BUELL Lightning XB12 - Superbike?

Riding impressions after spending some time with this bike. Posting on Sunday 14th December.

Let me start by saying that I am a traditional Harley fan, so any perceived criticisms of this ride are probably heavily biased.

What's different? Well, firstly, the seating position - bum in the air, weight on your wrists, feet tucked in. I told my friends that I felt like those guys one see's in Oudtshoorn trying to ride an Ostrich. (Where do I hold on now?) For a Harley rider - all wrong - for a fast fling down the road - just right. Your foot only searches for the foot peg once, after that it finds its way automatically. The back brake pedal likewise. It is tucked in a bit, but I never found myself sweating a late braking event. It doesn't have a lot of feel, but just does the job efficiently (just as well, the brakes need to be working on a bike this fast). The front brake is one of the best features on this bike. Just awesome! The front "disk" can be seen above, the open plate circling the mag wheel at nearly rim level. The lever has wonderful progressive "feel" and is adjustable by turning a round knob sitting flush with the lever where it joins the hand controls.

About those hand controls. Umh-umh-umh. Harleys have rounded solid black enamelled or chrome metal fittings. The Buell has flat edged, plastic. Strange how we mentally add the word

 "cheap" when we see "plastic", but in this case the "cheap" isn't the issue. The quality of plastics produced these days mean this plastic is probably going to outlast the enamel or chrome finish by some margin, still looking "as new" for years. And - it's light! So, strong, light and durable - and I hate them. The indicators are operated by one button by your left thumb, slide left or right. Then, press the yellow button to cancel the indicator. No self cancelling here (spoilt Harley rider showing), but just say that the new BMW M5 is the same (it is!) and you're in good company. 

To start, put in the key - on the left just behind the headlights (ridiculous postion - can't think of any reason why one would want to see your key ring flapping in the wind next to your speedo), twist, then click the red button with your right thumb to "on", and the yellow button to start. Relax, look at all the electronics on the dash. Check the speedo, rev counter, lights for on, off, neutral, low fuel, odometer, double trip meter (automatically shows distance done since low fuel warning - very useful). A neat safety feature won't let the bike go anywhere with the foot stand down. Just cuts the motor out. Fine then, look at the weather, get off, check the lights, think about your destination and route; what you got up to last night, who you have to apologise to, and so on for a few more minutes. The motor is now sufficiently warmed up to pull away without coughing and spluttering and threatening to do an "all fall down" as you manouvre out of your parking ( which it WILL DO if you don't warm it up). 

I always ride straight to the nearest garage to fill up when riding a new bike so you can guage fuel usage. A surprise on this bike is the good distance covered on a fill up. Well over 200 km's. Puts my 1200 Sporty to shame in this department, but it is way lighter. Switch off by flipping the red button. Maintain control as the elctronic cooling fan kicks in - loudly, very loudly. Children in the cars at the garage stare wide-eyed through the windows at this noisy machine. And it's not the musical throb of a Harley motor, just a high pitched, high revving fan. Filling up is a bit different. Flip the lid on the fuel cover, put in the key, twist, and pull out the fuel cap. It is in front of the "tank" near the handle bars, and petrol is stored in the frame. The traditional "tank" is just a plastic cover, housing the electronics. Close and lock the cap, and re-insert the key in the ignition. Then realise that the mental attitude must be getting through to this bike, because it pee's petrol onto your left boot. Psychic monster. I hate you too!! Don't fill it right to the top, because the overflow pipe comes out near the exhaust - by your left boot.

The motor is still warm, and the fan cuts out immediately on starting up again. Get out on the road, keep the revs over 3000 (it doesn't like lugging along at 2000 - coughs and warns you to wake up), and realise what this bike is made for. Sit at about 4000 revs in 5th (about 140kmh) twist the throttle, and feel the accelaration. Cruise through the curves at 140 without the slightest feeling of speed other than the wind. Corners are just a lean angle, nothing more. Find open road and twist - I ran out of courage and space when I looked down and saw 200 - and it was still pulling strongly. Stability and cornering at speed are just superb. Caught a new, trying Audi A4 driver looking worriedly at his speedo as I cruised past him in the fast lane, still out-accelarating his seemingly flat out German machine. No race.

