test rode a buell firebolt today...

[orion681]

oh my god, this bike is so sweet. i was driving through long branch today when my friend spotted someone pulling in the harley dealer with a buell firebolt xb9r. we stopped to check it out and it turned out that they were doing a special promotion for buell for the month and you could ride the bike, so the guy told me to go grab my helmet. i went back and got to ride this bad boy. it has the rumble and beefy sound of a harley motor(minus that lobbed off center cam thing) and pulled like a 900. it has a 998cc vtwin motor and produces 98HP. man every time i shifed, i got the wheel off the ground. i loved it because the whole thing was shaking and rumbling whenever i was idle. i now am trying to figure out how i can afford one of these before the summer is over...
http://www.buell.com/en_us/products/motorcycles/firebolt/fireboltmain.asp

 

[choppers4life]

waiting for my lightning xb9 to get in..

 

[orion681]

hey, how are the payments going to be on that thing? i am seriously in love with this thing and im going to extremes to try and get one.

 

[WFO]

looks pretty nice.down on power compared to other bikes of the same size....

i think i'm gonna hang on to my cbr for another year or two then step up to the new cbr600rr.i like the flickability of 600's and the new 600rr puts out about 107 hp...

 

[choppers4life]

i ordered the pipe and computer right off the bat, $700.. i'm not sure on payments, i paid cash. have you checked into a lease? it seems to be getting more and more popular. i posted before, no way will i ever go back to an in-line 4, i considered a gsxr 1000, but chose a 748 duck instead, why.. street manners, no 15k between shift, i love a twin.

 

[orion681]

i would rather just own it, but i know exactly what you mean about the I4. when i got back on to my bike, it just wasnt the same. that firebolt pulls hard, but the jap bikes give you more bang for your buck. the R1 is in the same price range and that thing does 150 HP. but i guess i could live with the loss just because the firebolt is unique. just waiting to finish up this pesky truck lease, then im looking for a $1K beater and maybe the firebolt!

 

[choppers4life]

what was the price in jersey? i got my lightning for $9300 out the door with exhaust and computer. the jap bikes are on different ends of the spectrum. look at how eric buell designed the bike. the frame is the fuel tank and the swingarm is the oil reserve. look at how light the bike is say to a, tl1000r. thats a twin in it's class or an rc51. i like the riding position, your not as committed as a super sport bike. my 748 hurts my wrist and i get a stomach ache from the tank. my monster will be up for sale soon if your interested, it has a fbf carbon fiber high mounts, tag clip ons and bar end mirrors. i'll let it go for around $6,000 it has 4600 miles

 

[19TTA89]

i considered a gsxr 1000, but chose a 748 duck instead, why.. street manners, no 15k between shift, i love a twin.

These 2 bikes arent even in the same universe with each other.You must be thinking of the gsxr 600...The GSXR makes a ton of power down low and the top end is unbelievable..I Have ridden a friends of mine alot....I have a 95 gsxr 1100...Big heavy monster...But with 131Hp...and 100 ft lbs or torque,@ the rear wheel I can cruise around at 2500 Rpm's all day long,And pull hard from there to 12,000.Doesnt handle that bad either.Fun bike on the street...and went 10.22@132 at the track..With just a the front end strapped down.I also have a friend with a TL1000{v twin}..Ive never rode the bike,But it sure sounds nice...Not trying to say inline 4 is better than The V...And the Ducatis own world superBike racing..

 

[choppers4life]

shawn i had a gsxr and considered a gsxr1000 and an r1 rode them both and liked the duc's street manners. ya know what else i really liked was a triumph speed triple, parts are what held me back. dealers seem to get back ordered all the time.

 

[xlr8ngn]

Try out the TL1000R. Being a v-twin, it sounds great, has plenty of torque for the street and 124HP out of the box. Very fun bike with character.

 

[WFO]

sport riders dyno sheets:

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_Weights_Measurements/

interesting reading,fun to compare the factory hp #'s with the actual dyno pulls.

 

[orion681]

Originally posted by choppers4life
what was the price in jersey? i got my lightning for $9300 out the door with exhaust and computer. the jap bikes are on different ends of the spectrum. look at how eric buell designed the bike. the frame is the fuel tank and the swingarm is the oil reserve. look at how light the bike is say to a, tl1000r. thats a twin in it's class or an rc51. i like the riding position, your not as committed as a super sport bike. my 748 hurts my wrist and i get a stomach ache from the tank. my monster will be up for sale soon if your interested, it has a fbf carbon fiber high mounts, tag clip ons and bar end mirrors. i'll let it go for around $6,000 it has 4600 miles

the guy at the buell place told me $10k with the new ECM, exhaust and a few other slight mods(the dealership called it their performance package, or something like that). i guess i shouldnt really compare it to the R1 since theyre pretty different. im totally blown away by the thing though. i just loved being on a sportbike that comfortable, USA made, and it sounds like a thunderstorm. i think it will have to be mine by the end of the summer...hey you only live once, right?

 

[orion681]

Originally posted by WFO
sport riders dyno sheets:

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_Weights_Measurements/

interesting reading,fun to compare the factory hp #'s with the actual dyno pulls.

i dont know if the '03 firebolt is different than the '02, but according to buell, the thing weighs 385lb dry, this site says 432.

 

[EFFNQWKWE4]

I love the sound of a twin, but I don't think I could give up the power of my GSXR. I thought about buying a TL1000R, very sweet looking bike, but then started reading about it and changed my mind. Heaviest bike in it's class, lowest HP in it's class, smallest brakes in it's class, and worst suspension in it's class. I think I recall reading somewhere that Suzuki isn't even going to make them anymore....any truth to that? Gotta say, though....If I bought a Ducati, it'd be a 916 or a 996. With the new generation of 600cc jap bikes getting as good as they are, I just couldn't handle getting outrun on a 748 by a smaller bike . If any of you guys are drag racers, I've got a '86 Gsxr1100 chassis set up for drag racing for sale--might consider a trade for Buick parts. All the chassis needs is a motor and Carbs, otherwise it's complete. With a LIGHTLY massaged 1100 motor and a street tire, I went 9.40's with this chassis. Really set up well. Oh.....back to my origional thought.......I dig the style of the Buells, but I can't justify paying that much just for looks. That bike will pretty much get rocked by just about all of the newer 600s, and can't touch anything bigger than that in the performance category. Just my .02

 

[xlr8ngn]

I ride on the street only. Bikes are like golf clubs, 99% of the people out there will never use it to its potential. The TL has plenty of torque for the street and will hang pretty good in a drag. It is a big bike, but handles surprisingly well and feels lighter than it is. To me, it sounds like a V8 on steroids. If all out performance is your goal, do not buy a TL. But if you want a bike with character and a good power curve (especially coming out of turns) then the TL is a very good candidate.

 

[orion681]

amen. i want something that is going to scream and go real fast, but it also has to be streetable. i have had my liscense for a year now, and i dont have that many miles logged in yet, but that buell feels so good. i think if it can hang with my friends '96 900rr, ill feel ok.