Last year, I bought a 2002 Buell Cyclone and have just hit the 2,500 mile mark. One thing I must admit, you do need to have a mechanical sense if want to be happy with it. The dry sump confuses a lot of riders, and sometimes people overfill it. You really need to check it right after riding,...
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Last year, I bought a 2002 Buell Cyclone and have just hit the 2,500 mile mark. One thing I must admit, you do need to have a mechanical sense if want to be happy with it. The dry sump confuses a lot of riders, and sometimes people overfill it. You really need to check it right after riding, because the oil may leak past the valve and run back into the motor then you add oil again and it is overfilled. I like the oil control of the dry sump, but you need to know something about motors to appreciate it. I agree on the break-in period and the need to follow the manual. Also, be careful about the motor oil you use. These air cooled motors are particular and I do not second guess the guys that made the motor. Too many guys out there know things that simply are not true, and they blame equipment for their own ineptitude. The Cyclone motor does produce a bunch of torque exactly where you use it on the road. It is not a repli-racer crotch rocket (btw: I like those types of bikes too). It will get to "straight to jailspeeds very easily. It will lift the front wheel very easily, if you are into that sort of thing. It has a fast steering and a lack of a real fairing, so your arms are out in the wind. If you an unaware rider and you hold on tight with your hands, the buffeting of your arms will shake the front end and that is very un-cool on the far side of 90 mph. Many guys out there say the bike is unstable when it is really improper riding technique. They would be happier with a slower front end. My only big complaint about the stock Cyclone is that annoying hick-up it does right after closing the throttle and opening it just a little bit. It does not happen all the time, but when it does, it causes a momentary delay. I understand that it is part of the lean stock carburetor setup. I did make some changes that really did make the bike a lot better in throttle response. I re-jetted the carburetor, replaces the big air box with a Forcewinder air intake, and replaced the stock muffler with a Vance and Hines SS2R slip-on. It really made the bike feel more awake, and it is worth it for the sound and look. It is not so loud that your neighbors will complain so much, and now, it does sound more like a Harley. It hick-ups much less. I have been told by another Cyclone owner that the 42mm Mikuni really helps more than re-jetting, but it is almost $400 and I decided to wait. Also, the motor is not covered by that air-box. You tall guys will like that the Forcewinder air intake gives you more knee room. The Buell Cyclone does draw a lot of looks in my small town, and I am not always glad to get the attention. I can ride it all day with no problem, and I am middle aged and my back is not the best. The 5 gallon gas tank will get you fairly far, which helps when the gas stations a few and far between. The dealers have not been gouging on the price as they do for regular Harleys, and the Buell will not hold its resale as well as the other Harleys. Also, I understand that 2002 is the last year for the steel frame Buell, except for the Blast. Supposedly, the larger 2003 Buell models will be aluminum framed.
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