new buell could be an interesting bike ?

i do like the look of these new for 2006

100bhp ish and 81ft pounds of torque


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[Richie]

Humm, not too sure if I like it, but you can't knock em till you've tryed em..
I'm sure they will prove popular. for the sit up motorcyclist.

[northwind]

Putting that engine into anything that looks like a trailie is just daft. I've been quite critical of bikes like the V-Strom and the likes, which could have been better road bikes if they'd binned the faux-offroader elements- after all, they're still pretty rubbish offroad and will spend 99% of their lives no further offroad than driveways or the occasional ditch. But this is taking the p*** completely. Belt drive on an offroader? And, as I say, that engine- brilliant for a hooligan street bike, but IMO useless for anything else. I like Buells, generally, but this one? No. If it's never going to go offroad, and let's be honest it's not, why load it down with parts that'll never do anything but look purposefully ugly?

I would have thought a torquey low revving high capacity twin is ideal for a bit of recreational off-roading. Admittedly the belt drive and under slung exhaust may not be great.

Guess its all about increasing market share.

At what point are BMW going to sue Buell then? It's totally unoriginal and shamelessly nicks the BMW image... underneath it's different but the image is just pure BMW... even if the Buell is more sporty it'll be hard to see past that "but it looks like a BMW!" image...

I looked at one at the weekend. I couldnt test ride as planned as:
1. The low seat hadnt come and its very very tall..KTM tall
2. I was horribly hungover.

I like it a lot but I cant help thinking its just a jacked up normal Buell. Its nice looking in the flesh but very very standard for the £8200 price tag. And so a weekend bike rather than a distance tourer IMO. Personally I want heated grips and ABS at least on something for distance.

I disagree its unoriginal. It looks just like a jacked up city x or firebolt and so quite different and not much like the BMW IMO.

It will probably do well surfaced tracks fairly well and Im sure will be a hoot to ride but I dont se it as a long distance roads of all surfaces enduro TBH. For a extra £1k you get a lot more on the BM I reckon.

I think some are rather hard on the big traillies...they are not 'off road' bikes, they are bikes for whatever the 'road' may throw at you, and they do that well. Even the Strom which does that very well. In some ways they are tourers for those who cant face the pipe and slippers yet, e.g. the Varadildo I sometimes think. They are a compromise bike..but perhaps a good one. Remember in thge US and southern europe you have something we dont really have here, the smooth but unsurfaced road.

Anyhow, the new KTM 990 Adventure is on my watch list. ABS, FI a little lower. Now thats sounding more like it. BTW Fowlers have new O4 950 Advs at £6999. Theres now way Id go for the Buell with one of them at that prce.

Who will buy the Buell? People that like the big bike style but arnt looking for something to eat up the bad miles I reckon. Perhaps people who'd love a Buell but want something a little chunkier maybe. Dunno

I guess competition for the TDM. But at the prices you can get a TDM for its a hard market.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by ivantate

I would have thought a torquey low revving high capacity twin is ideal for a bit of recreational off-roading.

Not the Harley/Buell engine, and definately not with a Buell clutch Though to be honest I wasn't thinking specifically of offroading- one of the things that big trailies generally are expected to be able to do is distance in comfort, and IMO that's not an engine for distance in comfort. Rattle rattle rattle. Really good in the Lightnings but then they're meant for riding point to point as dangerously and antisocially as possible I don't see it working in something like this.

In fact, I'm going to beef up my position a bit and say it's positively designed not to take offroad. The belt drive is one big infdicator, but the vulnerability of the frame proves it for me. Drop it anywhere near a rock and it'll land on the frame...

I agree with Dr Rich, that people are a little hard on these bikes- they are, after all, great road bikes. I just think they could be better if they ditched the offroad elements entirely. I've a real soft spot for the TDM900, for example, especially with its gear selection that sounds like gunfire

I also like Buells- though they're not for me I think, the City X in particular is a great laugh. I just don't like the 2 when they crossbreed.

It has rubber bushes to prevent minor frame dings. Butr agreed I dont fancy a drop onto the frame. The saleswoman told me you can get R&Gs too, but they are not really what you want on a trail bike, I suppose. But put crash bars on it a la TDM, Strom KTM or BM and it will look awful think.

[carelesschucca]

I can't wait to have to replace the front brake disc when the first rock hits it, oh, and the rubber band... It makes the BMW GS look sexy... Not for me thats for sure... kinda like Buell's normal bikes mind you...

I like it its either gonna be one of them or a GS1200 as my second bike.