The nice, fat back tyre is not only there for looks. This bike is Pirelli shod, and grips better than my ability to test out. I rode in wet and dry conditions, and never caught the grip levels out, whether, cornering, accelarating or braking. The Buell's limitations must be there, but they are much higher than mine. The feel of increasing torque pull through 2nd and 3rd as it revs up from 4500 to 6000 is amazing and addictive. But the roads are not the place for this - too busy, too dangerous. This is a bike for the selfish - the pleasures to be gotten from this Buell can't be shared, it's all about the feeling for you, and screw everyone else. The Harleys pleasures are far more social, they look and sound great to the rider and everyone around you.

Whose interest did the Buell draw? Young guys in their twenties drooled over it. Oh well, they might mature some day. Oh yes, and a couple of Harley riders have a Buell in the garage too. This is not a "show" bike, but a mean looking, serious, edgy, would be racer that needs to be pushed to be enjoyed. It's a whiner that you can hear behind you when you've locked it up in the garage and are walking up the stairs (told you - that fan is LOUD). It is never embarassing, but not always fun.

For me - couldn't wait to get back on my Harley - and start smiling again.

Many thanks to Harley Davidson Gateway for making this Buell available. Test ride it there and prove me wrong.

Breakfast Run

To give an idea of what the Harley "breakfast run" is about, an example is given below.

Every Harley dealership has a HOG (Harley Owners Group) Chapter associated with it. It is partially sponsored by the dealership and the Harler Davidson factory. Any new Harley owner has his/her first years membership paid for by the dealership the bike is purchased from. One of the things the HOG chapter organises is a Sunday breakfast run on most Sundays of the year.

All members get an sms on their cellphones and and e-mail about mid-week with the venue for the coming Sunday's breakfast run. "Run this Sunday 8th June will be to Crinkly Bottom in Midlands. Meet at dealership 8.00 for 8.30 Road Captain will be Ronnie Hales".

Usually about 15 to 25 riders will arrive by 8.20 on the Sunday. The dealership is always open, allowing for a wake-up cup of coffee (complimentary). The Road Captain will do an announcement of the roads we will use, identify any new riders (asking them to ride immediately behind him on the run to keep an eye out for any difficulties), appoint a sweeper and phone the destination restaurant with numbers on the ride. He will also check that all have full fuel tanks and allow on the ride for stopping if necessary to fill up (Sportster owners with the 12.5 liter tanks on longer runs).

The ride starts with the Road Captain pulling away slowly from the dealership, allowing all to get started and in the "train", with the sweeper bringing up the rear. The sweeper is usually someone with a bit of mechanical knowledge. There is also always a list of emergency numbers in the Road Captains pocket. The ride is not a hell for leather race up the road, but an organised, regulated, considerate trip along an interesting route to a stop that can provide a decent and usually scenic breakfast stop.

The rest at a later date.

My Choice of 2009 Models

What qualifies me to recommend any Harley? I have a 2002 883 Sportster I bought second-hand from Harley Davidson Gateway in April, 2005 with 1100 km's on the odometer. It now is a 1200cc with 52000 km's done all over South Africa. Trips to Montagu, Colesburg, Richards Bay,St. Lucia, Natal Midlands and the Wild Coast have been major contributors to the distance covered. I have also had the pleasure of riding a 2008 Dyna Street Bob for 3 days, a 2007 Dyna Super Glide Custom, a 2008 Fat Bob for 2 days, a 2008 Fat Boy for 3 days, a 2008 Nightster on a breakfast run and for a day, a quick ride on the exciting Softail Rocker, and the 2009 Sportster 1200L. No Tourers or V-rods.

My comments:

2008 Nightster - Very easy to ride, very progressive power characteristics, nothing scary. Looks small for a Harley, handles well. Standard seat quickly becomes hard. Wouldn't like to ride to Montagu on this seat. (My bike has a well padded, widish seat that is comfortable for rider and pillion over long distances). Has plenty speed, but the small Sportster tank can bring the "reserve" light on after 140 km's when used freely. Has interesting novelty features (brake lights incorporated in indicators, black front forks with rubber gaitors that don't show rusting easily). Will appeal to Harley wannabees who don't want to ride long distances, but look good on a weekly breakfast run.

