In the high-tech, take-no-prisoners arena of sportbikes, Buells are something of an anomaly. Surrounded by liquid-cooled, overhead camshaft, multi-cylinder speedsters that can eagerly rev to 11,000 rpm and more, Buells are propelled by a two cylinder, overhead valve, V-Twin engine that is air-cooled - with pushrods - and tops out at 6000 rpm, max. Buell engines can actually trace their lineage back to the Harley-Davidson Sportster of the mid-1950s…..although, obviously, there have been numerous technological upgrades and changes since then.
Here’s the best part: it doesn’t matter. If you want a responsive, nimble sport bike that can eat up corners with the best of them and provide grin-inducing, seat of the pants riding kicks, Buells ride nobody’s pillion.
After reducing the number of bikes in their lineup a year or two back, the company has pared their sportbike stable down to two models: Lightning and Firebolt. Essentially, what separates the two is bodywork/fairings. Both have the same wheelbase, braking systems, seat height, and fuel capacity. There are two engine choices: 984 cc and 1203 cc V-twins. Aside from displacement, minor internal differences, and power output, these two powerplants are virtually identical. Both are fuel injected, fed by a ram-air system, feature a dry sump oil supply, have a reinforced belt final drive, and are mated to a five-speed transmission. The larger of the two develops 103 horsepower at 6000 rpm, while its smaller sibling churns out 92 hp at 5500 rpm. Either way, you’re getting a torque-abundant thumper that is surprisingly smooth and remarkably well-suited to Buell’s lightweight alloy chassis. And for gearheads, both the Lightning and Firebolt are absolute knockouts in the eye-candy department. Pretty bikes, beautifully put together.
A few other specs. Both models carry their engine oil supply in the front section of the rear swingarm, and the 14 litres (3.7 gal.) of fuel is kept in the massive aluminum frame. Suspension duties are handled by Showa inverted front forks and an adjustable single shock under the seat. Brakes are dual-piston disc up front and six-piston disc in the back with six-spoke cast wheels front and back, and dry weight is 175 kg (385 lb.) for the smaller version and another 4 kg (10 lb.) for the 1200. Fuel consumption, for those who monitor such things, is about 5.5 L/100 km (50 mpg) in town and 4.5 L/100 km (65 mpg) on the highway.
With one of the shortest wheelbases (1320 mm./52 in.) in this market, both the Lightning and Firebolt are extremely tossable motorcycles. If you have the cojones, you can readily lean them over until the footpegs touch bottom, which is saying something, since they’re mounted higher than both the front and rear axles. Tight turns are handled by a flick of the wrist and it’s not hard to see why these two are favourites with the so-called hooligan crowd…wheelies and brakies come naturally to these motorcycles, and you can pop up the front wheel in just about any gear.
The downside, of course, is that the riding position is, shall we say, cramped. Knees up, head down, feet back in the classic sport rider posture. It gets better once you build up some speed and the wind forces you back a little, but once aboard, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room. I call these kinds of bikes 50-milers….after 50 miles, you’re definitely ready for a break. For what it’s worth, Buells aren’t the only models that fall into this category.
The other thing to keep in mind about Buell sportbikes is that they have a fairly formidable seat height. The Firebolt’s saddle is perched 775 mm (30.5 in.) off the ground, and the Lightning, only slightly less. My test bike, a Lightning XB9S Low, did have the lower seat height option, but even so, at 726 mm (28.6 in.) it’s a tippy-toe proposition for those us that are inseam-challenged.
A few other observations. Engine heat is considerable….underway, there’s no problem, but stopped at a light or trolling downtown, heat radiates out of the engine at a furious rate….there is an integral fan that mitigates this somewhat, but the Lightning/Firebolt are hot bikes in the most literal sense. As well, there is nothing in the way of storage or amenities, and the handlebars and controls are virtually identical to those found on some Ducati models….that’s not a criticism, just an observation…..
But so what? The Lightning and Firebolt have their own kind of charm and can keep up with anything else in this segment. They may fall back once the speeds creep up to and over 160 km/h, but they’ll get you there as fast as any of their freer-revving rivals, and, besides……how fast do you need to go?
Prices for the Lightning and Firebolt XB9 start at $13,000, going up to $15,300 for the XB12.
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