Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

......... badder and wea.r:The ...... LIghtning XBi2S and ...... FIa ....1t XBiU bOt:Il blIneflt tr.n • much _ ....... angIne (aboM). The XB1203 aporta_I.......d ...... for much better torqua. FIt and tInIIIl ............ ~ 1 ............... _ Qrapld" Gnw ........ _ 1IIe :t I 1111 ancI _ . . . . ancI. ..... ".R..... .............. 1..I~ent .-1M pra ~ ••• _ 1IIe Amber tail and airbox graphics, Magnesium Tone clutch and cam covers, and a wild Amber windscreen. But the XB's cast aluminum wheels are the real attention grabbers. Buell has developed an exclusive, highgloss translucent paint process that produces a beautiful Amber color with natural variations and depth to provide the wheels with a constant glossy wet look. Ripping at Road AlT1erica For its 2004 intro, Buell pulled out all the stops, inviting the world press to Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, to sample the Firebolt XB 12R and Lightning XB 12S. Buell usurped a large portion of Road America's 4.04-mile championship road course, eliminating the long front straightaway and its connectors, to demo the Firebolt, while the short, tight and twisty Briggs and Stratton Motorplex was used for the Lightning intro. Unfortunately, bad weather moved in during our day at the track, limiting our time on the machines. But first impressions are important, and both new XB 12 models made terrific first impressions. Engine performance was the same on both models; the first thing worth noting is how clean the fuel-injection mapping is. Other than a slight cough and burble on initial fire-up - this due to the XB's ECM reverting to full rich mode to ensure consistently quick starting, before pulling back to a run mode - the XB's throttle response is smooth, qUick and seamless. Get on the throttle hard and it's pretty easy to pick up the front wheel on an XB 12 as the motor's abun- dance of torque makes itself known. It doesn't pop up quickly (as in, "Oh crap, I'm gonna loop this thing out!"), but rather predictably, which ought to make any XB12 rider an instant wheelie expert. The XB 12 continues to pull stoutly through the midrange and, surprisingly, doesn't leave you hangin' on the top end either. It is clear that the XB 12 prefers to be short-shifted, but it doesn't demand it, making the bike just that much more forgiving. On the fast sections of the championship course, the Firebolt had more than enough top end to provide road race-style thrills. On the Motorplex kart track, the Lightning was an absolute hoot to grunt off the slower corners or, as I preferred to do, rev off of them one gear lower. At speed, the new motor isn't overly buzzy either, Buell's Uniplanar engine mounting doing a good job of repelling unwanted vibes from the controls. Speaking of controls, that's one area that Buell has improved but could stand to go further still. For starters, there is simply too much rotation in the throttle. A quicker turning unit would be preferred. And while the unique front brake is smooth and powerful, the effort is still not quite equal to that of many of Buell's competitors, although Buell engineers I spoke to claimed that this could be tailored with a pad change. The Buell's biggest shortcoming reveals itself when going through the gears, though, as you can't help but notice that the transmission is still extremely clunky for any kind of a sporting machine. I managed to miss a few upshifts on both machines at both tracks just about every time that I thought I had it figured out, forcing me to go back to concentrating on the amount of force I was using to make the next gear change. Downshifts, which of course were not done under as much of a load, were no problem whatsoever. To Buell's credit, the tranny ratios feel spot-on, leaving no hint of under- or over-gearing, though with the XB12's 20-muleteam torque, it would probably be hard to tell. Still, the transmission is the one area that I feel needs immediate attention. Buell fans will likely be used to it already, but I'm certain that this is a bike that could earn Buell countless converts if the shifting prowess were improved. And while they're at it, another improvement might come in the form of a hydraulic clutch. The Buell's multiplate unit is smooth, but once again, the effort could stand to be reduced some. Other than those two things, it's hard to complain about the performance of either XB 12. The Road America course presented me with the first real opportunity to ride the Firebolt at insane speeds, and I marveled at how composed such a stubby chassis could feel. Headshake? Not even a hint of it, and the Firebolt also seemed to flow nicely into the Road America curves. The Firebolt's steering was a little more deliberate than a 600cc sportbike, but not nearly so much as to distract or detract from the fun. Dare I say it, it was almost f1ickable. The Lightning was even more fun on the Motorplex. The additional leverage prOVided by its higher handlebar and more upright seating position allow the bike to live up to its name in terms of handling input. The group I was with had a riot as we chased each other around the track, railing and knifing our way underneath each other. It was all too easy to forget that we were on a bike with a lump of a V-twin in its cradle. Good stuff. The Buell's Showa suspension - was up to the task on either course. According to Buell, it offers a wide range of adjustability within just a few clicks front and rear. I had no trouble finding happiness with the settings on our test machines. Finally, when all is said and done, the Buell is a darn good performing American sportbike that also looks awesome. Right from the very first RR1000, Buells have always sported innovative looks but, when matched with their performance, have to me always seemed more a case of the "emperor's new clothes," a neatlooking machine that cloaked less than stellar performance, fit and finish. Like I said, that changed with the XB9 last year, and the XB 12's painted chassis and Amber wheels now make the XB9's clear-coated aluminum appearance look rather dull and unfinished. In the aesthetic department, the Buell XB 12s blow a lot of other machines right into the weeds. No doubt about it, the 2004 Buell XB 12s are sexy-looking machines with the performance to back it up, and here's the best part: You can score either one of these babies for $10,995. Buell fans will note that this is a mere $ 1000 more for a bike that is far more than a G-note better than its predecessor - almost like night and day better. Maybe that's why Buell has elected to lower the price of its still very competent XB9 machines to $9195. Even so, I expect would-be buyers to sprint right past the XB9s in Buell showrooms in order to grab an XB 12 in their desired trim level. I know that I'm looking forward to spending some serious street time when our XB 12 test units arrive, and I can't wait for this year's Naked Bike shootout. That's when we'll know for sure if the Buell Lightning XB 12S has what it takes to make it to the top of that heap. And if not, who cares? The new Buell XB 12R Firebolt and XB 12S Lightning are absolutely bitchin.' And, believe me, I never thought that I would ever hear myself say that about a Buell. eN Good brakes?: Buell-backed English stunt ace Craig Jones was onhand at the Road America press Intro to fully demonstrats the hooligan capDbUitles of 8uel1 clgJitftlnlJ-xB12S. KIds. don't try this at --- h-...... .............. cue I e n e _ s • JULY 30.2003 27

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