2002 Sportster 883 XL (My bike). - Has good ground clearance, handles great (for a Harley), comfortable with R5000.00 add on Harley Sportster seat, change to 1200cc pistons and barrels with carburettor kit after 35000km's made it feel like a whole new bike. Still has 883 gearing (changing would make the speedo and odometer inaccurate), so it accelarates really strongly. Broke the drive belt recently (only the third one ever seen broken by the HD Durban workshop). Still has standard footpeg positions (as opposed to traditional Harley feet forward), which makes for a strange, bent leg feeling when 

changing from one of the Dyna's to this. The other big change from standard is the Screaming Eagle exhausts, which make a huge difference to riding the bike. This bike still has the motor which isn't rubber mounted and no fuel injection. Lots of vibration. Not a grannies bike. Love it to bits, but want to trade up.

2007 Dyna Super Glide Custom - This bike had forward foot pegs, 1450cc motor, loud pipes. Forward controls make for a more open comfortable ride when on the move, but initially one finds oneself searching with the left foot for the peg when pulling away from the robot. More pressure on the brake pedal needed, but is quickly adjusted to. Power and sound are addictive. Wonderful music for the ears. Nice bike, looked very good. The Super Glide Custom is the Dyna with all the Chrome Bling on.

2008 Fat Boy - This bike has "floor boards" as opposed to footpegs, a nice wide comfortable seat, the latest 1575cc motor (awesome), wide front wheel. Like sitting in your lounge chair. Corners just about the same. (I have a couple of friends with Fat Boys - won't be popular). I feel this bike bridges the gap between Street Bob and Tourer nicely. A good tourer, but grounds on the corners at any decent speed. I managed to ground the boards within 10 minutes of getting on the bike. Speed and comfort are the strong points of this bike. My friends have also done really nice paint jobs on theirs, making them serious eye-catchers.

2008 Fat Bob - This interesting bike arrived in the country with a lot of hype on looks and handling. Quickly identified by its double headlights, lowish handlebars and fat front tyre. Also the latest 1575cc motor (still awesome), so lots of power, but feels very comfortable while accellarating. Doesn't feel faster than my 1200 Sporty up to 140km's, but then you can just change up into sixth on the Fat Bob and keep on accelarating. Feels a lot safer than the Sporty at high speed. Not so comfy at low speed at the traffic lights. When going between cars and pavement up to the robot, that fat front tyre wants to follow the grooves in the road, and lots of concentration and holding the handlegrips is required to keep it straight. A very nice ride.

2008 Dyna Street Bob - The basic stripped down Dyna with Satin (matt) paint job, high handlebars (ape-hangers) and "get out of my way or else" looks. Had the pleasure of using this bike for doing a 70's theme show with the dolphins at the Ushaka Marine World. This bike has the latest1575cc motor (yes, awesome), low single seat (good padding), but needs the key turned in the ignition on the frame on the right below the tank before starting. The other Dyna's have an ignition on the tank which is far more practical. (Yes, the key fell out of the ignition onto the ground at a key moment at the Dolphin Show - almost missed the timed entry while scrabbling for the key on the ground in the dark backstage). This bike doesn't have the bling of the Dyna Super Glide Custom, but liked it more and more as I rode it. Handles easily, and the high handlebars aren't as strange feeling as one might think. The 2009 model also has, in my opinion, a nicer look to the back with a shortened mudguard and little retro brake-light.

2009 Softail Rocker - This bike is a demo model at the Gateway dealership and has a set of Vance & Hines loud pipes fitted. It also comes standard with forward foot controls (bit of a bug-bear with me). This is the first Harley I've ridden with forward foot controls that felt safe and comfortable, even after stopping at the robot. No hunting with the left foot for the foot peg. It is placed right where it should be. Standard 1575cc motor (yes, I love it), and a FAT back wheel ala chopper style. Seat is short on padding, but not as bad as some, and riding position is low (like a deep bass). On the road, the motor feels a bit lethargic (it needs a bit of mileage and a tune up) until you look at the speedo. Goes just fine - 6 speed box has ratios pretty sorted. I was expecting to ground the pegs on the corners (like the Fat Boy), and cornered through the sweeps on that fat grippy back tyre waiting for the the grinding sparks - nothing! I'm sure it can be done if I really try, but it will not be a worry in every day riding. And talking of that fat back tyre, it didn't detract from the cornering experience at all. Just grips like crazy, and looks awesome. The handlebars on this Rocker are a matt grey and a very unusual shape, but in a nice arty way, and are comfortable as well. Negatives? Hmmm.. wait a bit......oh yes, fuel guage on tank takes a while to move to its accurate position, so you might think you're low on fuel when you're not. This model (not the Custom) is also all matt (satin in Harley speak) finish, so no BLING, and I'm a BLING kinda guy. Guess I really like it! Just can't afford it, but would get the Custom with the chrome bits instead.

