I like Buell but I'll stick with the Horse I rode in on.
Posted on 07/11/2007 8:53:05 AM PDT by BraveMan
With Buell’s announcement of the 1125R the company seems set to give reviewers exactly what they asked for – a host of Buell innovations wrapped around a proper liquid cooled engine. The BRP-Rotax engine cranking out a claimed 146hp at the crank, which may not be “set to break the convention of the superbike category”, it certainly fits the “sportbike” descriptor. For Buell though, whose marketing has played the patriotism card in the past, the 1125R’s outsourced engine presents a represents a gamble, namely will the bike be “American” enough to woo the home market? Core to that issue is the poser; does it matter where the components come from?
(Excerpt) Read more at onewheeldrive.net ...
I like Buell but I'll stick with the Horse I rode in on.
I think that colt is a whopping 17”.
Size does matter.
My Jardine pipes are pretty quiet at idle and low speeds but they make some nice rumbles when I open her up.
Won’t trigger car alarms like my last bike did, but I’m not waking the neighbors when I leave in the morning either.
don’t be a size-ist now. i’ve got a 350, a 450, and a 650.
I can barely see that pic. You got one any bigger?
I’ll see your 650 and raise you to a 1000. Then I’ll call at 1700.
I know, I know....size doesn’t matter....horsepower doesn’t really matter....0-60 doesn’t really matter....
I don’t want the biggest or fastest, just bigger and faster than the next guy! Don’t we all?
Aw, heck, who are we fooling?
Don’t we all want big, fast, strong, stylish?
And for zero $$?
I had to borrow another monitor to see it all.
LOL How's this? Better?
For starters, all the Jap bikes ran like a fine-tuned watch. The Buell, although very, very powerful with the low-end torque with it's 1200 motor, was very clunky, and rattled my teeth out. Because of that, I don't think I will ever buy another Buell again.
I have ridden a dirt bike with a Rotax engine, but didn't like the configuration of the kick start, because it was on the left side. The dirt bike did run out very nicely, though. Now if this Buell/Rotax engine fixes the rattle your balls issue, then I would be happy to give it a look.
Anyway, my 2 cents....
The Goldwing is faster, if you keep the revs up. Get caught in the wrong gear though, and that power advantage disappears in a hurry.
For all it’s years of development, the Goldwing STILL has switches, knobs and buttons festooned all over the place. There is still no integration in the controls. Everything looks (and works) like an add-on, pasted onto the bike instead of integrated into it.
The Goldwing has better cornering clearance, especially on the left side. Spirited riding will have you grinding floorboards on the UC long before you make contact with the Wing. That clearance comes with a price though, namely a high center of gravity that makes the ‘Wing feel ponderous and uncertain in low speed maneuvers. A simple U-Turn or parking lot maneuver can you groping for control in a hurry on the Goldwing. The Ultra is in reality a much easier bike to ride with the low seat height and low CG.
The Goldwing may claim better protection from the elements, but the air pocket you ride in on the Ultra is calmer, less turbulent and less noisy. There is no gale force wind trying to push the back of your head forward. The Goldwing provides slightly better rain protection, but one stoplight and both bikes will have you just as wet.
The Ultra gives you more room to move around on the saddle and floorboards. That makes a big difference by the 300th mile of the day.
The bags and trunk on the Goldwing are downright annoying; access to the trunk requires the passenger to get off, saddlebag access has you guarding the opening to prevent all your stuff from spilling onto the ground. For all their bulk, usable space is limited compared to the Ultra.
You can actually hear the stereo at highway speeds on the UC, loud pipes & all. The Bluetooth option integrates your cellphone seamlessly. If you need extra techno-trickery, you can also add GPS functionality (the Goldwing does have a nicer GPS display, when equipped).
The instrumentation on the Ultra is simply nicer; easy to read and pleasant to look at. The ‘dashboard’ on the ‘Wing resembles a ‘79 Civic, still.
For a shaft drive bike, the Goldwing has more driveline lash than I expected, along with more on-throttle, off-throttle pogo-ing, something that always annoyed the hell out of me. It just does’nt suit my riding style well; I’m constantly adjusting my line through the corner to avoid this & that. All that behavior is nonexistent on the Ultra.
The Ultra gets better mileage (13-15MPG), however that a minor point between these two motorcycles, hardly worth mentioning.
The resale value on a Goldwing fades quickly, due in no small part to Honda’s propensity to reinvent itself every four years (though I personally don’t put a whole lot of stock in that either; these are the type of bikes you hang onto forever anyway).
Then there is the aesthetics.
The Goldwing has an awesome motor; quiet with gobs of power. The ride quality is ever-so-slightly better. But in the final analysis it was not enough of an enticement to overcome the bike’s spooky slow speed character. Power I can add easily, just open wallet. The ponderous feel is not so easily remedied.
Plus, Harley has cooler T-Shirts . . .
So would I and I do. Currently riding 94 GL1500 and 06 GL1800. The days of riding things like Harleys and Buells went by the wayside decades ago. Had a V-Rod for a (very) short while and hated it.
hey now.. all the parts are there.. all the parts are even assembled for the 350.. its just a matter of getting them adjusted right (i HATE points)
i think i’m still under $200 for all three of mine.. and i’m having a lot of fun playing with ‘em, and learning all about them (right now.. from the inside)
and i don’t care about size, looks, hp.. i don’t care if the next guy has my dream bike. its all about just having one, and having fun with it. there’s too many guys out there wearing the harley paraphanelia and that’s the closest to a harley any of them will ever own - either because they can’t afford it, or their wife won’t let them.
but if you really insist on comparing.. we can go for rarity :)
My feet are too big for the Goldwing fairing.
You know what they say about guys with big feet...:-D
...we have big shoes...yeah, shoes.
I am sure you can find a dozen reviews favoring the UC and I could find a dozen favoring the GW. Depends on what bias the review comes from. Also depends on the testers’s personal preference. The review you pasted is particularly biased.
The UC is not a good as the GW. Everyone knows this. You could never get me to write a good review on a HD, I don’t care if you put HD stickers on a YamahaFJR, I would tell you the bike sucks. Seems like this author feels the same about Honda. Maybe he is high ranking elder at the Church of Harley Davidson and just cannot shake his hatred for technology. :)
For my money I would choose the BMW K1100LT ABS. $1k cheaper and 225lbs lighter.
The closest most fat bearded dudes in chinese-made officially licensed Harley leather bandanas will get to points is their wives weight watchers points taped to the fridge. Their wives won't let them ride anything, nevermind drop all the money they are saving up for aluminum siding on a HD.
At least you're honest.
“No kidding, they should stick to the highly profitable stuff like marketing chinese made leather bandana’s and dog collars. < ducking >”
Somebody gave me a Harley with an American flag. It was made in Vietnam. Somehow, it just didn’t seem right.
I think I have Harley derangement syndrome.
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