Any other Buell owners out there?

Hebrewhomeboy · 05-31-2009, 09:46 PM

I recently bought a firebolt, and I must say, I love it. Great gas mileage, great styling, lots of power and incredible handling and brakes. The riding positing took a tad bit to get used to, but I guess it's a small price to pay for a great sport bike. My brother and father both rode mine and commented on how impressive the steering and braking were.

Any of you guys/gals have a Buell?

Dueller · 06-01-2009, 10:15 AM

I have two...but they're old school tubers. Buell: Different in every sense.

Best Buell website available: www.badweatherbikers.com

varmint · 06-01-2009, 12:49 PM

had a 97 cyclone. can do a twenty page rant on how much i hate eric buell.

the new rotax ones are interesting. but i will never go near them again.

gassy · 06-01-2009, 01:10 PM

Does it have a baby seat?

Zeke · 06-01-2009, 01:33 PM

Looks like a very cool bike. What's this I read about being stationed in CA? The best roads.....

legion · 06-01-2009, 01:41 PM

You guys do know that Buell is 100% owned by Harley Davidson?

Dueller · 06-01-2009, 01:44 PM

I caught a brief snippet (on PRM IIRC) of a program being instituted by the military to offer essentially free road course track days for military personnel with performance bikes. Seems they're losing a lot of young NCO's who use their bonuses for crotch rockets and promptly go out and get killed or hurt on 'em. Something like 150 fatalities last year.

Shades of Gen. LeMay.

Dueller · 06-01-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

You guys do know that Buell is 100% owned by Harley Davidson?

I thought Erik Buell kept 2% in his deal back with HD in 98 or 99...

Hebrewhomeboy · 06-01-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dueller

I caught a brief snippet (on PRM IIRC) of a program being instituted by the military to offer essentially free road course track days for military personnel with performance bikes. Seems they're losing a lot of young NCO's who use their bonuses for crotch rockets and promptly go out and get killed or hurt on 'em. Something like 150 fatalities last year.

Shades of Gen. LeMay.

That's very true. Guys get back from deployment with all this money saved, and they go buy a crotch rocket as their first bike, and first time they hit an open road, they open it up and crash at 130+MPH. Also, they seem to be concerned too much with "looking cool", so they don't wear their proper safety gear.

The program here is a few days long, completely free (they even release you from work to go to it) and Buell supplies the bikes. Granted it's their bottom of the line entry level bike, not their sport bikes, but still.

Hebrewhomeboy · 06-01-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milt

Looks like a very cool bike. What's this I read about being stationed in CA? The best roads.....

Well, I bought mine in Florida when I was home with my family for a while after my mom killed herself. It was kinda therapy, I was a bit short on money, but I've wanted a black and red Buell Firebolt since 2005, it's my dream bike, so I took the plunge and bought it. My dad volunteers many weekends at a motorcycle racetrack (Jennings GP) and he got me a free track day, so I got to take my new bike out there. Absolute blast. Wow, sorry for the mile long backstory! Anyways, in 3 weeks I'm moving to Monterey, CA (getting stationed there to learn Persian Farsi), and about a month later my dad's coming out to visit me and bring his bike and mine, and over the weekend we're going to ride down to see Laguna Seca, then go down highway 1 through big sur and anywhere else that looks like fun. I can't wait, it's going to be the memory of a lifetime!

Hebrewhomeboy · 06-01-2009, 01:51 PM

Here's mine on my dad's back porch about a week after I bought it.

Dueller · 06-01-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hebrewhomeboy

That's very true. Guys get back from deployment with all this money saved, and they go buy a crotch rocket as their first bike, and first time they hit an open road, they open it up and crash at 130+MPH. Also, they seem to be concerned too much with "looking cool", so they don't wear their proper safety gear.

The program here is a few days long, completely free (they even release you from work to go to it) and Buell supplies the bikes. Granted it's their bottom of the line entry level bike, not their sport bikes, but still.

IIRC the program also has provisions for advanced track days on your own bikes...at real race tracks and way beyond the basics. Guys were commenting on how they thought they could ride until really talented racers were teaching them. QApparently there are a number of pro racers volunteering their time to instrucrt at advanced levels.

Hebrewhomeboy · 06-01-2009, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gassy

Does it have a baby seat?

Funny you mention that... I have a friend with a 3 year old boy, and I turned the bike on and let him sit on it and let him rev up the engine. Now having a harley engine, it shakes and vibrates a ton at idle, even with Buell's fancy vibration reducing mounting system. This kid had the time of his life. When his mom finally made him get off the bike and get in her car to go home, he started crying, he wanted to ride the bike instead. I say the kid's got good taste.

Dueller · 06-01-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hebrewhomeboy

Here's mine on my dad's back porch about a week after I bought it.

You need to get it on the track and get rid of those "chicken stripes"

Hebrewhomeboy · 06-01-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dueller

IIRC the program also has provisions for advanced track days on your own bikes...at real race tracks and way beyond the basics. Guys were commenting on how they thought they could ride until really talented racers were teaching them. QApparently there are a number of pro racers volunteering their time to instrucrt at advanced levels.

I definitely know what that's like. I'm a pretty tame rider, but I do have a few years experience and I felt I was pretty decent until I took mine to a track day at Jennings. I had the throttle wide open, I was leaning over as far as I could in corners and people were blowing by me like I was in 1st gear. At least I caught up to them on the straightaways! haha

Hebrewhomeboy · 06-01-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dueller

You need to get it on the track and get rid of those "chicken stripes"

Don't worry, I took care of that

They're about 1/2 inch in the rear now. Funny, my 54 year old dad has zero chicken strips, front or rear. He rubs it in sometimes