2009 Sportster 1200 L. I got on this bike when the motor had only 307km's done. It had a set of the Vance & Hines pipes fitted (loud enough to scare your grannies teeth out of her mouth). It also has the new bigger tank (you can do well over 200 km's on a tank now), and lotsa chrome. Power was disappointing, but the motor was very stiff. The seat is very low (in position and on filling). Low position - good, low on filling - bad for butt. The handlebars on this bike are also strange, quite high, with the grips turned in a lot, so your elbows end up in towards your rib cage. The bike was still good enough to have you getting off it with a broad grin on your face, and the noise and chrome make it draw a lot of appreciative looks. More than my own bike. Change the bars and seat, run it in and I would swop this for mine. (Unlike the Nightster). Price is R134 000.00 - close to Dyna price range. A bit extra for a Dyna gets a 1575cc motor!! Nuff said.

Conclusion - Yes, the Dyna Street Bob is great, but the Dyna Super Glide Custom has many more extras and chrome that you will end up fitting on the Street Bob anyway. The Rocker is a great ride, but not for riding all the way to the Cape. Save in the long run and buy that Super Glide Custom out the box. Price used to be R151 000.00 but the exchange rate makes it R191 000.00 in November, 2008.

A new Harley?

There are motorcycles. And then there are motorcycles made by Harley Davidson.
The metallic wonders from Milwaukee both fascinate and polarize. Some love them with a passion and will spend their last cent on them, others consider them ridiculously old fashioned displays of machismo.
The problem for beginners though is the fact that there are so many models of Harley – yet they are actually all different. Because although the American brand prides itself on traditional design, high quality materials and manufacture, they also pride themselves on their individualism – as do the owners of these motorcycles. How to choose coming up.

1. Sportster - Great starter bike. Available either as an 883cc or a 1200cc. Advisable for anyone who isn't used to a "big" bike. Many think that the Sportster is the only Harley to ride. It is the best handling of the old style Harleys. (see V-Rod below)
2. Dyna - Another good handler, all latest models come with 1575cc motor (awesome power and sound when exhaust worked on). Very popular with HOG members and comes in various good looking models (from chromed everything in the Dyna Super Glide Custom, to matt or satin everything on the Street Bob)
3. Softail - Also fitted with the 1575cc motor. Comes in very different looking models, from the almost "chopper" look of the Rocker, to the wacky looking retro Softail Cross Bones.
4. Touring - What the man in the street thinks of first when he hears Harley Davidson. Also fitted with the latest 1575cc motor, ABS brakes, and Electronic Throttle Control. Handling much improved with an all new frame and 17 inch (it's American, live with it) lower profile front wheel.
5. V-Rod - Designed by Porsche, with a radiator and a 1250cc Revolution motor that goes like hell and handles great. For some, this is the future of Harley. For traditionalists, no Harley has a radiator.

More info to come:

Blog spot announcement

NEWS FLASH

To all Harley Davidson enthusiasts.

This blog spot is created for enthusiasts to have their input on Harley related issues, with an emphasis on matters relating to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

While my personal input will relate to my experiences in the world of Harley Davidson since buying one on 9th April, 2005, I expect to learn a lot more from the input received from contributors to this Blog Spot. I also expect to get some flak from Harley authorities through inadvertantly transgressing the Harley Davidson and Harley Owners Group trademark rules. The point of this blog spot is not to be in any way detrimental to the product, but rather to assist in spreading the unique qualities of owning a Harley to those that have not yet discovered the wonderful people associated with this marque who make up the difference between this and any other motorcycle.

I hope to build up posts on rider safety, events (those coming up, and report-backs on those past), where to get parts and help with your motorcycle and any worthwhile suggestions from my fellow enthusiasts. Knowing my circle of friends, some kind of dedicated jokes post is inevitable.

Official request for input is hereby posted.

Take care and ride safe,
Johan Swanepoel.