Multi Bike Test
 

Aprillia Tuono

This was a 54 plate with around 4k miles in black.
Nice wide bars, and an aggressive stance.
Impressions after a route consisting of 30/40 mph town, 50mph d/c and national speed limit single and dual carriageway :
In town, nice and light, steers well, appears to be flickable. A nice tall riding position means you can see well ahead.
Out of town, accelerating through the gears, the make covers the ground rapidly, although I felt that the box was very notchy with an occasional false neutral between 4th and 5th.
Roll on acceleration in top, I felt was poor compared with my SV 1000 over the same stretch of road. However all this aside, the handling was excellent, even 2 up, lomg sweepers were superb and twisties were great scratching fun. Basically it felt like I was on a taller version of my old SV 650.
For a 1000cc V twin, it did not “do it for me” any better than my current SV 1000, torqe and power good, but no better and times felt like I was on a smaller engined bike.

Ah well on to the next………

Yamaha MT01

An 05 plate monster of a bike ! 1700 cc V twin. Yamaha’s concept bike.
I used the same test route to try and give a good comparison. In town, never needed to go above 3rd gear and as there was so much torque, didn’t really need to change down much either !! But it is a big heavy bike (in comparison) Out of town the beast pulled like a train all the way to the red line of around 5.5k. It was far harder to chuck about, but long sweepers were fun, being able to leave the rear tyre with only a 2mm “chicken strip” on both sides. However twisties were another matter. It was very difficult to get the huge rotating mass of engine to change direction quickly, don’t get me wrong, it was not impossible, just hard work.
This bike has MASSIVE torque, but still didn’t rock my boat…. :(

And lastly…………..

Buell XBR12 Lightening

Kinell !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock: :shock:

Absolutely mental machine!!!
Short, squat and corners like it’s on rails. This is by far the best hooligan tool I have ever ridden. It is full of attitude that comes out every time you change up a gear and crack the throttle. (let’s say it’s not the best for pillions tho as the rear seat is about as big as my palm) Same route, same pillion. Just a vastly bigger grin at the end of it. Ok it’s basic……5.5k red line (ish) vibrates like a jack hammer and has a reasonably heavy cable clutch, an agricultural gearbox and probably a smallish tank range.

But did it “rock my boat” :?: :?: :?:










IT CAPSIZED IT !!!! :twisted: :twisted:



Guess what I will be changing my 04 SV 1000 for?????????



Got a couple of pics if anyone can tell me how to post them........


Terry

I've always thought the Buell's switchgear looks very basic. Very plastic.
OK, I know it's made of plastic, but a cheap plastic..
I've never ridden one so can't comment on that, but sound like you had fun!! :)

Oh yeah, use Imageshack to host your pics. Easy to use..

I had a go on the Buell and while it was as you say a 'hooligan' machine I found that I could not live with that bike every day. Build quality is shocking, about as reliable as a Aprilia and through town it was just painful. Plus that gearbox was worse than the grearbox on my gs125! Yuk. Nice throught the twisties but horrid everywhere else. Each to their own I guess, personally I would always choose even the sv650 over it.

There's a several page advert in the style of an article (allegedly written by an independent journalist; the implication is that he wrote it himself and Buell thought it was so fair/accurate/good decided to use it for an advert, although they don't actually make it explicit) on Buells in this months Bike magazine. Pretty good and one of the things they address is the reliability issues of their past. Buell basically held up his hands and conceded they had been less than good in the past, but now reckoned they were up there with the Japs.

I like the look of them and the whole notion of "most fun on the road" is one that appeals to me.

Just click on the "Add image" box underneath the emoticons.

