it really made me appreciate my Hayabusa that much more. Today, the grass was not greener on the other side of the fence. I do want to upgrade my brake pads though. After feeling the force of the ZTL2 brakes on the 1125CR, my stock brakes felt like crap.

 

[Evil_keeps_me_young]

good review...

 

[Big D]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

D

 

[The Big Red One]

I test rode a couple of Buells a few years ago.......kept hitting the rev limiter I just couldn't seem to adjust to the 5500 rpm redline They were cool in a v-twin kinda way...neat sound...but way way way too slow to feed my need for acceleration

 

[boney1]

Eric Buell is a very intelligent man with some really awesome ideas, never rode a buell but ive ridden everything else harly has made including the V-ROD lmao all make decent cruisers, the v-rod was well, just not fun to ride lol

 

[wv rider]

The reason the engine is so refined on the 1125 is because harley didn't make it. I like American made, but for that kind of money, you can find better for less.

 

[beaquel]

I forgot one important detail about both bikes. The XB12XT is air cooled, so you can imagine how much heat radiates off the engine onto your legs. The cooling fans on these bikes are crazy loud too. Sounds like a shuttle launch when the fans spin up. The 1125CR has those gigantic air intakes on each side of the engine too. For whatever reason, it puts out a ton of heat right next to your legs as well. I just assumed a water cooled bike would be better at heat control. I never seemed to have this problem on my Shadow 750 or the DL650 V-Strom.

 

[miserycaptain]

I rode with a guy on an 07 1200 Buell today (not familiar with Buell but it was signed by Erik Buell) and gave him a new appreciation for the sound and sensation of a Busa flying by that noise maker he was on.......

 

[Strife]

Umm... I don't believe all the parts on the Buell are made in America.

 

[Big Red]

It would be hard to justify any Buell unless it was a second bike and there were plenty of tight twisty roads near by.

 

[Shadowside]

At one time I wanted an XB12R. I loved its unique looks. Then I got to demo one at 2005 Daytona bike week and wasn't to impressed. I didn't like the engine characteristics at all. It felt sluggish and shook like a paint shaker at idle. It seemed to turn in slow as well which was a big surprise to me. I really wanted to like it but I was very happy to get back on the YZF600R I had at the time.
Now the 1125CR may be a different story. I would really like to try one of those out. I kind of dig the looks even with those huge scoops. It would probably be a blast to ride.