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.