A REVIEW OF THE NEW BUELL FIREBOLT

From Epinions.com

Written by Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

Submitted by Nitinol

From epinions.com:

About the 2002 Firebolt XB9R-  "More ice than fire"  Oct 13 '02

Author's Product Rating: 1/5

Comfort:                                        2 stars

Handling And Control:              3 stars

Quality and Craftsmanship:    1 star

Pros

Cons


The Bottom Line

 

Full Review

  I rode the Buell Firebolt at a demo during the Americade bike rally in Lake
  George , NY. I had heard for quite some time how great and innovative a bike
  it was. How special the reversed front disc brake was, how the oil in the swing
  arm and gas in the frame kept the center of gravity low for superior handling. I
  wanted to really like this bike. I came away shaking my head and thinking yet
  another typical Buell.

  Throwing a leg over the XB9R I immediately felt the tight riding position. This
  didn't bother me at all. I know sport bikes with tight ergo's. What did bother me
  was when I thumbed the start button and immediately felt like every filling in my
  head was going to vibrate out. That was the first impression. My second was
  my surprise at the amount of exhaust being blown onto my left foot at stop
  lights. What was that about? Who designed this idiotic exhaust?
  

  Do you have to bring a change of socks with you when you ride this bike?
  Before taking the bike out on a test ride, we were warned that "The front brake
  is so powerful it can easily flip the bike." The front brake felt vague and basically
  lifeless to me. It worked fine, but with very limited feel. Furthermore, the
  stopping distance of this brake set up was unimpressive as well. We were told
  that the XB9R handled great, and by the stats of this bikes suspension, it should
  handle like a 125cc race bike. It doesn't. It feels twitchy at best, though the rear
  shock seems to be a step in the right direction compared to previous Buells. At
  speed, on the highway, the bike felt the best in any circumstance, but the serious
  lack of wind protection hurt its standings even more. The fairing is basically
  useless. The vibration at standstill is very annoying, and is the prevalent
  personality trait of the bike. The best thing I can say about this motorcycle is
  that the triple clamp is very stylish and well made. This bike was so bad, that it
  scared a friend of mine who has ridden for years on everything from dirt bikes
  to sport tourers. How can anyone expect to charge the top dollar rate Buell
  does for this bike? It's another embarrasment for the American motorycle
  industry.

 *ANY 5 YEAR OLD 600CC bike* will run circles around this one, and be 4
  times as reliable.(Buells reliabiilty record speaks volumes.)In my opinion, this
  was the worst bike I test rode at Americade (I rode 8 others.)I could never
  recommend this bike to anyone other then someone who simply wants to
  maintain his Harley mystique by owning another product of the so called Motor
  Company, and having a so called sport bike as well.

  The bike is innovative, but I believe it's more glitz then anything else. The bike is
  very pretty, that much I can say about it. To bad the mechanics of it didn't
  match the reality of how it runs. Until Buell starts to market a real motor, instead
  of the ancient, very tired sportster mill they keep rehashing, and they fix the
  glaring design faults their bikes have, they will always be more of an oddity and
  a conversation piece then a real road going and useful motorcycle. At $11,000 ,
  this bike is $5,000 overpriced for what it offers.

  Recommended?  No!

  Amount Paid (US$): $11,000

  Model Year: 2002

- Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

 

 

BACK