Saturday, May 10, 2008

I Test Rode a Buell Today

I went in to ask if I could test ride the XB12Ss Lightning, but they didn't roll that out. I got a brand spanking new 1125R. I secretly wanted to test that one, but was afraid to ask for it. I mean really, go from a 30 hp Ninja 250 onto a 146 hp BEAST....

So, after I got over my shock, I swung a leg over and discovered that I can tip toe it, but not flat foot. Ok, a little worried about that but when I pulled it upright I found out another fun little fact: this bike weighs in under 400 pounds and is incredibly well balanced. Once we got out onto the road I found the throttle to be very predictable and the clutch pull smooth and not terribly grabby, good for someone who's a bit worried about keeping the front wheel down. I didn't get a lot of practice on the transmission, since I only once got up the third but it had some of the expected Buell/HD "clunk" when it shifted.

On the open straightaways I took the chance to open the throttle a bit and was rewarded with gut-wrenching, socket-pulling acceleration and the brakes were more than equal to the task of pulling the speed back down. The bike just begs you to tuck in and when you give in it's almost relaxing. On a hot day I wouldn't be able to do it since I was completely protected from any wind. Even when I sat upright, I had a great wind pocket.

The controls were all a little stiff, but I think that may be due to it being new and unfamiliar. The rear brake lever felt small and tucked away, but once I figured out where it was I managed it.

Oh, and the handling, oh my, the handling. The best way to describe it is: think where you want to go and it happens. I never took it on any good turns, but even low speed parking lot maneuvering was easy. At stops I almost never had to put my feet down to keep it balanced, either.

All in all, my complaints are as follows. It was almost impossible to find the kickstand at the end of the ride and I don't have the money or skill it requires.

Here is my disclaimer. The 1125R is an amazing machine. It is also too much machine for me right now. I have not developed the skills required by a bike built to race. The Buell is built to be as user friendly as possible, but it is not beginner friendly.

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