Buell closing up shop.

[LotusStig22]

Aww....his message makes me want to cry, he's so sad.
I feel like I should break my piggy bank and see how much it'd cost to buy Buell. :/

[Shorty111R]

Picked up my bike yesterday. 300 miles on it so far. It's such a BLAST to ride!

I knew Buells were good bikes, but I had no idea they were THIS good!

I've never felt more planted or more confident in a turn or just enjoyed the feel of a bike in a turn so much as I have on my new Buell.

And the SOUND! I love the stock exhaust, it's perfect for creeping up on people. As part of the 500 mile break in, I'm supposed to keep the revs under 4,000. So far I've mostly done that. Except in a couple cases where I needed to pass someone.

From 3,000-4,000 the bike sounds INCREDIBLE! Like a V8 roaring to life.

I did a 5th gear roll-on against my buddy on his 76hp I-4 Yamaha. He was in 6th, and I was in 5th, and I walked right by him - at 2,700 rpm!!


I LOVE this bike. I am SO glad I made the decision to RIDE my Buell, not just let it be a garage queen.

[SweetDaddyD]

Would be cool.....

Buell linked to takeover bid - Motorcycle news: Industry - Visordown

[Noble]

Originally Posted by SweetDaddyD

Would be cool.....

Buell linked to takeover bid - Motorcycle news: Industry - Visordown

From the link:

Thomas Reimel

Unfortunately, as much as I would love to believe this could save Buell, this story makes no sense to anyone who understands HD's corporate structure. It would be quite pointless for these businessmen to talk to Erik Buell about the future of the company that bears his name because he doesn't own it--HD owns it lock, stock and barrel and they have decided to shut uit down; a reversal of that decision would have to come from HD's board of directors, not Mr. Buell.

I certainly hope that Erik Buell designs and builds bikes again--but it won't be as "Buell"s, because he no longer controls that trademaek with respect to motor vehicles. I'd love for Buell to be saved, but this one doesn't even pass the smell test

I would love to see the brand continue as well. I wonder if HD would be willing to sell the Buell name?

Noble

[DrJ]

Sad.

[Yamanator]

I put a deposit on a CR today!

[Shorty111R]

Originally Posted by Yamanator

I put a deposit on a CR today!

My best buddy is trading in his 3 month old Yamaha FZ6R for a red CR!

He'll be $3k upside down on the Yamaha, but on top of the $5,000 he's getting for the CR, He'll still be paying $8,000 for a $12,000 bike!!!!!

For those not familiar with the Buell 1125CR:

1125cc 72 Degree Rotax V-Twin, 146hp, 72 ft-lbs torque, 375 dry weight.

Basically same bike as the 1125R, but naked. Interestingly, unlike most manufacturers, Buell doesn't de-tune their naked bikes down from the fully faired versions. In fact, on the CR, the gearing is more aggressive, and the naked version accelerates quicker. Cool stuff. The 1125CR is nuts. I got a chance to ride one. A bit too extreme for me. My wrists hurt within minutes of getting on the bike.

[RichS]

Oh crap! That black bike is too damn good looking...

And our stock took another jump today.

Crap.

Good thing I'm working all week at a customer site and I'll be at a race this weekend.

[Shorty111R]

Originally Posted by RichS

Oh crap! That black bike is too damn good looking...

Agreed. This is my favorite picture of the Black.




If were to get an 1125CR, it would be in black.

It looks like the BatPod!



All the Buell needs is some foward pointing 30cal vented machine guns, and you'd have the most killer (harhar) bike in town!

I would so ride this bike with a cape and mask on.

[Yamanator]

I got the black. Also got a Jardine Pipe with it and some other cosmetics. I test drove it. At first it was different. Somewhere in between a rocket and a street fighter (I've owned a couple R1's and I've owned a Kawi Z1000). I put 20 miles on it and by the end I was comfortable with it and having a blast. I'll get pics when I get it.

[SweetDaddyD]

Glad to see some people picking them up. I love the new Buells. They've done some really cool stuff to them. I just don't love them enough to take on a payment over my old Buell which I'm still very happy with. I test drove ones a while back and I came to the conclusion that while I loved the new ones, I did not want to replace mine. Rather someday I'll just add another bike instead of getting rid of mine. I also like that it's very rare to see another one around, especially one not all beat up. I guess it's like the Elan owner here. It's easy to see how the Elise is better in a lot of ways, and certainly different, but it doesn't mean you'd want to get rid of your irreplaceable (and extremely fun/enjoyable) car to get one, and would just rather hang on untill you can put both in the garage. They are both small afterall.

I wonder if I'm the old school Bueller here, representing a "tuber" (the old naked tube frame bike)? Here is mine with the tank and seat off. Similar to a Duc monster with the ladder frame design- just without a zip tie wrapped around it every 2 inches. I always liked (and was quite surprised) by how much cleaner it was in that regard.

And here it is with the stuff back on. Funny for having it since 01 I only have like 4 pictures of it. lol. Guess it's hard to take a pic when I'm on it, lol, and I usually ride by myself.

