Opinions of Buell Firebolt XBR

[ozarquebus]

I found someone who is crazy enough to trade straight over a Buell Firebolt 1000cc for my 87 SP and I am crazy enough to do it.
Any first or second hand opinions of a Buell Firebolt 2003 with 26,000 miles?
Stated to be good running "and I'd ride it anywhere".

[siabeid]

I have a 2003 xb9s. It is a great bike. Only weighs a little over 400#. Has huge torque and revs way better than I would expect a Harley engine to rev. It is a very odd bike. The suspension, frame, brakes, etc are futuristic and the engine is even more prehistoric than our Guzzis. It does perform well, though. It is physically quite small. I think that the wheelbase is only 52". It gets great gas mileage and really handles well. It is super reliable, and the few parts that I have needed were easy to get from St. Paul Harley Davidson. Mine has an update kit that helps funnel air to the rear cylinder. There is a cooling fan that comes on when it gets hot, and it runs for awhile after you shut it off. There is no chrome at all, so it looks about the same whether clean or dirty. It has hydraulic lifters, so you don't need to adjust the valves. It is very low maintenance, but you need to keep an eye on the wheel bearings when you change tires, as they are a weak point on the early xb's.  It really is a fun bike.

[Tom]

Since you have other bikes.  This will be your around town bike or day ride.  Trying tour on it would be an endurance problem.  It'll probably be the best handling bike you can.  It was designed for wheelie riding.  The engine doesn't get starved for oil if that's your thing.

Kind of like having a true sports car.   

[fotoguzzi]

That muffler looks loud and not stock.. if you can take that riding position go for it! Fuel in frame and oil in swing arm keep the weight low. It takes like 13 different tools to change the belt but easy if your patient and they say belts are lifetime, always wondered if that meant life of belt? Check oil when HOT , never had a bike that said that in the owners manual till my Uly. I really liked the short wheelbase and enormous torq.

[Guzzidad]

   I had to sell my 09 Ulysses when I moved into Tampa. Sitting at red lights for 4 minutes at a time in 95 degree heat was just too much for that air cooled engine. Buells are even harder to sell than Guzzis.

[ozarquebus]

The deal fell through. Bike turned out to be previously crashed, repainted, etc and the owner kept changing his mind about trading while delivering very little information about the bike until I coaxed it out of him one little piece at a time. I asked one critical question about the heretofore unmentioned dent and he became very defensive and bailed, removing the listing.
 If that tank/frame is dented by an otherwise minor crash, apparently the insurance company will total out the bike.

[Rough Edge racing]

Ask the seller if the oil pump drive gear was replaced with the latest bronze gear. This became a production change around 2007.. The steel gear wears the teeth to where they break, loss of oil pressure and debris in the engine generally causing a disaster.
  It only affects a small number of engines with over 20K miles but it's not worth the risk...The gear replacement requires removing the oil pump and timing cover but can be done by a hobbyist mechanic...

[Old Jock]

Ask the seller if the oil pump drive gear was replaced with the latest bronze gear. This became a production change around 2007.. The steel gear wears the teeth to where they break, loss of oil pressure and debris in the engine generally causing a disaster.

Sounds like they're even more like Guzzis than I thought (thinking about the HiCam engines)

[ozarquebus]

Well the result is that I now am intrigued by Buell's in general. A well preserved Ulysses would be nice bike to have from all reports as well as being a potential bargain.

[Motormike]

I always found the XB9's to be a little underpowered.  The XB12 engine was more to my liking.  The naked XB's with a tubular handlebar are much easier to ride than the Firebolts, with their low, non-adjustable clip-on bars.  I bought a new 2009 Uly when Harley had their big "going out of business" sale.  Price was just too good to pass up.  30,000 miles later I still have it.  Two problems in that 30,000 miles: one new fuel pump, and one new neutral switch.  The fuel pump in any XB lives a very hard life.  The frame gets so hot, and so does the fuel.  Most fuel pumps depend on the gas for cooling. Good luck with that on an XB.  Mine would always blow a fuse about the time the reserve fuel light came on. The heat would cause the pump to start drawing more current until the fuse blew.  I carried lots of 10 amp fuses with me for a while! Finally replaced the pump and the problem has not returned.  The bike is fun to ride and handles great.  I'm not sure, but I think some of the Buell specific parts are starting to be harder to obtain.  I though I read the OEM regulator was out of stock as well as the rear pully.  But that may have changed.  Since they are not worth much, I don't bother with trying to sell it.  I'll just ride it until it dies, or I do, whichever happens first.

[Kev m]

I always thought the short stroke XB9 had the cool factor just because it was designed to rev more/better than the XB12s.

I certainly enjoyed the rides I got on them and we came close to picking one up.

When I eventually bought an ST3 it was great, but the XB9 still seemed cooler in the way of doing more with less.

But I love my smallblocks and loved our 883's too for similar reasons.

[Dave Swanson]

I like Buells but I would go for a XR1200 any day rather than a XB.  It is a very prejudiced opinion as I only have experience with the XR.  The XR is a hoot and looks so much better!!   

[Kev m]

I like Buells but I would go for a XR1200 any day rather than a XB.  It is a very prejudiced opinion as I only have experience with the XR.  The XR is a hoot and looks so much better!!   

I love the XR too and came close to buying one.

But, they are significantly heavier and I don't say that "lightly".

We're talking almost 200#   

That's almost an entire extra motorcycle in weight.

The Buell is low 400's wet while the XR was 580#!

[Dave Swanson]

I love the XR too and came close to buying one.

But, they are significantly heavier and I don't say that "lightly".

We're talking almost 200#   

That's almost an entire extra motorcycle in weight.

The Buell is low 400's wet while the XR was 580#!

I am sure that makes a huge difference out on the road.  I am glad I never rode a XB then.  It might have changed my opinion of the XR.   

I traded my XR in part to get my 1000S.  Although I still miss it, at least it was sacrificed for a good cause. 

[rocker59]

I always thought the short stroke XB9 had the cool factor just because it was designed to rev more/better than the XB12s.

I certainly enjoyed the rides I got on them and we came close to picking one up.

When I eventually bought an ST3 it was great, but the XB9 still seemed cooler in the way of doing more with less.

But I love my smallblocks and loved our 883's too for similar reasons.

I'm with you on the XB9.  The short-stroke engine is a blast.  One day in Joplin, a friend and I rode all the current Buell models and we both preferred the the XB9SX City X.  What a fun day!