Does Anyone Have Any Buell Thoughts?

grandpaul said:
$600 why not?????
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"Why not indeed?" It's only money. My wife says it a hobby and it's supposed to cost money. My wife likes to go to the casino and I don't so there's that. It just pains me to be upside down in a project like I was in the Triumph. I paid $600 for that project too so maybe that's my price point?

One more point, how is to possible that people (in this country anyway) will queue up to buy a Sportster with a stretched springer front end, a peanut tank and no front brake and yet despise and ridicule a bike that handles like it's on rails, stops on a dime has the same engine?
 
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Big_Jim59 said:
"Why not indeed?" It's only money. My wife says it a hobby and it's supposed to cost money. My wife likes to go to the casino and I don't so there's that. It just pains me to be upside down in a project like I was in the Triumph. I paid $600 for that project too so maybe that's my price point?

One more point, how is to possible that people (in this country anyway) will queue up to buy a Sportster with a stretched springer front end, a peanut tank and no front brake and yet despise and ridicule a bike that handles like it's on rails, stops on a dime has the same engine?
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Like this?
Does Anyone Have Any Buell Thoughts?



Because so many are not motorcycle enthusiasts.
Rather, they hunger for social acceptance, and attempt to purchase their way in to a lifestyle with that silly shit.
Anyone want to buy a Big Dog?
It sat for 11 years, I recently got it running for the estate.
CAF551E0-79A7-4CDA-ACB8-48B1F9A76676.jpeg
5EDB6FEB-842C-49AD-9008-176BE6575D59.jpeg
 
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Big_Jim59 said:
I just saw a 2000 Buell X1 tube frame model for sale pretty close to me. It was parked 10 years ago. Owner passed. No key, no pipes, no FI and no title. I would be upside down just looking at it. The guy wants $600 and I know me. I would start fixing, cleaning and painting. I would replace tires, battery, belt and cables and pretty soon all my fun money would be gone. If it's still around in a month I will probably go and get it.
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If good ones are so cheap, why go through all the hassle?

You’ll probably end up spending the same, if not more, on it anyway !
 
Said this before but I’ll keep flogging a dead horse regarding
the “ feet forward “ bit …
Get one of those big inflatable exercise balls and sit on it with your feet under you then stick them out in front of you .
The results are telling if you think balance is important on a motorcycle.
 
Richard Tool said:
Said this before but I’ll keep flogging a dead horse regarding
the “ feet forward “ bit …
Get one of those big inflatable exercise balls and sit on it with your feet under you then stick them out in front of you .
The results are telling if you think balance is important on a motorcycle.
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Harley's biggest problem, from a design stand point, is they just can't wrap their heads around anything but a feet forward riding position. They made the Street. It was a nice looking bike in 500cc and 750cc and one of the most uncomfortable bike I have ever ridden. By the way, the Street line is destined to get the Buell treatment in the coming years. Harley will disavow any knowledge of them.
 
I have a Buell- a 2001 S3t. It’s a fantastic bike- smooth, reliable, very thrifty on fuel, able to cover miles and miles at a sitting.
Does Anyone Have Any Buell Thoughts?

It’s been among the most trouble free bikes I’ve owned, and somehow manages to combine all the good characteristics of a Harley motor with actual horsepower- albeit within a relatively small rpm range. I really, really like it.

That said, the transmission is a pile of hot garbage. The ratio spacing is fine but the shift action is stiff, slow, and inaccurate. It will NOT be hurried. I’ve ridden two other S3ts and my bike was by far the worst of the three.

And it’s an orphan bike, so parts availability is getting worse and worse- not that it’s needed much. Stuff like brake pads, fork seals, batteries, and the like are still easily sourced, but any special fitment parts (I broke the tank vent fitting, for example) are NLA.

The only “real” Harley that ever interested me was the XR1200- but after riding one back to back with the Buell I was more than a little unimpressed- the Buell was lighter, smoother, loads faster, had better brakes, actual wind protection, and a more comfortable seating position. And it has saddlebags and carries another 2 gallons of fuel.

I’m keeping mine.
 
When building a race bike I usually start at the beginning and work to the end . The frame and gearbox are more important than the motor. However many other guys think differently. I don't worry about getting heaps of horsepower - enough is sufficient. Handling and gearing are more important than getting the highest speeds down the straights. When you come out of a corner 10 MPH faster, the other guy needs much more horsepower, to catch and pass you. If I race, the other guys always have heaps of horsepower. In corners, they are like flies stuck to a wall. They cannot accelerate early enough.
I thought about Buells many years ago, but parts were too difficult. It might be different now. I think the weight distribution and torque would be perfect. The steering geometry might need to be fiddled to get it to over-steer, when gassed.
 
