Triumphrat

alii1959 · 05-23-2008, 10:22 AM

I have been thinking about adding a bike to the stable....the Sprint stays...no matter what. And, I have been intrigued by the Buells. Do any of you have experience with them? What are your thoughts?

Shaunlee · 05-23-2008, 10:55 AM

I went to a Buell Demo truck last week, didn't ride the XB but did ride the 1125R.

The first thing I noticed on it was the loudest engine I've ever heard on a sport bike, can't even hear the exhaust note until you really open it up. It was also very hot on my left leg the Buell rep said that it was because of the fuel in frame that carries the heat and that if you slide to the rear of the seat it helps. Fueling seems to be an issue at low revs it stalled at a light while not moving and in neutral. The bike felt heavy at low speeds also. And of course there is massive vibration from the V.

On the plus side it has gobs of torque, and once you get it up in revs it has smooth power delivery. I was also impressed with the chassis we were on some twisty roads at a good clip and it was very stable it turned in much better than I expected.

Didn't have time to ride the other bikes, but I did like the look of the XB.
The local HD guys have a bike night and give test rides on about any Buell don't know if this is the same everywhere.

scgstuff · 05-23-2008, 11:01 AM

Not yet, but I will be test riding one this weekend in San Antonio. They have a deal where if you test ride one they will give you a Hydration Pack. Here in the Texas Summer, I think I would like to have one of those! Check out your local Buell dealer, if you have one, for a test ride. BTW...I am in no way affiliated with Buell, just like the thought of getting free stuff for trying new bikes....what a concept!!! That marketing guy gets a thumbs up in my book.

:

Shawn

alii1959 · 05-23-2008, 11:43 AM

Yeah, I think the hydration pack is offered here too, but it is many miles away to a dealership that actually cares about Buells. My local HD dealer treats them as read-headed stepchildren.

AK955 · 05-23-2008, 05:50 PM

I finally test rode an 1125 a few days ago myself. I liked it.

I've test ridden their XB900 series and Ulysses and enjoyed them too.

I'm used to the sportbike posture but on the 1125 I thought the footpegs were too far forward for how high they are. I was also surprised at how much engine vibration there was at higher revs when really gettin on it.

But man was I impressed with the linear and very strong power delivery all the way up thru the revs while going thru the gears! I did a few hard accelerations up thru the gears and was very very impressed.

Like the other Buell I rode it felt very planted in the corners and didn't experience any instability whatsoever when going over any irregularities in the road.

In the past I've been the first to bring back whichever of their bikes I was test riding with the rear tire scrubbed in to the edge or close to it. I was very surprised I still had about an eighth of an inch of untouched rubber left on the 1125. I was wondering if maybe it's a 190 on the back. It takes me a lot more to reach the edge of of a 190 as opposed to a 180.

Interesting motorcycles. I wish I liked them even more. I'd like to support the company.

Oh well, maybe someday. Mark H.