They might not have the highest specs when you are looking through the number columns of magazines (and neither does the Lotus). They might not be the lightest, or the fastest in the world. But they are unique, and a crap ton of fun. Torque is a ton of fun, even out of the big loud sloppy brutal HD 1200. I compare it to having an old muscle car, but in a bike. Yeah you know a new GTR is faster, but who really ******* cares, you are out having a blast, not comparing specs in a mag to something you aren't actually going to own (or don't even really want to) anyway.

Primary philosophy is mass centralization and keeping the weight low. My bike isn't light, and it seat height is tall, but the the weight in it is low. Buell uses underslung mufflers and I like the cantilevered shock under the bike as well. There has always been an emphasis on handling and just being fun to ride. I like that they would bring a semi trailer full of them to the mountains by me and let people just go test ride them in the mountains, and would tour around the country doing this. They used to run a contest through the Dragon and whoever ran through it the fastest won the new model. (open to any bike too)

Bikes on 2 wheels have been around forever, so I thought it was amazing of all the innovations they came out with at once when they went away from the tuber models like mine to the newer bikes. Very Lotus like qualities, and like Lotus Buell also made a bicycle model for a short period that is very collectible. lol. Innovations on the new model included:

Gas stored in frame
Oil stored in swingarm. Aluminum swingarm also a heatsink.
Zero torsional load braking-with the huge rotor bolted to the outside rim diameter so the wheel could be lighter as the spokes did not have to bear torsional braking loads. Unsprung weight savings = huge performance gains.
Reverse mounted caliper. (one disc did the work of two with less weight this way as well)
And of course the mass cent. philosophy and underslung exhaust, but he had been using those for years.

Guess that ends the Buell history lesson for today.

[Shorty111R]

Originally Posted by Yamanator

I got the black. Also got a Jardine Pipe with it and some other cosmetics. I test drove it. At first it was different. Somewhere in between a rocket and a street fighter (I've owned a couple R1's and I've owned a Kawi Z1000). I put 20 miles on it and by the end I was comfortable with it and having a blast. I'll get pics when I get it.

I'm jealous of you. A black CR would've been bitchin' , but I NEEDED to have that uneven, lumpy idle of the the Sportster engined bikes. My bike shakes, and the lights bounce, and the thing is just ALIVE! Unlike all those cookie-cutter Japanese bikes, this bike looks, feels, and sounds different. What makes it special is that it has a heart and a soul. When I ride a Big Four sportbike, I feel like I'm on a just a piece of machinery.

Maybe I didn't get to ride the CR enough. The demo ride guy led me through a couple city streets, then onto the highway for about 15 seconds, I couldn't get a really good feel for it. My buddy and I trade bikes just about every time we ride so I'll have the chance soon enough.

Yama, looking forward to those pictures! My XB12 is currently parked in the living room to protect it from the elements. I'll put pictures up tonight. Buells are incredible bikes!

[Shorty111R]

DaddyD- I feel the same way comparing Buell to Lotus. Both are very intelligent designs that step away from convention. Perhaps Buell is more so.

I believe you may have convinced me to find an old Cyclone or Lightning. Not sure about the entire Buell model lineup in the past, but I'd love to learn now. I think an ald tuber with a carbuerated Harley engine would just be too cool.

Buell took the little engine that nobody loved (at least for a sportbike application) and really turned it into something special, something amazing.

Erik's video message about the closing of Buell made me tear up. It was so heartfelt and heavy with emotion. His phrase "America's little sportbike company that took on the world" gets me every time. Erik was not affraid to be different and was passionate about making bikes that people LOVE. Bikes that remind us why we started riding motorcycles in the first place. The fact that Erik is still alive and very much a part of his company is another reason the news is so hard to take. It's not like they're shutting down a company whose founder died years ago, or left to do other things. No, Erik was behind his bikes every step of the way. What a guy!

I am SO happy I got a Buell. I'll never sell it. I'm completely in love.

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Yamanator

I got the black. Also got a Jardine Pipe with it and some other cosmetics. I test drove it. At first it was different. Somewhere in between a rocket and a street fighter (I've owned a couple R1's and I've owned a Kawi Z1000). I put 20 miles on it and by the end I was comfortable with it and having a blast. I'll get pics when I get it.

how well do these bikes wheelie?

i think this black one is kinda cool, nice bike.

ive owned all japanese bikes but have ridden many other kinds.
i know this wont be popular, but basically the buell sportbikes offer 600cc inline performance for a $12k sticker. theyre not gonna sell a whole bunch and this is what happens sometimes.
most folks buy them for the uniqueness rather than their performance.
thats ok too.

[Shorty111R]

Originally Posted by evomind

how well do these bikes wheelie?

i think this black one is kinda cool, nice bike.

ive owned all japanese bikes but have ridden many other kinds.
i know this wont be popular, but basically the buell sportbikes offer 600cc inline performance for a $12k sticker. theyre not gonna sell a whole bunch and this is what happens sometimes.
most folks buy them for the uniqueness rather than their performance.
thats ok too.

