I just finished a buell demo day at California Buell. I rode the Lighting XB12STT & Ulysses XB12X. I was very surprised how different the bikes were from the CityX XB9SX & Firebolt XB9R I had previously demoed. The XB9 bikes seemed like you were sitting on top of the front wheel, felt twitchy and the torque was noticeably lower.
Both XB12 bikes suspension was confidence inspiring. They felt much more planted to the road then my Vstrom DL650 or 98 VFR800. Most of the demo ride we stayed in second or third gear. The second gear in these bike were perfect for speed from 20-50 mph. The engine was very smooth. There were a few decreasing radius downhill turns. Both xb12’s felt solid. I like the Lighting XB12STT best out of the four Buell’s I have ridden. The XB12STT looks, seating position, seat height, suspensions makes me want to buy one.
The question is the XB12STT\XB12X worth $3-$4000 more then my VStrom DL650? The answer is not for me. Once I sell my VFR I’ll be purchasing suspension on both ends to make up the handling difference. The addition saving could buy all the farkels I could think of for the DL650 (full hard luggage, GPS, windshields, seat, etc..) If I had a 50 mile round trip commute and excess cash I’d get a XB12STT. I’d love to find a dealership that would rent me a XB12STT for the weekend so I could give it full days test or maybe give it a run through my commute.