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acotrel said:
When building a race bike I usually start at the beginning and work to the end . The frame and gearbox are more important than the motor. However many other guys think differently. I don't worry about getting heaps of horsepower - enough is sufficient. Handling and gearing are more important than getting the highest speeds down the straights. When you come out of a corner 10 MPH faster, the other guy needs much more horsepower, to catch and pass you. If I race, the other guys always have heaps of horsepower. In corners, they are like flies stuck to a wall. They cannot accelerate early enough.
I thought about Buells many years ago, but parts were too difficult. It might be different now. I think the weight distribution and torque would be perfect. The steering geometry might need to be fiddled to get it to over-steer, when gassed.
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The tricky bit is to get the front end to stay on the ground when gassed. Chassis parts are a real problem but most Sportser, go fast, engine parts are interchangeable. I can see how the Sportster gear box would be a racing liability. It's clunky and refuses to be hurried. It's kind of like trying to bang a Moto Guzzi through the gears.
 
I didn't like the Buell shifter linkage just as much as I don't like the new Commando shift linkage.
 
Hortons Norton said:
Well when I bought my first Buell the guy selling it was 62 years old, my brother and I thought that's pretty old to be riding this type of bike. It had clip on's and was a 96 S1. A few years later I purchased another one that was a 98 S1W, I ended up selling the first one but still have the S1W. I'm going to turn 64 this summer and just can't sell it for two reasons, (1) I have so much money tied up in this bike that I'll never get it back and. (2) It's such a fun bike to ride. But this summer I'm going to the Davenport Swap Meet to sell a bunch of my motorcycle stuff and am going to bring it and see if anyone is interested, I'm going to put $5,500 on it and see if anyone is interested in it. I'm really getting to old to be on it, LOL
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That looks very nice, I'd be tempted, but I have too many bikes in the garage and it's far away. Could you share what you have done to the bike?
 
Elfix said:
I have a Buell- a 2001 S3t. It’s a fantastic bike- smooth, reliable, very thrifty on fuel, able to cover miles and miles at a sitting. View attachment 113747
It’s been among the most trouble free bikes I’ve owned, and somehow manages to combine all the good characteristics of a Harley motor with actual horsepower- albeit within a relatively small rpm range. I really, really like it.

That said, the transmission is a pile of hot garbage. The ratio spacing is fine but the shift action is stiff, slow, and inaccurate. It will NOT be hurried. I’ve ridden two other S3ts and my bike was by far the worst of the three.

And it’s an orphan bike, so parts availability is getting worse and worse- not that it’s needed much. Stuff like brake pads, fork seals, batteries, and the like are still easily sourced, but any special fitment parts (I broke the tank vent fitting, for example) are NLA.

The only “real” Harley that ever interested me was the XR1200- but after riding one back to back with the Buell I was more than a little unimpressed- the Buell was lighter, smoother, loads faster, had better brakes, actual wind protection, and a more comfortable seating position. And it has saddlebags and carries another 2 gallons of fuel.

I’m keeping mine.
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Man! I just love that bike!

another shot of my old Buell M2 Cyclone:
Does Anyone Have Any Buell Thoughts?
 
gpzkat said:
That looks very nice, I'd be tempted, but I have too many bikes in the garage and it's far away. Could you share what you have done to the bike?
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It was taken down to the frame and powder coated, motor had low miles so I didn't pull the cases apart but I did put a 1250 kit in it and had the head redone with bigger valves and ported. It may have been only the intake? It was a NRHS stage 2 kit so it had barrels and pistons. It has 10 to 1 compression so it needs 91 or higher. Has a Mikuni 42 smooth bore flat slide carb and a Hammer Performance intake manifold. Exhaust has a Vance and Hines muffler. Also has a Works shock and a Holtworks fuel tank. I forget the maker of the rearsets, carbon fiber rear mudguard. Aluminum oil tank, and it has the X1 swingarm fitted. New Barnett clutch, bronze oil pump gear, Crane coil. I'm thinking my best bet is putting it away for the time being. It's amazing how popular they are over seas both seas LOL they go for good money.
 
The frame looks to be good enough. The trouble would be the usual one - finding a decent competition class for it. When I look at the bike, I can see potential in it. A lot of guys like to sprint down straights, however it is more fun out-riding others in corners. All the bike needs to do then is be almost as fast down the straights. The gearbox can always be made to work well as long as it has 5 or 6 gears. Out 5 gears, it would only be necessary to make 3 pairs - first and top would not need to be changed.
 
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