04 12R What to Look For

[2DFlyer]

I know there's a couple of threads going around here and the other place that talks about upgrades over the years and what to look for but I can't find them.  A guy at work is parting ways with his '04 12R and I can't remember all that's changed since then: what color are the good bearings?  when did the drive belt change, etc, etc, etc.  Anyone know where to find those posts?

[Brad1445]

I know 04 was the new wider belt.  I owned an o4 Bolt did 23,000 miles in 12 months and was the best Buell out of 5 I ever owned concerning reliability it was perfect.

[2DFlyer]

Thanks.  Good to know you had good luck with it.  There's a guy that works at the local HD shop that rides his '04 year round and had his motor worked over at something approaching 50K but don't know if he was having problems.

[Rogue]

'05 got an upgraded belt guard.

'06 got the new tranny with lighter shift quality, lighter clutch, and lifetime belt life, & new high volume oil pump gear.

'07 got the open airbox, and the switch to Pirelli Diablo tires (eliminating the bike's tendency to stand up under braking).

'08 got the Digital self-resetting TPS sensor.

You can upgrade an older XB to the current belt and pulley.  You can also upgrade to a hydraulic clutch to ease the clutch pull.

In my opinion, the best upgrade you can do to any XB model is to put on a set of Pirelli Diablo Rossos.  It completely changes the bike's overall handling.

[2DFlyer]

Thanks Rogue

[Bueller]

05+ also has larger diameter fork tubes.