Other than my blade of all the bikes I've had only one is an absolute keeper my 1997 Buell S1 white lightning. There like a really fit woman they're gorgeous and know it so if you dont spend loads of time and money fettling them they have a strop.....antiquated, well a bit but the handling specially on the twisties pisses all over the blade. So here's a little tale from today that I've copied and pasted over fro our buell forum. Kind of sums it up. They are most alike......as Clive puts it 'cant live with em, cant shoot em'.......you just got to love them. Haven't rode the S1wl for a couple of weeks and mostly have been taking Gill out on the back so hadn't been for a proper scratch for a while. So this morning thought I'd ride to work and go for a blast on't way home. Take the cover off this morning and she imediately gives me that look, "You can fuck off if you think were going out in this cold specially as all you wanna do these days is warp 9 on that black blade bitch or fondle with her titanium" So I fire her up BANG massive back fire and 1 pot splutters before I have to give it a bit more gas to get em both firing.......neighbours :shock: have to role off down the hill on tick over for a slow warm up. Shes still muttering and grumbling about that 'bitch blade' as the clutch and gears are stiff as. Once warmed up gently all seems well......apart from the on going malestrom / tantrum of rattles and vibration that causes me to check the mirrors for bits falling off and even pull over and check rear caliper........no its OK its just her tempestuous 'character' So park her up in a beautifull spot to sunbathe over looking the lake and snowdon and do my days graft. Fire her up...va va vrmmm! to go for post work scratch and she knows it she's got her glad rags on and she wants to party :dance: So off up the Llanberis pass and its just a raw assault on the senses, raucous yet sublime and sensual as she's dancing an Argentine tango with me through the stone walled twisties saying 'that blade bitch can move, oh yeah, but she ain't got no sole. But hang on a bit its all getting a bit giddy like Gill if I'd let her loose in a shoe shop with me credit card :ill: The throttle is sticking and it really dont want to shut off. I crest the pass front wheel aloft to see plod giving a repsol blade pilot a telling off :roll: shocking! Mean while she roars on down the other side of the pass shouting "cheap tart"at the blade. So I'm whisked off for forty miles of hair raising 'Argentine tango' scratching, taken for one hell of a ride by my more 'experienced lady' and arrive home a little intoxicated. ......and as put her coat over her shoulders I think.........fuck me I'm one lucky bugger to have her in my life :mrgreen:
Just a bit about her. Engine. 1250 Wiseco rebore, ported thunderstorm heads with bigger valves . Titanium push rods and uprated valve train. .536 SE hoofing fat cams. strengthened primary tensioner and oil pump drive. cut down cam cover with re routed oil lines. Bespoke billet engine mount. Mikuni Hsr42 carb with K&N force winder intake strengthened detent plate in gear selector and uprated selecter mech. bespoke headers 1, 3/4" into 2.5 stright thru collector and vance and hines ss2r can chassis. bespoke AST rear shock, showa forks Billet swing arm. Ebh prolite disks with 249hh pads and bf goodrich braided hoses She ain't no ordinary buell.......when you spend this much on them they ARE pretty damn reliable 108 bhp with 103 torques all weighing in at 370lbs or 168kg wet. she embarrased a few S1000rr's at the ramsey sprint.
Nice story lol I do like the look of Mr Buell's next creation - the EBR 1190RX which he is apparently entering into WSBK next year:
Good write up,lovely lookin bike cant believe its a 97 looks better than anything produced these days,and the backdrops not bad either alot nicer than industrial teesside
nice read up. my brother had an x1 millenium then swapped to the xb12 which he wasnt so keen on and now back to an s1. he loves them and on a sunny evening out in our group we struggle to keep with him in the twisties. i,d imagine the early ones will start growing in value soon.
