Stock from factory.
I love the way this bike runs. It is very smooth and I have not noticed any flat spots. It has considerable power upon takeoff.
The stopping power of this bike is second to none. The front brake is exceptionally strong.
Handles curves great, especially with the factory Dunlop Sportmax II tires.
I love this bike. I would take it HANDS DOWN over any other. It looks and runs great!!!
pipe,dynojet kit,rev limiter module,force charger air filter,207 dunlop tires,clamp on handle bars,cafe faring.
lots of low end torque,jet kit improved throttle response dramaticaly.
brakes ok for street,but weak when compared to other sportbikes.
great for dayly commuting,but suspension is too soft and bike feels big,tall and heavy hard twisties and track.
This bike has been very undependable.It uses about a quart and a half of oil every thousand miles(it smokes and leaks oil).It has broken three pipes(including the stock pipe),the rear shock blew out,and it has loud tapping noises(dealer says is normal)when it gets hot.This bike is at the dealer's garage constantly,while my buddies'600 jap bikes never brake.Not only this bike is undependable,but it also gets stomped on by any 600 jap bike.I am currentyly selling this bike to buy a jap bike.I do not recomend this low quality bike to anyone.
pipe,dynojet kit,rev limiter module,force charger air filter,207 dunlop tires,clamp on handle bars,cafe faring.
lots of low end torque,jet kit improved throttle response dramaticaly.
brakes ok for street,but weak when compared to other sportbikes.
great for dayly commuting,but suspension is too soft and bike feels big,tall and heavy hard 0n twisties and track.
This bike has been very undependable.It uses about a quart and a half of oil every thousand miles(it smokes and leaks oil).It has broken three pipes(including the stock pipe),the rear shock blew out,and it has loud tapping noises(dealer says is normal)when it gets hot.This bike is at the dealer's garage constantly,while my buddies'600 jap bikes never brake.Not only this bike is undependable,but it also gets stomped on by any 600 jap bike.I am currentyly selling this bike to buy a jap bike.I do not recomend this low quality bike to anyone.
List any modifications on this bike
Smooth accel. through the entire rpm range
Front brake Very Strong
Great Bike in the corners..... Very Smooth
Great Bike would buy again. the only thing it lacks is top end power
Stock
nice torque
good overall feel (when you have a new, supersceeded part from the factory)
excellent
Although my M2 has been somewhat fun to ride, it by no measure compares to the endless problems I have had with it. Beware Beware Beware!!! Here are the problems I have had so far during only the first 10k miles: 500 miles: speedo failure 550 miles: speedo failure (again) 1598 miles: rear rocker cover gasket leak 4500 miles: battery failure causing bike to die completely (in the desert away from civilization) 5000 miles: muffler cracked and nearly fell off 5303 miles: primary gasket seal leak 6500 miles: cracked header pipe 7300 miles: rear shock absorber failure 8500 miles: primary gasket seal leak 9481 miles: speedo failure (yes, again) 9481 miles: front brake rotor deemed bad (was this way from factory) 10000 miles: cracked header pipe (again) 10611 miles: speedo inop (gee, again?) But the real point of this review is to let you all, whom are planning to purchase a Buell, that the warrantee is what gets you. I paid an additional $1200 cash at the time of purchasing this bike for the extended warrantee. What the salesman conveinently forgets to tell you is that after the first year, the extended warrantee kicks in and you are required to pay $50 deductable for each and every time you have a failure. As you can see by the problems I have had, it can get expensive. I might also add that Harley-Davidson Extended Warrantee is not all that friendly or concerned with you once you have purchased the bike. I sent a 3 page letter to Buell in Milwaukee an FYI letter stating the dissatisfaction I am having with the materials and workmanship, the customer service (or lack thereof) and the letter I received was nothing more than a "well, too bad". Beware of these guys. Get a nice Japanese bike like my 20 year-old Yamaha that never breaks. Good luck Rob Bowdish One other thing, I talked to one of the sales guys at Auburn H-D and the guy told me about 3 hours after he sold their first Firebolt, the customer called from Reno and said it wouldn't start. Just a little FYI.
carbon airfilter, dynojet kit
wow!!
perfect, what a change after my '84 harley
driving itself
driven a harley sportster for about 6 years, for a Harley it was pretty fast. But with my 2001 cyclone....I have to learn how to ride all over! Just love it!!
Forcewinder exhaust and intake Pro Series ignition module Dyno-jet carb kit
I have had to replace intake manifold seals twice! Around 3,500 rpm the bike sputters and misses. Bike is the slowest 1200 I have ever riden.
Breaks are strong. Front brake has squeeked since I have had the bike. Dealer says it will go away and not to worry. Other than this, no problems.