1. With 84 foot-pounds of torque, the wheel comes right up on my bike.

2. I've ridden a couple different different Japanese bikes, and to me, NOTHING was as much fun, or felt so good in the turns as my little Buell.

3. If you're talking about straight line speed, then maybe you're right. Buells focus more on the rider than on putting down the most impressive numbers on paper. The power on a Buell is usuable. I don't like revving out to 8,000rpm, THEN getting the power all at once (which is why I'm goof to superharge my Lotus) Buells, especially the 1125's, offer a broad, flat torque curve, and to most of the people I talk to, that's more enjoyable and the power is more accessable than on the multi cylinder bikes.

4. $12,000? Haven't you heard? Buell is shutting down and the bikes are going for wholesale!

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Shorty111R

1. With 84 foot-pounds of torque, the wheel comes right up on my bike.

2. I've ridden a couple different different Japanese bikes, and to me, NOTHING was as much fun, or felt so good in the turns.

3. If you're talking about straight line speed, then maybe you're right. Buells focus more on the rider than on putting down the most impressive numbers on paper. The power on a Buell is usuable. I don't like revving out to 8,000rpm, THEN getting the power all at once (which is why I'm goof to superharge my Lotus) Buells, especially the 1125's, offer a broad, flat torque curve, and to most of the people I talk to, that's more enjoyable and the power is more accessable than on the multi cylinder bikes.

4. $12,000? Haven't you heard? Buell is shutting down and the bikes are going for wholesale!

yeah...NOW. i was referring to what led up to this point.

as far as racing them on a track, with curves and such, they cant hold their own with the japanese bikes.
that said, i dont race bikes. or cars really. im just pointing out why historically its tough to sell a SPORTBIKE for 12k dollars that offers 600cc power at best. for the same money you can buy a liter bike and then its not even a comparison in any way, shape, or form. and for gobs more power and torque, ur only giving up abt 30 lbs or so going to a japan bike.
i guess i love the engine technology the japanese bikes offer, and i like their chassis too.
on the buells and ducatis and such, theres a lot to be said for uniqueness and feel.
its also nice to pull up in something that all the punks ARENT riding.

enjoy the bike in good health, theyre all awesome machines and theyre all tons of fun.
i like them all.

[Shorty111R]

^^ Cool. Nice that you're a tolerator, not a hater. For me, a lot of the turn off for a Japanese bike is, like you said, the large number of punks riding them.

----

In other news, I'm trying to come up with a personalized lcense plate for the Buell.

I thought I had 7 letters to work with, but I only have 6, so I can't do:

BUELLER
CHRYBMB
or
XB12SC

some options I was tossing around as a joke were

DKCNRMS
DXENRMS
DKFTLNG - all of which my dad came up with. Thanks dad!

anyone have any suggestions for a plate on a Cherry Bomb Red Buell XB12Scg Lightning?

[Yamanator]

Originally Posted by evomind

yeah...NOW. i was referring to what led up to this point.

as far as racing them on a track, with curves and such, they cant hold their own with the japanese bikes.
that said, i dont race bikes. or cars really. im just pointing out why historically its tough to sell a SPORTBIKE for 12k dollars that offers 600cc power at best. for the same money you can buy a liter bike and then its not even a comparison in any way, shape, or form. and for gobs more power and torque, ur only giving up abt 30 lbs or so going to a japan bike.
i guess i love the engine technology the japanese bikes offer, and i like their chassis too.
on the buells and ducatis and such, theres a lot to be said for uniqueness and feel.
its also nice to pull up in something that all the punks ARENT riding.

enjoy the bike in good health, theyre all awesome machines and theyre all tons of fun.
i like them all.

I'd rate it at around a 750 cc jap. There's gobs of torque. Remember that Buell just won the sportbike championship. Now that may not seem impressive considering the CC difference but if you consider that 600 times were almost on the same mark as liter bikes in stock form it's impressive. Especially since they do all of it with a decent weight considering how much bike is there.

All that said, Jap bikes have the best riders, the best tech and the most money to throw at racing. It's the age old question. It gets talked about in snowmobiling ad nausem with the 2 stroke vs 4 stroke argument. If a 4 stroke sled can do everything that you want it to do like a 2 stroke who cares if it's more cc's or more this or that. If you have something that does what you want it to, then who really cares.

I've owned every jap make and I still love Yamahas. I've had two of the most recent models of R1 and I can honestly say that this Buell for the street will do everything that I could do on my R1.

[SweetDaddyD]

Originally Posted by evomind

how well do these bikes wheelie?

Better than I have the ability to control it.

Fast forward...

YouTube - School of motorcycle stunts! Buell stunt lesson 2

[JWA]

Originally Posted by evomind

how well do these bikes wheelie?

Actually, for a long time the world record for longest wheelie was done on a Buell. It may still be, I don't know.