Mate of mine has an XB12 and loves it. Commutes evey day on it, I don't think he's had any problems apart from a snapped drivebelt.

ahhh now I've tested a Buell me-self, and it felt as good as you've described, but the horror stories I read from the UK owners forum have made me doubt my views on the harley tank (iansv posted a link a ways back, have a search). Suffice to say 800 quid for a replacement belt, that kills itself in under 1000 miles (and ISNT covered under the warrenty) made me twitch

but if it runs fine well, I havent seen a more evil bike :twisted: :twisted:

'kin hell! I thought they were meant to last 20000 miles! :shock:
I also thought if it broke that early, you'd have a lot more luck getting a replacement one under warranty on the grounds that it must be a manufacturing flaw (there's less wriggle room for them than for chains as belts are supposed to be maintenance free). You wouldn't expect a company to not replace the brake discs if they wore out in under 1000 miles solely on the grounds that they were "consumables".

Why the hell are the belts so expensive? Can you get 3rd party parts for it?

Before you go for the Buell read this:
http://www.uncommonmotorcycles.com/triumphrace.htm

Dan

http://upload3.postimage.org/95868/DCP_2965.jpg

Aprillia

http://upload3.postimage.org/95872/DCP_2966.jpg

MT01

http://upload3.postimage.org/95878/DCP_2969.jpg

Buell



Easy aint it......................... thanks Tricky :)

It's a shame the Aprilia's got BU54 as a plate.

You could of done with that on the Buell!!

Was the buell you tested an 05 or an 06 ?

The 06's have a redesigned belt which apparently should go well over 20-30k, they do need checking tho, most of the broken ones have been due to stones getting caught in the belt, but there hasn't been as many issues as people make out

The 06's also have a different clutch and gearbox thats supposed to be a fair improvement. Still an ongoing issue with the wiring loom I think tho

The reliability issues have made me think a bit harder but like with any bike, there are some with lots of hassles and plenty who've never had a problem with them

There's a decent uk forum on here http://www.ukbeg.com/

I'm looking between the cityx / 12r along with the speed triple / z1000 and sv1000n for my next bike

I think i herd from Rictus that it was cheaper to buy them in the US and get them sent over, plus they sell better ones you cant get in the UK. I not totaly sure though, PM him and ask.

"meant to" and "actually do" are two distinctly different things.

and no, the only belts "authorised" for use are the dunlop ones buell supply, anything else invalidates the rest of the warranty, and the belts are specifically excluded under the T&C's of the warranty, under the bracket of consumables. The dealers tend to be leniant if it shreds in less time, as its usually due to them not setting the bike up correctly and placing too much stress on the belt, but if they want to be arses, I believe a new belt costs £800. This information is all from that user group, hold up, I'll see if I can find it

HA!!! got it!!!

http://www.bike-pix.com/forum/viewfo...046728fed90e31

have a good read

edit: Orginal SV thread

Just checked with my mate, new drive belt for an XB12 is £170

*** EDIT - Piece of **** to fit as well aperantly ***

Quite alot of old sv650 owners on that forum too :lol:

Have a look here for belt prices.
http://www.ironmachine.com/index.php...715ac40ff74d71

Well if thats the case, considering you dont have to swap the sprockets or shove on a scotoiller to keep the damn thing going, that brings it right into normal chain outlay territory, :-k , this could be back on the options list.... :twisted:

It was a few years ago that I tested a Buell and it was not a new one so perhaps it had been thrashed to within an inch of it's life. It was snatchy beyond belief and first gear was pathetic, 2nd gear was wheelie time all the way......I would have hated to ride that thing in the wet. It turned tremendously but the brakes felt very vague. Perhaps I will go down to the Harley shop to get a test ride and see the improvements for myself.

Do it.

The brakes were very good, plenty of power and feel.

I must admit I had my doubts before I rode it tho.....single disc......

the back one was crap tho.

Two up it was easy to wheelie all the way through to 4th gear,and because the rear brake was crap, controlling them was easy :twisted: :twisted:

Think the main prob with your g/f 17 y/o daughter on the pillion is that the screams of terror/excitement finally filter through the exhaust note :shock: :shock: :shock:

Not that I've not got much to do today or anything, :oops: but......

A drive belt for an Buell XB12 Lightning, from Robin Hood Harley Davidson is


£157.17