Bike handles good in corners. The bike is light and responds well. Has a little shake when turning the throttle at hight speeds.
This is the first brand new bike that I have ever purchased. I am very unhappy with the bike. It is slow and needs a lot of maintenance. Since I have had the bike the following things have gone wrong: 300 miles-brake light quite working, needed new conector. 500 miles- gas tank valve started to leak 550 miles- the rubber stopper that keeps the front forks from grinding into the gas tank fell off. (they glue the dam thing on) Put a big gash in the tank. 800 miles- intake seals replaced a dealer ship. 1000 miles- motor began to ping when hot and at low rpm. Dealer said it was normal. 1800 miles- discovered that the seat had rubbed through the paint on the gas tank. 2500 miles- intake seals failed again. Replaced them myself. This is the worst bike I have ever had. It is slow, vibrates, needs a lot of maintenance, and is expensive to by parts for. I you are looking for a bike simliar to a Buell I suggest you go with something like the Suzuki Bandit. It is almost half the price, runs better, and is faster.
List any modifications on this bike:screamingeagle big twin air cleaner kit(cover was modified easily), tom hayden m-6 auto primary adjuster,james head and base gaskets,stock header with 2 3/4" straight pipe(92 chevrolet tail pipe-cut to fit),and white lighting heads
any flat spots etc.would stumble between 30-35mph with stock bread box and jets til they were eliminated with screaming eagle air cleaner and jet kit.
Feel, Strength:brakes were awsome but rear could have been better no complaints really to speak of after a little getting used to.
BUELL couldn't have made a better handling motorcycle. IT WAS SWEET!
It is understandable, BUGS will arise when you have a low productin # bike they did go away when recalls were done.The bike was isanely quick and fast,balance couln't be any better.
K&N Airfilter, Rino Exhaustpipe.
Since the K&N filter and the new exhaust it is a great bike with lots of bottempower. LOVE IT !
The front disk was replaced after 26000mls because the disk was getting thin/wornout. It breaks o.k.
The handling is great, lots of bottem power very suited for twisty road sections in the mountains
OK, the bike let me down twice with electronic failure and it leaks some oil, but still it is a bike with i like. It is a special bike, not a standard Jap.machine which most people have.
I gutted the stock exhaust pipe.
If you do what I did to the muffler, gut the insides of it, you get a serious flat spot at 2800 to 3200rpm. The high end really comes to life though.
the best, no problems or shortcoming at all.
The best, this bike handles as well or better than my 1985 Yamaha TZ250 race bike. Extremely flickable and a very comfortable riding position
The only thing wrong with this bike is that there are almost no speed parts for it. Safety wiring it for racing is especially difficult due to the hex fasteners. The fuel injection is perfect if you stay with all stock configuration. Dynojet abandoned the power commander project for this bike due to the nature of the ECM. Overall, it is an awesome bike and a superior choice over a Ducati 900SS or even a Honda RC51. The Honda would be a better race bike but it is not nearly as "cool". This bike also gets you into Harley Biker Bars with plenty of compliments.
I gutted the stock exhaust pipe.
If you do what I did to the muffler, gut the insides of it, you get a serious flat spot at 2800 to 3200rpm. The high end really comes to life though. The fuel injection is impossible to tune and there is no power commander available.
the best, no problems or shortcoming at all.
The best, this bike handles as well or better than my 1985 Yamaha TZ250 race bike. Extremely flickable and a very comfortable riding position
The only thing wrong with this bike is that there are almost no speed parts for it. Safety wiring it for racing is especially difficult due to the hex fasteners. The fuel injection is perfect if you stay with all stock configuration. Dynojet abandoned the power commander project for this bike due to the nature of the ECM. Overall, it is an awesome bike and a superior choice over a Ducati 900SS or even a Honda RC51. The Honda would be a better race bike but it is not nearly as "cool". This bike also gets you into Harley Biker Bars with plenty of compliments.
List any modifications on this bike
any flat spots etc.The bike sputters and spits at 30 to 35 mph.
Feel, Strength The breaks are very good
I love the way the bike sits and handles. This is an american made bike and is sweet.
Oil is leaking around the bottom of the cylinder. The engine also knocks as if the piston is hitting the head. I dont know how many miles is on the bike because the speedo is broken.
Mods include: Vance & Hines slip-on muffler, Buell oval air filter kit (carbon fiber cover shaped like an old Sportster air filter), V&H jet kit which is the same as the other jet kits. Napolean bar-end mirrors, I hated those mickey-mouse ear looking ones.
