2003 Buell reviews

Have a "03 XB9R. Almost 6000 miles. Not one problem. Not the fastest bike out there, but as quick as anything. Lot's of get-up-and-go and quick handling. Will outhandle ANYTHING comparable and carry more speed through the turns than any other street bike. Show less

I bought the 2003 Buell Bast as my first bike. So far, its been great and I ride it to work everyday. These are great bikes to start off with and I plan on keeping mine. You will get over the vibration and the clunk noise they make getting into first gear. For the money, its a great commuter bike. You will find that Buell goes a long way to welcome you into their family. My local H-D dealer made sure I was happy with the deal before I signed. Check one out. You just might be suprised. Show less

Can't say enough good things about this bike. Techno superior, rides great. Stay on it all day long, cruise, carve or just stand and take questions and compliments. But you must ride one to believe it. Hurry before the masses discover it. Show less

I recently purchaed this bike and had the race kit installed. It has plenty of torque and power.I had owned ducatis to gsxrs , and this by far is the most fun bike to ride. It is so nimble and compact. Only reason I'm not giving it five stars i would like a little more power, but for a v twin the bike is awesome. Show less

Just got my first ride on this bike and it definitely impressed. The belt drive left the biggest impression on me as it is way smoother than a chain. I also rode a Lightning that did not have the race prep and it was noticeably slower. The Firebolt feels much faster than my current Ducati 900SS if that is any comparison. Overall the bike felt very tight and well put together. Plenty of power and tourque. Show less

During my bike hunting I ventured into the Harley dealership and found this beauty. The dealer, during his sales schpeal(sp?), called this bike intuitive. How can a bike be intuitve I wondered to myself. I decided to purchase this beauty and soon learned exactly what the dealer meant. While exiting the freeway on one of those 30mph ramps that keep twisting round and round, I looked down at my speedometer and realized that I was still going 65mph. This bike however knew exactly what to do. I started the lean into the turn and the bike took over. "So you want carve this baby up", the bike asked. That we did. I simply held on and smiled. This bike handled the ramp so easily that I left the exit ramp faster than I had gotten on. Some of you hotdogs out there may think nothing of my 65mph exit but if you realize that this is only my second time ever riding a bike then you may appreciate just how this bike will take care of you and keep you smiling. Show less

I have not been on a bike for a few years, but the moment I sat on the new XB9S I new I had to ride again. I bought it on the spot and have not looked back since. The look, feel, and handling are awesome. True, it is not as fast as most Jap. bikes, but come on, do you really need to go 130 mph ????? And the handling actually is better than most Jap. bikes. Simply put, the bike is awesome. Eric really out did himself this time. Show less

With fully adjustable suspension f/r, this is one comfortable canyon carver. Great sound, quick acceleration, and well thought out. At first I thought the price was high, but after riding it I'm not so sure. Seating position is excellent for street riding and day trips. This motorcycle should sell like hotcakes. Show less

I purchased my Firebolt this May and have since put about 5,000 miles on it, and I still have mixed feelings about it. For one thing it is way too expensive, and definately should not be classified as a sportfighter. It doesn't have the horsepower or torque to compete with any 600cc or larger sportbike on the road. This includes in town where the torque should help or in long straight aways. Even worse, I live in the coldest city in the continental US and it overheats. They put a lot of money and time into this bike and they should have at least liquid cooled this motor and bumped the hp at least 30 more ponies. The transmission is average, mine seems to be very sticky at slow speeds, and will not go into first gear from second unless you are moving at a farily good rate. The only other complaint I really have is the low beam headlight, the first time I went into a corner at night I lost all vision of the inside of the corner and nearly drove into the ditch; nor could I read any streets signs that night. I corrected this by moving the focal point to a considerably higher position, but now on coming traffic always brights me. I guess that's ok now that I can see and read where I'm going. As far as the handling, unless you are professional, you will not be able to out corner another sportbike. I don't care what the ads say, you really have to know whay you are doing. All in all this is a great beginner bike. Good torque to get going from a stop, but not enough to get you into much trouble. You really have to try to get the front tire to come up. I love my American products, and I hate to say this, but I think Eric made a great bike to cruise on in stlye not to race. When it comes to racing and durability, you had better buy a Janpanese bike. They are just flat out a better built and faster bike. don't believe me ask your local Buell Mechanic, if he says otherwise he's lying and find somewhere else to buy you Firebolt. Show less

I can honestly say (because I have both Jap Bikes and American) that the XB9R for the twisties is the best... for all out top-end however, the mods will require extensive and expensive re-work of the engine and body. If you want a Deal's Gap killer, this is the bike. It will out pace my GSXR-750 and 1000R all the time in the corners and can out pace and out run the compitition in the twisties hands-down!!! The Suzuki's however are tops in the top-end as are the Kawasaki's but where you loose these jap bikes with this little American wonder is in the deep twisties. The XB9R stock is pretty pathetic... it does require the Race ECM, Race Muffler, Power Commander and reduction of about 10 lbs in total to really be a major threat to the R1. http://groups.msn.com/xb9r The XB9R is a great bike of low weight and great power to weight ratio.... the power is easy to stroke from this bike with a stroker kit and is a real kick-ass machine with the Brian Nallin 1050cc kit installed and re-maps. Show less