2002 Buell XB9R review from United Kingdom
"What motorcycling should be - a blast!"
What things have gone wrong with the motorcycle?
Fuel sensor failed at 1,800 miles.
Headlight came loose at 2,000 miles.
Heat sensor failed at 5,000 miles.
General comments?
Forget straight line performance - get into a fight on a straight road and you'll get eaten by most decent Japanese 600s. But go and play in the twisty things, and you'll be digging dead flies out of your teeth for months.
With the race kit (uprated cam, chip and exhaust) it produces just over 100BHP, plenty for a 1 litre bike that weighs as much as most 250s.
Torque is plain silly. Somewhere around force 9 on the Richter Scale. Crack the throttle at any revs and woo hoo!
Not the bike for everyone - but put a proper rider between the tank and the bumstop, and it's pretty well uncatchable.
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| Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Acceleration marks | 7 / 10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Handling marks | 10 / 10 |
| Braking marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 2000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 5600 miles |
| Previous motorcycle | Kawasaki Z1000-R |
| Date of Entry | 13th June, 2005 |