I bought the bike used with 5200 miles on it from a Yamaha dealer (trade-in). It had the stock airbox and muffler on it, and it ran strong and hard. When I installed the new intake and exhaust systems on it, along with the jet kit, I discovered that the jet kit mods had already been done (there was also a K&N replacement filter in the stock box). However the main jet was a 190 and I installed the 195 in it's place due to the less restrictive components I put on. The bike runs stronger than ever, and the wheelies that occur while accelerating out of the turns are a little un-nerving. To cool.
My other bikes are 3 80's era Jap bikes and 3 60's British bikes and they know nothing about stopping. The Buell brakes are INCREDIBLE. It took a little time for adjustment, and I don't think I'll need to add another front rotor/caliper assy. Hell, stopping only slows you down.
The Buell handles so well that when I get on my other bikes, I can't push them as hard in the turns as I used to (what was I thinking!?). The Buell inspires confidence in the twisties, while my other bikes scare the hell out of me now.
GOOD: overall, a great bike, it's fast, it handles, it looks and sounds good, it's comfy, it's got history/heritage, and character, and it's way faster than my buddies' Ducatis (ha-ha). BAD: Speedometer stopped working at 6737 miles, front rocker box leaks oil (I'll fix it with Yamabond). OVERALL: This is not a bike for wussies who don't know the business end of a wrench and who don't want to get their soft little hands dirty. It is a MANLY bike. Sure, there are a few mechanical glitches, big deal, tinkering is part of the fun of motorcycles. The pros far outweigh the cons. Either deal with it, or go crying to your local Honda dealer, and he'll dry your tears and put you on a nice pretend motorcycle that cost big $$$ when it does and will break.(I know, I was once a Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Triumph mechanic). I like my Buell, and I'll keep it, thank you.
Bub Bad Dogs exhaust, Forcewinder intake.
Carburetion is perfect for my location.(sea level) 210 main & 45 slow jet. No need for fuel injection here.
Front brake is very powerful. Braking using one finger is the norm. The rear brake is progressive with good feel, not too strong or vicious.
The handling is great for corners & hills. Inspires confidence.
The Thunderstorm engined S1s are the best in my opinion. Even better looking if you fit the slim gas tank from the earlier S1's. These tubed framed bikes will be classics in the near future, I have two! Many thanks to Eric Buell.
List any modifications on this bike Big Cam. Headder. Power Comander (fuel inj) PM wheels. Air scoop tank bodywork
any flat spots etc. I usually rip the F.I. right off and go for big carbs but KEPT it this time. IT REALLY does work. even in the cold northern winter months. I haven't detected any flat spots caused by F.I. or riding habbits so far.
Feel, Strength Brakes were warned about on 2 or 3 test bikes I took out at dealers befor getting my own. Im glad to see American stopping power has been invented. NOW TO JUST PUT IT IN BALANCE TO THE REAR WHEEL.
handles to the max better than I want to find out.
I do have another super-built rocket on 2 wheels at home. (not a daily driver) I think The buell fills the need for my all purpose street machine or the way to slow down and take things easy.
this bike has made me spend well over $4000. AND STILL COOUNTING .oil leaks rockers. engine vibrating every nut and bolt battery came loose also turn signals never want to work and also always breaking cheap plastic oil spraying out of air filter messing up my pants .mirrors instument failure.....engine knocks and pings
any flat spots etc.
Feel, Strength
GET >>>>>>>>>>A>>>>>>>JAP>>>>>>>>>>>>BIKE>>>>>>>>>
this bike has made me spend well over $4000. AND STILL COOUNTING .oil leaks rockers. engine vibrating every nut and bolt battery came loose also turn signals never want to work and also always breaking cheap plastic oil spraying out of air filter messing up my pants .mirrors instument failure.....engine knocks and pings
Forcewinder exhaust and intake Pro Series ignition module Dyno-jet carb kit Carberation
Feel, Strength
GET >>>>>>>>>>A>>>>>>>JAP>>>>>>>>>>>>BIKE>>>>>>>>>
mods are V&H pipe power cammander and forcewinder
the power is fine lots of low end
cant say much about the brakes they get it stoped
handling is good different but good
on my bike about 80 mph it would feel like it was on the edge of a high speed wobbel. and if you've live to tell about one then you know what I'm talking about. but a 400 dollor damper took care of that.(they should come with one)and I've had all the oil leaks that every one els had had. and the nasty little blowby thing they have..I'm still working on that.the Harley Dealers really dont want to work on them or talk about them..But they will sell you one.I have put a lot of money in this bike and I know more about working on a buell than I ever wanted to know.I think I'm going jap next time.
Hypercharger, Vance & Hines slip on muffler and carb jet kit
Now with the hypercharger, pipe and jet kit, there are no flat spots in the entire range
very strong and smooth
The best I've every driven. This bike is made for corners!
I'd no doubt purchase this bike again.
